Automatic belt training roller assembly for a belt conveyor

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC BELT TRAINING RETURN ROLLER ASSEMBLY FOR THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE RETURN REACH OF A FLEXIBLE BELT CONVEYOR OF THE TYPE IN WHICH THE RETURN REACH OF A FLEXIBLE CONVEYOR BELT IS SUPPORTED BY A PLURALITY OF RETURN ROLLERS, SAID RETURN ROLLER ASSEMBLY BEING AUTOMATICALLY OPERABLE, IN RESPONSE TO PASSAGE THEREOVER OF A RETURN REACH OF A FLEXIBLE CONVEYOR BELT IN A DETRAINED CONDITION, TO EXERT A RETRAINING EFFECT ON THE BELT IRRESPECTIVE OF THE DIRECTION OF BELT TRAVEL, SAID RETURN ROLLER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, A CYLINDRICAL RETURN ROLLER OF A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE FLEXIBLE BELT WITH WHICH IT IS TO BE USED, SAID RETURN ROLLER HAVING AN EXPANDED DIAMETER MIDPORTION SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE CONVEYOR BELT WITH WHICH IT IS TO BE USED TO THEREBY ENABLE THE FLEXIBLE BELT TO CONTACT ROLLER PORTIONS OF DIFFERENT DIAMETER, ELONGATED CONNECTORS FOR SUSPENDING THE RETURN ROLLER, BY ITS END PORTIONS, FROM ELEVATED SUPPORT LOCATIONS, EACH ELONGATED CONNECTOR BEING EFFECTIVELY SECURED, AT ITS LOWER END PORTION, TO AN END PORTION OF THE RETURN ROLLER, AND BEING ADAPTED FOR SECUREMENT, AT ITS UPPER END PORTION, TO AN ELEVATED SUPPORT LOCATION, THE ELONGATED CONNECTORS BEING SECURED TO THE END PORTIONS OF THE RETURN ROLLER SO AS TO ENABLE THE RETURN ROLLER TO SWING FORWARD AND BACKWARD, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE DIRECTION OF BELT TRAVEL, SIMULTANEOUSLY OR ALTERNATELY IN RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE RETURN REACH THEREOVER IN A DETRAINED CONDITION, THE ELONGATED CONNECTORS BEING GENERALLY VERTICALLY ORIENTED IN A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE NORMAL, IN TRAIN DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE RETURN REACH.