Belt support and tracking apparatus

摘要

An apparatus for transporting and tracking a belt arranged to move in a predetermined path and controlling lateral movement of the belt from the predetermined path includes a stationary non-rotating arcuate tracking shoe with a belt defining surface for supporting a belt including vertically oriented flanges at each side of said path defining surface and extending from said path defining surface outwardly to provide belt edge guides. An unconstrained slip belt is positioned between the tracking shoe and the belt. When driving the belt around the tracking shoe the velocity of the belt in the axial direction of the tracking shoe is zero when the belt touches an edge guide. Therefore, the friction force acting on the belt from the tracking shoe in the axial direction approaches zero, which helps to keep the total system force applied at the edge guide less than the minimum force necessary to produce buckling of the side of the belt. The slip belt reduces the drive torque necessary for driving the belt and eliminates wear of an anti-curl back coating on the belt.