WO2000046133A1

WO2000046133A1 - Modular side rail and frame assembly for roller conveyors

Info

Publication number: WO2000046133A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/003153
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edward F. Gibson
Original assignee: Gibson Edward F
Priority date: 1999-02-05
Filing date: 2000-02-07
Publication date: 2000-08-10
Also published as: AU2873700A

Abstract

Accordingly, a modular side rail and frame roller conveyor assembly (10) for mounting a series of rollers (22) there between is provided including a pair of transversely spaced apart elongate frame rails (12, 16) and a plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips (14) having a series of openings or slots (28) formed therein for receiving the ends of the roller support shafts (24). The plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips (14) are securably mounted to receiving sections (66) provided in the frame rails (12, 16) by a series of fasteners (54). The plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips (14) mounted on each of the pair of transversely spaced apart frame rails (12, 16) support the rollers (22) extending there between. When the hexagonal openings or slots (28) in the alignment strips (14) become worn, the alignment strips (14) are unbolted from elongate frame rails (12, 16) and are replaced by new alignment strips.

Description

Modular Side Rail and Frame Assembly for Roller Conveyors

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a roller conveyor frame assembly having modular rail alignment strips for supporting the ends of roller support shafts.

BACKGROUND ART

Plant managers and warehouse managers are consistently faced with the problems of deteriorating conveyor systems within their facilities and replacing these systems is a great expense to the companies. To date, there is no frame that provides the ability to remove only the section of the frame and/or side rail where the hexagonal openings of the roller conveyor have elongated. Currently, if a frame is worn and in need of replacement, a company must not only replace the frame but often times the entire system at great expense and lengthy downtime.

Conveyor roller systems comprise of several rollers mounted between two parallel rails. The rollers are mounted via a shaft which runs through the middle of each roller and extends outward for several inches on each end of the roller.

These shaft ends are inserted into cutouts on the rails which are usually hexagonal holes or hexagonal slots.

The most common conveyor system problems companies are faced with is worn sections of frame and/or hexagonal openings along the frame. Frames will wear over time and need replacing. The hexagonal openings become elongated due to the roller shaft impact on the sides of the hexagonal opening as a result of the vibration of the rollers as they rotate. Although worn frames and elongated hexagonal openings are unavoidable over time, the entire conveyor system does not wear at the same rate. The modular side rail and frame assembly is designed to utilize a frame assembly and conveyor frame hexagonal roller shaft alignment strip allowing for the replacement of only those sections which have worn. This eliminates the need to replace costly working parts such as the frame bed or drive assembly and others that are not worn.

Downtime (the time in which a conveyor system is not functional) during the replacement of an entire frame and/or system, is also a great expense to companies. Various side frames for roller conveyor systems are well known art, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 2,696,283, 3,890,755, 4,056,180 and 5, 131,531. These products do not address the ability to provide a frame assembly including support sections which can be removed or disassembled when the support sections wear at the hexagonal openings.

It would be advantageous to provide a modular side rail and frame assembly which includes a pair of transversely spaced apart elongate rails including a plurality of removable hexagonal roller shaft alignment strip supported on the frame. When the hexagonal roller shaft alignment strip wears at the openings, the conveyor frame hexagonal roller shaft alignment strip is merely unbolted from the frame, lifted out and replaced with a new alignment strip, instead of disassembling and replacing the entire conveyor system or frame and/or side rails. The downtime for this replacement is a fraction of the time necessary to disassemble and replace an entire conveyor frame and/ or system.

