GB1413983A - Air cushion conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

1413983 Endless belt conveyers UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY 15 Jan 1973 [8 Feb 1972 14 March 1972] 5805/72 and 11755/72 Heading B8A Load carriers 53 for articles (not shown), are supported on an endless conveyer belt 52 by the action of air in a pressure manifold (not shown) passing through apertures 1 controlled by valves 1a. The air traverses the belt through perforations or other pervious means to pass into an annular chamber 57 of the carrier 53. The chamber 57 is defined by inner and outer annular bellows 55, 56. A valve 58 communicates pressure developed in the central space of the bellows 56, to the bellows 55, thereby extending the latter and forming a seal with the belt surface. Pressure passing from the belt perforations through perforations 62 to the annular portion of the bellows 56 is used to operate a bellows 61 controlling the valve 58. In a simpler modification (Fig. 5, not shown), the carrier consists simply of a flexible envelope having an aperture in its lower surface for receiving air coming up through the belt. In a modification of the latter (Fig. 6, not shown), the envelope is connected via a valve (72) with a source of pressure, and contains a rigid annular member (71). The upper and lower runs of the belt may lie in contact directly on top of the surface 51 (Fig. 7, not shown). The envelope may be secured to the belt as in Fig. 5 of the parent Specification. An additional number of apertures 1 may be provided in the surface 51 connected to a separate source of pressure. This is to provide hovering of the load at areas of discharge from the belt (Fig. 2, not shown, and Figure of Provisional Specification 1,413,983, not shown).