GB2130992A - Man-carrying conveyor systems - Google Patents
Man-carrying conveyor systems Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2130992A GB2130992A GB08233362A GB8233362A GB2130992A GB 2130992 A GB2130992 A GB 2130992A GB 08233362 A GB08233362 A GB 08233362A GB 8233362 A GB8233362 A GB 8233362A GB 2130992 A GB2130992 A GB 2130992A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- man
- belt
- conveyor
- carrying
- track portion
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G21/00—Supporting or protective framework or housings for endless load-carriers or traction elements of belt or chain conveyors
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G15/00—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G15/00—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
- B65G15/08—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration the load-carrying surface being formed by a concave or tubular belt, e.g. a belt forming a trough
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
- B65G2201/02—Articles
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Escalators And Moving Walkways (AREA)
Abstract
A man-carrying conveyor system employs a belt conveyor, preferably an endless belt conveyor, for supporting and causing movement of a miner on a man-carrying means (12). The man- carrying means is conveniently a carriage with wheels having a part which can readily conform to the profile of the belt. The means (12) moves over a first track portion (4), which is inclined to the belt so that the means (12) will be transferred onto the belt at a speed commensurate with that of the belt. At another part of the conveyor there is a second track portion to receive and remove from the belt, a carriage (12) moving with the belt. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Man-carrying conveyor systems
This invention relates to man-carrying conveyor systems suitable for use in underground mines.
In order to reduce the time it takes a miner in an underground mine to travel from the mine shaft to the face of material to be extracted, he is permitted to ride on a so-called man-carrying or man-riding belt conveyor or conveyors which extend(s) from the region of the mine shaft to the region of the face.
Because a miner has to board the belt conveyor whilst it is moving, and because it must always be available for the use of miners, it is essential, for safety reasons, that the conveyor run at a low speed, usually about 2 metres per second.
It is now clear that in the future the distance between the mine shaft and a face being extracted will increase. As a consequence, it is desirable significantly to reduce the travelling time of a miner between the mine shaft and the face.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved man-carrying conveyor system.
According to this invention, a man-carrying conveyor system comprises a belt conveyor, a track-engageable man-carrying means having a part capable of conforming substantially at least to a part of the profile of the belt of the conveyor, a first track portion for the man-carrying means associated with a portion of the belt conveyor such that a man-carrying means moving along the first track portion can be transferred, at a speed commensurate with the speed of the belt, to the belt with said man-carrying means then being at least partly supported by, and being movable with, the belt, and a second track portion for the mancarrying means associated with another portion of the belt conveyor such that a man-carrying means moving with the belt can be received by the second track portion and removed from the belt.
The first track portion may be associated with one end portion of the belt conveyor, and the second track portion may be associated with the other end portion of the belt conveyor.
The second track portion may be located at a junction between one belt conveyor and another belt conveyor, so as to transfer a miner travelling on the one belt conveyor to the other belt conveyor, in which case there will be a third track portion by way of which the man-carrying means can be removed from the belt of that other conveyor.
The belt conveyor may be an endless troughed belt conveyor.
When a troughed belt conveyor is used, the man-carrying means may be a carriage and the part which supports the man may be capable of conforming substantially to the profile of the belt.
The carriage may have wheels which roll on the track and which, when the carriage is supported by and movable with the belt, are above ground level with one pair of wheels beyond one side of the conveyor structure and another pair of wheels beyond the other side of the conveyor structure.
The first track portion may be inclined at an angle, downwardly towards the belt conveyor.
That angle and the length of the first track portion may be such that the man-carrying means, rolling on the first track portion under gravity, is smoothly transferred to the belt conveyor at a speed commensurate with that of the belt conveyor.
Alternatively, the man-carrying means could be impelled along the first track portion by a suitable impeller. If an impeller is used, the first track portion need not be inclined at an angle downwardly towards the belt conveyor.
The second track portion may be inclined at an angle to the belt conveyor, upwardly away from the belt conveyor and also at an angle to the belt conveyor, transversely thereof, and then be inclined downwardly so that the second track portion gradually approaches the floor, running parallel to, and at the side of, the belt conveyor.