Another common problem in roller conveyor systems that do not offer the slotted hexagonal openings is the inability to quickly remove any foreign objects that may get between the rollers. Without the hexagonal slotted opening, foreign matter is pulled into the conveyor system whereas the slotted opening provides an easy pop-out removal of the roller and the foreign object. It would be advantageous to provide a roller conveyor frame assembly having a plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips mounted to a pair of spaced apart frame member which includes hexagonal slotted openings to allow for removal of foreign objects from the openings in the alignment strips. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The modular side rail and frame assembly allows for minimal downtime as a company is able to merely replace the conveyor frame hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips mounted in receiving sections provide on a pair of spaced apart frame rails, instead of disassembling and replacing the entire conveyor system or frame and/or side rails. This is possible due to the interlocking design of the plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips, which contain the hexagonal roller shaft openings, to the elongate frame rail members of the modular side rail and frame assembly. The conveyor frame hexagonal roller shaft alignment strip is merely unbolted, lifted out and replaced with a new alignment strip. The downtime for this replacement is a fraction of the time necessary to disassemble and replace an entire conveyor frame and/or system.

Accordingly, a modular side rail and frame roller conveyor assembly for mounting a series of rollers there between is provided including a pair of transversely spaced apart elongate frame rails and a plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips having a series of openings or slots formed therein for receiving the end of a series of roller support shafts. The plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips are securably mounted to receiving sections provided in the frame rails by a series of fasteners. The plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips mounted on each of the pair of transversely spaced apart frame rails support the hexagonal ends of the roller support shafts extending there between. When the hexagonal openings or slots in the alignment strips become worn, the alignment strips are unbolted from elongate frame rails and are replaced by new alignment strips.

Each of the pair of transversely spaced apart elongate frame rails includes a side rail, at least one pressure plate mounted to an inner surface of the side rail and web support plates providing structural support to the pressure plate. The side rail comprises a bottom plate, a support frame and a non-planar roller shaft guard. The lower surface of the bottom plate of the side rail is anchored to a support surface. The support frame extends generally vertically from the bottom plate at a first end and terminates at a roller shaft guard at a second end. A central region disposed between the first and second ends of the support frame includes at least one aperture for receiving the fasteners to mount the plurality of alignment strips to the side rail of the modular frame and rail assembly.

The roller shaft guard of the support frame is non-planar and extends horizontally from the support frame member away from the rollers. The non-planar roller shaft guard is generally L-shaped and allows the ends of the roller shafts to extend from the alignment strips. The roller shaft guard extends vertically above the roller shafts to protect personnel working or walking along the conveyor system from the protruding roller shafts supported by the plurality of alignment strips mounted to the frame rails of the modular side rail and frame assembly.

At least one pressure plate of the modular side rail and frame assembly is provided at several locations along the side rail of the elongate rails. A pressure plate is provided at each location corresponding to an alignment strip. Each pressure plate comprises a base portion affixed to an inner surface of the bottom plate of the side rail and a receiving member having a first end extending generally vertically from the base portion adjacent the support plate of the side rail. The pressure plate is welded to the bottom plate and support frame of the side rail. The receiving member includes a non-planar receiving section provided on the second end of the receiving member which extends horizontally from the receiving member toward the rollers. The receiving section is generally L-shaped and includes at least one aperture which corresponds to the at least one aperture in the side rail to receive a fastener.

A web support plate is provided with each pressure plate to give structural support to the pressure plate. The web support plate extends generally diagonally between the base portion and lower portion of the non-planar receiving section of the pressure plate. The web support plate is mounted to the base portion of the pressure plate at a first end and to the lower portion of the non-planar receiving section at a second end. In the preferred embodiment, the web support plate is welded to the base portion and non-planar receiving extension of the pressure plate. However, it is understood that the web support plate may be formed integrally with the pressure plate. A plurality of hexagonal roller shaft alignment strips are provided on each of the pair of transversely spaced apart elongate rails for supporting the roller shafts of the rollers. The alignment strips include a series of openings formed therein for receiving the end of a series of roller support shafts. The alignment strips solely support the roller shafts of the assembly. The alignment strip is made up of at least one layer of metal and at least one layer of high density plastic having a plurality of openings formed corresponding in size and spacing to the roller shafts of the rollers. In the preferred embodiment, the alignment strip includes a layer of sheet metal, such as steel, which is laminated to at least one layer of high density plastic, such as UHMW Polyethylene.

