Rope frame conveyor with controlled belt deflection

Claim 1

IN A BELT CONVEYOR, A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE STRANDS TRAINED ALONG GENERALLY PARALLEL COURSES, TWO ELONGATED TROUGHING ROLLER ASSEMBLIES SUSPENDED AT INTERVALS ALONG SAID STANDS AND BETWEEN SAID STRANDS AT PORTIONS OF SAID STRANDS WHICH ARE RELATIVELY FREELY MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID TROUGHING ROLLER ASSEMBLIES BEING TRANSVERSELY FLEXIBLE ACROSS ITS OWN LENGTH IN A DIRECTION TO MOVE THE ENDS THEREOF TOWARD AND AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER, A BELT HAVING A LOAD-CARRYING REACH SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID ROLLER ASSEMBLIES AND A RETURN REACH BENEATH SAID ROLLER ASSEMBLIES, AND A STRAND SPACING MEANS SEPARATE FROM SAID TROUGHING ROLLER ASSEMBLIES SUSPENDED BETWEEN THE STRANDS INTERMEDIATE THE PORTIONS OF THE STRANDS WHERE THE ROLLER ASSEMBLIES ARE CONNECTED AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE BELT REACHES, SAID STRAND SPACING MEANS BEING WHOLLY SUPPORTED BY SAID STRANDS FOR MOVEMENT UP AND DOWN THEREWITH WITH LOAD VARIATIONS ON THE BELT.