The upward inclination of the second track portion will destroy some of the momentum of the mancarrying means which can then gradually come to rest on the part of the second track portion running at the side of the belt conveyor.
The first track portion and the second track portion may be joined by another track portion running along the conveyor with a rail thereof on each side of the belt, thereby forming a continuous track for the required run of the man-carrying means. In this case the man-carrying means is supported, when moving along said other track portion and with the belt, by both that other track portion and the belt.
If desired the man-carrying means may have a brake so as to destroy its momentum and bring it to a standstill when running on the second track portion or alternatively on said third track portion.
Alternatively or additionally other braking means may be provided on or adjacent the track portion itself for this purpose.
A man-carrying conveyor system in accordance with one embodiment of, and given by way of example of, the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is an elevational view of part of one end portion of the conveyor system,
Figure 2 is a plan view of that part of the end portion,
Figure 3 is a perspective of that part of the end portion, without the man-carrying means,
Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 and including the man-carrying means,
Figure 5 is an elevational view of part of the other end portion of the conveyor system,
Figure 6 is a plan view of that part of the other end portion, and
Figure 7 is a perspective of a junction between one conveyor and another conveyor.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the conveyor system includes an endless belt troughed conveyor of which only the upper run 1 of the belt is shown. Associated with the upper run 1 of the belt, and at or near one end portion thereof, is a mounting platform 2, access to which is by way of steps 3, and which is above the upper run 1 of the belt. Mounted on the platform 2 is a first track portion comprising a pair of parallel rails 4, 5 which track portion is inclined downwardly and towards the upper run 1 of the belt.
At the other end portion of the upper run 1 of the belt, see Figures 5 and 6,-a second track portion, comprising a pair of parallel rails 6 and 7, is provided. This second track portion has a part 8 where the rails lie one on each side of the upper run 1 of the belt, an intermediate part 9 which is inclined at an angle to the upper run 1, upwardly away from the upper run 1, and also at an angle to the upper run 1 transversely thereof, and a part 10 inclined downwardly so that it gradually approaches the floor running parallel to, but at a lower level and at the side of, the upper run 1.
In use, a miner will lie face downwards on the base of a man-carrying means 12, having wheels which engage the first track portion, which is located above the platform 2. He can then propel the man-carrying means so that it rolls under gravity on the inclined parts of the rails 4, 5. The length of the inclined part and its inclination are such that when the man-carrying means reaches the belt it will have a speed in substance the same as the speed of the belt. The base of the mancarrying means has a profile similar to that of the troughed belt and the man-carrying means will then smoothly be transferred from the rails 4, 5 onto the upper run 1 of the belt and then move with the belt. Preferably, the base of the mancarrying means is of a flexible material, for example canvas, thus readily to conform to the shape of the belt.This will give adequate contact for driving grip between the belt and the base.
When the miner approaches the other end portion of the conveyor the wheels of the mancarrying means will engage the rails 6, 7 and will be transferred in a smooth manner from the belt. It will then climb the rails, losing momentum, and eventually come to rest at the side of the conveyor.
The man-carrying means 1 2 is preferably provided with a brake (not shown) so as to destroy its momentum and to bring it to a standstill when running on the said second track portion.
Alternatively or additionally other braking means (also not shown) may be provided on or adjacent the second track portion itself for this purpose.
If the man-carrying means has to be transferred from one conveyor to another, see Figure 7, a second pair of rails 6', 7' may be provided at the end of one of the two conveyors. This second pair of rails 6', 7' will run away from and upwardly from one conveyor, turn through an angle and then run downwardly and towards the other conveyor so that a miner in a man-carrying means is smoothly removed from the one conveyor and smoothly transferred to the other conveyor.
Although in the embodiment above described with reference to the drawings the second track portion is so arranged that the man-carrying means comes to rest at the side of the conveyor, in alternative embodiments of the invention the second track portion is not inclined at an angle to the upper run of the belt transversely thereof, so that the man-carrying means remains above the said other end portion of the upper run of the belt.