Each of the mutli-layer alignment strip includes at least one aperture in a position corresponding to the at least one apertures in the non-planar receiving section of the support plate and the side rail. The alignment strip is mounted in a cavity formed between the non-planar receiving section of the support plate and the side rail. The alignment strips are securably mounted to the elongate rails by a fastener inserted through the at least one aperture in each of the side rail, alignment strip and non-planar receiving section. The alignment strip supports the ends of the roller support shafts and realigns the rollers to reduce roller vibration. The integration of the hexagonal roller shaft alignment strip with the elongate frame rails into the modular side rail and frame assembly also provides the safety advantages of the optional hexagonal open slot offered by the conveyor frame hexagonal roller shaft alignment strip.

The above objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the modular side rail and frame assembly of the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the inner surface of the elongate rail of the modular side rail and frame assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the roller conveyor frame assembly including a first embodiment of the alignment strip mounted to the elongate rail of the present invention;

FIGURE 4A is an enlarged perspective view of the roller and roller support shaft prior to mounting in the first embodiment of the alignment strip of the present invention;

FIGURE 4B is an enlarged perspective view of an alternative roller and roller support shaft prior to mounting in the second embodiment of the alignment strip of the present invention;

FIGURE 5A is a cross-sectional view of the alignment strip of the present invention;

FIGURE 5B is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the alignment strip of the present invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of the alignment strip of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring now to Figure 1, a modular side rail and frame assembly, generally shown as 10, including a pair of transversely spaced apart elongate frame rail members 12, 16 and a plurality of alignment strips 14. A series of rollers 22 extend between the pair of elongate rails 12, 16 and are uniformly spaced along the length of the rails. Rollers 22 are each made up of an elongate shaft 24, which is best seen in Figures 4A and 4B. Shaft 24 in the preferred embodiment is provided with hexagonal ends 26 which are sized to fit within hexagonal openings or slots 28 formed in alignment strips 14. The alignment strips 14 are longitudinally oriented on the spaced apart rails 12, 16 to solely support the series of roller shafts there between.

Rotatably mounted about roller shaft 24 is roller cylinder 30 which is freely pivotally mounted to roller shaft 24 by a series of conventional bearings (not shown). When an object such as a box 32, shown in Figure 1 , is pushed along the rollers, roller cylinders 30 of each of the rollers 22, rotate while roller shaft 24 remains fixed relative to the alignment strips 14 due to the cooperating hexagonal ends 26 of the roller shafts 24 and the corresponding hexagonal openings or slots 28 in the alignment strips 14.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as is shown best in Figure 4A, alignment strips 14 are provided with a series of hexagonal shaped slot openings 28 sized to receive roller shaft hexagonal end 26 in a point down manner with the fore and aft flats cooperating with the sizes of the slots 28 to prevent the roller shaft from turning. This type of conveyor is referred to as a drop-in roller type conveyor. The drop-in roller type conveyor is designed so that a roller can be easily pulled out for safety reasons; for example, in the case of an operator's hand or article of clothing becoming entrapped between adjacent rollers. When a roller conveyor is of the drop-in roller type, a series of openings formed in the frame rails are upwardly facing slots. Alternatively, as is shown in Figure 4B, the alignment strips 18 may be provided with hexagonal shaped openings 20 instead of slot shaped openings to receive the hexagonal end 26 of roller shaft 24 to mount the rollers 22 to the alignment strips 14 of modular side rail and frame assembly 10.

After extended periods of use, the frame rail slots or openings 28 wear to the point where the play between the ends of roller shaft 24 and the hexagonal slot or opening 28 in the frame rail is excessive and detracts from conveyor performance.

