Belt drive for a belt conveyor

Patent 6349812 Issued on February 26, 2002. Estimated Expiration Date:

October 29, 2019. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

3563364

3777879

Modular conveyor
Patent #: 3944054
Issued on: 03/16/1976
Inventor: Ensinger

Conveyor apparatus with hydraulic tensioning control
Patent #: 5131528
Issued on: 07/21/1992
Inventor: Bandy, Jr.

Mobile conveyor system
Patent #: 5360097
Issued on: 11/01/1994
Inventor: Hibbs

Poultry loading apparatus
Patent #: 5902089
Issued on: 05/11/1999
Inventor: Sinn, et al.

Self-transporting multiple conveyor system Patent #: 6186311
Issued on: 02/13/2001
Inventor: Conner

Inventors

Application

No. 430011 filed on 10/29/1999

US Classes:

198/318, Vertically swingable conveyor198/813Device for tensioning belt

Examiners

Primary: Ellis, Christopher P.
Assistant: Tran, Khai

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Battison; Adrian D.

International Class

B65G 021/14

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a belt conveyor of the type in which a continuous belt runs along a support duct where the support duct is carried on an undercarriage for raising and lowering movements of a discharge end of the duct and where an input drive member for driving the belt is mounted at or on the undercarriage. At least one idler roller is provided to maintain a predetermined tensioning force to the belt. An accumulator is arranged to contain hydraulic fluid and to maintain the hydraulic fluid at a predetermined set pressure while allowing changes in volume of the hydraulic within the accumulator. The accumulator is connected to at least one cylinder. The cylinder is operatively connected to the idler roller for movement thereof.