VERTICAL PIPE CONVEYOR

摘要

A pipe conveyor may include a conveyor belt formed into a pipe-like shape to define a space that contains material to be transported by the conveyor. Along at least a portion of the pipe conveyor, friction drive conveyors or friction tires may be positioned. The friction drive conveyors may include friction drive belts that engage the pipe conveyor belt. Via this engagement, the friction drive conveyors apply a force to the conveyor belt that moves the conveyor belt in a desired direction. Further, when the friction drive conveyors or friction tires are positioned within an inclined vertical section of the conveyor belt, the friction drive conveyors or friction tires vertically lift the pipe conveyor belt via pushing the conveyor belt in a vertical direction, thus assisting a drive pulley that vertically pulls the conveyor belt and material transported on the conveyor belt from a lower elevation to a higher elevation.