Excessive frame rail wear will cause the conveyor to become very noisy and objects transported on the conveyor will begin to experience tracking problems. Referring additionally now to Figure 2, the elongate frame rails 12 of modular side rail and frame roller conveyor assembly 10 will be discussed in greater detail. Each of the elongate rails 12 includes a side rail 34, at least one pressure plate 36 mounted to an inner surface of the side rail and a web support plate 38 providing structural support to the at least one pressure plate 36. A pressure plate 36 is provided at spaced locations along the side rail 34 at corresponding locations to the alignment strips 14. The hexagonal roller reinforcement and alignment strips 14 are supported and securably mounted between the side rail 34 and the support plates 36 to receive the ends of a roller support shafts 24.

The side rail 34 of the elongate rail 12 of modular side rail and frame assembly 10 includes a bottom plate 40, a support frame 42 and a non-planar roller shaft guard 44. In the preferred embodiment, the bottom plate 40, support frame 42 and roller shaft guard 44 are formed using a stamping or bending process to create a one-piece metal structure using metals such as steel or aluminum. In an alternative embodiment, each component of the side rail 34 can be welded together to complete the side rail structure. The elongate rail frame members 12, 16 can have an overall length of 15 feet or more. Alternatively, elongate rail frame members 12, 16 may have a longer or shorter length, i.e. \ h feet to 10 feet lengths, and work satisfactorily.

The bottom plate 40 of the pair of spaced apart elongate rail frame members 12, 16 is fastened to a support surface, such as a warehouse floor. The support frame 42 of side rail 34 extends generally vertically from the bottom plate 40 at a first end 48. The support frame includes a central region 50 having at least one aperture 52 adapted to receive a fastener 54 which secures the plurality of alignment strips 14 between the side rail 34 and the receiving section of the at least one support plate 36 of the modular frame and rail assembly 10.

The non-planar roller shaft guard 44 extends from a second end 56 of the support frame 42. The non-planar roller shaft guard 44 is generally L-shaped and extends horizontally from the second end 56 of side rail 34 away from the roller shafts 24 of the rollers 22 of assembly 10. The roller shaft guard 44 is designed to allow the horizontal extension of the hexagonal ends of the roller shafts 24 through the alignment strips 14 of assembly 10. Further, the vertical portion 57 of the non- planar roller shaft guard extends above the roller shafts 24 of the roller conveyor 16 to protect personnel working or walking along the conveyor system from the protruding roller shafts 24 supported by the alignment strips 14 mounted to the pair of elongate rail frame members 12 of the modular side rail and frame roller conveyor assembly 10.

The at least one pressure plate 36 of the frame member 12 of the modular side rail and frame roller conveyor assembly 10 includes a base portion 58 and a receiving member 60. The base portion 58 is generally horizontal and is mounted on an inner surface 62 of the bottom plate 40 of side rail 34. The receiving member 60 includes a support member 64 extending vertically from the base portion 58 at a first end and a receiving section 66 mounted at a second end. In the preferred embodiment, base portion 58, support member 64 and non-planar receiving section 66 are formed as a one-piece structure. Base portion 58 and support member 64 are welded to the bottom plate 40 and support frame 42 of side rail 34. It is understood that one or more of the pressure plates 36 can be affixed to the side rail 34 at any number of positions along the length of the side rail. Additionally, the pressure plates 36 can be formed to the same length as the side rail 34 to provide a uniform assembly between the side rail 34 and pressure plate 36.

The receiving section 66 of pressure plate 36 is adapted to receive and longitudinally orient the plurality of alignment strips 14 on elongate rails 12, 16. The receiving section 66 is generally non-planar and can be formed as a stop or other structure. Preferably, the receiving section 66 is generally L-shaped and extends horizontally towards the rollers 22 to create a cavity 68 between the lower horizontal portion and the upper vertical portions 70 of L-shaped receiving section 66 and the side rail 34. The upper portion 70 includes at least one aperture 72 corresponding to the at least one aperture 52 in side rail 34 which is adapted to receive a fastener 54. The fasteners mount each alignment strip 14 in the cavity 68 of the corresponding non-planar receiving section 66 to the pressure plate 36 and side rail 34 of elongate rails 12, 16 to securably mount the alignment strip 14 for receipt of the roller shafts 24 of the rollers 22. It is understood that the non-planar receiving section 66 of pressure plate 36 may also be integrally formed into side rail 34 to receive and longitudinally orient the plurality of alignment strips 14.

