CN1097006C - A method and an apparatus for regulating the width between two support railings along a curved conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for regulating the width between two support railings (1, 19) along a curved conveyor path (2). The outer support railing (1) is flexible and, on adjustment or regulation, is released from connecting straight support railings (3) in that a locking device (5) is opened and the outer support railing may now be pulled outwards or alternatively pushed inwards to the desired position where it is locked in place by means of the locking device (5). The inner support railing (19) consists of a support plate (19) with an end (20) curved along the curved conveyor section (2). The support plate (19) may be reciprocated towards the centre of the conveyor section (2) and its width may be regulated with the aid of wings (22) secured beneath the plate (19). The position of the support railings (1, 19) may be regulated rapidly and entirely without the use of tools .

Description

Method and apparatus for adjusting the width between two support rails along a curved conveyor belt

technical field

The invention relates to a method of adjusting the width between two support rails along a curved conveying path. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method. These conveyor belts are provided with support fences along both sides and throughout their entire length in order to give effective support to the products carried on the conveyor belts so that they do not tip over during conveying. The curved sections of the conveyor belt are also surrounded on both sides by support fences.

Background technique

Conveyor belts are also used in this way for single-use disposable packages for liquid food, which, after being filled and sealed in a filling machine, are sent, if necessary, to different auxiliary machines, these Machines, for example, equip them with a drinking straw or combine them into individual delivery units. The packages are often parallelepiped in shape and they may be relatively tall relative to their base area, so they must be supported during their entire journey along a conveyor belt. Overturned packages can stop operations and possibly cause damage to the packages. Most importantly, effective support must be provided at each curve of a conveyor belt (which can vary from 45° to 180°).

The conveyor belt is usually designed to correspond to a filling machine that can be used as a fixture where the support rails are welded in place and it is not possible to make any adjustments or adjustments thereto. Due to the increasing interest in the market for filling machines that can be changed over to make packages of different volumes, there is a need in the art for the ability to adjust or adjust the two supports along a conveyor belt employed in conjunction with such a filling machine. The need has also increased for the width between the fences so that the fences constitute an effective support regardless of the volume of the package. It must be possible to adjust or adjust the width between the supporting fences relatively quickly, and the time taken should not exceed the time it would take to change the filling machine from one desired volume to another.

How to adjust the width of a straight conveyor belt is described in the patent literature, but those solutions all require the use of tools, and those methods are relatively trivial. Adjusting the width of a curved section of a conveyor belt between the two support rails presents further problems, since there is now a difference in the distance covered on a curved section for both the outer and inner support rails.

Contents of the invention

An object of the present invention is to realize a method of adjusting the width between two support rails along a curved conveying path, which can be carried out quickly and without any tools. With this method according to the invention, it must also be possible to compensate for differences in distance that occur on both the outer and inner support rails when the width changes between the two support rails.

These and other objects according to the present invention are achieved by a method of adjusting the width between two support fences along a curved conveying path, which is characterized in that the outer support fences are flexible and when adjusting or adjusting the width when it is released from adjacent straight rails connected by locking means and is pulled outward or otherwise pushed inward to the desired position, in which position it is again locked and the inner support rail consists of A plate bent along the conveying path, which can be released and pushed forwards or backwards by means of locking screws, and the inner support fence can be released by means of at least one locking screw fixed to the plate Each fin is adjusted to the desired width.

