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US 7,243,782 B2Granted
Conveyor
AssigneeSchlagel, Inc.
InventorWilliam A. Schlagel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An enclosed belt conveyor having a high strength take-up section that maintains proper belt alignment with the use of just two take-up screws, while still allowing for the take up section housing to be made of lighter weight, less expensive materials. The take-up section of the present invention can be installed at a head section or tail section of an enclosed belt conveyor. The take-up section of the present invention generally includes two support arms slidably mounted in guides that maintain the support arms in a straight orientation and two take-up screws that adjust the support arms within the guides while maintaining proper alignment of the take-up section without the necessity of separate leveling screws.
Claims21
An enclosed belt conveyer assembly, comprising:
- a head section;
- a tail section operably connected to the head section;
- the head section or the tail section including an enclosure that telescopically engages an adjacent end of an enclosure section in telescopic relationship, substantially sealing the enclosure to the adjacent end of the enclosure section to substantially prevent the escape of conveyed materials from the enclosed belt conveyer assembly;
- a continuous belt operably interconnecting the head section to the tail section and being supported at the head section by a head pulley on a first axle and being supported at the tail by a tail pulley on a second axle,
- a tensioner connected to both the enclosure and to the enclosure section comprising an elongate exoskeletal sleeve and an elongate member in operable slidable interaction with the sleeve to maintain the enclosure in substantially parallel telescopic relationship and generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the conveyor assembly and an adjustable extender/retractor operably connected to the sleeve and the member to slidably move the sleeve and the member relative to one another whereby the belt is tensioned and the enclosure is translated;
- and
- in which the tensioner further comprises an actuator to which a tool is engageable to operate the tensioner by swinging the tool in an arc and in which the actuator is located such that the tool can be swung three hundred sixty degrees without interference with structure of the enclosed belt conveyer assembly.
4 more elements
An enclosed belt conveyer assembly, comprising:
- a head section;
- a tail section operably connected to the head section;
- the head section or the tail section including an enclosure that engages an adjacent end of an enclosure section in telescopic relationship, substantially sealing the first enclosure to the adjacent end of the enclosure section to substantially prevent the escape of conveyed materials from the enclosed belt conveyer assembly;
- a continuous belt operably interconnecting the head section to the tail section and being supported at the head section by a head pulley on a first axle and being supported at the tail section by a tail pulley on a second axle;
- a tensioner connected to both the enclosure and to the enclosure section comprising an elongate sleeve and an elongate member in operable slidable interaction with the sleeve generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the conveyor assembly and supporting the first axle or the second axle and means for extending and retracting the elongate member operably connected to the sleeve and the member whereby the belt is tensioned and the enclosure is translated;
- and
- in which the tensioner further comprises an actuator to which a tool is engageable to operate the tensioner by swinging the tool in an arc and in which the actuator is located such that the tool can be swung three hundred sixty degrees without interference with structure of the enclosed belt conveyer assembly.
4 more elements
A method of tensioning a belt in an enclosed belt conveyer assembly comprising a head section;
- a tail section operably connected to the head section;
- the head section or the tail section including an enclosure that engages an adjacent end of an enclosure section in telescopic relationship, substantially sealing the enclosure to the adjacent end of the enclosure section to substantially prevent the escape of conveyed materials from the enclosed belt conveyer assembly;
- a continuous belt operably interconnecting the head section to the tail section and being supported at the head section by a head pulley on a first axle and being supported at the tail section by a tail pulley on a second axle;
- the method comprising the steps of:
- operably connecting an elongate sleeve to one of the enclosure or to the enclosure section;
- operably connecting an elongate member in operable slidable interaction with the sleeve generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the conveyor assembly and connected to another of the enclosure or to the enclosure section;
- slidably extending or retracting the member relative to the sleeve whereby the belt is tensioned and the enclosure is translated;
- and
- in which the step of slidably extending or retracting the member further comprises the step of locating an actuator to which a tool is engageable to operate the tensioner by swinging the tool in an arc such that the tool can be swung three hundred sixty degrees without interference with structure of the enclosed belt conveyer assembly.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.