An accumulator conveyor is equipped with sensors which respond to article movement by pivoting about a vertical axis as the result of having a pair of laterally spaced wheels on opposite ends of a shaft with one wheel driven by the propelling member and the other by an article supporting roller. The first wheel is larger than the second wheel and is attached to the shaft while the second wheel is connected to the shaft by a one-way clutch. Pivotal movement of the sensor results from differentiation between the relative speeds of the wheels.
A roller conveyor with rotating rollers for transporting goods with a belt for driving the rollers arranged under the rollers, whereby the belt is aligned substantially vertical, is characterized in that on the upper edge of the belt, in contact with the rollers, a continuous profile element is arranged, and that the profile element is designed wider than the belt and projects over the latter on both sides.
A variable radius bending apparatus is disclosed for bending a glass plate. The variable radius bending apparatus includes a bending rail having a longitudinal rail member and a drive drum and a tension drum rotatably attached thereto. A drive band is positioned around the drive drum and tension drum and in frictional engagement therewith. A plurality of rollers are in driven contact with the drive band and are tiltable to a desired bend radius for forming the desired bend radius in the glass plate. Finally, a band guide is fixedly attached to the bending rail and in juxtaposition with the drive band for preventing the drive band from moving transversely with respect to the drive drum and tension drum, whereby the band is prevented from contacting a surface adjacent to the band.
A belt guide for a drive belt of a roller conveyor that cants the belt in the skewed roller section of the conveyor so that an edge portion of the belt, and not the entire width, engages the skewed rollers to impart driving motion. This is accomplished by providing a series of free-wheeling cam followers that support the raised edge portion of the drive belt that contacts the skewed rollers. A second series of freely rotatable grooved wheels or sheaves is provided whose grooved portion captures the lower edge portion of the drive belt.
A roller conveyor belt driver system for a roller conveyor includes a closed loop belt having a continuous driving surface and a non-circular base and a plurality of pulleys which support and engage said non-circular base for at least partially laterally restraining the belt from rotation. A first group of pulleys are constructed and arranged to position the belt in non-orthogonal orientation with respect to the rollers of the conveyor for contacting one or more rollers with the driving surface of the belt. Optionally, the belt driver system includes a lateral restraint associated with a respective pulley of the first group of pulleys to urge the belt to remain engaged with the respective pulley to prevent twisting of the belt and, therefore, increase the life of the belt. For example, the lateral restraint may comprise a bearing which is positioned adjacent the respective pulley and which contacts the belt to maintain the belt in proper orientation in the pulley. In one form, the belt comprises a link belt, which is formed from a plurality of interlocking links, which permits the belt to be easily removed for service or replacement.
An article sensor for use with a conveyor having an article conveying surface includes a sensing member, a pivot which pivotally mounts the sensing member to pivot about a horizontal axis, and a bias which biases the sensing member above the conveying surface. The pivot is defined by a shaftless bearing which operates with an exceptionally small amount of friction which is substantially unaffected by side-loading placed on the bearing.
