Conveyors

A conveyor apparatus comprising a conveyor frame comprising a pair of spaced side members each having a plurality of mounting means to mount a plurality of rollers in spaced relation between the side members, the conveyor apparatus further comprising a plurality of rollers mounted between the side members, each roller being provided with a bearing means having a socket, the rollers being mounted in spaced relation between the pair of side members on spindle means which are carried by the mounting means and which are provided with a portion which extends within the socket and to permit each roller to rotate about a roller axis, and

• (a) a first plurality of rollers each having a bearing means providing a socket at each end, a pair of stub spindles for each roller of said first plurality, each stub spindle having an end portion which is adapted to extend within an associated socket to inter-engage therewith and a support portion adapted to inter-engage with a mounting means of an associated frame member to inter-engage therewith to prevent relative rotation therebetween, at least one of the stub spindles comprising a retaining part and a flange with an intermediate portion between the retaining part and the flange, and said opening being configured such that with the stub spindle in a first orientation a retaining part of the support portion can be inserted into the opening by moving the stub spindle along the longitudinal axis of the end portion, and when the orientation of the stub spindle is changed to a second orientation, the retaining part of the support portion is prevented from being withdrawn from the opening by an opposite movement of the stub spindle and the flange is configured such that the flange cannot pass into the opening in the respective side member with the stub spindle in either of the first and second orientations, and the intermediate portion and the opening co-operate to prevent translational movement between the stub spindle and the side member and to prevent, in use, relative rotation between the stub spindle and the side member;
• (b) a second plurality of rollers each having a bearing means providing a socket, an elongate spindle element for each roller of said second plurality, each spindle element having a portion which is adpated to extend within an associated socket to inter-engage therewith and, at opposite ends, support portions adapted to inter-engage with the same mounting means as are inter-engageable with said support portions of the stub spindles, to inter-engage with said mounting means to prevent relative rotation therebetween, in use.

A method of making a conveyor apparatus comprising a conveyor having a conveyor frame comprising a pair of spaced side members each having a plurality of mounting means to mount a plurality of rollers in spaced relation between the side members, the conveyor further comprising a plurality of rollers mounted between the side members, each roller being provided with a bearing means having a socket, the rollers being mounted in spaced relation between the pair of side members on spindle means which are carried by the mounting means and which are provided with a portion which extends within the socket to permit each roller to rotate about a roller axis, wherein the spindle means of at least one of the rollers comprises a pair of stub spindles each having a generally elongate end portion which in use, extends within a socket provided at one end of said at least one roller, and a support portion which inter-engages with an opening of a respective side frame member of the conveyor frame which provides a mounting means for said at least one roller, the support portion of at least one of the stub spindles comprising a retaining part and a flange with an intermediate portion between the retaining part and the flange, and said opening being configured such that with the stub spindle in a first orientation the retaining part of the support portion can be inserted into the opening by moving the stub spindle along the longitudinal axis of the end portion, and when the orientation of the stub spindle is changed to a second orientation, the retaining part of the support portion is prevented from being withdrawn from the opening by an opposite movement of the stub spindle and the flange is configured such that the flange cannot pass into the opening in the respective side member with the stub spindle in either of the first and second orientations, and the intermediate portion and the opening co-operate to prevent translational movement between the stub spindle and the side member and to prevent, in use, relative rotation between the stub spindle and the side member comprising the steps of:

• taking the conveyor frame and the pair of stub spindles;
• inserting the retaining part of the support portion of the at least one stub spindle into the corresponding opening of the side frame member, by moving the stub spindle along the longitudinal axis of the end portion thereof with the stub spindle in said first orientation;
• and
• changing the orientation of the stub spindle to said second orientation.