Transportable conveyor apparatus, systems, and methods

A folding conveyor, comprising:

• a conveyor frame having a transport configuration and an operational configuration, said conveyor frame comprising a first frame section, a second frame section, and a third frame section, wherein at least one of said first, second and third frame sections comprises:
• an upper truss chord;
• a lower truss chord;
• a plurality of struts mounted to said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord and
• a troughing idler assembly supported on first and second outer perch supports, wherein each of the first and second outer perch supports are disposed adjacent to a plane defined by outboard ends of said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord
• a first pivot assembly pivotally coupling said first and second frame sections, the first pivot assembly defining a first pivot axis;
• a second pivot assembly pivotally coupling said second and third frame sections, the second pivot assembly defining a second pivot axis, wherein said second frame section pivots relative to said first frame section about said first pivot axis in a first rotational direction during reconfiguration from said transport configuration to said operational configuration, and wherein said third frame section pivots relative to said second frame section about said second pivot axis in a second rotational direction during reconfiguration from said transport configuration to said operational configuration, wherein said first rotational direction is opposite said second direction;
• a tail pulley operably supported on said conveyor frame;
• and
• a head pulley operably supported on said conveyor frame, wherein said tail pulley and said head pulley are configured to support an endless belt.

A method of folding a conveyor frame from a transport configuration to an operational configuration, comprising:

• accessing a first frame section, a second frame section and a third frame section of the conveyor frame, each of the first, second and third frame sections comprising:
• an upper truss chord;
• a lower truss chord;
• a plurality of struts mounted to said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord and
• a troughing idler assembly supported on first and second outer perch supports, wherein each of the first and second outer perch supports is disposed vertically between said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord;
• pivoting the third frame section relative to the second frame section in a first direction;
• rigidly coupling said third frame section to said second frame section;
• pivoting said second frame section relative to the first frame section in a second direction opposite to said first direction;
• and
• rigidly coupling said second frame section to said first frame section.

A method of transitioning a conveyor frame from an operational configuration to a transport configuration, comprising:

• accessing a first frame section, a second frame section and a third frame section of the conveyor frame, each of the first, second and third frame sections comprising:
• an upper truss chord;
• a lower truss chord;
• a plurality of struts mounted to said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord and
• a troughing idler assembly supported on first and second outer perch supports, wherein each of the first and second outer perch supports is disposed vertically between said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord;
• disengaging a coupling between the third frame section and the second frame section;
• pivoting the third frame section relative to the second frame section in a first rotational direction;
• disengaging a coupling between the first frame section and the second frame section;
• and
• pivoting the second frame section relative to the first frame section in a second rotational direction opposite to said first rotational direction.

A folding conveyor frame assembly having a transport configuration and an operational configuration, comprising:

• a first frame;
• a second frame;
• a third frame;
• wherein said first, second and third frames each comprise:
• an upper truss chord;
• a lower truss chord;
• a plurality of struts mounted to said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord;
• and
• a cross brace and outer perch supports supported by the cross brace, wherein the outer perch supports are disposed vertically between said upper truss chord and said lower truss chord;
• a first pivot assembly pivotally coupling said first frame to said second frame, the first pivot assembly having a first pivot;
• and
• a second pivot assembly pivotally coupling said second frame to said third frame, the second pivot assembly having second pivot, wherein said second frame pivots relative to said first frame about said first pivot in a first pivotal direction for reconfiguration of the conveyor frame assembly from the transport configuration to the operational configuration, and wherein said third frame pivots relative to said second frame about said second pivot in a second pivotal direction for reconfiguration of the conveyor frame assembly from the transport configuration to the operational configuration, wherein said first pivotal direction is opposite said second pivotal direction.