Accumulating conveyor

Claim 1

An accumulating conveyor, comprising, in combination: (a) a frame including a pair of spaced, parallel, longitudinal side rails in the form of channels each having a web and a pair of codirectional flanges extending from the web; (b) a plurality of carrier rollers rotatably mounted on and extending between the rails; (c) a plurality of pressure rollers rotatably mounted on and extending between the rails and arranged adjacent and below the carrier rollers for movement toward and away from same; (d) a single, continuous, flat driving belt arranged adjacent and contacting all of the rollers; and (e) means for adjustably biasing one end of the pressure rollers toward the carrier rollers and varying the driving force exerted on the belt, the other ends of the pressure rollers being vertically fixed, the means for adjustably biasing including a plurality of longitudinally extending, codirectional members each mounted on a lower one of the flanges of one of the rails by a double-nut arrangement for individual adjustment parallel to the longitudinal extent of the member, a plurality of channel brackets arranged on the members, with each member having a separate bracket thereon, each bracket having legs provided with apertures, the members slidably disposed in the apertures, each pressure roller having a shaft extending through an associated slot provided in the web of the rail and mounted on the bracket, and a compression spring adjustably arranged on the member between the rail and the bracket for biasing each pressure roller toward the belt and carrier rollers, each member having a further nut threadingly, adjustably mounted on the member abutting the lower end of the spring for adjusting the bias exerted on the pressure rollers, said driving belt being arranged with a run extending between a plane in which the carrier rollers are arranged and a plane in which the pressure rollers are arranged for being biased against the carrier rollers by the pressure rollers and imparting rotary motion to the carrier rollers, said belt being oriented adjacent the end of the pressure rollers which are adjustably supported from the rail and having a width at least equal to the diameter of the carrier rollers and on the order of 1 to 3", but substantially less than the length thereof, being relatively thin on the order of 1/4", and constructed of polyvinyl chloride material having a stretch of approximately 1/2% of its over-all length.