Description

Field of the invention

The present invention pertains to the technical field of platforms and passageways for the transportation of people and goods, specifically to belts formed by pal lets and more specifically to turning systems that employ said pallet belts in order to change the travel ling direction. The object of the present invention is a turning system for these belt transport systems, in which said turning is carried out horizontally by means of a curved stretch arranged on the same horizontal plane as that formed by the turn in ut stretch and the turn output stretch.

Background of the invention

In passageways or platforms used to transport people and goods and specifically those which consist of belts formed by pallets, it is necessary to turn these pallets in order to successfully change the travel l ing direction of the belt. For example, passageways used to transport people in a linear fashion travel in both possible directions. In this case, when the end of the track is reached in one direction, the pallets of the belt should turn around in order to continue moving forwards in the other direction.

Up until present, this turn was carried out vertically, in such a way that the two forwards directions of the belt made of pal lets were made at two different heights. In other words, a forwards outward movement is produced in one direction and at the end of the forwards course, the vertical turn is produced and the return is produced at a lower level .

Documents US3939959 and US4276976 show passageways or platforms for transporting people or goods, in which the platform moves forwards in one direction and at the end of the forwards moving trajectory, the vertical turn is produced and the platform returns in the opposite direction at a different height, in this case specifically at an upper height, although it is perfectly possible for it to return at a lower height.

Spanish patent application ES2294972, filed by the same applicant as the present application, shows a turning system for passageways or pallet belts of the above described variety.

These systems are disadvantageous in that quite a considerable trench depth is requi ed in order to be able to house the entire system on two different levels.

A system which successful ly and efficiently turned the pal lets around in a belt was therefore desirable, which would thus prevent the disadvantages existing in systems pertaining to the prior art.

Description of the invention

The present invention resolves the problems e isting in the state of the art by means of a turning system for belt transportation systems, of the variety in which the belt is formed by an assembly of pallets.

The transport system has a turn in ut and a turn output, arranged on the same horizontal plane.

The turning system has a curved stretch, which connects the turn input to the turn output and is arranged on the same horizontal plane as this turn input and output.

The curved stretch of the turning system is particularly formed by an external guide, corresponding to the external guide of the turn input and turn output and by an internal guide corresponding to the internal turn input and output of the same, in such a way that the pallets of the belt are arranged betw een the external and internal guides and are displaced between them.

The turning system may have a central chain to which the pal lets are joined and which drives the same along their course of the curv ed stretch. This central chain is arranged between the external guide and the internal guide of the curved stretch and preferably on a horizontal plane which is slightly lower than the horizontal plane on which the external and internal guides of the curv ed stretch are found. In this case, the central chain may in turn be driv en by a drive wheel which is co ianar to it, although other alternative driv ing means may also exist.

Alternatively, in order to successfully move the pal lets, rather than having the central chain, the turning system has a central guide, which is arranged between the external guide and the internal guide of the curved stretch, arranged on a horizontal plane which is slightly low er than that formed by the external and internal guides of the curved stretch. A number of carts arc displaced along the length of this central guide, each one of which is fixed to a pallet on the belt, in such a way that the carts drag the pallets along the length of the curved stretch. In this case, the central guide remains fixed and it is the carts that travel along the length of the same, preferably dragged by linear motors.

In this way, a horizontal turn is achieved, which is more advantageous than the vertical turning systems existing in the state of the art for various reasons. Firstly the entire length of the belt is used, there being two useful directions, i.e. when transporting both goods and passengers, it is possible to use both directions, both the outgoing and return direction, at the same level. Furthermore, the required depth of the trench which houses the belt system with the turn is not as great, since it is not necessary to house two levels of belt or the vertical system, thereby facilitating the installation and maintenance of the system.

Brief description of the drawings

In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, below is a series of drawings which refer to the same and provide a non-limiting example thereof.

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the curved stretch of the horizontal turning system, object of the present invention.

Figure 2 represents an embodiment of the turning system, object of the present invention.

Figure 3 represents an alternative embodiment of the turning system, object of the present invention.

Figure 4 represents an embodiment of a cart used in an embodiment of the turning system, joined to a pallet.

Figure 5 is a profile view of the cart joined to the pallet shown in the previous figure. In these figures, reference is made to an assembly of elements, which are as follows:

1. Transport system belt

2. Beit pallets

3. Transport system turn input

4. Transport system turn output

5. Turning system.

6. Curved stretch of the turning system

7. External guide of the curved stretch

8. Internal guide of the curved stretch

9. Central chain

10. Drive wheel of the central chain

11. Central guide

12. Turning system carts

13. Arm joining the carts to the pallets

14. Cart wheels

1 5. Internal face of the central guide

16. External face of the cent al guide

Detailed description of the invention The object of the present invention is a turning system for a belt transport system 1 , of the variety formed by a plural ity of pallets 2. The transport system has a turn input 3 and a turn output 4, arranged on the same horizontal plane. The turning system 5 has a curved stretch 6, which connects the turn input 3 to the turn output 4. This curved stretch 6 is arranged on the same horizontal plane as the turn input 3 and as the turn output 4.

According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the curved stretch 6 of the turning system 5 is formed by an external guide 7, corresponding to the external guide of the turn input 3 and the turn output 4 and by an internal guide 8 corresponding to the internal guide of the turn input 3 and the turn output 4, in such a way that the pal lets 2 of the belt I are arranged between the external guides 7 and internal guides 8, being displaced along the length of the curved stretch 6 between the same.

In order to achieve this movement of the pallets 2 along the length of the curved stretch 6, the turning system 5 may have a central chain 9 to which the pallets 2 are joined and which drives the same in their journey. This central channel 9 is arranged between the external guide 7 and the internal guide 8 of the curved stretch 6. According to this embodiment and in a preferred way, the central channel 9 is arranged on a horizontal plane which is lower to the plane formed by the external guide 7 and the internal guide 8 of the curved stretch 6. This central chain 9 is in turn driven by a drive wheel 10, which is coplanar to said central chain 9, although there may also be alternative ways to drive the central chain 9.

An alternative way to successfully move the pal lets 2 along the length of the curved stretch 6 is by means of a central guide 1 1 arranged betw een the external guide 7 and the internal guide 8, in such a way that it is also arranged on a horizontal plane which is sl ightly lower than the plane formed by the external 7 and internal 8 guides of the curved stretch 6. A number of carts 12 are displaced along the length of this central guide 1 1 , each one of w hich is fixed to a pallet 2 on the belt 1. These carts 12 drag the pallets 2 along the curved stretch 6, whilst the carts 12 are displaced along the length of the central guide 1 1 , preferably being dragged by l inear motors, although any other means may be used.

According to a preferred embodiment of the carts 12, the same are joined to the lower face of the pallets 2 by means of a joining arm 1 3.

Likewise, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carts 1 2 are joined to the central guide 1 1 and are displaced along the length of the same by means of a wheel 14 arranged on the internal face 1 5 of the central guide 1 1 and two wheels 14 arranged on the external face 1 of said central guide 1 1 . Alternatively, the carts 12 may be joined to the central guide 1 1 and be displaced along the length of the same by means of four or more wheels.

After having described the invention clearly, it must be noted that details of the specific embodiments described above may be amended, provided that these amendments do not change the fundamental principle and essence of the invention.