External bearing systems

A conveyor system, comprising:

• a housing defining an interior chamber and an input;
• an external bearing system including:
• a base plate having a front surface and a back surface, the base plate defining an base elongated opening, the base plate forming or attached to a portion of the housing;
• a bearing apparatus configured to receive a shaft and move along the base elongated opening;
• and
• a plurality of moveable plates covering substantially all of the base elongated opening except for a portion configured to receive the shaft regardless of a position of the bearing apparatus relative to the base elongated opening, wherein the plurality of movable plates includes:
• a bearing apparatus plate defining a shaft opening configured to receive the shaft, the shaft opening exhibiting a size and shape that substantially corresponds to a size and shape of the shaft;
• and
• a plurality of covering plates that each define a covering elongated opening;
• the shaft partially disposed in the interior chamber;
• and
• a conveyor belt at least partially disposed in the interior chamber, the conveyor belt disposed on and extending around the shaft.

A method of using a conveyor system, the method comprising:

• providing the conveyor system, the conveyor system including:
• a housing defining an interior chamber and an input;
• an external bearing system including:
• a base plate having a front surface and a back surface, the base plate defining an base elongated opening, the base plate forming or attached to a portion of the housing;
• a bearing apparatus configured to move along the base elongated opening;
• a shaft rotatably attached to the bearing apparatus and extending through the base elongated opening, the shaft partially disposed in the interior chamber;
• and
• a plurality of moveable plates covering substantially all of the base elongated opening except for a portion configured to receive the shaft regardless of a position of the bearing apparatus relative to the base elongated opening, wherein the plurality of movable plates includes:
• a bearing apparatus plate defining a shaft opening configured to receive the shaft, the shaft opening exhibiting a size and shape that substantially corresponds to a size and shape of the shaft;
• and
• a plurality of covering plates that each define a covering elongated opening;
• and
• a conveyor belt at least partially disposed in the interior chamber, the conveyor belt disposed on and extending around the shaft;
• and
• rotating the conveyor belt, wherein rotating the conveyor belt includes rotating the shaft attached to the bearing apparatus.