Web support plate 38 extends generally diagonally between the base portion 58 and the non-planar receiving section 66 of the pressure plate 36 to give structural support to the pressure plate 36. The web support plate 38 is mounted to the base portion 58 of the pressure plate 36 at a first end 76 and to the horizontal portion of non-planar receiving section 66 at a second end 78. In the preferred embodiment, the web support plate is welded to the base portion 58 and horizontal portion of the receiving section 66 of the pressure plate 36. In an alternative embodiment, web support plate 38 is integrally formed as part of the pressure plate assembly 36 to provide structural support for the alignment strip 14 mounted in cavity 68 of pressure plate 36.

Referring now to Figures 3-6, the plurality of alignment strips 14 of the modular side rail and frame roller conveyor assembly 10 will be discussed in greater detail. Each alignment strip 14 is secured between the pressure plate 36 and side rail 34 of the spaced apart elongate frame rail members 12, 16. Alignment strip

14 is a multi-layer side rail designed to correct frame rail wear problems without necessitating the replacement of the conveyor or the worn frame rail. As is seen best in Figures 3 and 4A, alignment strip 14 includes an aperture 79 which corresponds to the aperture 72 in receiving section 66 of pressure plate 36 and aperture 52 in side rail 34. The plurality of alignment strips 14 are mounted to the rails 12, 16 by placing the strips 14 in the cavity 68 formed between the at least one pressure plate

36 and side rail 34. The aperture 79 in alignment strip 14 is placed corresponding to the aperture 52 in side rail 34 and aperture 72 in receiving section 66 of pressure plate 36. The alignment strips 14 may be securably mounted to the frame member

12 by conventional fasteners such as a bolt 46, a washer 74 and a nut 75.

Multi-layer alignment strip 14 is an elongate member formed of at least two layers; a layer of sheet metal 80 and at least one layer of high density plastic material 82 as illustrated in Figures 5A, 5B and 6. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5A, alignment strip 14 is made up of three layers: a central layer of sheet steel 84; and a pair of high density plastic layers 86, 88 on opposite sides of the sheet steel layer 84 which sandwich the sheet steel layer there between. The steel layer is used to reinforce the structural stability of both the product and the existing frame. UHMW Polyethylene is a product commonly used to increase durability. The steel and the UHMW Polyethylene work in conjunction, reinforcing one another. The UHMW Polyethylene provides a wear surface for the vibration of the roller axle/shafts and the steel provides structural stability to the UHMW Polyethylene.

Figure 5B illustrates a multi-layer strip 90 having a single sheet metal layer 92 and a single high density plastic layer 94 joined by a double-sided adhesive tape 96. When constructed of a single plastic layer design is utilized, the plastic layer 94 may be thicker than the plastic layer used in a two layer sandwiched construction as shown in Figure 5A. With a single plastic layer, preferably the plastic layer is between .100 and .250 inches thick. The plastic layer provides a very tough wear resistant surface for supporting the roller shaft while a steel layer serves to provide structure and to clamp and retain the plastic material in place. The multi-layer combination provides excellent wear characteristics, good structural stability and excellent vibration dampening and noise reduction.

An alternative embodiment of the multi-layer reinforcement strip is illustrated in Figure 6. The reinforcement strip 100 has a central sheet metal layer 102 sandwiched between two high density plastic layers 104, 106. In this embodiment, plastic ends 108, 110 serve to completely encapsulate the steel layer 102 in plastic material. This configuration is particularly well suited for fabrication using an injection molded plastic technique.

