Entry conveyor and pan section for the same

1. An entry conveyor, comprising:

a conveyor pan formed by a plurality of hingeably connected pan sections, the conveyor pan having a first end and a second end;

at least one of a first conveyor pan drive station or a first return station for a scraper chain provided at the first end of the conveyor pan;

at least one of a second conveyor pan drive station or a second return station for the scraper chain provided at the second end of the conveyor pan, wherein

each pan section includes a top strand delimited by lateral profiles and a conveyor base, a bottom strand for the scraper chain, and a plurality of receiving elements for pan section connecting elements disposed outside of the lateral profiles; and

a pan strand comprising a plurality of pan sections that are disposed behind each other is provided in the conveyor pan, the plurality of pan sections being hingeably coupled via a swivel bearing disposed on a center longitudinal axis of at least one of the conveyor pan or the pan sections.

2. The entry conveyor of claim 1 , further comprising a special pan section provided in the conveyor pan at a distance from the pan strand, the special pan section being hingeably coupled to an adjacent pan section via a swivel bearing disposed on the center longitudinal axis of at least one of the conveyor pan or the pan sections.

3. The entry conveyor of claim 1 , wherein

the pan strand is a first an strand; and

a second pan strand including a plurality of pan sections disposed behind each other is provided at a distance from the first pan strand, the pan sections being hingeably coupled via at least one swivel bearing disposed on the center longitudinal axis of at least one of the conveyor pan or the pan sections.

4. The entry conveyor of claim 3 , wherein

at least one of the special pan, the drive station or the return station regular pan sections are provided between the first pan strand and the second pan strand and are hingeably connected to each other to guarantee tensile strength via pan section connecting elements disposed outside of the lateral profiles.

5. The entry conveyor of claim 1 , wherein

the swivel bearing is located between abutting end faces of adjoining pan sections; and

the swivel bearing is adapted for transmitting substantially all pressure forces.

6. A pan section for entry conveyors, comprising:

a top strand delimited by lateral profiles and a conveyor base;

a bottom strand configured beneath the top strand; and

a plurality of receiving elements for pan section connecting elements located outside of the lateral profiles,

wherein a swivel bearing is configured at a center between the pan section connecting elements or at a center between the lateral profiles, the swivel bearing being adapted for hingeable coupling of adjoining pan sections.

7. The pan section of claim 6 , wherein

the swivel bearing is formed by a projection on a conveyor base end and a recess on an opposing conveyor base end.

8. The pan section of claim 6 , wherein

the top strand includes an exchangeable trough;

the exchangeable trough is adapted for detachable insertion in the pan section and is supported by an intermediate base; and

the intermediate base includes a projection on a first base end and a recess on a second base end to form a swivel bearing.

9. The pan section of claim 6 , further comprising an intermediate base, wherein

the swivel bearing is located on the intermediate base; and

the swivel bearing includes a projection and a recess.

10. The pan section of claim 9 , wherein

the intermediate base includes one of a center cross-member or a thick center region;

the recess is provided on the center cross-member or the thick center region; and

the projection is formed on the center cross-member or the thick center region.

11. The pan section of claim 7 , wherein

the intermediate base is provided on an intermediate base edge with an overlapping tongue for engaging in an overlapping taper on an opposing intermediate base edge.

12. The pan section of claim 6 , wherein

the pan section is configured as a ramp element for establishing a loading ramp, the ramp element including a ramp element base and a ramp element cover plate; and

a plurality of swivel bearing elements forming the swivel bearing are provided in at least one of the ramp element base or in the ramp element cover plate.

13. The pan section according to claim 12 , wherein

the swivel bearing is formed by semi-circular flanges located on at least one of the ramp element base or the ramp element cover plate, the flanges alternately engaging to provide vertical support to the ramp element.

14. The pan section of claim 6 , wherein

the swivel bearing includes at least one semi-circular projection located on a first base end, and at least one semi-circular recess located on a second base end.

15. The pan section of claim 14 , wherein

at least one of an edge of the base on both sides of the recess or an edge of the base on both sides of the projection extend obliquely to one of the lateral profiles or side elements.

16. The pan section of claim 6 , wherein

walls are mounted on both sides of the lateral profiles; and

the walls project beyond the top strand.

17. The pan section of claim 6 , wherein

the pan section connecting elements are formed by toggle pins; and

the receiving elements are formed by receiving pockets.

18. An entry conveyor, comprising:

a conveyor pan formed by a plurality of hingeably connected pan sections, the conveyor pan having a first end and a second end;

at least one of a first conveyor pan drive station or a first return station for a scraper chain provided at the first end of the conveyor pan;

at least one of a second conveyor pan drive station or a second return station for the scraper chain provided at the second end of the conveyor pan, wherein

each pan section includes a top strand delimited by lateral profiles and a conveyor base, a bottom strand configured beneath the top strand for the scraper chain, a plurality of receiving elements for pan section connecting elements disposed outside of the lateral profiles, and a swivel bearing configured at a center between the pan section connecting elements or at a center between the lateral profiles, the swivel bearing being adapted for hingeable coupling of adjoining pan sections; and

in the conveyor pan a pan strand comprising a plurality of pan sections that are disposed behind each other is provided, the plurality of pan sections being hingeably coupled via a swivel bearing disposed on a center longitudinal axis of at least one of the conveyor pan or the pan sections.

19. The entry conveyor according to claim 18 , wherein

at least one of the first conveyor pan drive station, first return station, second conveyor pan drive station, or second return station is adapted to be tensioned using tensioning cylinders.

20. The entry conveyor according to claim 19 , wherein

the tensioning cylinders are associated with pressure sensors; and

the signals of the pressure sensors are fed to a control unit for the tensioning cylinders.