Systems and methods for chain wear elongation measurement and drive compensation
AssigneeJohn Bean Technologies Corporation
InventorsOwen Eugene Morey, Scott E. Stang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to systems and methods for chain wear elongation measurement and drive compensation. In one embodiment, a chain system includes a chain including a plurality of links arranged in a continuous loop and having first measurement values for plurality of links and total chain length, wherein the chain is configured to rotate on a sprocket, and a chain elongation measurement system for counting the plurality of links of the chain and for determining total chain length to determine first chain elongation measurement values.
Claims15
A spiral conveyor belt system, comprising:
- a spiral conveyor belt;
- inner and outer drive chains driving the spiral conveyor belt, the inner and outer drive chains each including a plurality of links arranged in a continuous loop, the inner drive chain having inner chain first measurements for plurality of links and total chain length and the outer chain having outer chain first measurements for plurality of links and total chain length, wherein the inner and outer drive chains have different first measurement values and wherein the inner and outer drive chains are configured to run at different speeds having a first speed ratio;
- and
- a chain elongation measurement system for counting the plurality of links of the inner and outer drive chains and for determining total chain length to determine inner and outer chain elongated measurements.
A method for chain elongation measurement and/or drive compensation in spiral self-stacking conveyor belt system having inner and outer drive chains, the method comprising:
- obtaining first chain measurement values including a first number of links and a first total chain length for each of the inner and outer drive chains, wherein the inner and outer drive chains have different first measurement values and wherein the inner and outer drive chains are configured to run at different speeds having a first speed ratio;
- after running the spiral self-stacking conveyor belt system for a period of time, counting the number of links of each of the inner and outer drive chains and determining total chain length of each of the inner and outer drive chains;
- and
- determining chain elongation measurement values for each of the inner and outer drive chains by comparing counted number of links and counted total chain length with the first number of links and the first total chain length for each of the inner and outer drive chains.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.