GB873688A - Improvements in belt conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

873,688. Endless conveyer driving apparatus. McCULLAGH, M. B. Sept. 22, 1959 [Sept. 23, 1958; June 10, 1959], No. 32205/59. Class 78 (1). A conveyer belt 6 of flexible or articulated construction has formed on or secured to its underside at its edges 7, 8, a continuous series of rack teeth 9 adapted to engage driving devices disposed at spaced positions along the length of the conveying run of the belt. In one embodiment, Figs. 2 and 3, each driving device consists of motors 10, 11 driving separately through gear boxes 14, 15 sprocket wheels 13 each of which in turn drives a driving chain 19 passed around wheel 13 and an idle sprocket wheel. The chains 19 have teeth 20 which engage between the rack teeth 9 to drive the belt. Rollers 21, 22 maintain the racks in engagement with the chains 19. Sets of idler rollers are disposed between the driving devices. In a second embodiment, Fig. 5, each driving device consists of a single motor 23 driving through gearing 24 and coupling 25 a set of three shafts, viz. a central horizontal shaft 29 and two inclined shafts 30, coupled together by ball universal joints 34. A pair of rollers 31 are freely mounted on the central shaft, while inclined rollers 32, 33 are secured to the inclined shafts. Toothed wheels 26, 27 are secured to rollers 32, 33 and engage the toothed racks on the belt 28 which rests on the rollers 31-33.