Method for adjusting a belt strip on a conveyor

A method for adjusting a belt strip as it passes from a first conveyor to a rotating building drum, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) cutting a belt strip from a supply of belt material, said belt strip having leading and trailing ends;
• (b) conveying the belt strip on the first conveyor and at a first velocity towards the building drum, said building drum being spaced apart from the first conveyor by a transition;
• (c) determining a shape of at least one side of the belt strip as it passes over the transition;
• (d) comparing the determined shape of the at least one side with a shape of a stored reference belt strip;
• (e) shifting the belt strip relative to the building drum in a direction transverse to the direction of conveyance in response to the comparison;
• and
• (f) fixing that portion of the belt strip which has passed over the transition, onto the building drum, wherein
• steps (c)-(f) are carried out substantially concurrently as the belt strip passes over the transition.

A method for adjusting a belt strip as it passes from a first conveyor to one of a second conveyor and a building drum spaced apart from the first conveyor by a transition, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) cutting a belt strip from a supply of belt material, said belt strip having a substantially parallelogram shape comprising:
• a substantially triangular leading end having a leading hypotenuse and a leading short side;
• a substantially rectangular central part having a first long side which is an extension of said leading short side, and a second long side parallel to said first long side, one end of said central part being attached to said leading end;
• and
• a substantially triangular trailing end formed with a trailing hypotenuse and a trailing short side, said trailing short side being an extension of said second long side, said trailing end attached to a second end of said central part,
• said leading and trailing hypotenuses being formed at substantially the same angle relative to respective said leading and trailing short sides;
• (b) conveying the belt strip on the first conveyor and at a first velocity towards said one of a second conveyor and a building drum;
• (c) determining a center of a first portion of the belt strip as it passes over the transition;
• (d) comparing the determined center of said first portion with a reference center of a corresponding portion of a reference belt strip;
• (e) shifting the belt strip relative to, said one of a second conveyor and a building drum, in a direction transverse to the direction of conveyance in response to the comparison such that the determined center coincides with said reference center;
• (f) fixing said first portion of the belt strip onto said one of a second conveyor and a building drum, after said first portion has passed over the transition;
• and
• (g) repeating steps (c)-(f) for subsequent portions of the belt strip as they pass over the transition.