We have reversible conveyors, but with one drive only. ■

Despite what others claim, conveyors are quite simple machines. So the smaller they are the simpler they might, or should, be.

Why have you got snub drums at all? If your machine operates in a bunker gallery then the coefficient of friction is pretty constant & only influenced by the free water content.

Why have you got 2 drives? Millions of vehicles & marine vessels manage to go backwards using a solitary propulsion element. A 50m long conveyor should be able to do the same. If you drag a drive, just because its there, then you will seriously increase the work for the other drive. The expenditure of a second drive would be better utilised in beefing up the belt which you screw out as tight as you need to make it work both ways: and that's not a lot in your application; wet coal or dry. Tooling set up times make the difference between large & small pulley shafts primarily a matter of material cost. Make sure your cleaning devices are able to cope with reversing. That's the main thing.

PS. Your coal size is -50. there is no coal if the particle size is 0. ■

Now that's what they mean by 'pipped at the post'. By 4 minutes over quarter of a planet. ■

Don't see many 50mm lumps these days do you? They can sell those for a premium over the normal power station rubbish. ■

Originally Posted by designer

Don't see many 50mm lumps these days do you? They can sell those for a premium over the normal power station rubbish.

You'll have me crying in a minute. Back in the late 50's I was driving through Merthyr Tydfill & I witnessed the delivery of the miners' free coal. Slabs of over 1m square & 0.5m thick were just dragged off the waggon as it went up the hill. That drop split the job down outside the front door and the dutiful wife further broke the anthracite down, put in a bucket and carried it through the house to the coalshed. Then she had to clean up the road and get the dinner ready before Dai got home from the pub!

These here greens have made us forget how to live! ■

Originally Posted by dunksunk

Funny you should mention Merthyr Tydfill

No it's not, Wales are 3-0 up at the moment ■

Just be careful of backstops in the drive.

Simply reversing the drive is the most simplest method as others have stated - especially on such a short conveyor. ■

Customer is king.

If he wants two drives. He can have them.

You can run both in either direction. Both motors will change direction of rotation and share load. Motors and gearboxes will be smaller. ■

If there's a hard way to do it....What is the point of 2 take-ups on 50m centres? As the drive drums alter position does the cleaner self-adjust correctly to meet the new belt line...or does the snub drum shift as well? Be real.

"Customer is king." is very often the reason for the questions on these forums.

If you keep the drive going on both ends then you are stretching & relaxing the belt every 50m. If you use a single drive then you only cycle the belt every 100m. I boils down to drawing up the tension distribution & referring to the belt properties. Just make sure you don't finish up with a bit of a flapper.

What is the expected life of the workings? I can't understand a simple muck shoveller in the Valleys Boyo being eager to lash out on such a complicated gadget. But; where there's muck there's brass!

Good luck though. ■

Originally Posted by Vinayak

Customer is king

True, but he can equally be an ignorant fool, or at least is being guided by ignorant fools. ■

If there's a hard way to do it....What is the point of 2 take-ups on 50m centres? As the drive drums alter position does the cleaner self-adjust correctly to meet the new belt line...or does the snub drum shift as well? Be real.

Two take ups are not required. One drive station gets mounted on takeup trolley.

As for snub drums etc, reversible conveyor is a one which moves material in either direction. So whatever is required for one motor drive will do for twin drive sharing the load.

Engineering is flexible - there are options and solutions if you put your thinki9ng cap on ■

Originally Posted by dunksunk

.. 50mtr centres ....I plan to fit a drive & snub-drum at each end and have a screw take-up on each drive drum.

Agreed, almost. Two take ups shouldn't be necessary on a 50 m belt. A 50m belt with a take up trolley is STRETCHING IT A BIT.

We are in imminent danger of giving this poxy little machine as much attention as the grander experts spend discussing a 20km job. ■

One drive is sufficient and normal for such a short conveyor. Two drives buy you nothing but expense, higher maintenance, and lower availability.

Yes, you must push rope up the hill in one direction. It is a small rope.

If you use a fixed takeup, it matters not if one, two or twenty-two they all act as one.

You are talking about a few kW.

Remember to KISS it. ■

Originally Posted by nordell

Remember to KISS it.

Ain't that the truth. Complicated is rarely clever. ■

I love your words of wisdom Larry - str8 and to the point. haha ■

Dear sirs,

I have found Rolls/Idlers made out of FULL-RECYCLED Plastic.

(patented DE10 2006 040 883)

For reverse-conveyors I can give all rolls a conic design, so that the belt will always turn to the middle, equal what direction you are working. Recycled plastic is cheep,

an my rolls/ idlers are in the same matter.

Please ask me for more details!

Y.S. Peter Blaha (foerderschuettgut(at)arcor.de ■

Originally Posted by BLAHAPETER

For reverse-conveyors I can give all rolls a conic design, so that the belt will always turn to the middle, equal what direction you are working.

Obviously you do not work in the real world of bulk material handling - making a statement like that. ■

May bee my english is not the best, but give me your E-Mail and I will send you drawings and pictures of this information!

Best regards

Peter Blaha Munich (foerderschuettgut@arcor.de ■

Steady Lads, we seem to be going backwards on this one. ■