An apparatus for adjusting the width between two support rails along a curved conveying path, characterized in that the apparatus comprises locking means placed on either side of the curved section of the conveyor belt and securing therein a flexible An outer support fence and connected straight support fence and an inner support fence is provided, the inner support fence includes a support plate so as to be moved back and forth relative to the center point of the curve; the support plate is provided with fins to adjust the width of the support plate , wherein the locking means comprises a plate to which both the outer support rail and the straight support rail are secured; and the plate is surrounded on either side by a locking member; the locking member comprises a first locking portion engaged between the opposing portions and set to be opened or locked by the second locking part relative to the opposite part; the first locking part has a raised portion on its upper surface; and the second locking part has a curved bottom surface, which has a lowest position and a highest position , two positions are set in this way, when the highest position is aligned with the raised portion, the locking member is open, and when the lowest position is aligned with the raised portion, the locking member is locked.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device for the 180° curve at its widest position between the two support rails;

Fig. 2 is the side view of Fig. 1 equipment;

Fig. 3 is another side view of Fig. 1 equipment;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the device for the 180° curve in its narrowest position between the two support fences;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the device of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is another side view of Fig. 4 equipment;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the device for the 90° curve in its widest position between the two support rails;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the device for the 90° curve in its narrowest position between the two support rails;

Fig. 9 is a plan view when the device for the 45° curve is in the widest position between the two support fences;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the device for the 45° curve in its narrowest position between the two support rails; and

Figure 11 is a partial inside view of a locking device.

Description of preferred embodiments

Figures 1-6 illustrate a device according to the invention for a 180° curve. The apparatus comprises an outer support fence 1 which is flexible so as to bend along curved sections of a conveying path. The outer support fence 1 is a direct continuation of the straight support fences 3 arranged along the straight sections 4 of the conveying path. These straight support rails 3 along the straight sections 4 of the conveying path are often made of some kind of plastic with aluminum molded configurations to provide longer lasting stability. This flexible outer support fence / has no such aluminum sides and is therefore flexible.

The outer support rail 1 is fixed in locking means 5, in which are also the straight support rails 3, but the two parts of the support rails 1, 3 are separate and separated from each other. Locking means 5 are placed at each end of the curved conveyor belt section 2, ie at the curve itself, so that the curved section of the perimeter fence 1 is completely separated from the straight sections of the straight support fence 3 on both sides of the curve. The locking device 5 comprises an engaging plate 6 with a locking screw equipped with a handwheel 7 . A lock 8 is provided at each end of the plate 6 .

A locking member (shown in detail in FIG. 11 ) comprises a first locking portion 9 interconnected by a common shaft 10 and a second locking member 11 . A raised portion 12 is provided at the upper end of the first locking member 9 . The bottom surface of the second locking member 11 is made into a curved surface so that it has the lowest position 13 at two points and the highest position 14 at two points. In the left part of Fig. 11, the second locking member 11 is represented, the highest position 14 of which is registered to the raised portion 12 on the first locking part 9, which means that the two locking parts 9, 11 are opened relative to each other, in The right part of Fig. 11 shows the second locking part 11, whose lowest position 13 is registered with the raised part 12 on the first locking part 9, and it is obvious that the two locking parts 9, 11 are thus locked to each other in this position superior.

The bottom surface of the first locking portion 9 presents a concave-convex surface with protrusions 15 and recesses 16 . The bottom surface of the first locking part 9 is aligned with the opposite part 17, and this piece presents on its upper end corresponding some concave-convex surfaces with each protrusion 15 and each recess 16, and the bottom surface formed by the first locking part 9 same as shown. The first locking part 9 and the opposing part 17 are arranged to be able to engage each other, so that a protrusion 15 of each concave-convex surface on one part 9 or 17 is positioned in registration with a depression of each concave-convex surface on the other part 9 or 17 16.

In the preferred embodiment, the first locking portion 9 is also designed such that it forms part of a bracket 18 for supporting the fence 1,3.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show another locking member 8 placed centrally on the curved surface of the outer support rail 1 . The lock 8 is needed to reinforce the outer support fence 1, which is flexible and, especially in a 180° curve, if queues occur on the curve due to tail-back of a large number of packages on the curve Stress, may be damaged. This situation arises in the event of a sudden stop of the forward flow on the conveying paths 2, 4.

