cu») United States
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'US 2009003891
cz) Patent Application Publication — co) Pub. No.: US 2009/0038916 Al
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HELICAL CONVEYOR WITHOUT
‘Van Faassen
OVERDRIVE,
Inventor
Comespondence Address
THE WEBB LAW FIRM, PC
Willem Van Faassen, Heagelo
wy
700 KOPPERS,
AVENUE
PITTSBURGH, PA 18219 (US)
Assignee:
Appl. No,
PCT Filed
PCT No,
$371 (
(0).
ASHWORTH JONGE POERINK
BUILDING,
436. SEVENTH
BLY, ENSCHEDE (NL)
(2), (4) Date
Im
—
117884,096
Feb. 1, 2006
Pec
Sep. 17, 2008
7 P2006/000993
(43) Pub, Date Feb. 12, 2009
G0) Foreign Application Priority Data
eb. 11,2005 (EP) 050753425
Publication Classification
G1) Incl,
BSG 218 (2006.01),
(2) US.CL 1987778
on ABSTRACT
The invention relates to a conveyor assembly, such as a
stacker, comprising: verticelly arranged drum having a sub-
Santially smooth peripheral surface; a conveyor at least
‘one fl tum wound along the peripheral surface of the rum,
said belt comprising support elements fo support portions of
the belt on top of each other, wherein the bottom part ofthe
«drum widens outwardly and the remaining part ofthe drum is
cylindricalPatent Application Publication Feb. 12, 2009 US 2009/0038916 AIUS 2009/0038916 AI
HELICAL CONVEYOR WITHOUT
‘OVERDRIVE
[0001] ‘The invention relates toa camveyor assembly, come
‘monly known at stackers, With seh stackers a drum is Ver
tically arranged and # conveyor belt is wound arcind the
‘drum, The coaweyor belt is driven by this dem. With a s0-
called fll stacker the conveyor belt is stacked and supports
itself. One portion ofthe conveyor belt supports the stacked
portions on tp of this supporting portion. Wi half stackers
‘onesie ofthe conveyor beltadjacentto the drum supportsthe
stacked portions above this supporting potion and the other
side of the conveyor belt is supported by a stationary guide
ral
10002] |The first stacker systems used positive driving ofthe
‘conveyor belt. The drum was provide with for example ibs,
‘hich engage with the sides of the conveyor belt providing 3
‘shape closed force transfer. Sue a driving can result in very
high forces in the eonveyor belt esuting in early breakage of
the conveyor belt
[en] Ancien with
sacrum isthe overdrive priniple. In sucha cave certain
is muitined between te drum and the conveyor bl Ifthe
orees in the conveyor belt tends to ise, the slp nereases,
Jimiting the easion and fores in the conveyor bet In ondet
toachievesucha slipadrum witha smooth peripheral surface
js provided, The drum is driven and mainly dives the con-
veyorbelt. In orderto avoid a positive driving of the conveyor
belt second driving means is provided o drive the conveyor
belt at a diferent speed such that slip will occur and be
maintained between the drum and the eonveyor belt. Espe-
‘lly When starting up such aconveyor assembly its difficult,
‘ocontal the motorofthedrumand the motor ofthe conveyor
bel, such that a slip will occur and be maintained by the
sdriving means.
10003] US. Pat, No, 3,348,659 describes conveyor
sssembly having a drum around which a conveyor bell is
‘wound, This document doesnot disclose a stacker bet, but a
‘conveyorbelt which sully supported by guide rails. In onder
to achieve the necessary slip between the drum and the con-
veyor belt the documeat teaches to use a non-eylindrcal
‘drum. The drum must dactease in diametee inthe tansport
sircctionof the conveyor belt. Ateach tum the diameterof the
‘conveyor belt and the drum dacreases sueh that there is
always a speed difference maintained between the peripheral
‘velocity ofthe drum and the conveyor belt
[0005] _Ttisan object ofthe invention wo providea conveyor
assembly of the stacker type being less complicated in cone
struction as the conveyor assemblies aecording to the prior
10006] This object of the invention is achieved by a con-
veyor assembly comprising:
[0007] a vertically arranged drum having a substantially
smooth peripheral surface:
0008} aconveyorbelt, at eastone fll tum woundalong
the periplteral surface ofthe drum, said belt comprising
support element to support portions of the Belton op of
each other:
10009] wherein the bottom part of the drum widens ovt-
vwardly end he remaining part of the drom i eylindrical
[0010] | Quite unexpectedly it was shown thatthe tension
1nd foreesin the conveyor belt were maintined low although
the conveyor belt was solely driven by the drum and no slip
Feb. 12, 2009
\vas available or introduced as with eomveyor assemblies
‘according tothe prior art widened portion of se dram is
provided such that the conveyor belt maintained its relative
position with respect othe drum. Due to the widened portion
atthe bottom ofthe drum, the conveyor belt estson the dem
‘andthe weight ofthe conveyor bell ensures thatthe drum is
‘maintained a ts original position, Due tothe difference in
siamcter ofthe widened portion a smooth introduction ofthe
conveyor belt into the stck ofthe eonveyor bet is achieve.
