Conveyor roll

Claim 2

In a conveyor, a plurality of rolls for conveying an elongated workpiece such as steel rods, bars, or the like through a chamber such as a furnace for heat treating said workpieces, each of said rolls having retaining means for guiding said workpiece through said chamber and comprising a first retaining surface of revolution inclined at an angle of less than 45* to the axis of said roll; a second retaining surface of revolution meeting said first surface at an angle of greater than 90* and inclined at an angle of less than 45* to the roll axis, said second surface of revolution having a depression therein, the cross section thereof presenting a generally concave aspect, said second surface of revolution being adapted to extend outwardly from the juncture of the first and second surfaces a predetermined distance so that the longitudinal centroid of said workpiece is contained within the extent of said first and second retaining surfaces while being advanced along said conveyor; the rolls being mounted for rotation about axes which are all skewed in the same direction with respect to the longitudinal center line of a workpiece conveyed thereon.

Claim 3

A roll according to claim 1 wherein the depression in said second surface of revolution is defined by the revolution of a long radius curved line which meets said first surface of revolution and extends such that the chord to said curve from the juncture with said first surface to the termination of said curve forms an angle of greater than 90* with said first surface and is inclined to said roll axis at an angle of less than 45*.

Claim 4

A roll according to claim 2 wherein said second surface of revolution is defined by the revolution of a series of long radius curved lines.

Claim 5

In a conveyor having a plurality of rolls for conveying an elongated workpiece such as steel rods, bars, or the like through a chamber such as a furnace for heat treating said workpieces, an improved roll having retaining means for guiding said workpiece through said chamber, comprising: a first retaining surface of revolution inclined at an angle of less than 45* to the axis of said roll; a second retaining surface of revolution meeting said first surface at aN angle of greater than 90* and inclined at an angle of less than 45* to the roll axis, said second surface of revolution having a depression therein defined by the revolution of a line composed of two connected straight lines, said first straight line meeting said first surface of revolution and inclined at an angle of less than 45* to said roll axis, said second straight line having a slope greater than said first straight line and inclined at an angle of less than 45* to said roll axis, the cross section of said roll in the area of said retaining surfaces presenting a generally concave aspect, and said second surface of revolution being adapted to extend outwardly from the juncture of the first and second surfaces a predetermined distance so that the longitudinal centroid of said workpiece is contained within the extent of said first and second retaining surfaces while being advanced along said conveyor.

Claim 6

In a conveyor having a plurality of rolls for conveying an elongated workpiece such as steel rods, bars, or the like through a chamber such as a furnace for heat treating said workpieces, an improved roll having retaining means for guiding said workpiece through said chamber, comprising: a first retaining surface of revolution inclined at an angle of less than 45* to the axis of said roll; a second retaining surface of revolution meeting said first surface at aN angle of greater than 90* and inclined at an angle of less than 45* to the roll axis, said second surface of revolution having a depression therein defined by the revolution of a line composed of two connected straight lines, said first straight line meeting said first surface of revolution and inclined at an angle of less than 45* to said roll axis, said second straight line having a slope greater than said first straight line and inclined at an angle of less than 45* to said roll axis, the cross section of said roll in the area of said retaining surfaces presenting a generally concave aspect, and said second surface of revolution being adapted to extend outwardly from the juncture of the first and second surfaces a predetermined distance so that the longitudinal centroid of said workpiece is contained within the extent of said first and second retaining surfaces while being advanced along said conveyor.

Claim 7

A conveyor roll according to claim 4, wherein said second retaining surface includes a lip defined by the revolution of said line extended such that said second straight line terminates in a line curving to a vertical to said roll axis, the slope of said second retaining surface being defined by the chord from said lip to the juncture of said second surface and said first surface.