Belt conveyors and viscoelastic dampers and methods for damping conveyor belts
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorJoseph M. DePaso
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Viscoelastic dampers and belt conveyor systems using viscoelastic dampers to attenuate belt vibration and methods for damping belt speed variations. One version of the viscoelastic dampers includes a low-friction carryway element mounted to a viscoelastic pad that is firmly attached to stationary conveyor framework at various locations along the length and width of the conveyor system. Speed fluctuations of the conveyor belt supported on and advancing along the low-friction carryway elements are damped by the viscoelastic dampers. In some versions, magnetic forces are used to clamp the conveyor belt to the dampers to increase the effective damping.
Claims18
A conveyor system comprising:
- a frame;
- a conveyor belt supported in the frame and advancing at a belt speed in a direction of belt travel along on an upper run;
- a viscoelastic damper contacting the conveyor belt at a position along the upper run, the viscoelastic damper including:
- a bearing surface contacting the conveyor belt;
- a viscoelastic damping material attached to the bearing surface and to the frame so as to be placed in shear as the conveyor belt advances on the bearing surface;
- clamp means for clamping the conveyor belt against the bearing surface of the viscoelastic damper;
- wherein variations in the belt speed are attenuated by the viscoelastic damper.
A conveyor system comprising:
- a conveyor belt;
- a viscoelastic damper including:
- a bearing element having a bearing surface for contacting the conveyor belt and having an opposite surface;
- a damping pad made of a viscoelastic damping material attached to the opposite surface of the bearing element so as to be placed in shear as the conveyor belt contacting the bearing surface advances along the bearing element;
- an actuator coupled to the viscoelastic damper to modulate the pressure of the viscoelastic damper against the conveyor belt.
A method for damping a conveyor belt, comprising:
- advancing a conveyor belt along an upper run;
- contacting the conveyor belt with a bearing surface backed by a viscoelastic material along the upper run of the conveyor belt;
- clamping the bearing surface backed by the viscoelastic material against the conveyor belt with a clamp pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.