Transportable conveyor apparatus, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865049-B2
Application number	US-201716312421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 21, 2016
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

Conveyor apparatus, systems and methods are provided. Some embodiments include pivot assemblies for folding a conveyor frame between transport and operational configurations. In some embodiments, one or more frame sections of the conveyor frame are sized to be received in a shipping container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A folding conveyor, comprising:
a conveyor frame having a transport configuration and an operational configuration, said conveyor frame comprising a first frame section, a second frame section, and a third frame section, wherein when said conveyor frame is in said operational configuration, said conveyor frame has an upper end and a lower end, wherein at least one of the first, second and third frame sections comprise:
an upper truss chord;
a lower truss chord;
a plurality of struts mounted to said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord; and
a troughing idler assembly supported on first and second outer perch supports, wherein each of the first and second outer perch supports is disposed vertically between said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord;

a tail pulley operably supported on said conveyor frame, the tail pulley having a tail pulley rotational axis; and
a head pulley operably supported on said conveyor frame, the head pulley having a head pulley rotational axis, wherein said tail pulley and said head pulley are configured to support an endless belt, wherein a plane intersects both the tail pulley rotational axis and the head pulley rotational axis;
a first pivot assembly pivotally coupling said first frame section to said second frame section, said first pivot assembly defining a first pivot axis;
a second pivot assembly pivotally coupling said second frame section to said third frame section, said second pivot assembly defining a second pivot axis, wherein said first pivot axis is positioned on a first side of said plane and said second pivot axis is positioned on a second side of said plane, opposite of said first side.

2. The folding conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said second frame section pivots relative to said first frame section about said first pivot assembly in a first rotational direction during reconfiguration from said operational configuration to said transport configuration, and wherein said third frame section pivots relative to said second frame section about said second pivot assembly in a second rotational direction during reconfiguration from said operational configuration to said transport configuration, wherein said first rotational direction is opposite said second rotational direction.

3. The folding conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said second frame section pivots relative to said first frame section about said first pivot assembly in a first rotational direction during reconfiguration from said transport configuration to said operational configuration, and wherein said third frame section pivots relative to said second frame section about said second pivot assembly in a second rotational direction during reconfiguration from said transport configuration to said operational configuration, wherein said first direction is opposite said second direction.

4. The folding conveyor of claim 1 , wherein each of said first, second, and third frame sections comprise upper and lower truss chords, wherein said first pivot assembly pivotally couples an upper truss chord of said first frame section to an upper truss chord of said second frame section, wherein said second pivot assembly couples a lower truss chord of said second frame section to a lower truss chord of said third frame section.

5. The folding conveyor of claim 1 , wherein in said transport configuration said second frame section rests on said first frame section, wherein in said transport configuration said third frame section rests on said second frame section.

6. The folding conveyor of claim 1 , wherein in said operational configuration, said first, second and third frame sections are generally aligned along a direction of travel of material on the conveyor.

7. The folding conveyor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second frame sections are sized to be received in a shipping container when said conveyor frame is in said transport configuration.

8. The folding conveyor of claim 1 , wherein an overall length of the folding conveyor in said transport configuration is less than a standard shipping container length.

9. The folding conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said tail pulley has first and second outboard ends, wherein said tail pulley comprises first and second bearings, wherein said first and second bearings are disposed inboard of said first and second outboard ends.

10. A folding conveyor, comprising:
a conveyor frame having a transport configuration and an operational configuration, said conveyor frame comprising a first frame section, a second frame section, and a third frame section, wherein at least one of said first, second and third frame sections comprises:
an upper truss chord;
a lower truss chord;
a plurality of struts mounted to said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord and
a troughing idler assembly supported on first and second outer perch supports, wherein each of the first and second outer perch supports are disposed adjacent to a plane defined by outboard ends of said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord

a first pivot assembly pivotally coupling said first and second frame sections, the first pivot assembly defining a first pivot axis;
a second pivot assembly pivotally coupling said second and third frame sections, the second pivot assembly defining a second pivot axis, wherein said second frame section pivots relative to said first frame section about said first pivot axis in a first rotational direction during reconfiguration from said transport configuration to said operational configuration, and wherein said third frame section pivots relative to said second frame section about said second pivot axis in a second rotational direction during reconfiguration from said transport configuration to said operational configuration, wherein said first rotational direction is opposite said second direction;
a tail pulley operably supported on said conveyor frame; and
a head pulley operably supported on said conveyor frame, wherein said tail pulley and said head pulley are configured to support an endless belt.

11. The folding conveyor of claim 10 , wherein each said frame section comprises upper and lower truss chords, wherein said first pivot assembly pivotally couples an upper truss chord of said first frame section to an upper truss chord of said second frame section, wherein said second pivot assembly couples a lower truss chord of said second frame section to a lower truss chord of said third frame section.

12. The folding conveyor of claim 11 , wherein in said operational configuration, said first, second and third frame sections are generally parallel, and wherein in said transport configuration, said first, second and third frame sections are generally parallel and in a generally vertically stacked relation.

13. The folding conveyor of claim 10 , wherein in said transport configuration said second frame section rests on said first frame section, wherein in said transport configuration said third frame section rests on said second frame section.

14. The folding conveyor of claim 10 , wherein in said operational configuration, said first, second and third frame sections are generally aligned along a direction of travel of material on the conveyor.

15. The folding conveyor of claim 10 , wherein at least one of said first and second frame sections have a length less than a length of a standard shipping container.

16. The folding conveyor of claim 10 , wherein an overall length of the folding conveyor in said transport configuration is less than a standard shipping container length.

17. The folding c

Assignees

• Superior Industries

Inventors

• Grimm Lafe
• Rosen Philip

Classifications

• B65G21/02

  consisting essentially of struts, ties, or like structural elements · CPC title

• B65G41/005 Primary

  mounted for both pivotal and linear movement · CPC title

• B65G21/14

  to allow adjustment of length or configuration of load-carrier or traction element (varying speed of conveyance by adjusting configuration of load-carrier B65G23/00; {tensioning arrangements for belt or chain B65G23/44}) · CPC title

• B65G21/10

  movable, or having interchangeable or relatively movable parts; Devices for moving framework or parts thereof · CPC title