Belt skiver apparatus

Abstract

A belt skiver is adapted for forming recesses along a conveyor belt end in preparation for mounting a lacing therein. The belt skiver includes a cutting mechanism movable relative to the conveyor belt end, and having an upper blade positioned to remove an upper surface layer from a top portion of the conveyor belt, and a lower plate positioned to remove a lower surface layer from a bottom portion of the conveyor belt. The belt skiver also includes a drive mechanism shifting the cutting mechanism relative to the belt end laterally along the belt end, and whereby the upper and lower blades contemporaneously sever both the upper surface layer and lower surface layer from the belt end.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the figures, the invention is described on the basis of examples of embodiments, without being limited thereof. It shows:

FIG. 1 a side view of the belt skiver mechanism embodying the present invention for separating surface layers from the end of a conveyor belt,

FIG. 2 an A-A cut in accordance with FIG. 1 through the mechanism for separating surface layers along with a control mechanism incorporated in this mechanism in a stationary manner and a singular structural unit with the support mechanism forming the stationary control mechanism for the conveyor belt this is also partially illustrated,

FIG. 3 a cut that is located in parallel to the A-A cut under FIG. 1 by the structural unit made of the stationary control mechanism and the support mechanism,

FIG. 4 a cut through the mechanism along the line B-B in FIG. 1, with a partially illustrated conveyor belt,

FIG. 5 a top view of the mechanism under FIG. 1, with a partially illustrated conveyor belt,

FIG. 6 a cut through the arrangement of the functional components shown in FIG. 2, cut in accordance with line X-X in FIG. 2,

FIG. 7 a cut in accordance with FIG. 4 through the mechanism for separating surface layers, whereby the mechanism shown in FIG. 7 possesses a modified lower blade, and

FIG. 8 a cut through the neighboring belt ends of a conveyor belt, which are connected by means of connectors and a clutch rod or pin to illustrate the separation pattern of the particular belt ends that are produced by means of the mechanism shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “rear”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

The following description of figures refers to the representation of FIGS. 1 to 5, with which the belt skiver mechanism 1 for separating surface layers, namely an upper surface layer 2 and a lower surface layer 3, from an associated conveyor belt 5. A cutting head portion of belt skiver mechanism 1 is shifted laterally along an end 4 of conveyor belt 5, and is mounted on a stationary control mechanism 6, whereby the stationary control mechanism 6 forms one structural unit with a support mechanism 7 for the conveyor belt 5. The support mechanism 7 has a clamping mechanism 8 arranged for clamping the conveyor belt 5 between support mechanism 7 and clamping mechanism 8.

Conveyor belt 5 exhibits dimensions in accordance with the requirements of a particular application. The width of the conveyor belt 5 can be up to 2 meters, with a thickness of around 25 millimeters. For example, conveyor belt 5 may have a multilayer construction made out of rubber. Such conveyor belts 5 are typically quite heavy, and are therefore to be handled only with great physical effort.

In the typical method for interconnecting opposite ends of conveyor belt 5, the conveyor belt 5 is cut off in the area of both of its ends in a manner that is perpendicular to its running direction. The belt skiver mechanism 1 serves the purpose of forming recesses in the opposite faces of each belt end 4 by separating an upper surface layer 2 and a lower surface layer 3 from the ends of the conveyor belt 5, whereby separating the two surface layers 2 and 3 is effected in a processing step using the belt skiver mechanism 1.

The support mechanism 7 and the clamping mechanism 8 serve the purpose of positioning the end 4 of conveyor belt 5 in a stationary manner. The support mechanism 7 (mounted on a stationary basis) has a supporting plate 9 for the conveyor belt 5, which rests upon a base plate 10. An assembly portion 11 of the belt skiver mechanism 1 includes the stationary control mechanism 6 and the support mechanism 7. This assembly portion 11 is provided with various pins 12, which engage from the underside in special rods inserted in the base plate 10, so that supporting plates 9 of various thicknesses can be used according to the thickness of the particular conveyor belt 5. These supporting plates 9 are provided with an insertion chamfer 13, such that the conveyor belt 5 can be easily inserted between the support mechanism 7 and the clamping mechanism 8.

