conveyor

conveyor [kən′vā·ər]

(mechanical engineering)

Any materials-handling machine designed to move individual articles such as solids or free-flowing bulk materials over a horizontal, inclined, declined, or vertical path of travel with continuous motion.

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Conveyor

A horizontal, inclined, declined, or vertical machine for moving or transporting bulk materials, packages, or objects in a path predetermined by the design of the device and having points of loading and discharge fixed or selective. Included in this category are skip hoist and vertical reciprocating and inclined reciprocating conveyors; but in the strictest sense this category does not include those devices known as industrial trucks, tractors and trailers, cranes, hoists, monorail cranes, power and hand shovels or scoops, bucket drag lines, platform elevators, or highway or rail vehicles. See Bulk-handling machines

Gravity conveyors provide the most economical means for lowering articles and materials. Chutes depend upon sliding friction to control the rate of descent; wheel and roller conveyors use rolling friction for this purpose.

Gravity chutes may be made straight or curved and are fabricated from sheet metal or wood, the latter being sometimes covered with canvas to prevent slivering. The bed of the chute can be shaped to accommodate the products to be handled. In spiral chutes centrifugal force is the second controlling factor. Spirals with roller beds or wheels provide smooth descent of an article and tend to maintain the position of the article in its original starting position. Rollers may be constructed of metals, wood, or plastic and can be arranged in an optimum position, depending upon the articles to be carried.

To move loads on level or inclined paths, or declining paths that exceed the angle of sliding or rolling friction of the particular material to be conveyed, powered conveyors must be employed. There are various types of powered conveyors. Belt conveyors move loads on a level or inclined path by means of power-driven belts. Belt conveyors with rough-top belts make possible inclines up to 28°; cleated belts are limited on degree of incline only by the position of the center of gravity of the conveyed item.

Live-roller conveyors move objects over series of rollers by the application of power to all or some of the rollers. The power-transmitting medium is usually belting or chain.

Vibrating conveyors are designed to move bulk materials along a horizontal, or almost horizontal, path in a controlled system. They can be used to simply transport material from one point to another or to perform various functions en route, such as cooling, drying, blending, metering, spreading, and, by installing a screen, or dedusting.