Portable belt conveyor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9694985-B2
Application number	US-201514868730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Sep 13, 2010
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A belt conveyor system for creating an overland material transport assembly on a ground surface comprises a frame configured for transportation over the ground surface, a plurality of pivotally connected conveyor belt support sections, a head pulley assembly mounted to the first end of the frame, a tail pulley assembly mounted to one of the conveyor belt support sections, and a conveyor belt. The frame includes first and second elongate rails, each of which have a first support surface and a second support surface spaced from the first support surface. The plurality of pivotally connected conveyor belt support sections are supportable on the frame in a transport configuration wherein the plurality of support sections are accordion-folded relative to one another and are generally perpendicular to the first and second elongate rails. The plurality of pivotally connected conveyor belt support sections are movable to a material transport configuration wherein the plurality of support sections are unfolded to be generally parallel to the first and second rails. The belt conveyor is carried by the head pulley assembly, the plurality of conveyor belt support sections and the tail pulley assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for creating an overland material transport assembly on a ground surface, method comprising:
providing a frame configured for transportation over the ground surface, the frame comprising a first end, a second end and first and second elongate rails;
providing a plurality of conveyor belt support sections, each conveyor belt support section of the plurality of conveyor belt support sections having a first end and a second end, and being pivotally connected to an adjacent conveyor belt support section at one of the first and second ends, the plurality of conveyor belt sections carrying a conveyor belt;
supporting the first end of each conveyor belt support section on the frame in a transport configuration wherein the plurality of support sections are immediately adjacent to one another, wherein a first end of the conveyor belt is connected to a head pulley assembly that is mounted on a first end of the frame, and wherein a second end of the conveyor belt is connected to a tail pulley assembly that is mounted to one of the conveyor belt support sections;
moving at least some of the plurality of conveyor belt sections off of the frame and supporting the at least some of the plurality of conveyor belt sections on the ground surface to form the overland material transport assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving at least one of the support sections over an elevated portion of the frame.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
while at least one of the support sections moves over the elevated portion of the frame, inserting a support stand beneath the support section.

4. A portable belt conveyor system comprising:
a transport trailer having a support surface;
a plurality of side-by-side conveyor belt support sections, each section having a pivotal connection to an adjacent section, each section having a first end and a second end, the first end of each section supported on the support surface of the trailer, the second end of each section supporting a conveyor belt;
wherein at least some of the plurality of conveyor belt support sections are capable of unfolding from the trailer to form a linear belt conveyor system supported on a ground surface, and wherein at least some of the plurality of conveyor belt sections remain on the transport trailer.

5. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of sections are supported on the trailer in a first configuration, the plurality of sections capable of unfolding from the trailer to a second configuration forming a linear belt conveyor system, wherein the transport trailer comprises a first support surface and a second support surface spaced above the first support surface, wherein as the plurality of sections transition between the first and second configurations, at least one of the plurality of sections is temporarily supported by the second support surface of the transport trailer.

6. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a support stand, wherein the second support surface includes an inclined portion, wherein when one of the plurality of sections is temporarily supported by the inclined portion, a space is created to insert the support stand under the section.

7. A portable belt conveyor system comprising:
a transport trailer having a length and a width; and
a plurality of side-by-side conveyor belt support sections, each section comprising a frame having a width and a length and being configured to support a portion of a conveyor belt across the width of each frame along the length of each frame, each section having a pivotal connection to the frame of an adjacent section, the plurality of sections supported on the trailer in a first configuration with the width of each section extending across the width of the trailer, the plurality of sections capable of unfolding from the trailer to a second configuration forming a linear belt conveyor system, wherein some of the plurality of sections are supported on a ground surface in the second configuration, wherein at least some of the plurality of sections remain on the transport trailer in the second configuration.

8. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 7 , wherein the linear belt conveyor system comprises a first end and a second end, wherein in the second configuration the first end is located on the transport trailer and the second end is spaced from the transport trailer.

9. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 7 , wherein the transport trailer comprises a first support surface and a second support surface spaced above the first support surface, wherein in the first configuration, the second end of each section is supported on the first support surface of the transport trailer, the first and second support surfaces extending along a portion of the length of the transport trailer.

10. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 9 , wherein the first end of each section comprises a rod, the rod extending beyond the width of each frame.

11. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sections comprise a conveyor belt, and wherein in the first configuration the rods support the conveyor belt.

12. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 11 , wherein when the plurality of sections are transitioning between the first and second configurations, the rods are temporarily supported on the second support surface of the transport trailer.

13. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 7 , wherein the second configuration of the plurality of sections results from a linear movement of the transport trailer.

14. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 7 , wherein the linear belt conveyor system has a length substantially greater than the length of the transport trailer when the plurality of sections is in the second configuration.

15. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 14 , wherein the linear belt conveyor system has a length of about 500 feet.

16. A portable belt conveyor system comprising:
a transport trailer;
a plurality of side-by-side conveyor belt support sections, each section comprising a frame having a first end, a second end and an upper surface between the first and second end configured to support a conveyor belt, one of the first and second ends of the frame of each section having a pivotal connection to the frame of an adjacent section, the plurality of sections supported on the trailer in a first configuration, the plurality of sections capable of unfolding from the trailer to a second configuration forming a linear belt conveyor system, wherein some of the plurality of sections are supported on a ground surface in the second configuration, wherein at least some of the plurality of sections remain on the transport trailer in the second configuration.

17. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 16 , wherein the upper surface of each frame comprises one or more trough idler assemblies.

18. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 16 , wherein the frame of each section of the plurality of sections supported on the ground surface in the second configuration includes a support stand between the frame and the ground surface.

19. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 16 , wherein the linear belt conveyor system has a length substantially greater than the transport trailer when the plurality of sections is in the second configuration.

20. The portable belt conveyor system of claim 19 , wherein the linear belt conveyor system has a length of about 500 feet

Assignees

• Superior Industries

Inventors

• Fehr Corbin J
• Berlinger Bruce J
• Felton Jarrod J

Classifications

• 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

• B65G15/26

  extensible, e.g. telescopic {(adjustment of length or configuration of load-carrier B65G21/14)} · CPC title

• B65G39/16

  for aligning belts or chains · CPC title

• B65G41/008 Primary

  frames mounted on wheels or caterpillar (for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02) · CPC title