Endless belt conveyor within a tubular housing

摘要

A belt conveyor for transferring a granular material has an elongated cylindrical housing having opposite ends connecting an inlet end portion to an outlet end portion with each end portion supporting a roller for receiving a flexible endless belt. The belt has a width greater than the diameter of the housing causing the belt to curve upwardly within the housing for form a trough for receiving and transferring the material. To maintain alignment of the belt on the rollers and within the housing, an inner surface of the belt has a continuous flexible guide rib, and each roller has a circumferential groove for receiving the guide rib. To extend the life of the belt and the guide rib, the belt is tensioned by adjusting one of the rollers to space the guide rib above the inner surface of the housing when material is being transferred within the housing.

主权项

1. A conveyor adapted for transferring granular material such as seed or grain, said conveyor comprising
an elongated linear tubular housing having opposite ends connected to an inlet end portion of said conveyor and an outlet end portion of said conveyor, a roller having a center shaft supported by bearings mounted on each said end portion of said conveyor for rotation on a horizontal axis, and a drive connected to rotate said shaft of one said roller, a flexible endless conveyor belt extending around each said roller and having an upper run extending through said tubular housing with said upper run curved upwardly by an inner surface of said housing to define a U-shape trough for receiving and transferring the material, said endless belt having an inner surface with a longitudinally extending guide rib, and each said roller having a circumferential groove receiving said guide rib for maintaining alignment of said belt on each said roller and within said housing, an adjustment mechanism on at least one said end portion of said conveyor for moving said bearings for said shaft and said roller in a direction to adjust the tension in said belt, and said adjustment mechanism being adjusted to position said guide rib on said belt in a position within said housing that prevents continuous rubbing of said guide rib against said inner surface of said housing when material is being conveyed by said upper run of said belt for substantially extending the operational life of said belt and said guide rib and for minimizing loss of material and damage to the material.