The support mechanism 7 and the stationary control mechanism 6 are reinforced by a tubular frame 14 along with struts 15 and 16 that are horizontally and vertically arranged on frame 14. In the horizontally arranged strut 15, the clamping mechanism 8 is mounted in a manner so that it is able to be set. The clamping mechanism 8 has a clamping bar 17 for clamping the conveyor belt end 4 between bar 17 and the clamping plate 9. Threaded rods 18 for setting the clamping bar 17 are mounted adjacent the two lateral ends of bar 17, and have nuts (not shown) that are mounted in the clamping bar 17 which work together with the threaded rods 18 when pivoted by means of crank handles 19.

FIG. 3 illustrates the aligning of the conveyor belt 5 before clamping the same in place by clamping mechanism 8. For alignment, an alignment mechanism 58 is connected with the base plate 10 adjacent the outside portion of two control lugs 20, which is provided with a stopper 59. The end 4 of conveyor belt 5 is aligned by stopper 59 and then clamped in the aligned position by clamping mechanism 8. Subsequently, the alignment mechanism 58 is retracted, and thereby clears the area of the traverse path in which belt skiver mechanism 1 travels for separating surface layers 2 and 3. Typically, at least two alignment mechanisms 58 are spaced from one another in intervals along the base plate 10, in order to be able to precisely align the end 4 of conveyor belt 5.

The alignment mechanism 58 exhibits, for example, two pivoting connected bell cranks 60 and 61, which are pivotally connected with a spindle 63 by pins 62 to adjust the bell cranks 60 and 61. Spindle 63 is manually adjustable by means of a lever 64. The stopper 59 is detachably mounted on the bell crank 60. The bell crank 61 incorporates a trunnion mounting 65, which serves to attach the base plate 10 to the control lug 20.

The underside of base plate 10 has control lugs 20 that are arranged in spaced apart intervals, extend in the width direction of the conveyor belt 5, and incorporate a control shoe 21 portion of belt skiver mechanism 1 for separating surface layers 2 and 3 from the conveyor belt end 4. Thus, through control shoe 21, the belt skiver mechanism 1 is movable relative to the assembly unit 11.

The belt skiver mechanism 1 has a housing 22, which with control shoe 21 form a single assembly. The housing 22 incorporates an actuator (which is not individually illustrated) for moving the belt skiver mechanism 1 alongside the control mechanism 6. The actuator has a pinion 24 pivoting around an axis 23, which engages a rack or perforated rod portion of control mechanism 6.

Holes are inserted in the base plate 10 between the two control lugs 20, whereby a hole 25 is illustrated. To rotate the pinion 24, a crank handle 26 is provided, whereby a reduction gear (not shown) is effective between the crank handle 26 and the pinion 24 to provide mechanical advantage.

In the illustrated embodiment, conveyor belt 5 is clamped between support mechanism 7 and clamping mechanism 8, and the belt skiver mechanism 1 moves relative to such mechanisms.

On the side oriented toward support mechanism 7 and/or the clamping mechanism 8, the belt skiver mechanism 1 has two knife-forming blades 27 and 26. The lower blade 27 serves the purpose of separating the lower surface layer 3 on one side or face of the conveyor belt 5, and the other upper blade 28 serves the purpose of separating the upper surface layer 2 on the opposite side or face of the conveyor belt 5.

In the example of the illustrated embodiment, the lower blade 27 is mounted on the housing 22 of belt skiver mechanism 1 in a manner that is vertically adjustable, and is therefore bolted to housing 22 within the area of a cut or edge 29. A horizontally running section 30 of the lower knife-forming blade 27 follows edge 29, at which point, an additional section 31 of lower blade 27 follows, which is slanted diagonally downwardly. The cutting edge along sections 30 and 31 of the blade 27 is identified with the reference number 32. Cutting edge 32 runs, as is to be particularly taken from the presentation of FIG. 1, not perpendicularly to the operating direction of belt skiver mechanism 1, but at an angle to this, such that the area of blade section 30 initially enters the conveyor belt 5, and then, with progressive movement of the belt skiver mechanism 1, the section 30 completely enters belt end 4, and finally the blade section 31 continues the cutting process. As to be particularly taken from the presentation of FIGS. 1 and 2, related to the direction of motion of the conveyor belt 5, a lower guide plate 33 is securely connected with the housing 22 before the lower blade 27, whereby the upper, horizontally arranged bearing surface 34 of the guide plate 33 is located on a deeper level than the cutting edge 32 in the area of the horizontal section 30 of the blade 27. However, the lower cutting edge 32, within the area of the blade section 31 (which is directed downward), rises up under the level of the surface 34 of the lower guide plate 33.

As is to be understood from the presentation of FIG. 1, the lower blade 27 is provided with vertically arranged slotted holes 35, such that the position of lower blade 27 can be vertically adjusted, as well as the horizontal orientation of section 30 of the lower blade 27.

With reference to the upper knife-forming blade 28, the housing 22 incorporates a base plate 35, which is provided with a vertical slotted hole 36. A clamping mechanism 37, which is able to be operated by means of a handle 38, allows for locking base plate 35 in place after shifting the same upward or downward in a vertical direction. Handle 38 has a clamping bevel thereon (which is not shown) and a pin 39, which is inserted through slotted hole 36 and into a clamping shoe 40, causing the clamping action between clamping shoe 40 and base plate 35. An additional base plate 41 is firmly connected in the area of the upper end of base plate 35′, and is provided with a corresponding tightener 42 with a handle 43 for operation along with a pin that is not shown. As is to be taken from the presentation in FIG. 3, base plate 41 mounts upper blade 28, having a square in the cross-sectional shape. Therefore, by means of the tightener 37, upper blade 28 can be adjusted in a vertical direction, and by means of the tightener 42, upper blade 28 can be adjusted in a horizontal direction.

The four sections of the upper blade 28 (FIG. 4) are identified by the reference symbols 44, 45, 46 and 47. As is to be taken from the presentation of FIG. 1, the cutting edge 48, which thus describes the form of a square, is vertically oriented and similarly becomes effective when the forward moving area of the cutting edge 32 of the lower blade 27 becomes effective upon the impact of the conveyor belt 5.

Moreover, an upper guide plate 49 is associated with upper blade 28, whose lower surface 50 contacts the upper surface of the conveyor belt 5 before the upper surface layer 2 of conveyor belt end 4 is severed or cut. A tightener 51, which is formed similar to the previously described tightener 37, has an upper guide plate 49 that is vertically adjustable without any further step. Tightener 51 has a handle identified with the reference number 52, a slotted hole 53, and a pin 54.

As it is to be taken from the presentation of FIGS. 1 to 5, the belt skiver mechanism 1 is adjusted in such a way that the guide plates 33 and 49 are adjusted to the thickness of the conveyor belt 5, such that the conveyor belt is supported with little clearance between the two guide plates. The two blades 27 and 28 are likewise adjusted in accordance with the desired thickness of the lower surface layer 3 and/or upper surface layer 2 to be removed, with the upper blade 28 also being horizontally adjustable.

In operation, with the clamping bar 17 in a raised, open position, the conveyor belt 5, with its front end at the supporting plate 9, is pushed or inserted between the two guide plates 33 and 49 into a defined position against the alignment mechanism 58. Then, by operation of the crank handles 19, the clamping bar 17 is lowered and clamps the conveyor belt 5 against the supporting plate 9, with the upper horizontal surface of conveyor belt 5 positioned at the level of surface 34 of the lower guide plate 33. The alignment mechanisms 58 are then retracted. Subsequently, the belt skiver mechanism 1 will proceed by operation of the crank handle 26, whereby the two blades 27 and 28 contact the adjacent side edge of the conveyor belt 5 and commence cutting through the same along belt end 4. As belt skiver mechanism 1 travels over the entire width of the conveyor belt end 4, the upper surface layer 2 and the lower surface layer 3 are contemporaneously severed and/or separated from the conveyor belt 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of belt skiver mechanism 1, wherein the lower blade 27 is formed in a manner that is slightly different than the lower blade with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the lower blade is arranged in U-form, thus its section 31 runs in a right angle to section 30. Moreover, the section 31 of the blade 27 is supported by the base plate 10.

FIG. 8 shows one example of the connection of two adjacent ends 4 of the conveyor belt 5, which, in the illustrated method, are provided with lacings or belt connectors 55, having eyes 56 mounted on the opposing ends 4 of the conveyor 5 that are positioned in an intermeshed or overlapping arrangement, with a connector pin or rod 57 inserted through eyes 56. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the upper surface layer 2 and the lower surface layer 3 of conveyor belt 5 are removed along belt end 4, wherein the associated recesses are formed by the blades 27 and 28 of the belt skiver mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 6.

It is to be understood that belt skiver mechanism 1 and supporting plate 9 can be removed from assembly unit 11, and another functional mechanism mounted between the control lugs 20, so that belt connectors 55 can be connected with respective belt end 4 after the surface layers 2 and 3 are removed from the conveyor belt 5. In such a case, a plurality of pin-forming projections 66, which extend above the base plate 10, serve the purpose of aligning the various belt connectors 55 relative to the base plate.

In the foregoing description, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims, unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

Claims

1. A belt skiver for forming recesses along a conveyor belt end in preparation for mounting a lacing therein, comprising: a cutting mechanism movable relative to the conveyor belt end, and having an upper blade positioned to remove an upper surface layer from a top portion of the conveyor belt end, and a lower blade positioned to remove a lower surface layer from a bottom portion of the conveyor belt end; anda drive mechanism shifting one of said cutting mechanism and the belt end relative to the other laterally along the belt end, whereby as said drive mechanism shifts said one cutting mechanism and the belt end, said upper blade and said lower blade contemporaneously sever both the upper surface layer and the lower surface layer are contemporaneously severed from the belt end.

2. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 1, wherein: at least one of said upper blade and said lower blade is formed as a bend-resistant knife.

3. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 2, wherein: at least one of said upper blade and said lower blade includes first and second cutting edges that are arranged in a generally parallel relationship.

4. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 3, wherein: at least one of said upper blade and said lower blade is adjustable in the direction of the thickness of the conveyor belt.

5. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 4, wherein: at least one of said upper blade and said lower blade is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the thickness of the conveyor belt.

6. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 5, wherein: said lower cutting blade includes a cutting edge disposed upstream of a cutting edge of said upper blade.

7. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 6, wherein: at least one of said upper blade and said lower blade has a central section and a trailing section with two edge sections disposed downstream of said central section.

8. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 7, wherein: said edge sections are arranged at an angle in the range of 90 to 180 degrees relative to said central section.

9. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 8, wherein: at least one of said upper blade and said lower blade includes first and second cutting edges on said central section which are arranged in a parallel relationship.

10. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 9, including: a pair of guide plates disposed in a generally parallel relationship for guiding the conveyor belt therebetween.

11. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 10, wherein: said guide plates are adjustable in the direction of the thickness of the conveyor belt.

12. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 11, wherein: said blades are disposed downstream of said guide plates.

13. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 12, including: a stationary support mechanism in which the belt end is clamped, and wherein said drive mechanism shifts said cutting mechanism relative to the stationary belt end.

14. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 13, including: a stationary control mechanism connected as a unit with said support mechanism.

15. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 14, wherein: said drive mechanism includes an actuator with a pinion gear which engages a rack portion of said control mechanism.

16. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 15, wherein: said drive mechanism includes a handle for rotating said pinion gear, and includes a gear reduction mechanism to achieve a mechanical advantage.

17. A belt skiver as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said cutting mechanism is stationary; andsaid drive mechanism shifts the belt end relative to said stationary cutting mechanism.