The inner support enclosure of the apparatus comprises a support plate 19 with a rounded end 20 facing the curve so that the rounded end 20 follows the curved section 2 of the conveying path. The support plate 19 includes in particular an upper plate 21 . Below the upper plate 21 movable fins are provided. The number of fins 22 is preferably two and can thus have at most a geometrical extent corresponding to half the surface of the upper plate 21 . Each fin 12 is pivotally connected to a pin 23 in a slot 24 . The flaps 22 are released by means of at least one locking screw provided with a handwheel 25 . The flaps 22 can be moved steplessly along the grooves 24 and can then be locked in the desired position again. In its inner region, each flap 22 is provided with a heel 26 . This root 26 has its counterpart in a similar root 28 on the underside region 27 of the support plate 19 . When the heels 26, 28 engage each other, each flap 22 has reached its one end position. In the other end position, the two wings 22 are fully retracted below the upper plate 21 of the support plate 19 .

The support plate 19 is also designed to move back and forth towards the center point of the conveyor belt curve 2 . In order to make this movement possible, a slot 29 is formed right through the support plate 19 . In the groove 29, the support plate 19 has a penetrating surface 30 which is contoured so that the surface 30 has a plurality of protrusions 31 and a plurality of depressions 32. This concave-convex surface is parallel to the moving direction of the support plate 19 . The concave-convex surface 30 is aligned against a similarly concave-convex surface on a support 34 . This support 34 is fixed on the frame 35 of the conveyor belt 2 . Thus, the two surfaces 30 and 33 engage each other in a form-locking manner and are locked to each other by means of a screw 36 . This screw 36 has a hand wheel 37 in order to easily be able to move the two surfaces towards each other. The support plate moves along a horizontal slot 38 .

The support plate 19 can also move along a vertical slot. This movement results in a displacement of the support plate 19 in the vertical plane. In an attempt to make the free height below the support plate 19 so suitable that any packages that may have overturned and are advancing on the conveyor belts 2, 4, regardless of the size of the packages, will be able to pass under the support plate 19. When passing, use this displacement.

Figures 7 and 8 represent a corresponding support plate 19 for a 90° curve, while Figures 9 and 10 represent a 45° curve, where the fins 22 of the support plate 19 each have a hand The locking screws of the wheel 25, since the two wings 22 are placed further apart from each other, sharing a locking screw may require a more complicated mechanical linkage for the common locking screw.

Figures 1-3 show that the equipment for a 180° curve is in its outer position, where the distance between the outer support fence 1 and the support plate 19 is at its maximum, and these figures also show that at this position In the outer position the support plate 19 is at its highest in its displacement in the vertical plane and the distance between the lower region 27 of the support plate 19 and the conveyor belt 2 is at its maximum.

Fig. 4-6 shows that the equipment for a 180° curve is in its other outer position, where the distance between the outer support fence 1 and the support plate 19 is at its minimum, and the support plate 19 makes its respective The fins 22 protrude from their outer positions. These figures also show the second outer position of the support plate 19 displaced in the vertical direction and the distance between the lower region 27 of the support plate 19 and the conveyor belt 2 at its maximum.

The adjustment or adjustment of the distance between two support rails along a curved conveyor belt 2, ie between the outer support rail 1 and the support plate 19, can be carried out quickly and completely without any tools. In order to obtain the correct width, a suitable method is to use as a size standard a package whose volume and dimensions the conveyor belt curve 2 should fit.

The outer support fence 1 is adjusted or adjusted to the desired position by turning the hand wheel 7 on the locking device 5 so that the locking screws are reversely unscrewed and the relevant locking members 8 are opened. Each locking member 8 is unlocked due to the second locking portion 11 being rotated to its unlocked position. To facilitate this pivoting action, the second locking portion 11 may be provided with some form of gripping means 40, such as a lug or a handle. The holding device 40 is turned by a quarter turn, and the first locking part 9 is thus released from the counter part 17 . The first locking part 9 with its support for supporting the fence 1 can now be pushed along the counter part 17 . In order to facilitate obtaining a uniform displacement on all locking members 8 in the device, the counter part 17 may be provided with suitable graduations 41, as shown in FIG. 11 . Since the handwheel 7 has been turned so that the locking screw is loosened, the flexible outer support fence 1 can now be pulled outwards or otherwise pushed inwards relative to the conveyor section 2 .

