Conveying device

A conveying device for conveying a rubber member extruded in a curved state from an extrusion device, the conveying device comprising:

• a support;
• and
• a plurality of rollers which are spirally arranged around the support to constitute a spiral conveying path and which are provided to rotate while supporting a lower surface of the rubber member, wherein
• the support extends vertically at a center of the spiral conveying path,
• an outer diameter of each of the rollers increases from one end to the other end in an axial direction, the one end being rotatably fixed to the support,
• the plurality of rollers includes drive rollers which are configured to rotate and drive,
• a cutting unit for cutting the rubber member is provided between two of the rollers,
• the plurality of rollers includes a free roller located upstream of the cutting unit in a conveying direction, and
• the free roller has an outer end and a base end that is pivotally supported at a fulcrum on the support such that the outer end is pivotable upward from its position in the spiral path to a vertically higher raised position, the conveying device being configured such that (a) the free roller can pivotally rise around the fulcrum to said raised position at a rising speed in accordance with a conveying speed upstream of the free roller in the conveying direction and such that (b) conveyance of the rubber member downstream of the free roller can be stopped concurrently during conveying of the rubber member upstream of the free roller while preventing the rubber member from accumulating downstream of the free roller due to stopping of the conveyance of the rubber member downstream of the free roller by allowing the free roller to pivotally rise around the fulcrum at the rising speed in accordance with the conveying speed upstream of the free roller.