In the embodiments illustrated in Figure 5 A, 5B and 6, the high density plastic material 82, 94, 104 utilized is Polyethylene, in particular, ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) Polyethylene. Preferably, at least one layer of high density plastic material has a thickness falling within the range of .05 to .15 inches. In applications where two high density plastic material layers are utilized on opposite sides of the sheet metal layer, plastic thickness selected could be at the low end of the recited range. In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 5 A, 5B and 6, plastic layers are approximately 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch in thickness.

Sheet metal layer 80, 92, 102 which preferably comprise 12 gauge, 304 grade stainless steel, should have a thickness formed in the range of .062 to .200 inches. Preferably, in sheet metal layers formed of the sheet steel, the sheet metal layer is .100 to .150 inches in thickness and most preferably approximately l/8th of an inch in thickness. As is shown best in Figure 5B, high density plastic material layer 94 is bonded securely to sheet metal layer 92 using a double-sided adhesive tape 96, such as 3M Brand 950, to form an integral unit.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4A, when a roller conveyor is of the drop-in roller type, the multi-layer reinforcement strip 14 is formed to include a series of openings that are upwardly facing slots 28. Slots 28 are sized to correspond with the hexagonal ends 26 of roller shafts 24 of rollers 22. Alternatively, as is seen in Figure 4B, a reinforcement strip 18 can be formed with hexagonal shaped openings 20 corresponding to the hexagonal ends 26 of roller shafts 24 of rollers 22. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 5A, 5B and 6, alignment strips 14, 90, 100 have a nominal thickness of 1/4 of inch. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the Figures, the plurality of alignment strips 14 have a height of approximately \^xh of an inch and an overall length of 2 feet. Alignment strips having a longer or shorter length, i.e. VA feet to 3 feet lengths, can work satisfactorily, however, 2 feet lengths are best from an ease of installation standpoint.

While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A roller conveyor frame assembly for receiving the ends of a series of roller support shafts, the assembly comprising: a pair of transversely spaced apart elongate rails; a plurality of elongated multi-layer alignment strips securably mounted to the elongate rails, the plurality of alignment strips having at least one layer of sheet metal and at least one layer of high density plastic material, the multi-layer alignment strip having a plurality of openings formed therein corresponding in size and spacing to the series of roller support shafts to be mounted on the multi-layer alignment strips; and a plurality of fasteners removably affixing the plurality of elongated multi- layer alignment strips to the elongate rails, wherein the pair of elongate rails are provided with a receiving section for longitudinally orienting the plurality of alignment strips along the length of the elongated rails in order to support the series of roller shafts there between and enabling one or more of the plurality of alignment strips to be removed and replaced when the openings become worn.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the each of the pair of transversely spaced apart elongate rails comprises: a side rail including a bottom plate adapted to be mounted to a support surface and a support frame having a first end extending generally vertically from the bottom plate, a central region including at least one aperture formed therein and a second end having a non-planar roller shaft guard including an upper portion extending generally vertically above the roller shafts; at least one pressure plate mounted to the side rail adapted to receive the at least one alignment strip, the at least one pressure plate including a base portion mounted to the bottom plate of the side rail and a receiving member including a support member extending generally vertically from the base portion at a first end and the receiving section mounted at a second end; and at least one web support plate corresponding to the at least one pressure plate to provide structural support, the at least one web support plate including a first end secured to the base portion of the at least one pressure pressure plate and a second end secured to the receiving section of the at least one pressure plate.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the receiving section of the at least one pressure plate comprises a lower portion extending horizontally away from the second end of the support member relative to the side rail, an upper portion extending vertically from the lower portion including, at least one aperture formed in the upper portion of the receiving section corresponding to the at least one aperture in the side rail, and a cavity formed between the upper and lower portions of the receiving section and the support frame of the side rail to receive and longitudinally orient the plurality of alignment strips along the elongate rails.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of alignment strips mounted to the pair of transversely spaced apart elongate rails solely support the roller shafts of the rollers.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of openings formed in the multi-layer alignment strip having a hexagonal open slot shape to receive the roller support shafts.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of openings formed in the multi-layer alignment strip having a hexagonal hole shape to receive the roller support shafts.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the each of the plurality of alignment strip includes at least one aperture corresponding to the at least one aperture in the side rail and pressure plate for receiving a fastener to removably secure the alignment strip in the cavity formed between the receiving section of the pressure plate and the side rail.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer of sheet metal comprises a steel sheet and the at least one layer of high density plastic material comprises two layers of plastic material that sandwich the steel sheet there between.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer of sheet metal comprises a steel sheet and the at least one layer of high density plastic material comprises a single layer of plastic material bonded to one side of the steel sheet.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer of sheet metal comprises a steel sheet and the at least one layer of high density plastic material comprises two layers of plastic material insert injected molded about the steel sheet layer to securely bond to and sandwich the steel sheet layer there between.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer of high density plastic material comprises ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) Polyethylene.