In this case the belt is caused to dip down towards the end of the upper run and that track portion continues above the belt, terminating at a height which enables the miner to dismount from the man-carrying means at the desired low level.
Alternatively, the belt may not be caused to so dip down but instead the second track portion, continuing above the belt, is arranged to terminate at a higher level above the floor of the mine, the miner then dismounting from the man-carrying means onto a platform disposed adjacent that end portion of the conveyor, that is either just beyond the end of the upper run of the belt or on either side thereof.
Again, although in the embodiment above described with reference to the drawings the mancarrying means has wheels, in alternative embodiments of the invention it may instead have rollers or other rotary elements, or, non-rotary elements, such for example as skids, which engage the track portions.
In certain embodiments and where the first track portion is not inclined at an angle downwardly towards the belt conveyor, or, where the angle at which that track portion is inclined is small, the man-carrying means may be provided with a suitable impeller to impel it along the first track portion.
Where the man-carrying means is provided with rotary elements which engage the track portions such an impeller may comprise a suitable motor arranged to drive one or more of those rotary elements. Alternatively, where the mancarrying means is provided with non-rotary trackengaging elements, rollers may be provided on the first track portion, and, where the first track portion is not inclined at an angle downwardly towards the belt conveyor, or at only a small angle, those rollers may be driven for example by suitable motor means in order to move the mancarrying means along seid first track portion.
Further, in yet other alternative embodiments of this invention the man-carrying means may have both rotary elements and non-rotary elements, the rotary elements being engageable with the first and second track portions and the non-rotary elements being engageable with free-running rollers disposed along the conveyor on each side of the belt. In this way when the man-carrying means is being moved by the conveyor belt towards the second track portion, it is supported partly by the belt and partly by those rollers.
Although in the embodiment above described with reference to the drawings the man-carrying means, when moving with the belt, is supported solely thereby, in alternative embodiments of the invention the first track portion and the second track portion may be joined by another track portion running along the conveyor with a rail thereof on each side of the belt, thereby forming a continuous track for the required run of the man carrying means. In this case the man-carrying means is supported, when moving along said other track portion and with the belt, by both that track portion and the belt.
Finally, although in the embodiment above described with reference to the drawings the mancarrying means is arranged to move with the upper run of the conveyor, in alternative embodiments of the invention man-carrying means are arranged, either additionally or alternatively, to move with the lower run of the conveyor. In this case it will be necessary for a first track portion associated with that lower run to be so arranged that the man-carrying means moves onto the belt from a side thereof and for a second track portion associated with the lower run to be so arranged that the man-carrying means moves off the belt to come to rest at a side thereof. When the upper run and the lower run of the belt are both being used for such transportation, the two man-carrying means will of course be moving along the conveyor in opposite directions.
Claims (13)
1. A man-carrying conveyor system comprising a belt conveyor, a track-engageable man-carrying means having a part capable of conforming substantially at least to a part of the profile of the belt of the conveyor, a first track portion for the man-carrying means associated with a portion of the belt conveyor such that a man-carrying means moving along the first track portion can be transferred, at a speed commensurate with the speed of the belt, to the belt with said mancarrying means then being at least partlysupported by, and being movable with, the belt, and a second track portion for the man-carrying means associated with another portion of the belt conveyor such that a man-carrying means moving with the belt can be received by the second track portion and removed from the belt.
2. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in Claim 1 in which the first track portion is associated with one end portion of the belt conveyor, and the second track portion is associated with the other end portion of the belt conveyor.
3. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the first track portion is inclined at an angie, downwardly towards the belt conveyor.
4. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the second track portion is inclined at an angle, upwardly away from the belt conveyor.
5. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in Claim 4 in which the second track portion is not only inclined at an angle, upwardly away from the belt conveyor, but also is inclined at an angle to the belt conveyor, transversely thereof; and is then inclined downwardly towards a floor to run parallel to, and at a side of, the belt conveyor.
6. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 in which the second track portion is associated with a portion of a further belt conveyor such that a man-carrying means moving along the second track portion can be transferred, at a speed commensurate with the speed of the further belt, to the further belt with said man-carrying means then being at least partly-supported by, and being movable with, the further belt, and a third track portion for the mancarrying means associated with another portion of the further belt conveyor such that a man-carrying means can be received by the third track portion and removed from the further belt.
7. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in Claim 6 in which the second track portion has a part which is inclined at an angle, downwardly towards the further belt conveyor.
8. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in either Claim 6 or Claim 7 in which the third track portion is inclined at an angle, upwardly away from the further belt conveyor.
9. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in Claim 8 in which the third track portion is not only inclined at an angle, upwardly away from the further belt conveyor, but also is inclined at an angle to the further belt conveyor, transversely thereof; and is then inclined downwardly towards a floor to run parallel to, and at a side of, the further belt conveyor.
10. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which each belt conveyor is a troughed endless belt conveyor.
11. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the man-carrying means is a carriage having a man-carrying part capable of conforming substantially at least to the profile of a belt.
1 2. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in Claim 11 in which the carriage has wheels which roll on a track and which, when the carriage is supported by and movable with a belt, are above ground level with one pair of wheels beyond one side of the belt conveyor structure and another pair of wheels on the other side of the belt conveyor structure.
13. A man-carrying conveyor system as claimed in Claim 12 in which the two track portions associated with a belt conveyor are connected the one to the other so as to provide a continuous track for the pairs of wheels beyond the sides of the belt conveyor structure when the carriage is supported by and movable with the belt.
1 4. A man-carrying conveyor system substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08233362A GB2130992B (en) | 1982-11-23 | 1982-11-23 | Man-carrying conveyor systems |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08233362A GB2130992B (en) | 1982-11-23 | 1982-11-23 | Man-carrying conveyor systems |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2130992A true GB2130992A (en) | 1984-06-13 |
| GB2130992B GB2130992B (en) | 1986-04-03 |
Family
ID=10534440
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08233362A Expired GB2130992B (en) | 1982-11-23 | 1982-11-23 | Man-carrying conveyor systems |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2130992B (en) |
-
1982
- 1982-11-23 GB GB08233362A patent/GB2130992B/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2130992B (en) | 1986-04-03 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4759439A (en) | Drive mechanism | |
| US3881592A (en) | Modular baggage handling system with chain drive | |
| US6540064B1 (en) | Method and installation for transporting goods, as well as a combination of a container and a wheel-supported frame for transporting goods | |
| SE463136B (en) | TRANSPORTATION DEVICE FOR A SORTING PLANT | |
| KR100745106B1 (en) | Conveying system | |
| US4687213A (en) | Wheel assembly for traversing obstacles | |
| US4852718A (en) | Conveyor system | |
| ATE13860T1 (en) | EJECTION DEVICE FOR A CONVEYOR RAIL. | |
| EP0141519B1 (en) | A moving staircase with a curved conveyor passage | |
| US4305335A (en) | Endless conveyor for transporting roll containers | |
| GB1346875A (en) | Variable speed conveyor | |
| GB2130992A (en) | Man-carrying conveyor systems | |
| US3324806A (en) | Belt-type conveyors | |
| US4261458A (en) | Conveying system for roll containers | |
| US4299321A (en) | Moving walkway | |
| DE3478592D1 (en) | Conveyor system for all kinds of articles, with or without pallets | |
| US5016543A (en) | Freight system | |
| JPH0141543B2 (en) | ||
| CA2132235C (en) | Ski belt tow | |
| JPS5699111A (en) | Driving device for conveyor | |
| JPS603010Y2 (en) | Conveyance device using trolley | |
| US4544316A (en) | Apparatus for automatically and continuously withdrawing coal from a ship's | |
| US2805752A (en) | Side loading and unloading moving sidewalk | |
| JPH0813641B2 (en) | Transport device using self-propelled body | |
| JPS6244844Y2 (en) |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |