US-20260125860-A1 - CONVEYOR SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING MATERIALS IN WORK MACHINES

US20260125860A1US 20260125860 A1US20260125860 A1US 20260125860A1US-20260125860-A1

Abstract

A conveyor system for conveying materials in a work machine. The conveyor system includes a conveyor frame and an endless flexible member to move with respect to the conveyor frame. The endless flexible member defines a first edge portion, a second edge portion, and a conveying surface therebetween for receiving the materials. The endless flexible member further includes a first wall extending upright from the first edge portion, and a second wall extending upright from the second edge portion. The conveyor system further includes one or more rollers, defining one or more discrete roller segments and one or more clearance segments. When the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame, the discrete roller segments correspondingly contact one or more of the conveying surface, the first edge portion, and the second edge portion, and the clearance segments correspondingly clear the first wall and the second wall.

Inventors

Daniel Jonathan Heim
Matthew James Fritzke

Assignees

CATERPILLAR PAVING PRODUCTS INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241102

Claims (20)

1 . A conveyor system for conveying materials in a work machine, the conveyor system comprising: a conveyor frame; an endless flexible member to move with respect to the conveyor frame, the endless flexible member defining a first edge portion, a second edge portion, and a conveying surface therebetween for receiving the materials, a first wall extending upright from the first edge portion, a second wall extending upright from the second edge portion; and one or more rollers, each roller of the one or more rollers defining one or more discrete roller segments and one or more clearance segments, wherein when the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame, the one or more discrete roller segments correspondingly contacts one or more of the conveying surface, the first edge portion, and the second edge portion, to impinge and support the endless flexible member with the conveyor frame, and the one or more clearance segments correspondingly clears the first wall and the second wall, providing passage to the first wall and the second wall across the one or more rollers.
2 . The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first wall and the second wall includes a corrugated profile to accommodate flexures in the endless flexible member when the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame.
3 . The conveyor system of claim 2 , wherein the corrugated profile defines a plurality of alternating ridges and grooves extending serially along a circumference of the endless flexible member.
4 . The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein each clearance segment is positioned between two consecutively arranged discrete roller segments.
5 . The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more discrete roller segments correspondingly define one or more first diameters and the one or more clearance segments correspondingly define one or more second diameters, the one or more second diameters being smaller than the one or more first diameters.
6 . The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the endless flexible member is movably wound and tensioned around the conveyor frame, when the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame, one or more of the conveying surface, the first edge portion, and the second edge portion defines a first side at which the materials are conveyed and a second side opposite to the first side at which the endless flexible member is devoid of the materials, and the one or more discrete roller segments are in rolling engagement with one or more of the conveying surface, the first edge portion, and the second edge portion of the second side to impinge and support the endless flexible member with the conveyor frame.
7 . The conveyor system of claim 1 , further comprising a first side plate and a second side plate coupled to the conveyor frame and disposed outwardly and upwardly from the first wall and the second wall respectively to define a gap with the endless flexible member.
8 . The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the first wall, the second wall, and the conveying surface, collectively define a conveying cavity to retain the materials received therein throughout a conveying movement of the endless flexible member.
9 . The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein each clearance segment of the one or more clearance segments defines a gap bigger than a maximum width of each of the first wall and the second wall.
10 . The conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the first wall and the second wall are integrally formed with the endless flexible member and are made of same material as that of the endless flexible member.
11 . A milling machine, comprising: a machine frame; a milling assembly coupled to the machine frame and including a milling drum for milling materials from a surface underlying the milling machine; a conveyor system for conveying the materials away from the milling assembly to clear the milling assembly of the materials, the conveyor system including: a conveyor frame; an endless flexible member to move with respect to the conveyor frame, the endless flexible member defining a first edge portion, a second edge portion, and a conveying surface therebetween for receiving the materials, a first wall extending upright from the first edge portion, a second wall extending upright from the second edge portion; and one or more rollers, each roller of the one or more rollers defining one or more discrete roller segments and one or more clearance segments, wherein when the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame, the one or more discrete roller segments correspondingly contacts one or more of the conveying surface, the first edge portion, and the second edge portion, to impinge and support the endless flexible member with the conveyor frame, and the one or more clearance segments correspondingly clears the first wall and the second wall, providing passage to the first wall and the second wall across the one or more rollers.
12 . The milling machine of claim 11 , wherein each of the first wall and the second wall includes a corrugated profile to accommodate flexures in the endless flexible member when the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame.
13 . The milling machine of claim 12 , wherein the corrugated profile defines a plurality of alternating ridges and grooves extending serially along a circumference of the endless flexible member.
14 . The milling machine of claim 11 , wherein each clearance segment is positioned between two consecutively arranged discrete roller segments.
15 . The milling machine of claim 11 , wherein the one or more discrete roller segments correspondingly define one or more first diameters and the one or more clearance segments correspondingly define one or more second diameters, the one or more second diameters being smaller than the one or more first diameters.
16 . The milling machine of claim 11 , wherein the endless flexible member is movably wound and tensioned around the conveyor frame, when the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame, one or more of the conveying surface, the first edge portion, and the second edge portion defines a first side at which the materials are conveyed and a second side opposite to the first side at which the endless flexible member is devoid of the materials, and the one or more discrete roller segments are in rolling engagement with one or more of the conveying surface, the first edge portion, and the second edge portion of the second side to impinge and support the endless flexible member with the conveyor frame.
17 . The milling machine of claim 11 , further comprising a first side plate and a second side plate coupled to the conveyor frame and disposed outwardly and upwardly from the first wall and the second wall respectively to define a gap with the endless flexible member.
18 . The milling machine of claim 11 , wherein the first wall, the second wall, and the conveying surface, collectively define a conveying cavity to retain the materials received therein throughout a conveying movement of the endless flexible member.
19 . The milling machine of claim 11 , wherein each clearance segment of the one or more clearance segments defines a gap bigger than a maximum width of each of the first wall and the second wall.
20 . The milling machine of claim 11 , wherein the first wall and the second wall are integrally formed with the endless flexible member and are made of same material as that of the endless flexible member.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to conveyor systems in work machines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a conveyor system that includes a conveyor belt having upright walls to retain milled materials during a conveyance of the materials. BACKGROUND Machines, such as cold planers, generally include one or more conveyor belt assemblies. A conveyor belt assembly typically includes a conveyor belt (or an endless flexible member) that may receive materials (e.g., milled materials) from a milling operation performed by the machine. The conveyor belt may be applied to convey the received material away from the machine by way of a conveying operation of the conveyor assembly. The materials that are transferred generally include granulated materials, such as asphalt, bitumen, and/or concrete. Such granulated materials may move or be pushed around when being conveyed and may thus escape or spill away from along one or more sides of the conveyor belt, e.g., due to vibrations that accompany conveying operations. To control material spillage, side plates may be positioned along the sides of the conveyor belt. Moreover, rubberized wear pads or elements may seal or close a gap between the side plates and the conveyor belt. However, a contact (e.g., a prolonged contact) between such elements and a moving conveyor belt may wear out such elements, in turn revealing the gap between the side plates and the conveyor belt and potentially leading to material spillage. Hence, an adjustment or replacement of such elements is often needed. Chinese Patent Publication No. CN202170718U discloses an edge-raised conveying belt for preventing splashing of materials, aiming to solve the technical problems that raised edges and transverse partitions are easily loosened and damaged when in screw connection and the materials are easy to overflow and splash, and the like. The edge-raised conveying belt comprises a base belt, two undulating raised edges and transverse partitions, the two wave-shaped raised edges are arranged on the base belt, the transverse partitions are arranged between the two undulating raised edges, two ends of each transverse partition respectively form retaining plates integrated with the transverse partition, and the transverse partitions are fastened on crests of the wave-shaped raised edges. The retaining plates protrude forwards and are inserted into grooves of the wave-shaped raised edges, therefore, when the conveying belt runs to a roller, no gaps are reserved among the wave-shaped raised edges and the transverse partitions though the wave-shaped raised edges stretch, and overflow and splashing of the bulk materials are effectively avoided. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a conveyor system for conveying materials in a work machine. The conveyor system includes a conveyor frame and an endless flexible member to move with respect to the conveyor frame. The endless flexible member defines a first edge portion, a second edge portion, and a conveying surface therebetween for receiving the materials. The endless flexible member further includes a first wall extending upright from the first edge portion and a second wall extending upright from the second edge portion. The conveyor system further includes one or more rollers. Each roller defines one or more discrete roller segments and one or more clearance segments. When the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame, the discrete roller segments correspondingly contacts one or more of the conveying surface, the first edge portion, and the second edge portion, to impinge and support the endless flexible member with the conveyor frame. The one or more clearance segments correspondingly clears the first wall and the second wall, providing passage to the first wall and the second wall across the one or more rollers. In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a milling machine comprising a machine frame and a milling assembly coupled to the machine frame and including a milling drum for milling materials from a surface underlying the milling machine. The milling machine further includes a conveyor system for conveying the materials away from the milling assembly to clear the milling assembly of the materials. The conveyor system includes a conveyor frame and an endless flexible member to move with respect to the conveyor frame. The endless flexible member defines a first edge portion, a second edge portion, and a conveying surface therebetween for receiving the materials. The endless flexible member further includes a first wall extending upright from the first edge portion and a second wall extending upright from the second edge portion. The conveyor system further includes one or more rollers. Each roller defines one or more discrete roller segments and one or more clearance segments. When the endless flexible member moves with respect to the conveyor frame, t