Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-01-09
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Endless conveyor
C198S818000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170644
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air-floating belt conveyor device in which a belt is partially floated over a belt support to run by blowing air out of air outlets of the belt support.
JP-A-7-206122 discloses such a belt conveyor device having coaxial inner and outer tubes, an arcuate going path of an endless flexible belt which is wound between a pair of pulleys being passed through an inner tube, an arcuate return path being passed between the outer and inner tubes, running resistance of the belt being reduced by floating the belt by air which is blown out of air outlets which are formed at regular intervals at the lower part of the tubes.
There is a belt conveyor device in which going and return tubular belts are horizontally provided in parallel.
However, flow rate and pressure of air which is injected from the air outlet is not sufficient, so that the belt partially contacts on the belt support made of a steel pipe, thereby increasing running resistance of the belt significantly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the disadvantages in the prior art, according to the present invention, there is provided an air-floating belt conveyor device which comprises:
a pair of pulleys;
an endless belt which is wound around said pair of pulleys, and
a belt support through which said belt is passed, said belt being floated by blowing air out of air blowing bores on said belt support so that the belt may run, low friction material which has low frictional resistance against said belt being applied on the inner circumferential surface of the belt support.
In the inner circumferential surface to which the low friction material is applied of the belt support, even if floating force is lowered owing to shortage in air flow rate which is blown out of the air blowing outlets or owing to lack in pressure, the belt merely contacts the low friction material layer, thereby preventing rapid increase of running resistance of the belt. Thus, load applied to drive means could be reduced, thereby improving durability of the belt and the belt supports.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3627111 (1971-12-01), Hillinger
patent: 4984681 (1991-01-01), Jonkers
patent: 5052545 (1991-10-01), Gongen
patent: 5727918 (1998-03-01), Arend et al.
patent: 5829577 (1998-11-01), Grisley
patent: 3-61206 (1991-03-01), None
patent: 7-206122 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 1364563 (1988-01-01), None
European Search Report of Application No. EP 99 11 5872 with Abstract of this European Application identified as “XS 9911587210 MA” and designated as Abstract No. 99115872.6 listing two foreign patent documents as well as the Annex to the European Search Report on European Patent Application No. EP 99 11 5872.
International Publication No. WO 97/42107 of Int'l Application No. PCT/US97/07385 published Nov. 13, 1997 (Applicant: Grisley Inc. for Inventor: R. Paul Grisley).
British Patent Specification No. GB 1 402 275 published Aug. 6, 1975.
Nakaegawa Akira
Shiraishi Motohiro
Sumino Shinichi
Yokozi Akihiko
Bidwell James R.
Bridgestone Corporation
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