The conveyor consists of a sequence being drawn through a pipe. Units
handling several tons per hour are often constructed using basic workshop facilities.
The operation was demonstrated with a typical mineral and typical
grains, employing a chain with 25-mm links in pipes with diameters of 25, 38,
or 50 mm. Angles ranged from horizontal to 60° and chain speeds from 0.2 to 4
m/s. Through-put varied linearly with chain speed from dragging chain
supplier so that the device has potential also as a controlled solids
feeder. The correlations presented enable the essential design parameters of
the conveyor to be estimated for materials resembling those tested.
The conveyor is meant for little through-puts over distances within 100
m, and when power consumption isn't a clincher. The speed of wear and tear will
depend upon the character of the feed. The suitability of the conveyor for any
specific application has got to be determined experimentally.
Chain/Tow/Drag Line Conveyor
The dragging chain uses
mechanical devices attached to moving members, usually chains or cables, to tug
or to products. Drag conveyors are used for moving bulk materials in bins,
flights, or other attachments and may have multiple discharge or loading
points. Tubular drag conveyors use an enclosed system of chains to convey
products in any direction. Chain conveyors use a sequence, or multiple chains to
maneuver pallets or other hard-to-convey products. Tow conveyors use a towline
like cables or chains, usually within the floor or simply above it, to tow
products directly or to tow wheeled carts or dollies.
Drag chain conveyors are used for special transportation of smaller
capacities. Drag chain conveyors work on the principle of a chain-and-flight
combination pulling a volume of fabric along. The chain is provided with
different flights/paddles and drags the fabric from various charging points to
a variety of discharge points.
The enclosed conveying device is employed mainly for dusty, abrasive, or
hot material and, as such, has only a really limited application in coal.
However, the facility plant industry and other industry players invite
specialized conveying systems, that the very flexible drag chain conveyor
from dragging chain manufacturer could be an answer.
Horizontal, vertical, or inclined solutions, with a possible explosion-proof and dust-tight design, could be necessary for a few special
applications within the industry.