B - Operations – Transporting – 65 – G
Patent
B - Operations, Transporting
65
G
B65G 39/10 (2006.01) B65G 39/00 (2006.01)
Patent
CA 2216196
The idlers presently used on heavy-duty conveyors are subject to wear and therefore they have to be changed on a regular basis. The plant has to be shut down and the conveyor stopped to exchange the worn out idlers with the new ones. The exchange of the idlers takes place manually, which is time consuming and dangerous. This lengthy interruption of operations translates into expensive shutdown time. In major industrial and mining installations the number of idlers exchanged can be as high as 6,000 per year. To avoid long interruptions of the operation and in order to safely exchange the idlers, the "Idler Exchanger System" was invented, eliminating the manual handling of idler exchanges. The idler exchanger system is based on two separate operations, namely the lifting of the conveyor belt with the belt lifter and exchange of the idlers with the exchanger equipment. The belt lifter is clamped to the top of the conveyor frame and is equipped with two side rollers and one horizontal roller similar to the conveyor idlers. The belt lifter rollers are smaller in diameter than the conveyor idlers. The outside ends of the side rollers are moveable and can be raised by hydraulic rams and matched to the angle of the conveyor side idler. After the belt lifter is placed and clamped to the conveyor frame, the ends of the side rollers are raised and the angle is matched to the conveyor idler. Then the three rollers, the horizontal and the two side rollers, which are mounted on a secondary frame, called the roller system, are pushed upwards hydraulically and contact the conveyor belt. Pushing the roller system upwards, the three rollers of the belt lifter then lift the conveyor belt and gradually take over the load, and the worn out idler is accessible. After sufficient clearance is created between the idler and conveyor belt, the idler is then changed. The exchanger equipment is mounted on a separate frame, which will be placed on the other side of the exchangeable conveyor idler and is then clamped to the conveyor frame. The moveable arm of the exchanger equipment can be moved hydraulically to adjust its claws to the idler position. The claws are then closed hydraulically to hold the idler. The claws are moved upwards and the idler is then lifted from its place and removed. The new idler is picked up by the exchanger claws and the arm moves back to place the new idler to its position. The exchanger arm is then returned back and the exchanger equipment is removed from the conveyor frame. The roller system of the belt lifter is then returned slowly downwards and the conveyor idlers gradually take over the load. The hydraulic clamps are opened and the belt lifter equipment can be then removed from the conveyor frame as well.
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