Farmers (the rest of you guys, stay out)
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gink595
Addicted to ArboristSite
I don't see why not, there is a belt feeder system out in my barn that is around 100'+ long that feeds corn sileage, it's just sitting there and needs to go, it was bought new by a friend that had 500 head of steer at my house, he went to Wisc. and bought it new about 10 years ago and used for maybe 1-2 yrs. if your interested I could post some pics, I'm not sure what he is wanting but we discussed putting it on E-bay over the summer it is in great condition and has alway been under roof.
hanniedog
Addicted to ArboristSite
The neighbors have a belt conveyor used for all you listed but the wood. We used it to transfer wheat from one wagon to another this week worked very well for that. Dont know how well the belt would hold up with wood though.
ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
it would work a little better if
you could adhere some sort of ribs to the conveyor belt.. Maybe some sort of rubber cement or flexible caulk adhesive.
you could adhere some sort of ribs to the conveyor belt.. Maybe some sort of rubber cement or flexible caulk adhesive.
Yes I would be interested. Send me some pictures and talk with the guy to see if he'd part with it.
I'm a little concerned about that. Using stuff not made for wood usually doesn't work. But buying something soley for wood doesn't work for me.
Sawmill
ArboristSite Operative
Being from Michigan you may want to do a search for christmas tree conveyors. These have a rubber belt with paddles on them and usually have its own motor on it. There is a place that used to make them about 10 miles from where I live. The name is Howey Tree Baler Corp. I don't know if they are still in business.
Mkarlson
ArboristSite Operative
I'm not a farmer but am an ag worker. Our conveyors at work handle the beans, corn and fertilizer nicely. Trying to picture the wood on our newer type belt conveyors is the problem. I suppose if you removed the shroud that goes over the top of the conveyor (sections snap on and off) I suppose you could do the wood. If its a question of durability I would think the belt could be worn out very fast from blocks of wood. If a person was careful and sat each piece down gently I think they would be ok. The older type chain and paddle might do a person ok
(moved post here from the other identical one ):monkey:
(moved post here from the other identical one ):monkey:
gink595
Addicted to ArboristSite
They move stone, gravel, etc. on belts - Why not wood? As long as the pitch isn't so steep it keeps sliding back, it ought to work.
gink595
Addicted to ArboristSite
:agree2: , Sileage isn't exactley light especially at the distances it hauls it, I would think the belt would do fine taken care of properly
cedarfarms
ArboristSite Member
unless there are sides on a belt conveyor you will have wood rolling off of it. someone could get hurt. the belt traveling over the trough rollers will give the wood some movement and start it rolling. i've worked in the mining industry almost 30 years. a semi round rock by itself on the belt will start rolling and tumbling.
i'm also a part time farmer.
might be something to think about.
i'm also a part time farmer.
might be something to think about.
gink595
Addicted to ArboristSite
here's the scoop, I talked to my friend todaya nd he gave me the specs, it's a Farm Ease 140' 4 position belt feeder, it does not have rollers it's a belt to steel. It's revesable and can be broke down into smaller units. He said he ran one 24'X80' silo of sileage through it and that was it, he paid 7200.00 new. But he wants it gone, so make him an offer!
clawmute
ArboristSite Operative
Being a designer of mechanical equipment & conveyor systems, I know that you can carry practically anything on a conveyor of some sort (conveying equip. includes bucket elevators, screw conveyors, feeders, etc). I have designed systems to carry coal, wood chips, logs, bark, -8" granite rip-rap, cotton seed, soybeans, Bauxite, Alumina, scrap metal, Saint Peter sandstone,chemical products and so forth. Belts are ok for almost anything. You can actually buy belting that has a herringbone ribbed surface to grip materials. Used is the way to go if you can locate it. Belts are more limited in the incline they will carry material up than is a chain conveyor with flights.
On a frosty morning I have seen smudge pots placed near to the feed point on a belt so that the belt would warm up and grip the wood being carried. This was required since the belt incline was pretty steep - 30degrees or so to horiz. Before the belt was heated up bulk wood chips (this was at a chip mill) would just sit there with the belt (a herringbone ribbed surface) with the belt running under them! A belt running in a formed trough or pan will not necessarily be guided by the sides of the pan. If the tail - or head - is out of parallel then the belt will run right up the side of the pan.
A chain conveyor with flights and running in a formed steel trough will convey practically any material up a very steep incline. I did one that carried up to 250tph of 8 ft. pulp wood into the infeed hopper of a debarking drum. I like chains for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is no training is required. A belt conveyor must be trained to run straight or it will be constantly running to one side or the other.
