Flat-wire belt conveyors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018072601-A1
Application number	US-201715702545-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 12, 2017
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Mar 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Separation units for dewatering slurries such as flat-wire belt conveyors are disclosed. In some embodiments, the separation unit includes a tension pulley for maintaining tension in the flat-wire conveyor belt. The flat-wire conveyor belt is looped around the head pulley, tail pulley and tension pulley. In some embodiments, the head pulley and/or tail pulley include teeth for removing material from the mesh openings of the flat-wire belt conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A separation unit for dewatering a slurry comprising:
a conveyor belt having mesh openings to separate material in the slurry; a head pulley; a tail pulley; and a tension pulley for maintaining tension in the flat-wire conveyor belt, the conveyor belt being looped around the head pulley, tail pulley and tension pulley.

2 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 1 comprising a floor to carry liquid and any solids that passes through the conveyor belt toward a separation unit liquid outlet, the separation unit having a pivot axis about which the floor and tension pulley may pivot to allow the tension pulley and floor to rise and fall with changes in belt loading and/or length.

3 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 1 comprising deflectors to turn solids on a top course of the belt.

4 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tail pulley comprises teeth that protrude through the belt mesh openings during rotation of the belt to push material through the mesh openings.

5 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein the teeth are arranged in rows, the teeth in each row being circumferentially staggered.

6 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 5 wherein each tooth is staggered from adjacent teeth in the row.

7 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the separation unit is angled upward from the tail pulley toward the head pulley.

8 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the belt is a flat wire belt conveyor that includes bands that form the mesh openings.

9 . A separation unit for dewatering a slurry comprising:
a head pulley; a tail pulley; and a flat-wire conveyor belt having mesh openings to remove solids from the slurry, the flat-wire conveyor belt being looped around the head pulley and tail pulley, the head pulley and/or tail pulley having teeth arranged in rows to push material through the mesh openings, the teeth in each row being circumferentially staggered.

10 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 9 wherein the tail pulley has teeth arranged in rows, the teeth in each row being circumferentially staggered.

11 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 10 wherein each tooth is staggered from adjacent teeth in the row.

12 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 9 wherein each tooth is staggered from adjacent teeth in the row.

13 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 9 comprising a floor to carry liquid and an solids that pass through the flat-wire conveyor belt toward a separation unit liquid outlet.

14 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 9 comprising deflectors to turn solids on a top course of the belt.

15 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 9 wherein the teeth are arranged in rows, the teeth of each row comprising a first set of teeth and a second set of teeth circumferentially offset from the first set of teeth.

16 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 9 wherein the belt includes bands that form the mesh openings.

17 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 16 wherein the bands are connected to rods.

18 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 17 wherein the bands undulate such that each row of openings comprises a first set of openings and a second set of openings, the first and second set of openings having circumferentially offset centerlines.

19 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 18 wherein the teeth are arranged in rows, the teeth of each row comprising a first set of teeth and a second set of teeth circumferentially offset from the first set of teeth.

20 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 19 wherein a width of the offset of the centerlines of the openings is equal to the width of the offset of the teeth.

21 . A separation unit for dewatering a slurry comprising:
a head pulley; a tail pulley; and a flat-wire conveyor belt having mesh openings to separate a liquid fraction from a solid fraction in the slurry, the flat-wire conveyor belt being looped around the head pulley and tail pulley, the head pulley and/or tail pulley having teeth, the teeth being arranged to extend through at least 50% of the openings along a width of the flat-wire conveyor belt.

22 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 21 wherein the tail pulley has teeth, the teeth being arranged to extend through at least 50% of the openings along a width of the flat-wire conveyor belt.

23 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 21 wherein the teeth extend through at least 75% of the openings along a width of the flat-wire conveyor belt.

24 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 21 wherein the teeth extend through at least 90% of the openings along a width of the flat-wire conveyor belt.

25 . The separation unit as set forth in claim 21 wherein the teeth extend through each opening along a width of the flat-wire conveyor belt.

Assignees

• Vermeer Mfg Co

Inventors

• Storm Brandon
• Meyer Nathan
• Terry Markus
• Anderson Gregory

Classifications

• C02F2201/008

  Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle · CPC title

• B01D2201/089

  using rollers having projections to clear the filter apertures · CPC title

• B01D33/04

  with filtering bands or the like supported on cylinders which are impervious for filtering · CPC title

• C02F11/14

  with addition of chemical agents · CPC title

• F26B17/023

  the material being a slurry or paste, which adheres to a moving belt-like endless conveyor for drying thereon, from which it may be removed in dried state, e.g. by scrapers, brushes or vibration · CPC title