Once the outer support rail 1 has been placed in the desired position, the locking screw is locked by turning the hand wheel 7 again. All gripping means 40 on the relevant locking elements 8 are reversed by a quarter turn, and the outer support rail is now fixed in its new position.

In order to adjust or adjust the inner support fence or support plate 19, the hand wheel 37 is turned, so that the locking screw 36 is loosened and the support plate 19 can be moved horizontally along the slot 38 on the one hand and along the other side on the other hand. The slot is moved vertically. When the support plate 19 has assumed its desired position, it is locked in this position by means of the hand wheel 37 . In order to give the support plate 19 the desired width, one or several handwheels 25 locking the wings 22 by means of locking screws are turned. The wings 22 are moved along their grooves 24 until the support plate 19 has the desired width and are locked in their new position by means of the hand wheel 25 .

From the above it is evident that the invention realizes a method and a device for adjusting or adjusting the width between two support rails along a conveyor belt curve 2 in a simple and rapid manner and without any tools.

The invention also compensates for the differences in distance obtained when the width between the two support fences is changed along various curves and various conveyor belt curve sections 2 .

The invention should not be considered limited to what has been described above and shown in the drawings, and many modifications can be conceived without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (4)

1. an adjustment is along the method for the width between two support railings of curve transfer path (2), it is characterized in that, external support fence (1) is flexible, and when regulating or adjust, it is got loose and is pulled outwardly from the straight fence of bonded assembly (3) by blocking device (5) and drags or alternatively inwardly be pressed on its blocked once more desired location, the internal support fence comprises that the internal support fence can support plate member (19) be located and regulate or adjust to required width by each fin (22) that at least one lock screw is loosened by being fixed on along transfer path (2) support plate member (19) crooked and that got loose and passed by front and back by lock screw (36).

2. equipment that is used for adjusting along the width between two support railings of curve transfer path (2), it is characterized in that, this equipment comprises each blocking device (5), each blocking device (5) is placed in the either side of belt conveyor segment of curve (2) and fixes flexible external support fence (1) and the straight support railings of bonded assembly (3) therein and the internal support fence is set, the internal support fence comprises support plate member (19), so that moved forward and backward with respect to the center-point of curve; Support plate member (19) is provided with each fin (22), so that regulate the width of support plate member (19), wherein blocking device (5) comprises that the peaceful allotment of external support fence (1) holds the plate (6) that fence (3) all is fixed thereon; This plate (6) is all centered on by locking piece (8) on either side; Locking piece (8) comprises first lock part (9), is engaged among the opposed part (17) and is provided with to be opened or lock with respect to opposed part (17) by second lock part (11); There is bossing (12) first lock part (9) on the surface at an upper portion thereof; And second lock part (11) have the curved bottom surface, it has an extreme lower position (13) and an extreme higher position (14), two positions are provided with like this, when (14) location registration is to bossing (12) in the extreme higher position, locking piece (8) is opened, and when extreme lower position (13) location registration when bossing (12), locking piece (8) locks.

3. according to the described equipment of claim 2, it is characterized in that each fin (22) is provided with bearing pin (23) respectively; And each fin (22) is set up removablely, so that bearing pin (23) moves along a groove (24).

4. according to the described equipment of claim 2, it is characterized in that support plate member (19) has the groove of running through (29), wherein settle the surface (30) that forms concaveconvex shape, it is engaged in the surface of the formation concaveconvex shape on the support (34) with the shape lock mode; And support plate member (19) is set at and moves back and forth among on the surface (30,33) groove (38) being set.

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