Strip conveyor assembly

Abstract

In various aspects, a belt conveyor assembly defines a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction. The belt conveyor assembly may include a plurality of roller assemblies. Each roller assembly of the plurality of roller assemblies may include a tensioning assembly and a roller rotatably coupled to the tensioning assembly. The tensioning assembly may include a first translatable member configured to translate in a transverse direction and a second translatable member configured to translate in a longitudinal direction. The tensioning assembly may be configured such that translation of the first translatable member in the transverse direction causes translation of the second translatable member in the longitudinal direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application generally relates to belt conveyor assemblies. More specifically, the present application relates to a deck and tensioning assembly for a belt conveyor system. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, conveyor systems can convey, move, sort, and organize various types of objects (e.g., cartons, boxes, containers, shipping cases, totes, packages, plastic bags, jiffy packages, etc.). Strip conveyors (such as strip merging conveyors) can be used to merge multiple streams of conveyed objects into a single stream. Typically, a strip conveyor is positioned between two or more other conveyor components that are oriented at an angle relative to each other.

[0003] The strip conveyor assembly may include a plurality of belts formed into a loop. Conventional strip conveyor assemblies typically include a single tensioning mechanism to adjust the tension of all belts of the strip conveyor assembly. In order for all belts to have the desired tension, the manufacturing tolerance or engineering tolerance of the belts must be strict, which may increase the cost or manufacturing lead time of the belts of the conventional strip conveyor assembly. In addition, even if the manufacturing tolerance or engineering tolerance may be strict, the length of each belt of the conventional strip conveyor assembly may still vary. Therefore, it may be necessary to tighten all belts with a single tensioning mechanism so that the longest belt is tight enough. This may cause the shorter belts to be too tight, which may reduce their durability and the durability of the rollers that move the belts. In addition, in the case where the belts of the conventional strip conveyor assembly need to be replaced, all belts of the assembly will need to be released by a single tensioning mechanism before the belts can be removed and replaced. Releasing the tension of all belts to replace a single belt may cause additional downtime.

[0004] The inventors have identified these and numerous other deficiencies and problems with the prior art in this area. Through effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these deficiencies and problems have been addressed by developing solutions constructed in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, many examples of which are described in detail herein. Summary of the invention

[0005] Generally speaking, embodiments of the present disclosure provided herein include apparatus for providing improved belt conveyor assemblies.

[0006] In various aspects, a belt conveyor assembly defines a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction. The belt conveyor assembly may include a deck having a step portion having a plurality of transverse portions. Each of the plurality of transverse portions may be positioned at a different position along the longitudinal direction. The belt conveyor assembly may include a plurality of roller assemblies, each of the plurality of roller assemblies may be positioned proximate to a corresponding transverse portion of the plurality of transverse portions.

[0007] In various examples, the belt conveyor assembly includes a plurality of belts that each extend around a corresponding roller assembly and a deck.

[0008] In various examples, the longitudinal length of each roller assembly in the plurality of roller assemblies is approximately equal.

[0009] In various examples, each roller assembly of the plurality of roller assemblies includes a roller and a tensioning assembly configured to translate the roller in a longitudinal direction.

[0010] In various aspects, a belt conveyor assembly defines a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction. The belt conveyor assembly may include a plurality of roller assemblies. Each roller assembly of the plurality of roller assemblies may include a tensioning assembly and a roller, the roller being rotatably coupled to the tensioning assembly. The tensioning assembly may include a first translatable member and a second translatable member, the first translatable member being configured to translate in a transverse direction, the second translatable member being configured to translate in a longitudinal direction. The tensioning assembly may be configured such that translation of the first translatable member in the transverse direction causes translation of the second translatable member in the longitudinal direction.

[0011] In various examples, the roller is rotatably coupled to the second translatable member such that translation of the second translatable member in the longitudinal direction causes the roller to translate in the longitudinal direction.

[0012] In various examples, one of the first translatable member or the second translatable member includes a slot. The other of the first translatable member or the second translatable member may include a corresponding feature positioned within the slot.

[0013] In various examples, the first translatable member is configured to translate along a threaded shaft, and the threaded shaft can be configured to translate the first translatable member in a lateral direction when the threaded shaft is rotated.

[0014] In various examples, the belt conveyor assembly includes an anti-rotation device configured to prevent rotation of the threaded shaft.

[0015] In various examples, the belt conveyor assembly includes an insert having one or more female threads. A threaded shaft may be positioned within the insert.

[0016] In various examples, the longitudinal length of each roller assembly in the plurality of roller assemblies is approximately equal.

[0017] In various examples, the first translatable member has a first angled portion and the second translatable member has a second angled portion corresponding to the first angled portion of the first translatable member.

[0018] In various examples, the belt conveyor assembly includes a deck having a stepped portion including a plurality of transverse portions. Each of the plurality of transverse portions can be positioned at a different position along a longitudinal direction. Each of the plurality of roller assemblies can be positioned adjacent to a corresponding transverse portion of the plurality of transverse portions.

[0019] In various aspects, a roller assembly for a conveyor assembly defines a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, the roller assembly comprising a roller and a tensioning assembly. The tensioning assembly may include a first translatable member configured to translate in the transverse direction and a second translatable member configured to translate in the longitudinal direction. The roller may be rotatably coupled to the second translatable member. The roller assembly may be configured such that translation of the first translatable member in the transverse direction causes translation of the second translatable member in the longitudinal direction.

