Pulleys

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Conveyor Belt Installations and Related Components

PULLEYS.
a) Functional Description
Conveyor belt pulleys vary in diameter and width on different applications. The diameter
of the pulley must be large enough to prevent ply separation of the belt composition due
to flexing over small pulleys. The pulley diameter is thus a function of the number of belt
plies and material construction. Therefore, the standard rule is that the diameter of the
drive head pulley should not be smaller than 125 times the number of plies in the belt,
e.g. a 4-ply belt should have a drive head pulley of at least 125 x 4 mm in diameter.
Pulley widths are usually 50 to 75 mm wider than the belt.

Graphic showing location of pulleys on a conveyor

The purpose of the snub pulley is to wrap the belt further around the drive pulley to
improve the transmission of the driving force, and to eliminate belt slip. The average
angle that the belt is wrapped around the head pulley is 220.
Conveyor belt pulleys are often lagged with rubber to improve the friction between the
drive pulley and the belt.
A conveyor belt will always move towards the point of first contact. For this reason, to
improve the alignment of the belt, the head and tail pulleys are crowned, i.e. the
diameter in the centre of the pulley is larger than on the extremities. This difference in
diameters is usually one millimetre per 100-mm length of pulley face.
There are a number of different types of pulleys available for use on conveyors as well
as different design parameters for pulleys serving different functions on the same
conveyor.
Examples of pulleys on a conveyor

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b) Anatomy of a Pulley
Typical pulley

The components of a pulley include the following :Drum or

Shell

The drum is the portion of the pulley in direct contact with the belt. The
shell is fabricated from either a rolled sheet of steel or from hollow steel
tubing.
The shell has a specific 'face' width and diameter which is determined
by the width of the belting and the type and rating of the belt to be
used on the conveyor.

Diaphragm
Plates

The diaphragm or end plates of a pulley are circular discs which are
fabricated from thick steel plate and which are welded into the shell at
each end, to strengthen the drum.
The end plates are bored in their centre to accommodate the pulley
shaft and the hubs for the pulley locking elements.

Shaft

The shaft is designed to accommodate all the applied forces from the
belt and / or the drive unit, with minimum deflection.
The shaft is located and locked to the hubs of the end discs by means of
a locking elements.
The shaft is supported on both ends by bearings which are housed in
plummer blocks, to support the shaft and pulley assembly on the
conveyor structure.
Shafts often comprise different diameters along their length due to the
bending moments and resultant deflection limitations. The diameter of
the shaft at the landings for the bearings may be smaller to satisfy the
necessary bearing diameter which is more cost-effective (smaller).
Similarly in the case of a drive shaft, the drive attachment, may be
different to the other diameters along the shaft and hence pulley shafts
are often stepped.

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Locking
Elements

These are high-precision manufactured items which are fitted over the
shaft and into the pulley hubs. The locking elements attach the pulley
firmly to the shaft via the end plates.
Locking elements (see adjacent image) work on the friction-grip
principle whereby the element is able to be fastened to the shaft and
hub simultaneously and concentrically, by tightening a series of screws
around the locking element.

Hubs

The hubs are fabricated and machined housings which are welded into
the end plates. The hubs are sized according to the size of the pulley,
the diameter of the shaft and the size of the locking element which is
required for the specific duty.

Lagging

It is sometimes necessary or desirable to improve the friction between

the conveyor belt and the pulley in order to improve the torque that can
be transmitted through a drive pulley.
Improved traction over a pulley also assists with the training of the belt.
In such cases pulley drum surfaces are 'lagged' or covered in a
rubberized material. This cover is usually 8 mm to 12 mm thick and can
be plain or have a grooved pattern. The rubber lagging is vulcanized to
the pulley shell to ensure that it remains attached under adverse
operating conditions.

Bearing
Assemblies

Bearings support the rotating shaft and hence

the pulley. The bearings are housed in
'plummer blocks' which enable the mass of the
pulley assembly plus the belt tension forces to
be transmitted to the pulley supporting
structure.
Plummer blocks are often bolted to 'sole
plates' which are welded to the structure. The
sole plates incorporate jacking screws to
enable the pulley to be correctly and relatively
easily aligned.

c) Types of pulleys
Historically there has always been a number of different types of pulleys ranging from
cast iron pulleys to slatted pulleys, crowned pulleys and fabricated steel pulleys as
described above.
It is common practice today to make use of steel pulleys throughout a conveyor.
Exceptions to this standard are mainly for cases where a conveyors' discharge point is
equipped with a magnetic separator over the head pulley. In this case the pulley shell
and end plates are usually manufactured in non-magnetic stainless steel.

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