AU2015204403B2

AU2015204403B2 - A conveyor belt cleaner blade

Info

Publication number: AU2015204403B2
Application number: AU2015204403A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Terry Thew
Original assignee: Ess Engineering Services & Supplies Pty Ltd; ESS Engineering Services and Supplies Pty Ltd
Current assignee: ESS Engineering Services and Supplies Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2014-09-03
Filing date: 2015-07-20
Publication date: 2020-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 2035-07-20
Also published as: AU2015204403A1

Abstract

ACONVEYORBELTCLEANERBLADE ABSTRACT A conveyor belt cleaner blade (10) to be mounted on a supporting assembly (11). The blade (10) has recesses (24) that can be engaged by a tool to install and remove the blade (10) of the supporting structure (11). 1/3 /0 22 23 2529 22 25

Description

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ACONVEYORBELTCLEANERBLADE FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to cleaner blades for conveyor belts and more particularly but not exclusively to conveyor belt cleaner blades formed of flexible material and employed to clean conveyors used in the bulk material handling industry, such as the coal mining industry.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In the mining industry conveyors are used to transport large quantities of the material mined, such as coal. Conveyor belt cleaner blades are employed to clean the longitudinally extending surface of the conveyor upon which the material rests. These blades are formed of a resilient flexible material (such as polyurethane) and scrape against the surface of the belt to remove material therefrom. These are a high wear item and require regular replacement. Examples of the blades are described in Australian Patents 653534, 2007201693, 2010200386, 2010200493, 2010201913 and USA Patent 7565962.

[0003] The abovementioned blades are mounted on a support located adjacent an end extremity of the belt. The blades are mounted on the support by longitudinal sliding movement along the support. That is the support has a longitudinal projection that is received within a corresponding recess in the mounting portion of the blade.

[0004] To replace the blades, the blades need to be removed from the support. This is achieved by sliding the blades longitudinally along the support until they reach the end of the support wherefrom they can be removed.

[0005] Typically an operator will reach or climb into a housing containing the blades and move the blades by hand along the support. This is time consuming and can also be dangerous.

[0006] Attempts have been made to address the above problems by providing hooks and other items that engage the end face of the blade to be removed. However this has its own problems in that only the very end blade is easily engaged since it is the only blade with an exposed end face. To address this problem frequently a wedge (screwdriver) is driven between adjacent blades to separate the blades to enable one or more of the blades to be engaged. To do this the operator needs to reach into the housing. Typically they are engaged by a hook, that is a rod with a right angle end portion that abuts the blade or blades to be removed.

[0007] The conveyor belt cleaner blade described in Australian Patent 2004201693 addresses many of the above problems.

[0008] The above discussed cleaner blades have a number of problems, including fine web material becoming lodged in areas that are to be gripped. A further problem is use of the tool that is to engage the blade. In some instances the tool engages the blade at a position spaced from the longitudinal central axis of the blade, which causes the blade to resist movement by being pushed into engagement with the supporting structure. A still further disadvantage is that frequently the tool can become dislodged making it difficult to engage the blade.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0009a] The present invention provides a conveyor belt cleaner blade to engage a conveyor belt to clean the conveyor belt, the blade having a transverse width to extend transverse of the belt and being adapted to be mounted on a support to extend longitudinally transverse of the belt, the blade including: a blade portion to engage the belt to clean the belt; a mounting portion to engage the support to position the blade adjacent the belt, with the mounting portion being adapted to engage the support so that the blade is mounted for movement longitudinally of the support during blade installation and removal; and a passage having a major direction of extension transverse relative to said width, the passage extending between end openings into which a tool can be inserted for the purposes of applying a force to the blade to move the blade longitudinally of the support, by pulling or pushing the tool; and wherein the blade has a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface, the surfaces extending in the direction of said width, with the passage oriented so that the tool is inserted in a direction transverse of said surfaces.

2a

[0010] According to one or more embodiments, there is disclosed a conveyor belt cleaner blade to engage a conveyor belt to clean the conveyor belt, the blade having a transverse width to extend transverse of the belt and being adapted to be mounted on a support to extend longitudinally transverse of the belt, the blade including: a blade portion to engage the belt to clean the belt; a mounting portion to engage the support to position the blade adjacent the belt, with the mounting portion being adapted to engage the support so that the blade is mounted for movement longitudinally of the support during blade installation and removal; and a passage having a major direction of extension transverse relative to said width, the passage extending between end openings into which a tool can be inserted for the purposes of applying a force to the blade to move the blade longitudinally of the support.

[0011] Preferably, the blade has opposite first and second end portions between which said width extends, with the passage being located in the first end portion.

[0012] Preferably, the first end portion has a flange, with the passage being located in the flange.

[0013] Preferably, said passage is a first passage, and said blade includes a second passage, the second passage being located in the second end portion with said second passage having a major direction of extension transverse relative to said width, with the second passage extending between end openings into which the tool can be inserted for the purposes of applying a force to the blade to move the blade longitudinally of the support.

[0014] Preferably, each end portion has a flange, with the passage of each end portion being located in the flange of that end portion.

[0015] Preferably, each passage extends generally perpendicular to said width.

[0016] Preferably, each flange is located in the mounting portion.

[0017] Preferably, each flange is located generally centrally transverse of the mounting portion.

[0018] Preferably, each end portion provides the blade with an end surface extending generally transverse of said width, with each flange extending inwardly of the blade from said end surface.

[0019] Preferably, the blade includes a plurality of recesses aligned with the passages, to provide for insertion of the tool in the passages.

[0020] Preferably, each passage extends between a pair of the recesses.