Upon introduction the conveyorbelt the peripheral velocity
of the widened portion is larger than the velocity of the
conveyorbelt.Astheconveyorbelis wound around the drum
the conveyor belt is advanced upwardly to the eylindrcal
portion where the peripheral velocity ofthe cylindrical drum
portion is substantially identical to the velocity of the con-
‘eyor belt. At this portion the conveyor belt will grip to the
«drum and the conveyor belt is deiven by the drum with no
significant slip.
O11] A smooth surice is defined as a surface having no
protrusions or other wise, which can positively couple with
the conveyor belt providing a shape defined force transfer,
Te smooth surlace should provide the ability forthe belt 10
slide along the surface if necessary, for example inthe case
the conveyor belts blocked. The surface ean however have
‘openings, as long a8 the openings do not interfere with the
ability for the belt to slide along the surface.
[0012] Tae suppor elements could cither support portions
‘ofthe belt partially, such as in half stacker, of Fully such as
ina ful stacker
0013] Inanembodiment ofthe conveyor assembly accord-
ing to the invention the assembly comprises driving means for
Griving the assembly, wherein the conveyor belt is directly
riven by the drum. In a very preferred embodiment the
peripheral velocity of atleast the cylindrical portion of the
{rum is substantially equal to the velocity ofthe belt,
[0014] An addtional advantage ofthe conveyor assembly
According tothe invention is that no substantial black speck
‘secur. Black spock occurs with stackers having substantial
slip hetwcen the drum and the conveyor belt. This slip pro-
vides wear of the drum resulting in substantial amounts of
‘wear particles which will contaminate the products being
conveyed. Now havingeliminated substantially any lip inthe
‘conveyor assembly. no substantial wear will cour and black
speek is avoided
[0015] In another embodiment of the conveyor assembly
‘according to the invention the cross section ofthe widened
portion ofthe drum comprises a portion ofa parabolic curve.
Is proven that such a euinaitire of the widened portion
provides a substantially constant force within the conveyor
belt which is favorable for the lie span of the conveyor belt.
[0016] 12 yer another embestiment ofthe conveyor assem-
bly according to the invention it comprises a support for
supporting a least the sacked portion of the conveyor belt
[0017] The conveyor assembly according to the invention
ean further comprise a conveyor belt having a plurality of
Tinks connected by a plurality of rods, wherein at least a
number ofthe inks comprise support elements for supporting
‘stacked portion of the conveyor belt, These Tinks of the
conveyor belt are preferably plastic inks. Such a comveyor
‘assembly consists out ofa minimal aumber of pars providing
flow costs conveyor assembly having a good relishiity
[0018] Tese and other features of the invention will he
‘lucidated in conjunetion with the socompsnying drawing,US 2009/0038916 AI
10019] In the drawing a conveyor assembly 1 acconding 10
the invention is shown. This conveyor assembly 1 comprises
‘a drum 2 having a widened portion at the bottom, The cross
‘ection of this widened portion comprises aparubolie cuve3.
At the shaft 4of the drum 2a gear whee i arranged which
is driven by a motor 6.
10020] Rather schematic a conveyor belt 7 is shown, whieh
fs introduced at the botlom side of the drum 2 and which
eaves the stack at the upper portion of the drum 2. The
‘conveyor belt 7 comprises # number of support elements 8
‘hich enables tacking of the conveyor belt around the drum
2, Avthe bottom of the stacked conveyor belt 7a guide 9 is
frranged to suppor the stack,
[0021] |The peripheral surface of the drum 2 is smooth and
the eanveyor belt 7 directly abuts the smooth peripheral sur=
face which enables postive driving of the conveyor belt 7
‘without any slip ont least the cylindrical portion of the drum,
2
1-7. (canceled)
8. A conveyor assembly, such as a sucker, comprising:
8 vertically atranged dram having a substantially smooth
peripheral surface ad
a conveyor bolt, atleast one full tum wound along the
peripheral surface of the drum, said helt comprising
Support elements to spport portions ofthe belton topo
each other:
Feb. 12, 2009
‘wherein the bottom pact of the deum wideas outwardly and
the remsining part of the drum is eylndricl
9. The conveyor assembly according to claim 8, further
‘comprising driving means for driving the assembly, wherein
the conveyor belts directly driven by the drum.
10, The conveyor assembly according to clsim 9, wherein
the peripheral velocity of at less the cylindrical portion ofthe
«drum is substantially equa w the velocity ofthe belt,
11. The comeyor assembly according to claim 8, wherein
the eross-seeton of the widened portion of the drum com-
prises a portion of a parabolie curve.
12, The conveyor assembly according (0 claim 8, further
‘comprising a support for supporting atleast the stacked por
sion ofthe conveyor belt
13. The conveyor assembly aecording to claim 8, wherein
the conveyor belt comprises a plurality of links connected by
plurality rods, and wherein a least a numberof the Tinks
‘comprise support elements for supporting 2 stacked portion
ofthe conveyor belt
14. Theconveyor assembly according to claim 13, wherein
the links ofthe conveyor belt are plastic links