Patching a Trout River Conveyor Belt - Trout River Live bottom trailer

PATCHING A BELT Guide

Luke Hierlihy luke@troutriverindustries.ca

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Contents Safety ................................................................................................................................................2 Step 1: Loosen conveyor chain............................................................................................................3 Step 2: Identify ripped area, and locate surrounding crossbars ............................................................4 Step 3: Cut out ripped section ............................................................................................................5 Step 4: Cut Replacement Section ........................................................................................................6 Step 5: Install belt lacing ....................................................................................................................7 Step 6: Install lacing hinge pin ............................................................................................................8 Step 7: Mark and cut belt to length for 2nd lacing ................................................................................9 Step 8: Bolt belt down if possible ..................................................................................................... 10 Step 9: Install 2nd belt lacing ............................................................................................................. 11 Step 10: Install lacing hinge pin ........................................................................................................ 12 Step 11: Re-tension chain ................................................................................................................. 13 Contact us ....................................................................................................................................... 14

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Safety The Trout River Trailer is not “just a trailer”, it is also a powerful machine with various mechanisms that could be potentially dangerous, the following are some general safety rules pertaining to trout river trailers: • • • • • •

• •

Never enter trailer with conveyor in operation When conveyor is running be sure to keep all body parts, clothing, etc. clear of inspection doors, conveyor belt, or any other moving parts; failure to do so could result in serious injury Be aware of the tailgate position, and stand clear when opening or closing When trailer is unloading be sure to stand clear of the rear of the trailer, as to not get injured from load exiting the tub Ladder is designed for a maximum of 250 pounds; do not exceed this limit. Top ladder rung is not meant to be a step, it is only there as a “hand-hold”; do not use as a step Trailer hydraulic system is designed to run in access of 2500 psi, this amount of pressure could be very dangerous; always take care when connecting hydraulic lines, that it is done properly, and replace any damaged hydraulic components immediately. Always be sure system pressure is relieved before maintenance o Always connect return line first and disconnect last Air system can also be dangerous, be aware of air lines, that they are not damaged, and relieve system pressure before maintenance When working on the trailer, be sure all power systems are disconnected, unless otherwise instructed or needed, always be aware of present dangers

Page |3 This procedure is to guide you through replacement of a damaged section of belt Reminder: Unlike some competitors, in a Trout River conveyor it does not matter where the belt seam (lacing) is during unload. This gives the customer the ability to replace a section of belt if a puncture occurs.

Step 1: Loosen conveyor chain •

Conveyor chain should be loosened before starting this procedure, so belt can be stretched tight along with the chain when completed o Be sure loose chain does not catch anything while moving the conveyor in later steps of this procedure

Using chain for reference point

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Step 2: Identify ripped area, and locate surrounding crossbars • •

Belt lacing must be between crossbars, for this reason the space nearest to the rip must be located and marked on each side between the crossbars We suggest to use a part of the chain for a reference point to make cut as square as possible, as shown below

Using chain for reference point

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Step 3: Cut out ripped section • • •

Use a straight edge to mark a line across the belt using the marks on each side as a guide Do this for both lines o It is important that both lines are square to the conveyor (and parallel with each other) Use a utility knife to cut along both straight lines o It is very important that the lines are cut straight for lacing o Tip: it is easiest to cut at the back of the trailer, curved around the back shaft. Move the conveyor for each cut

Straight edge

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Step 4: Cut Replacement Section • • • •

Cut a replacement section of belt o Must be the same material, ply, thickness, width Cut section a few inches long to leave room for error Be sure one of the cuts is square o The other end doesn’t matter as much because it will be trimmed after Note: when installed, belt should have thick rubber side up, as pictured

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Step 5: Install belt lacing • • • • •