Used conveyor chain, gearboxes etc. are not that hard to find. Check out the stuff (new and used) at......... - I guess no link references are made here! - Forgot - be glad to give it in a pm if thats ok.
This is a 6ft. wide belt carrying scrimmed wood
This chain conveyor with cradles carries 9ft. lengths of pine logs.
These chains with welded on lugs or flights carry wood up a 30- degree incline. I designed all of the above items that are now in service at Meridian, Mississippi. I have done conveyors that are inclined up to 40 degrees carring both logs, chips/bark.
An inclined log deck with flighted chain carriers
Chain conveyors need only be sprocketed at the head (assuming that this is the drive end). The tail spool can even be stationary and not have to rotate (commonly called an Oregon wrap). This saves bearings and shafts.
An 'S' wrap drive can be made underneath the conveyor on the return chain run but requires additional shafts, bearings. Advantage of an 'S' wrap conveyor (can be done with belt also) is that it gets the drive away from the discharge end and closer to grade where it will be easier to maintain. An 'S' wrap conveyor can have a pipe spool head (rotating & w/shaft,bearings) a fixed or rotating pipe spool tail, a rotating pipe spool bend shaft, and of course the sprocket driven driveshaft.
With a little work you can even use heavy - say 3/8" bar - link chain and make your flights onto the vertical kinks. (1/4" bar links are ok but life is a factor in a relatively heavy duty/high wear situation) You can add teeth to a pipe and make your own sprockets. Be sure and use a grade of shafting that can be welded - alloy shafting does not take kindly to welds and will either break or the features welded on to it will break off. AISI 1018 is a good mild, weldable shafting. I have considered building a short conveyor like this myself.
Chain can be purchased in many configurations. Detachable chain is assembled by hand. Used chain in any size is available. You might even be able to locate some at a nearby sawmill or other forest industry facility - at least they would be able to refer you to a source.
You can build a conveyor to suit your needs without a lot of expertise. If you can weld and run some shop tools you're home free! You might even be able to find a used conveyor that you can adapt and/or repair-modify-refit and build on a transporting trailer. Conveyors are great labor saving devices, and my tired old back needs all the assistance it can get!
On a frosty morning I have seen smudge pots placed near to the feed point on a belt so that the belt would warm up and grip the wood being carried. This was required since the belt incline was pretty steep - 30degrees or so to horiz. Before the belt was heated up bulk wood chips (this was at a chip mill) would just sit there with the belt (a herringbone ribbed surface) with the belt running under them! A belt running in a formed trough or pan will not necessarily be guided by the sides of the pan. If the tail - or head - is out of parallel then the belt will run right up the side of the pan.
A chain conveyor with flights and running in a formed steel trough will convey practically any material up a very steep incline. I did one that carried up to 250tph of 8 ft. pulp wood into the infeed hopper of a debarking drum. I like chains for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is no training is required. A belt conveyor must be trained to run straight or it will be constantly running to one side or the other.
Used conveyor chain, gearboxes etc. are not that hard to find. Check out the stuff (new and used) at......... - I guess no link references are made here! - Forgot - be glad to give it in a pm if thats ok.
This is a 6ft. wide belt carrying scrimmed wood
This chain conveyor with cradles carries 9ft. lengths of pine logs.
These chains with welded on lugs or flights carry wood up a 30- degree incline. I designed all of the above items that are now in service at Meridian, Mississippi. I have done conveyors that are inclined up to 40 degrees carring both logs, chips/bark.
An inclined log deck with flighted chain carriers
Chain conveyors need only be sprocketed at the head (assuming that this is the drive end). The tail spool can even be stationary and not have to rotate (commonly called an Oregon wrap). This saves bearings and shafts.
An 'S' wrap drive can be made underneath the conveyor on the return chain run but requires additional shafts, bearings. Advantage of an 'S' wrap conveyor (can be done with belt also) is that it gets the drive away from the discharge end and closer to grade where it will be easier to maintain. An 'S' wrap conveyor can have a pipe spool head (rotating & w/shaft,bearings) a fixed or rotating pipe spool tail, a rotating pipe spool bend shaft, and of course the sprocket driven driveshaft.
With a little work you can even use heavy - say 3/8" bar - link chain and make your flights onto the vertical kinks. (1/4" bar links are ok but life is a factor in a relatively heavy duty/high wear situation) You can add teeth to a pipe and make your own sprockets. Be sure and use a grade of shafting that can be welded - alloy shafting does not take kindly to welds and will either break or the features welded on to it will break off. AISI 1018 is a good mild, weldable shafting. I have considered building a short conveyor like this myself.
