Belt conveyor

In a belt conveyor having a housing, first and second elongated rollers supported on said housing for rotation about substantially parallel horizontal axes, an endless flat belt supported on and extending between said rollers, said belt being of substantial width and having an outer surface adapted to support articles thereon as they are being moved by said conveyor, and a drive device interconnected to one of said rollers for moving said belt, comprising the improvement wherein:

• said second roller is displaced horizontally from and vertically above said first roller;
• said belt having an upper belt reach which extends between said first and second rollers, said upper belt reach including an elongated and substantially straight belt portion which extends outwardly from said second roller in a direction which is generally toward said first roller, said belt portion as it extends away from said second roller being inclined downwardly at a substantial angle with respect to the horizontal;
• guide means mounted on said housing and disposed for guidably supporting the upper reach of said belt as it extends between said first and second rollers, said guide means engaging the under surface of said upper reach so that as it extends between said first and second rollers it is supported solely by the guidable engagement of the under surface thereof with said guide means, said upper belt reach as it extends between said first and second rollers having the upper surface thereof free of engagement with any guiding or supporting structure;
• said drive device causing simultaneous rotation of said first and second rollers in the same rotational direction for causing movement of the upper reach of said belt in a direction from said first roller toward said second roller so that articles supported on said upper reach are moved upwardly by said belt as they are moved toward said second roller;
• and
• said drive device including a common drive motor, a first power train drivingly connected between said motor and said first roller for causing rotation thereof, a second power train drivingly connected between said motor and said second roller for causing rotation thereof at a preselected peripheral speed, each of said first and second power trains being of the positive drive type, and said first power train drivingly rotating said first roller at a peripheral speed which is at least equal to said preselected peripheral speed, whereby the upper belt reach is substantially free of tension as it extends between said first and second rollers and is maintained in its desired configuration due to said upper belt reach being supported solely by said first and second rollers and said guide means engaging the undersurface of said upper reach.

In a belt conveyor having a housing, a first elongated roller supported on said housing adjacent the rear end thereof for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a second elongated roller supported on said housing adjacent the front end thereof for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said first and second rollers being disposed with their axes substantially parallel but horizontally spaced from one another, an endless flat belt supported on and extending between said rollers, said belt being of substantial width and having an upper reach extending between said first and second rollers which is adapted to support articles on the outer surface thereof, and a drive device interconnected to at least one of said rollers for moving said belt in a direction whereby the upper reach is moved from said first roller in a direction toward said second roller, comprising the improvement wherein;

• said housing includes substantially planar guide means disposed for slidably supporting the upper reach of said belt as it extends between said first and second rollers;
• said drive device being drivingly interconnected directly to both of said first and second rollers for causing said first roller to be rotated at a peripheral speed which is at least equal to the rotational peripheral speed of said second roller to thereby maintain the upper reach of said belt substantially free of tension as it extends between said first and second rollers, whereby the desired profile of said upper reach is maintained due to said upper reach being slidably supported by said guide means;
• said drive device including a common motor mounted on said housing and having a toothed driving member associated therewith, and first and second toothed driven members respectively connected to said first and second rollers;
• and
• said drive device further including a positive drive power train means drivingly connected between said driving member and each of said driven members for positively driving each of said driven members and the respective rollers, said positive drive power train means including a positive drive-type endless member.