Chain wear monitoring device

A conveyor system comprising:

• a conveyor line;
• a conveyor chain movable along said conveyor line, said conveyor chain comprising a plurality of center links, a plurality of side links and a plurality of chain pins that connect respective side and center links together;
• a first sensing device positioned at said conveyor line and directed toward said conveyor chain, said first sensing device sensing the presence of a first chain portion of said conveyor chain as said conveyor chain moves along said conveyor line, wherein said first sensing device comprises a proximity sensor that detects the presence of said first chain portion at a predetermined location along said conveyor line and relative to said first sensing device;
• a second sensing device positioned at said conveyor line and directed generally toward said conveyor chain, said second sensing device sensing a second chain portion of said conveyor chain as said conveyor chain moves along said conveyor line, wherein said first sensing device generates an output signal when said first sensing device detects the presence of said first chain portion at the predetermined location, said second sensing device sensing said second chain portion in response to said output signal;
• and
• a controller operable to determine a degree of wear in a section of chain extending between said first and second chain portions in response to an output of said first sensing device indicative of said first sensing device sensing said first chain portion of said conveyor chain and an output of said second sensing device indicative of said second sensing device sensing said second chain portion of said conveyor chain.

A conveyor system comprising:

• a conveyor line;
• a conveyor chain movable along said conveyor line, said conveyor chain comprising a plurality of center links, a plurality of side links and a plurality of chain pins that connect respective side and center links together;
• a first sensing device positioned at said conveyor line and directed toward said conveyor chain, said first sensing device sensing the presence of a first chain portion of said conveyor chain as said conveyor chain moves along said conveyor line;
• a second sensing device positioned at said conveyor line and directed generally toward said conveyor chain, said second sensing device sensing a second chain portion of said conveyor chain as said conveyor chain moves along said conveyor line, wherein said second sensing device comprises an imaging sensor that captures image data indicative of said second chain portion in response to said first sensing device sensing said first chain portion;
• and
• a controller operable to determine a degree of wear in a section of chain extending between said first and second chain portions in response to an output of said first sensing device indicative of said first sensing device sensing said first chain portion of said conveyor chain and an output of said second sensing device indicative of said second sensing device sensing said second chain portion of said conveyor chain.

A conveyor system comprising:

• a conveyor line;
• a conveyor chain movable along said conveyor line, said conveyor chain comprising a plurality of center links, a plurality of side links and a plurality of chain pins that connect respective side and center links together;
• a first sensing device positioned at said conveyor line and directed toward said conveyor chain, said first sensing device sensing the presence of a first chain portion of said conveyor chain as said conveyor chain moves along said conveyor line;
• a second sensing device positioned at said conveyor line and directed generally toward said conveyor chain, said second sensing device sensing a second chain portion of said conveyor chain as said conveyor chain moves along said conveyor line;
• a third sensing device positioned at said conveyor line and directed generally toward said conveyor chain, said third sensing device sensing said second chain portion of said conveyor chain as said conveyor chain moves along said conveyor line;
• and
• a controller operable to determine a degree of wear in a section of chain extending between said first and second chain portions in response to an output of said first sensing device indicative of said first sensing device sensing said first chain portion of said conveyor chain and an output of said second sensing device indicative of said second sensing device sensing said second chain portion of said conveyor chain, said controller determining a speed of said conveyor chain in response to a separation distance of targeted areas of said second and third sensing devices and an elapsed time between detection of said second chain portion by said second and third sensing devices.

A method of measuring chain wear in a section of conveyor chain traveling along a conveyor line, said method comprising:

• providing first and second sensing devices spaced apart at a predetermined spacing distance;
• sensing the presence of a first chain portion of said conveyor chain with said first sensing device when said first chain portion of said conveyor chain is at a predetermined location relative to said first sensing device and generating an output when said first chain portion is sensed;
• sensing a second chain portion of said conveyor chain with said second sensing device, wherein said sensing of said second chain portion with said second sensing device is triggered in response to an indication of said first sensing device sensing the presence of said first chain portion;
• and
• determining a degree of wear of a section of chain extending between said first and second chain portions of said conveyor chain in response to an output of said first sensing device indicative of said first sensing device sensing said first chain portion of said conveyor chain and an output of said second sensing device that is indicative of said second sensing device sensing said second chain portion of said chain.

A method of measuring chain wear in a section of conveyor chain traveling along a conveyor line, said method comprising:

• providing first and second sensing devices spaced apart at a predetermined spacing distance;
• sensing the presence of a first chain portion of said conveyor chain with said first sensing device when said first chain portion of said conveyor chain is at a predetermined location relative to said first sensing device and generating an output when said first chain portion is sensed;
• sensing a second chain portion of said conveyor chain with said second sensing device, wherein sensing a second chain portion of said conveyor chain with said second sensing device comprises capturing an image of a second chain portion of said conveyor chain;
• and
• determining a degree of wear of a section of chain extending between said first and second chain portions of said conveyor chain in response to an output of said first sensing device indicative of said first sensing device sensing said first chain portion of said conveyor chain and an output of said second sensing device that is indicative of said second sensing device sensing said second chain portion of said chain.

A method of measuring chain wear in a section of conveyor chain traveling along a conveyor line, said method comprising:

• providing first and second sensing devices spaced apart at a predetermined spacing distance;
• providing a third sensing device spaced apart at a predetermined spacing distance from said second sensing device;
• sensing the presence of a first chain portion of said conveyor chain with said first sensing device when said first chain portion of said conveyor chain is at a predetermined location relative to said first sensing device and generating an output when said first chain portion is sensed;
• sensing a second chain portion of said conveyor chain with said second sensing device;
• determining a degree of wear of a section of chain extending between said first and second chain portions of said conveyor chain in response to an output of said first sensing device indicative of said first sensing device sensing said first chain portion of said conveyor chain and an output of said second sensing device that is indicative of said second sensing device sensing said second chain portion of said chain;
• sensing the second chain portion of said conveyor chain with said third sensing device;
• and
• determining a speed of said conveyor chain in response to said predetermined spacing distance between said second and third sensing devices and a time elapse between detection of said second chain portion by said second and third sensing devices.