Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INYENTION
_
The principal objects of this invention are to provide
an improved conveyor belt system wherein the conveyor belt is
constrained to travel along a predetermined path without deviat-
ing therefrom and a conveyor belt system of improved capacity,
the invention residing in combining these two desirable features
without requiring any substnatial alteration of existing con-
veyor equipment. A conveyor supported on troughing rolls to in-
crease its capacity for transporting material is shown in United
States Patent 3,679,044 and the conveyor belt as illustrated is
provided with thickened edges to reinforce these edges. These
thickened edges, however, do not function to prevent lateral de-
viation of the belt as it travels along its path. Stein United
States Patent 3,424,296 shows a rope driven belt conveyor in
which the belt instead of being directly supported on idlers is
supported by driven ropes. For this purpose, the belt is pro-
vided with grooves for receiving the ropes. The primary purpose
of the structure shown therein is to distribute the load when
traveling over considerable distances. United States Design
Patent 24,679 shows a conveyor belt with flanges on the support-
ing side at its opposite longitudinal edges. United States Pat-
ent No. 4,051,223 shows a belt conveyor wherein the belt has at
its opposite longitudinal edges upwardly extending flanges which
cooperate with guide rolls su~ported at each side of the belt
to maintain the belt centered with respect to its path of travel.
Except for United States Patent 4,061,223, the patents referred
to do not combine in a conveyor belt both means for guiding the
belt and improving its carrying capacity. However, while this
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latter patent embodies both these advantages, extensive modification of the
conventional conveyor system are required. In contrast, the system as herein
illustrated can be used with conventional conveyor structure without
modification of the latter.
SUMMARY _ THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a belt conveyor disposed about a
pair of terminal rollers and idler rollers at the underside of the upper run
and the underside of the lower run, said belt comprising a flexible,
uniformly-flat, uniformly-thick laminar material and a single flange at each
of the opposite longitudinal edges of the conveyor belt extending upwardly
and downwardly from the plane of the belt perpendicular to the plane of the
belt, the inner surfaces of said flanges defining transversely-spaced guiding
surfaces for engagement with the ends of the terminal and idler rollers, said
terminal rollers and idler rollers corresponding in length to the distance
between said guiding surfaces, said flanges on the supporting side alternately
providing means for guiding the lower run of the conveyor belt and for
preventing spill from the upper run of the conveyor belt and said flanges on
the opposite side providing for guiding the upper run of the conveyor belt.
The flanges may be attached to the belt or be formed integral
therewith. The ends of the terminal rollers and idler rollers may be
notched to receive the flanged edges.
The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a conveyor assembly showing
terminal rollers at the ends and idler rollers intermediate the ends;
-
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FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 in
Figure 1 and as seen in the direction of the arrows;
FIGURE 3 is a section at one end of a conveyor
assembly provided with trough idlers;
FIGURE 4 is a transverse section of a belt with
flanges projecting upwardly from the support surface;
FIGURE 5 is a transverse section of a belt with
flanges of a different configuration at its opposite longitudinal
edges projecting upwardly from the support surface;
FIGURE 6 is a cross-section of a belt with flanges
such as shown in Figure 5 upwardly and downwardly from both
surfaces;
FIGURE 7 is a cross-section of a belt with flanges
such as shown in Figure 6 projecting upwardly and downwardly
from both surfaces;
FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary portion of a flange strip;
FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary portion of a belt showing
attachment of a preformed flange strip to one of its longitudinal
edges;
FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of a roller
notched at its ends to receive a belt provided with flanges such
as shown in Figures 4 and 6; and
FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of a roller
notched at its end to receive a belt provided with flanges such
as shown in Figures 5, 7 and 9.
Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, there is
shown a conveyor assembly 10 comprising terminal rollers 12 and
14 about which a belt 16 is entrained so that it has an upper
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run 18 and a lower run 20 and idler rolls 22 at the underside of
the upper run 18 supporting the same and idler rolls 24 at the
underside of the lower run 20 supporting the same. The length of
the conveyor belt and spacing of the terminal rollers and the num-
ber of idler rollers will depend upon the use for which the con-
veyor assembly is designed.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the terminal rollers
and idler rollers support the belt in a transversely horizontal
position and in accordance with this invention, there are provided
at the opposite longitudinal edges of the belt upstanding flanges
which function on the one hand to increase the capacity of the
belt for holding m-aterial being conveyed on the portion of the
belt comprising the upper run and on the other hand as means for
guiding the portion of the belt comprising the lower run by engage-
ment with the opposite ends of the terminal rollers and the idler
rollers. The flanges 26-26 may comprise portions 26a and 26b pro-
jecting from the opposite faces of the belt as shown in Figure 2.
The flanges 26a when traveling along the upper run constitute
means for increasing the capacity of the belt for carrying mater-
ial and when traveling along the lower run, guide means engagedwith the ends of the rolls. The flanges 26b comprise guides when
traveling along the upper run and about the terminal rollers.
The flanges 26-26, Figures 1, 2 and 6 are shown as being
formed integral with the longitudinal edges of the belt and ex-
tending from both surfaces. However, the belt may be provided
with flanges 26a extending from only one surface as shown in
Figure 4, preferably the surface which will provide for increas-
ing the capacity of the belt as a conveyor while traveling
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along the upper run as well as providing guiding means.
In lieu of integrally formed flanges, strips of
welting 26c of substantially truncated cross-section may be
fastened to one or both sides of the belt as shown in Figures 5
and 7. Optionally, a channeled welting strip 26d may be formed,
for example, as an extrusion with a channel 28 for receiving the
edge of the belt and for attachment thereto, for example, by
means of adhesive as shown in Figure 9.
While as illustrated above, the terminal rollers and
idler rolls are of uniform cross-section from end to end, it may
be desirable to provide notches or recess 30 at the ends of the
rollers to receive the flanges as shown, for example, in Figures
10 and ll. The invention is also applicable to a conveyor system
wherein the belt is supported centrally on terminal rolls and
idler rolls and at its opposite sides by trough idlers inclined
to the horizontal as shown in Figure 3. As illustrated therein,
the upper run 18a of the belt rests on horizontally-disposed
rollers 22a and the opposite sides of the belt rest on inclined
rollers 22b. The lower run 20a rests on long horizontal rollers
24a. As in the previously described structure, the belt is pro-
vided with end flanges 26-26 which project from the opposite
faces on the carrying side to increase the capacity of the belt
and on the return side to provide guidance for the belt.
The belt is comprised of any suitable laminate and
the flanges may be affixed to the longitudinal edges by hot or
cold cure or by mechanical fasteners.
The flanges such as disclosed in Figures 4 and 5 de-
sirably are 1/2 inch in thickness and l/2 to l-l/2 inches in
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height. The flanges shown in Figures 5 and 7 are 1-1/2 to 1-1/4
inches wide at the base and 1/32 to 3/4 of an inch in height.
To be effective, the minimum roller diameter for the terminal
rollers for either type must be approximately 3 inches.
The advantage of this construction is that it is
suitable for use on existing conveyor systems where a clearance
space between the bearings, shafts and frames is available and
so without redesign or modification of existing equipment.
It should be understood that the present disclosure
is for the purpose of iilustration only and includes all modi-
fications or improvements which fall within the scope of the
appended claims.
