The primary cause of the birth of the mechanism was the need to irrigate the fields of the ancient farmers of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, and India. It is known that farmers in these countries have long been forced to artificially water their crops. And then a method was found using primitive devices to arrange the transportation of water. They were called in different countries in different ways, but the principle had a common. A little later, with the invention of the wheel, people learned to use the power of water for such work.
In the times of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, mills, water pipes, and other mechanisms were set in motion with the help of slaves, and later with the help of animals.
Improvement stages
But actually the conveyor belts, familiar to us and intended for industrial use, appeared only in the 18th century. At first, the basis for them was a board along which a ribbon of leather or canvas moved. In 1908, Heiml Goddard patented a roller base for conveyors. But the real "parent" of the conveyor belt conveyor was Henry Ford, who noticed that workers were losing too much time delivering spare parts to the workplace, and put in conveyor belts along which the parts moved from one workshop to another. This helped to increase labor productivity, reduced production costs and became the starting point in the development of conveyors.
Over time, the mechanisms for moving goods became more perfect. Belt conveyors received a new round of development with the development of industrial development of various deposits (in the extraction of gold, coal, ores).
Types and scope
Today, the variety of types of conveyors is amazing. With the help of them we get things at the airport, work bakeries, confectioneries, print newspapers, collect cars, pick up coal from mines and move rock from quarries over great distances.
The use of conveyors saves time, allows you to optimize the production process and get rid of heavy manual labor.
Its device, in comparison with other hoisting mechanisms, is quite simple, it is easy to repair and operate. The main components of the conveyor are:
- supports (stationary or adapted for movement);
- belt conveyor drive, which consists of an electric motor, gear (cylindrical, worm, chain or belt drive, or belt-gear) and a drive drum;
- supporting surface (rollers or metal sheet);
- supporting body - conveyor belt ;
- tension mechanism (drum and screw).
Several types of conveyor belts were invented for moving various materials:
- tape
- lamellar;
- inertial;
- vibrating;
- roller;
- scraper;
- suspended load-carrying;
- pushing;
- carts;
- bucket and cradle;
- screw.
Some of them have a special purpose, for example, for the transport of passengers (escalators). The direction of movement of goods can be any - horizontal, inclined, vertical.
Truly, the conveyor belt has the status of the most popular mechanism for moving almost any material. Modern electronics and automation increase its capabilities many times over.