Chain can be purchased in many configurations. Detachable chain is assembled by hand. Used chain in any size is available. You might even be able to locate some at a nearby sawmill or other forest industry facility - at least they would be able to refer you to a source.
You can build a conveyor to suit your needs without a lot of expertise. If you can weld and run some shop tools you're home free! You might even be able to find a used conveyor that you can adapt and/or repair-modify-refit and build on a transporting trailer. Conveyors are great labor saving devices, and my tired old back needs all the assistance it can get!
wood conveyor
QUOTE=abohac;1190902]Think I could buy a belt conveyor that could handle wood, soybeans, corn and potash?[/QUOTE]
Good lord, if you are really that intent on building a firewood conveyor:
Find a used or nearly new second hand small diameter telescoping hydraulic cylinder-three or more sections, make up a narrow frame box frame with a pusher plate to push firewood up the incline using the final ram section of the cylinder just like the ones used on the JD manure spreaders and be done with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:jawdrop: :censored: 
QUOTE=abohac;1190902]Think I could buy a belt conveyor that could handle wood, soybeans, corn and potash?[/QUOTE]
Good lord, if you are really that intent on building a firewood conveyor:
Find a used or nearly new second hand small diameter telescoping hydraulic cylinder-three or more sections, make up a narrow frame box frame with a pusher plate to push firewood up the incline using the final ram section of the cylinder just like the ones used on the JD manure spreaders and be done with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:jawdrop: :censored:
gink595
Addicted to ArboristSite
Good lord, if you are really that intent on building a firewood conveyor:
Find a used or nearly new second hand small diameter telescoping hydraulic cylinder-three or more sections, make up a narrow frame box frame with a pusher plate to push firewood up the incline using the final ram section of the cylinder just like the ones used on the JD manure spreaders and be done with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:jawdrop: :censored: [/QUOTE]What about the beans, corn and potash?
Suz
ArboristSite Guru
I'm not a farmer now, but grew up on a farm if that counts.
Anyway, we used to have a Mayrath elevator that would handle grains, and bales of hay.
Here is a website that you can check out to see what I'm talking about. (I didn't think they cost that much when Dad bought ours though!!)
http://leadersfarmequipment.com/id328.html
Jim
treemandan
Tree Freak
Everybody else keep out? That's kinda rude huh? Now go ahead and define " farmer" would ya?
Even though I am not one being denied the pleasure because, of course, The Dan is a farmer and I need a conveyor real bad. It seems an easy build to diy.
Farmers? Who ain't a farmer?
Even though I am not one being denied the pleasure because, of course, The Dan is a farmer and I need a conveyor real bad. It seems an easy build to diy.
Farmers? Who ain't a farmer?
conveyor
What about the beans, corn and potash?[/QUOTE]
Assuming fully you will build the narrow trough like the JD Manure spreader with a heavy plastic wear edge scraper to push out along the bottom you will have no problems. just be sure to build a hopper big enough/larger in width and higher to stop the gravity flow of the potash and beans-meaning make the hopper wider than the width of the delivery door to form a cone to stop the gravity flow.
A little work with two velocity switches/controlling the hydraulic cylinder with a double acting sperry vickers remote pilot operated hydraulic control valve with an automatic return circuit and you will not have to touch it at all after it is started.
A little fabrication work and a visit to a sperry vickers hydraulics repair shop/parts dealer and you will have no problems.
Just deciding how you will power the cylinder-tractor PTO pump and reservior mounting the valve on the reservior as well very quickly with a small tank.
opcorn:
Good lord, if you are really that intent on building a firewood conveyor:
Find a used or nearly new second hand small diameter telescoping hydraulic cylinder-three or more sections, make up a narrow frame box frame with a pusher plate to push firewood up the incline using the final ram section of the cylinder just like the ones used on the JD manure spreaders and be done with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What about the beans, corn and potash?[/QUOTE]
Assuming fully you will build the narrow trough like the JD Manure spreader with a heavy plastic wear edge scraper to push out along the bottom you will have no problems. just be sure to build a hopper big enough/larger in width and higher to stop the gravity flow of the potash and beans-meaning make the hopper wider than the width of the delivery door to form a cone to stop the gravity flow.
A little work with two velocity switches/controlling the hydraulic cylinder with a double acting sperry vickers remote pilot operated hydraulic control valve with an automatic return circuit and you will not have to touch it at all after it is started.
A little fabrication work and a visit to a sperry vickers hydraulics repair shop/parts dealer and you will have no problems.
Just deciding how you will power the cylinder-tractor PTO pump and reservior mounting the valve on the reservior as well very quickly with a small tank.
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