[0021] Preferably, each recess extends from a respective one of the end faces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic isometric view of a conveyor belt cleaner blade mounted on a support;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic isometric view of the blade of Figure 1;

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic end elevation of the blade of Figure 1; and

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic front elevation of the blade of Figure 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0027] In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a conveyor belt cleaner blade 10 mounted on a support assembly 11. The support assembly 11 includes a rod (tube) 12 to which there is attached a flange 13. The blade 10 is to be mounted on the flange 13 together with a plurality of identical blades. The support 11 is intended to extend transverse of the direction of movement of the belt surface, with the belt surface being moved past the blade 10 in the direction 14 so that material is removed from the belt surface.

[0028] A plurality of the blades 10 is mounted on the flange 13 so as to be held in position relative to the conveyor belt surface, while permitting movement of the blades 10 longitudinally of the support assembly 11, that is in the direction of the longitudinal axis 15 of the rod 12.

[0029] The support assembly 11 is part of an assembly, such as the assembly described in Australian Patent 2004201693, so that the blades 10 are urged into contact with the conveyor belt surface so as to scrape material therefrom.

[0030] The blade 10 includes a mounting portion 16, and a blade portion 17 providing a tip 18 that engages the conveyor belt.

[0031] The mounting portion 16 has a pair of slots 19 that engage correspondingly shaped projections 20 of the flange 13 so that each blade 10 is securely attached to the support assembly 11.

[0032] The blade 10 has a width 21 that is to extend transverse of the conveyor belt surface being cleaned.

[0033] The blade portion 17 is of an arcuate configuration so as to extend from the mounting portion 16 to the tip 18. The tip 18 is elongated so as to extend across the width 21.

[0034] The blade 10 has end portions 22 that are part of the mounting portion 16 and that provides a means via which a tool (hook) can be used to engage the blade 10 to move the blade 10 longitudinally of the support 11. That is the blade 10 slides along the flange 13 for the purposes of installation and removal.

[0035] The blade 10 has end surfaces 23 with recesses 24 extending inwardly from the surfaces 23 so as to provide flanges 25. The recesses 24 provide openings 31 in the surfaces 23.

[0036] Each of the flanges 25 is provided with a passage 26 that extends between openings 27, with each passage 26 having its major direction of extension transverse relative to the width 21, and approximate in the direction 14. Most preferably, each passage 26 extends generally perpendicular to the width 21, and perpendicular to the axis 15, and in the direction 14.

[0037] Preferably each flange 25 extends generally perpendicular to the end faces 23, and most preferably in the direction of the axis 15. Most preferably, each flange 25 is located generally centrally of the depth 30 of the blade 10.

[0038] The blade 10 has major forward and rearward facing side surfaces 28 and 29 from which the recesses 24 extend inwardly from the openings 32 to provide access to the openings 27.

[0039] In use of the blades 10, when the blades 10 are mounted on a support 11, they can be removed by means of a tool that is in the form of a "hook". The base of the hook can be inserted in a selected one of the recesses 24 by movement transverse of the surfaces 28 and 29, and then moved to insert part of the tool in the passage 26. A user can then pull on the tool to cause the blade 10 to move along the support 11 in the direction of the axis 15. A user may also push the blade 10 again to move the blade 10 longitudinally relative to the axis 15.

[0040] The above described preferred embodiment has the advantage that the means via which the blade 10 is engaged, is less likely to be obstructed.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt cleaner blade to engage a conveyor belt to clean the conveyor belt, the blade having a transverse width to extend transverse of the belt and being adapted to be mounted on a support to extend longitudinally transverse of the belt, the blade including: a blade portion to engage the belt to clean the belt; a mounting portion to engage the support to position the blade adjacent the belt, with the mounting portion being adapted to engage the support so that the blade is mounted for movement longitudinally of the support during blade installation and removal; a passage having a major direction of extension transverse relative to said width, the passage extending between end openings into which a tool can be inserted for the purposes of applying a force to the blade to move the blade longitudinally of the support, by pulling or pushing the tool; and wherein the blade has a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface, the surfaces extending in the direction of said width, with the passage oriented so that the tool is inserted in a direction transverse of said surfaces.

2. The belt cleaner blade of claim 1, wherein the blade has opposite first and second end portions between which said width extends, with the passage being located in the first end portion.

3. The belt cleaner blade of claim 2, wherein the first end portion has a flange, with the passage being located in the flange.

4. The belt cleaner blade of claim 2 or 3, wherein said passage is a first passage, and said blade includes a second passage, the second passage being located in the second end portion with said second passage having a major direction of extension transverse relative to said width, with the second passage extending between second end openings into which the tool can be inserted for the purposes of applying a force to the blade to move the blade longitudinally of the support.

5. The belt cleaner blade of claim 4, wherein each end portion has a flange, with the passage of each end portion being located in the flange of that end portion.

6. The belt cleaner blade of claim 5, wherein each passage extends generally perpendicular to said width.

7. The belt cleaner blade of claim 5 or 6, wherein each flange is located in the mounting portion.

8. The belt cleaner blade of claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein each flange is located generally centrally transverse of the mounting portion.

9. The belt cleaner blade of any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein each end portion provides the blade with an end surface extending generally transverse of said width, with each flange extending inwardly of the blade from said end surface.

10. The belt cleaner blade of any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the blade includes a plurality of recesses aligned with the passages, to provide for insertion of the tool in the passages.

11. The belt cleaner blade of claim 10, wherein each passage extends between a pair of the recesses.

12. The belt cleaner blade of claim 10 or 11, wherein each recess extends from a respective one of the end faces.

13. The belt cleaner blade of any one of claims 4 to 12, wherein each passage is oriented so that the tool is inserted in a direction transverse of said surfaces.

ESS Engineering Services & Supplies Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON

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