Claims
- 1. A flexible support for supporting a conveyor belt of a conveyor having a frame, comprising at least one individual, flexible and substantially inextensible element extending beneath a portion of the width of the conveyor belt, the at least one individual flexible element being flexible between the ends thereof such that the element is deformable under its own weight into a curve, first means for attaching the at least one individual flexible element at each of its ends to the frame of the conveyor with the length of the at least one individual flexible element being greater than the linear distance between the attached ends of the at least one individual flexible element, the at least one individual flexible element delimiting support areas for supporting a portion of the width of the conveyor belt extending at least on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor, the at least opposite side support areas of the at least one individual flexible element being responsive to the travel of the conveyor belt for being drawn in the travel direction independently of one another, and the at least one individual flexible element being flexible at least in a region extending from an attached end to at least the immediate area of the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor.
- 2. A flexible support according to claim 1, wherein two parallel flexible elements extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor are provided, said two flexible elements being spaced longitudinally relative to one another and each flexible element having one part attached by said first attaching means to the frame of the conveyor in a region outside the area of the conveyor belt and another part attached by said first attaching means to the frame of the conveyor in a region proximate to the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor.
- 3. A flexible support according to claim 2, wherein each of the flexible elements extend beyond the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor and said first attaching means attaches the another part of each flexible element on opposite sides of the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor.
- 4. A flexible support according to claim 2, wherein said first attaching means permits each flexible element to rotate freely with respect thereto.
- 5. A flexible support according to claim 2, wherein said first attaching means non-rotatably attaches each flexible element to the frame of the conveyor, each flexible element being provided with roller members mounted thereon for free rotation with respect thereto, the conveyor belt resting on the roller members.
- 6. A flexible support according to claim 2, wherein each flexible element forms a curve with said flexible elements being arranged and operatively associated to form a supporting assembly that extends beneath and across the width of the conveyor belt and which shapes the belt into a deep trough curved configuration.
- 7. A flexible support according to claim 1, wherein said first attaching means permits the at least one flexible element to rotate freely with respect thereto.
- 8. A flexible support according to claim 7, wherein said at least one flexible element is provided with cylindrical members rigidly mounted thereon and having substantially the same outside diameter.
- 9. A flexible support according to claim 1, wherein said first attaching means non-rotatably attaches the at least one flexible element to the frame of the conveyor, the at least one flexible element being provided with roller members mounted thereon for free rotation with respect thereto, the conveyor belt resting on the roller members.
- 10. A flexible support according to claim 1, wherein said at least one flexible element is arranged to form a curve that extends across a portion of the width of the conveyor belt and that shapes that portion of the belt into the form of a curved, deep trough.
- 11. A flexible support for supporting a conveyor belt of a conveyor having a frame, comprising at least one individual, flexible and substantially inextensible element extending beneath a portion of the width of the conveyor belt, the at least one individual flexible element being flexible between the ends thereof such that the element is deformable under its own weight into a curve, first means for attaching the at least one flexible element at each of its ends to the frame of the conveyor with the length of the at least one flexible element being greater than the linear distance between the attached ends of the at least one flexible element, the at least one flexible element delimiting support areas for supporting a portion of the width of the conveyor belt extending at least on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor, the at least opposite side support areas of the at least one flexible element being responsive to the travel of the conveyor belt for being drawn in the travel direction independently of one another, the at least one individual flexible element extending over the entire width of the conveyor, and second means for attaching a central part of the at least one flexible element to the frame of the conveyor.
- 12. A flexible support according to claim 11, whereina single flexible element is provided, the single flexible element being a substantially inextensible member.
- 13. A flexible support according to claim 11, wherein the at least one flexible element is formed of two identical portions extending on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor, one part of each portion in the region of the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor being attached by said second attaching means to the frame of the conveyor in the regionof the longitudinal median plane and another part of each portion being attached by said first attaching means to the frame of the conveyor in a region outside of the area of the conveyor belt.
- 14. A flexible support according to claim 11, wherein said first and second attaching means permit the at least one flexible element to rotate freely with respect thereto.
- 15. A flexible support according to claim 11, wherein said first and second attaching means non-rotatably attaches the at least one flexible element to the frame of the conveyor, the at least one flexible element being provided with roller members mounted thereon for free rotation with respect thereto, the conveyor belt resting on the roller members.
- 16. A flexible support for supporting a conveyor belt of a conveyor having a frame, comprising at least two individual, flexible and substantially inextensible elements extending beneath a portion of the width of the conveyor belt, each of the individual flexible elements being flexible between the ends thereof such that each element is deformable under its own weight into a curve, first means for attaching the at least two flexible elements at each of their respective ends to the frame of the conveyor with the length of each of the flexible elements being greater than the linear distance between the respective attached ends ofthe respective flexible elements, the at least two flexible elements delimiting support areas for supporting a portion of the width of the conveyor belt extending at least on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor, the at least opposite side support areas of the at least two flexible elements being responsive to the travel of the conveyor belt for being drawn in the travel direction independently of one another, and wherein at least two parallel flexible elements extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal median plane of the conveyor, said at least two parallel flexible elements being spaced longitudinally relative to one another, each flexible element forming a curve with said at least two individual flexible elements being arranged and operatively associated to form a supporting assembly that extends beneath and across the width of the conveyor belt and which shapes the belt into a deep trough curved configuration.
- 17. A flexible support according to claim 16, wherein said first attaching means permits each flexible element to rotate freely with respect thereto.
- 18. A flexible support according to claim 17, wherein each flexible element is provided with cylindrical members rigidly secured thereto, said cylindrical members being of substantially the same outside diameter.
- 19. A flexible support according to claim 16, wherein said first attaching means non-rotatably attaches each flexible element to the frame of the conveyor, each flexible element being provided with roller members mounted thereon for free rotation with respect thereto, the conveyor belt resting on the roller members, the roller members having substantially the same outside diameter.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
74 14129 |
Apr 1974 |
FRX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 570,991, filed Apr. 22, 1975, now abandoned, the subject matter of which is incorporated by reference herein.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
Number |
Date |
Country |
522258 |
Sep 1953 |
BEX |
2319023 |
Oct 1974 |
DEX |
512719 |
Feb 1955 |
ITX |
134186 |
Dec 1960 |
SUX |
150049 |
Oct 1961 |
SUX |
438590 |
Jan 1975 |
SUX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
570991 |
Apr 1975 |
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