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Install lacing on the straight, square side of the replacement section of belt, and one side of the trailer belt Note: Lacing should be narrower than belt by about 1-1 ½” total (3/4” per side) o If using a Trout River supplied lacing, 1 tab will have to be broken off to fit right Using hydraulic power, move joint inside trailer, where work area is flat Insert a thin metal backing under joint to make process easier Install lace by centering, bending in tabs by hitting them with hammer, and screwing together o Tabs of lace should be screwed in a pattern of halfway points, to reduce belt warpage o Center each half of lace to ensure they line up o Be sure lacing is installed right-side-up on both belts so they are compatible Be sure both laces are square to the trailer, and parallel to each other Do not overtighten screws, as this can damage the belt, and cause premature failure Once lacing is screwed on, remove backing plate

Metal backing

Both halfs of lacing must be square and parallel

Halfway pattern - start at center, then outsides, then centers, etc.

Both halfs completed, ready for hinge pin

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Step 6: Install lacing hinge pin • • •

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Rotate belt enough to let the lacing exit the rear of the trailer o It will be easier to install hinge pin with nothing in the way Hold the new section of belt and line up the 2 halves of the lacing o Be sure belt is lined up as well Insert hinge pin as far as possible by hand o If it becomes too stiff to insert farther by hand, use a drill to rotate the pin, to insert the remainder Cut hinge pin to length o Do not cut so short that bent washers cannot be installed, refer to pictures Install bent washers with vise grips to hold hinge pin from migrating side to side

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Step 7: Mark and cut belt to length for 2nd lacing • • • •

The most important thing is that at the end of this step, the belt is cut straight, square to the conveyor, and a 1” gap is left for the final lacing Fold rough cut edge under good edge, and use the good edge as a guide Measure and use straight edge to mark a straight line that is 1” away and parallel to good cut edge Using a utility knife cut on the line o Once both sides are cut, belt is ready for final lacing o Be sure to remove cut portion as this could cause damage if left in the conveyor

Straight edge

Cutting belt

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Step 8: Bolt belt down if possible • • •

Our Belt is bolted to every second crossbar from the factory o This bolt spacing should be maintained Depending on the length of the section added, it will likely need to be bolted down Be sure belt is kept flat and tight when drilling holes, so it does not mess up the cut edge

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Step 9: Install 2nd belt lacing • • • •

• • •

Note: as it was before, the lacing should be narrower than belt by about 1-1 ½” total o This means 1 tab must be broken off of a Trout River supplied lacing Using hydraulic power, move joint inside trailer, where work area is flat Insert a thin metal backing under joint to make process easier Install lace by centering, bending in tabs by hitting them with hammer, and screwing together o Tabs of lace should be screwed in a pattern of halfway points, to reduce belt warpage o Center each half of lace to ensure they line up Be sure both laces are square to the trailer, and parallel to each other Do not overtighten, as this can damage the belt, and cause premature failure Once lacing is screwed on, remove backing plate

Metal backing

Both halfs of lacing must be square and parallel

Halfway pattern - start at center, then outsides, then centers, etc.

Both halfs completed, ready for hinge pin

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Step 10: Install lacing hinge pin • •

• • •

Rotate belt joint halfway around the back shaft Use clamps to pull lacing together (modified clamps shown in picture) o We use pairs of c clamp vise grips with the tips cut on angles to do this step o If you chose to do this be sure to remove sharp edges, as to not damage the belt Once lacing is together insert hinge pin as far as possible by hand o Once it becomes too stiff to insert farther by hand, use a drill to insert the remainder Cut hinge pin to length Install bent washers to hold hinge pin from migrating side to side

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Step 11: Re-tension chain • •

Chain must be properly tensioned before use, see “Adjusting the Chain Tension” With this step done, the process is complete

Using chain for reference point

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Contact us

I hope you found this helpful. For any questions regarding this procedure, or to request a different procedure, please contact me.

Luke Hierlihy Dealer Support Representative luke@troutriverindustries.ca 902-853-1614 Troutriverindustries.ca