12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer of sheet metal comprises stainless steel.

13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the elongate rails of the assembly comprise steel.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the elongate rails of the assembly comprise aluminum.

15. A frame assembly for a roller conveyor, the frame assembly comprising: a pair of transversely spaced apart elongate rails, each of the pair of transversely spaced apart rails including a side rail including a bottom plate adapted to be mounted to a support surface and a support frame having a first end extending generally vertically from the bottom plate, a central region including at least one aperture formed therein and a second end, at least one pressure plate mounted to the side rail adapted to receive at least one alignment strip, the at least one pressure plate including a base portion, a receiving member extending generally vertically from the base portion at a first end and a receiving section mounted at a second end, and at least one web support plate corresponding to the at least one pressure plate to provide structural support, the at least one web support plate including a first end secured to the base portion of the at least one pressure plate and a second end secured to the receiving section of the at least one pressure plate.

16. The frame assembly of claim 15 wherein the side rail further comprises a non-planar roller shaft guard adapted to cover a series of roller support shafts, the non-planar shaft guard including a lower portion extending horizontally from the second end of the support frame and an upper portion extending generally vertically from the lower portion above the roller shafts.

17. The frame assembly of claim 15 wherein the receiving section of the at least one pressure plate comprises a lower portion extending horizontally away from the second end of the support member relative to the side rail, an upper portion extending vertically from the lower portion including, at least one aperture formed in the upper portion of the receiving section corresponding to the at least one aperture in the side rail, and a cavity formed between the upper and lower portions of the receiving section and the support frame of the side rail to receive the alignment strip.

18. The frame assembly of claim 15 wherein the base portion and the support member of the receiving member of the at least one pressure plate are welded to an inner surface of the side rail defined by the bottom plate and support frame.

19. The frame assembly of claim 15 wherein the first and second ends of the web support plate are welded to the pressure plate.

20. The frame assembly of claim 15 wherein the frame assembly comprises steel.

21. The frame assembly of claim 15 wherein the frame assembly comprises aluminum.

22. A roller conveyor frame assembly for receiving the ends of a series of roller support shafts, the assembly comprising: a pair of transversely spaced apart elongate rails, wherein each of the elongate rails includes a side rail having a bottom plate adapted to be mounted to a support surface and a generally vertical support frame extending from the bottom plate terminating at a non-planar roller shaft guard extending vertically above the roller shafts, and at least one pressure plate mounted to the side rail including a receiving section having a horizontal lower portion, a vertical upper portion and a cavity defined there between; and a plurality of elongated multi-layer alignment strips to support the series of roller shafts provided there between, the plurality of alignment strips having at least one layer of sheet stainless steel and at least one layer of ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene, the multi-layer alignment strip having a plurality of hexagonal shaped openings formed therein corresponding in size and spacing to the series of roller support shafts to be mounted on the multi-layer alignment strips, wherein the plurality of elongated multi-layer alignment strips are mounted and are longitudinally oriented in the cavity in the non-planar receiving section of the elongate rails along the length of the elongated rails.