Support station, belt conveyor and method of manufacturing such a support station

A support station of a belt conveyor, the support station comprising:

• a frame;
• at least two support rollers adapted to support a conveyor belt running longitudinally from an upstream side of the support rollers to a downstream side of the support rollers, the at least two support rollers being rotatably mounted on the frame about respective axes of rotation substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and being transversely separated by at least one gap, nip angles being formed between the at least two support rollers and the conveyor belt when the conveyor belt rests on the at least two support rollers;
• and
• a nip angle protector, comprising for each support roller a roller guard placed longitudinally opposite said support roller on an upstream side of said support roller, and, for the or each gap, a gap protector placed longitudinally opposite said gap on an upstream side of said gap,
• wherein the roller guards and the or each gap protector are integral with each other in a single part;
• wherein said single part comprises a continuous upper edge, intended to be placed immediately under the conveyor belt and extending transversely along each support roller and the or each nip,
• wherein said single part comprises, for each roller guard, a lower portion integral with the continuous upper edge and extending the continuous upper edge downwardly, the or each gap guard comprising only the continuous upper edge;
• and
• wherein the lower portions of two adjacent roller guards are separated by a space.