Roller transport conveyor and method

A transport conveyor comprising:

• a frame;
• a motor, said motor supported at said frame;
• a plurality of rollers, said rollers rotatably supported at said frame;
• an endless drive belt driven by said motor, said drive belt adapted to drive said rollers;
• and
• a carriage assembly supported at said frame, said carriage assembly comprising a support member, a contact member, a spring, and a retraction device;
• wherein said contact member is supported at said support member and adapted to engage said drive belt, wherein said spring is disposed between said support member and said contact member and is adapted to bias said contact member upwardly to bias said drive belt upwardly into contact with said rollers, and wherein said retraction device is supported at said support member and adapted to selectively retain said contact member to lower said drive belt out of contact with said rollers, wherein said retraction device comprises an adjustable base at a bottom portion of said spring, said adjustable base being moveable between a retracted position and an extended position relative to said support member, and wherein said retraction device further comprises an outer element having a passageway through which said adjustable base is received, said adjustable base being rotatable relative to said outer element, a spiral channel at one of said outer element and said adjustable base, and an axial protrusion at the other of said outer element and said adjustable base, wherein said axial protrusion is operatively received in said spiral channel so that rotation of said adjustable base relative to said outer element causes said adjustable base to telescopically extend from said outer element.

A method of performing service on a transport conveyor having a frame, a motor supported at said frame, a plurality of rollers rotatably supported at said frame, an endless drive belt driven by said motor, said drive belt selectively driving said rollers, and a carriage assembly supported at said frame, said carriage assembly comprising a support member, a contact member and a spring, wherein said contact member is supported at said support member and wherein said spring is disposed between said support member and said contact member;

• and wherein said contact member engages said drive belt and said spring biases said contact member upwardly with said spring to bias said drive belt upwardly into contact with said rollers, said method comprising:
• providing a retraction device supported at said support member, wherein said retraction device comprises a movable clasp;
• and
• engaging said contact member with said clasp to selectively retain said contact member to lower said drive belt out of contact with said rollers to perform service on the transport conveyor.

A method of performing service on a transport conveyor having a frame, a motor supported at said frame, a plurality of rollers rotatably supported at said frame, an endless drive belt driven by said motor, said drive belt selectively driving said rollers, and a carriage assembly supported at said frame, said carriage assembly comprising a support member, a contact member, and a spring, wherein said contact member is supported at said support member and wherein said spring is disposed between said support member and said contact member;

• and wherein said contact member engages said drive belt and said spring biases said contact member upwardly with said spring to bias said drive belt upwardly into contact with said rollers, said method comprising:
• providing a retraction device supported at said support member, wherein said retraction device comprises an outer element having a passageway through which an adjustable base is received, a spiral channel at one of said outer element and said adjustable base, and an axial protrusion at the other of said outer element and said adjustable base, wherein said axial protrusion is operatively received in said spiral channel and wherein said adjustable base being rotatable relative to said outer element;
• and
• rotating said adjustable base relative to said outer element to cause said adjustable base to telescopically move said adjustable base with respect to said outer element to lower said drive belt to a retracted position out of contact with said rollers to perform service on the transport conveyor.