Conveyor belt take-up assembly and method

摘要

An improved take-up assembly used on spiral conveyor belt with interconnecting links. The take-up assembly is designed to prevent damage to the belt due to obstructions, excessive tension or excessive buckling. The take-up assembly includes a pivoting swing arm assembly coupled to an obstruction sensor that automatically shuts-off the drive motor used to move the conveyor belt when an obstruction is detected upstream from the take-up assembly. A second obstruction sensor can be used on the upper portion of the take-up assembly to detect obstructions. Also disclosed is a buckling arm located above and longitudinally aligned with the belt and pivotally attached to the distal end of the lower swing arm assembly. The swing arm is designed to pivot beyond the position where the first obstruction sensor is activated so that the amount of belt that continues to be drawn into the stack as the stack coasts to a stop.

主权项

1. An improved take-up assembly used with a conveyor belt made up of interconnecting links and driven by at least one drive motor, said take-up assembly comprising:
a. a take-up assembly mounted over the vertical segment of a continuous conveyor belt made of a plurality of interconnected links, said take-up assembly includes a lower swing arm assembly pivotally connected to said take-up assembly, said swing arm assembly including at least one J-shaped arm disposed over an inside curve segment of said conveyor belt so that when tension of said conveyor belt increases the conveyor belt bends and presses against said J-shaped arm and forces said swing arm assembly outward; and, b. an obstruction sensing subsystem coupled to said swing arm assembly and configured to inactivate said drive motor when said swing arm assembly rotates to a predetermine amount.