Upper conveyor deck having at least one diverted belt section and a scrap deflector at the diverted belt section and conveyor including the upper conveyor deck

A layboy configured to transport sheets of a material in a longitudinal direction from an upstream end to a downstream end, the layboy comprising:

• an upper belt section comprising a plurality of transversely spaced upper belts extending in the longitudinal direction from the upstream end to the downstream end, each of the upper belts having a lower run defining an upper boundary of a transport path through the layboy;
• and
• at least one lower sheet support defining a lower boundary of the transport path;
• wherein the lower run of at least one of the upper belts includes a first portion extending from the upstream end to a first diversion guide, a second portion extending from the downstream end to a second diversion guide, a diverted portion between the first diversion guide and the second diversion guide at which the at least one of the upper belts extends from the first diversion guide to and around a third diversion guide offset from the transport path and from the third diversion guide to the second diversion guide such that the diverted portion of the belt is spaced from the transport path, and
• wherein a deflecting means is mounted at the first diversion guide and projects upstream of the first diversion guide, for preventing scraps of the material from entering between the first belt and the first diversion guide.

An upper conveyor deck comprising:

• a plurality of belts each supported by an upstream end pulley and a downstream end pulley and configured to be driven along a closed path having an interior such that a lower run of each of the belts travels in a downstream direction from the upstream end pulley to the downstream end pulley and an upper run of the each of the belt travels in an upstream direction from the downstream end pulley to the upstream end pulley,
• a first diversion pulley in the interior of at least one of the plurality of belts in contact with the lower run of the at least one of the plurality of belts,
• a diversion guide outside the interior of the at least one of the plurality of belts in contact with the at least one of the plurality of belts downstream from the first diversion pulley, and
• a housing at least partially enclosing the first diversion pulley, the housing having an opening facing in the downstream direction, an interior in communication with the opening, a closed upstream end opposite the opening, and a bottom wall extending upstream of the first diversion pulley and facing the at least one of the plurality of belts.