US 6,685,009 B1Granted

Continuous belt conveyor tensioning mechanism

AssigneeDorner Mfg. Corp.

InventorsMichael A. Hosch, Scott M. Hall, Daniel E. Ertel

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Abstract

A conveyor construction includes a frame having a pair of side members, a belt and a tensioning section mounted for longitudinal extendable and retractable movement relative to the frame for establishing a desired tension on the belt. The tensioning section includes a spindle engaged with the belt and a pair of side plate structures connected to the spindle and located one adjacent each frame side member. A drive member is rotatably mounted relative to the frame and is drivingly engaged with the tensioning section for imparting longitudinal extendable and retractable movement relative to the frame upon rotation of the drive member. A locking device inserts a frictional locking force on the side plate structures relative to the frame side members for selectively fixing the position of the tensioning section relative to the frame. A restraining arrangement is incorporated in the side plate structures for limiting the retractable movement of the tensioning section upon the imposition of a random force applied to the spindle and overcoming the frictional locking force of the locking device so as to substantially retain the desired tension on the belt and preserve operability of the drive member.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A conveyor construction comprising:

a frame having a pair of fixed side members depending from an upper wall;
a conveyor belt extending along the frame and having an upper run supported by the upper wall;
a tensioning section movable inwardly and outwardly relative to the frame for establishing a desired tension in the belt, the tensioning section including a spindle supported between a pair of side plates each located adjacent to one of the side members of the frame, each of the side plates including a movable head plate having a planar, elongated first engagement surface tapering longitudinally towards one of respective side members between the spindle and the drive member;
a drive member rotatably mounted between the side members and drivingly engaged with the side plates for imparting longitudinal extendable and retractable movement of the side plates relative to the frame;
a pair of stationary clamp plates, each having a planar, elongated second engagement surface, diverging longitudinally towards one of the respective side members between the spindle and the drive member;
and
a locking device for exerting a frictional locking force between the angled first engagement surfaces of the head plates and the second engagement surfaces of the clamp plates, and holding the spindle in a predetermined position,
each first engagement surface being freely slidably movable along one of the second engagement surfaces as the tensioning section moves outwardly relative to the frame, and each first engagement surface being slidably movable into a wedging, progressively increasing frictional relationship with one of the second engagement surfaces as the tensioning section moves inwardly relative to the frame to limit the extent of inward movement of the tensioning section upon imposition of a longitudinal force applied to the spindle in the direction of the drive member and overcoming the locking force of the locking device.

5 more elements

In a conveyor construction including a frame having a pair of side members, a belt, a tensioning section mounted for longitudinal extendable and rectractable movement relative to the frame for establishing a desired tension on the belt and including a spindle engaged with the belt and a pair of side plate structures connected to the spindle and located one adjacent each frame side member, a drive member rotatably mounted relative to the frame and drivingly engaged with the tensioning section for imparting longitudinal extendable and rectractable movement relative to the frame upon rotation of the drive member, and a locking device exerting a frictional locking force on the side plate structures relative to the frame side members for selectively fixing the position of the tensioning section relative to the frame, the improvement comprising:

a restraining arrangement incorporated in the side plate structures for limiting the retractable movement of the tensioning section upon the imposition of a random force applied to the spindle and overcoming the frictional locking force of the locking device so as to substantially retain the desired tension on the belt and preserve operability of the drive member,
the restraining arrangement being independent of the locking device and defined by each of the side plate structures having a pair of plates slidable relative to one another, one of the plates having a longitudinally tapered portion and the other of the plates having a longitudinally diverging portion, the tapering and diverging portions being slidably movable into progressively increasing frictional engagement with one another.

In a conveyor construction including a frame having a pair of side members, a belt, a tensioning section mounted for longitudinal extendable and retractable movement relative to the frame for establishing a desired tension on the belt and including a spindle engaged with the belt and a pair of side plate structures connected to the spindle and located one adjacent each frame side member, a drive member rotatably mounted relative to the frame and drivingly engaged with the tensioning section for imparting longitudinal extendable and retractable movement relative to the frame upon rotation of the drive member, and a locking device exerting a frictional locking force on the side plate structures relative to the frame side members for selectively fixing the position of the tensioning section relative to the frame, the improvement wherein:

each of the side plate members includes a longitudinally tapering first member selectively movable and lockable with respect to a longitudinally diverging second member, the first member being freely slidable upon the second member when the tensioning section is extended, and the first member being slidable into a wedging, progressively increasing frictional relationship with the second member when the tensioning section is retracted.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.