Conveyors particularly for cutting machines

A belt conveyor, particularly for feeding particulate material in a cutting machine, comprising a conveyor belt, a drive roller and an idler roller, said conveyor belt being formed of pivotally linked transverse slats and arranged around and between the drive roller and the idler roller to provide an upper and a lower run of the belt;

• further comprising a support plate positioned immediately below and extending over substantially the whole area of the upper run of the belt, said plate having a series of apertures therein through which particulate material falling through the conveyor bent may fall or be swept, which apertures are in the form of transverse slots which each extend over a portion of the width of the conveyor from a point inside a side edge of the plate, and means below the plate to collect such particulate material and remove it from the interior of the conveyor.