PIPE CONVEYORS

摘要

A conveyor system may include a pipe conveyor with a head end, a tail end, and an inclined section. The conveyor system may also include a conveyor belt including a first portion and a second portion. The conveyor belt may form a pipe shape when the first and second portions of the conveyor belt are overlapped. The pipe shape may extend from a pipe closing point to a pipe opening point and may enclose two or more longitudinally spaced-apart centering structures. The centering structures may allow for self-bridging of a bulk material carried in a pipe volume above each centering structure. Means of implementing this material-transport principle within a pipe conveyor system are described.

主权项

1. A conveyor system, comprising:
a pipe conveyor including a head end, a tail end positioned at an elevation different from the head end, and an inclined section between the head end and the tail end; the pipe conveyor including a conveyor belt comprising a first portion and a second portion, and the conveyor belt forming a pipe shape when the first and second portions of the conveyor belt are overlapped; the pipe shape extending from a pipe closing point to a pipe opening point and enclosing a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart centering structures; at least one of the plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart centering structures enabling self-bridging of a bulk material carried in a pipe volume above the at least one of the plurality longitudinally spaced-apart centering structures; and the self-bridging of said bulk material causes a weight of said bulk material to be primarily supported by interaction of said bulk material with walls of the pipe shape.