[0020] In various examples, the roller is rotatably coupled to the second translatable member such that translation of the second translatable member in the longitudinal direction causes the roller to translate in the longitudinal direction.

[0021] In various examples, one of the first translatable member or the second translatable member includes a slot and the other of the first translatable member or the second translatable member includes a corresponding feature positioned within the slot.

[0022] In various examples, the first translatable member is configured to translate along the threaded shaft.The threaded shaft can be configured to translate the first translatable member in a lateral direction when the threaded shaft is rotated.

[0023] In various examples, the roller assembly includes an insert having one or more female threads. A threaded shaft may be positioned within the insert.

[0024] In various examples, the first translatable member includes a through hole having one or more threads. The threaded shaft can be positioned within the through hole of the first translatable member.

[0025] In various examples, the first translatable member has a first angled portion and the second translatable member has a second angled portion corresponding to the first angled portion of the first translatable member.

[0026] The above-mentioned summary of the invention is provided only for the purpose of summarizing some example embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are only examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the present disclosure in any way. It should be understood that, in addition to those summarized here, the scope of the present disclosure also covers many possible embodiments, some of which will be further described below. Other features, aspects and advantages of this theme will be apparent from the description, drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Therefore, having generally described certain example embodiments of the present disclosure above, non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present subject disclosure are described with reference to the following drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals refer to similar parts in the various views. In certain embodiments described herein, the components illustrated in the drawings may or may not be present. Some embodiments may include fewer (or more) components than those shown in the figures.

[0028] Figure 1 A perspective view of a belt conveyor assembly according to an example embodiment is provided.

[0029] Figure 2 A top view of a belt conveyor assembly according to an example embodiment is provided.

[0030] Figure 3 A top view of a belt conveyor assembly according to an example embodiment is provided.

[0031] Figure 4 A perspective view of a roller assembly according to an example embodiment is provided.

[0032] Figures 5 to 8 A perspective bottom view of a roller assembly according to an example embodiment is provided.

[0033] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A bottom view of a roller assembly according to an example embodiment is provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] One or more embodiments are now described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same elements throughout, and wherein some but not all embodiments of the present invention are shown. In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. However, it is apparent that the various embodiments may also be practiced without these specific details. It should be understood that some but not all embodiments are shown and described herein. In fact, the embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and therefore the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided in order for the present disclosure to meet applicable legal requirements.

[0035] As used herein, the term "exemplary" means serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. Furthermore, while particular features may be disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such features may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired or advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "include" and "comprising" and variations thereof are used in the detailed description or claims, such terms are intended to be included in a manner similar to the term "comprising."

[0036] As used herein, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless specified otherwise or clear from the context, "X employs A or B" is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then "X employs A or B" is satisfied in any of the foregoing cases. In addition, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean "one or more" unless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be in the singular.

[0037] As used herein, the terms "coupled," "fixed," "attached," and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, or attachment as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attachment through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein.

[0038] As used herein, approximate terms such as "approximately," "substantially," or "about" refer to within a manufacturing tolerance or an engineering tolerance. For example, an approximate term may refer to within a five percent margin of error.

[0039] Reference now Figure 1, provides a perspective view of a belt conveyor assembly 100 according to an example embodiment. The belt conveyor assembly 100 may define a longitudinal direction L, a transverse direction T orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L, and a vertical direction V ( Figure 2 ). The strip conveyor assembly 100 may include a platen 300, a plurality of roller assemblies 400 each extending generally in a longitudinal direction L, and a plurality of belts 200. Each of the plurality of belts 200 may form a loop and may extend around the platen 300 and the corresponding roller assembly 400. Each of the plurality of roller assemblies 400 may be configured to be substantially similar (e.g., within manufacturing tolerances or engineering tolerances). For example, each roller assembly 400 may have substantially equal lengths (e.g., lengths within 13 millimeters (mm) of each other, such as within 5 mm of each other, such as within 2 mm of each other).

[0040] Reference now Figure 2 , provides a top view of a belt conveyor assembly 100 according to an example embodiment. In this figure, the belt 200 is hidden. Figure 2 As shown, the platen 300 may include a platen roller 310 and a stepped portion 320. The stepped portion 320 may include a plurality of transverse portions 322 and a plurality of longitudinal portions 324 that alternate in position with the transverse portions 322. It is noteworthy that each of the transverse portions 322 of the stepped portion 320 of the platen 300 is positioned at a different position along the longitudinal direction L in a stepped or staggered configuration. Each roller assembly 400 may be positioned proximate to a different transverse portion 322 of the platen 300. In addition, the roller 420 of each roller assembly 400 may be positioned proximate to an end of the roller assembly 400 that is farthest from the platen 300.

[0041] As will be understood, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The strip conveyor assembly 100 can be used to convey objects to another conveyor system that is positioned at an angle Θ relative to the longitudinal direction L defined by the strip conveyor assembly 100 (e.g., positioned at an angle other than 0 degrees or 180 degrees). For example, the lateral portions 322 of the platen 300 can be positioned so that they collectively form an angle Θ. In various examples, because each of the roller assemblies 400 is positioned proximate to a different lateral portion 322 of the platen 300 and each roller assembly 400 has a substantially equal length, the roller assemblies 400 are also collectively positioned to form an angle Θ relative to the longitudinal direction L. Therefore, Figure 2 The belt conveyor assembly 100 is configured to convey objects to another conveyor system positioned at an angle θ relative to the belt conveyor assembly 100.

[0042] In various examples, and as Figure 2As shown, the angle θ is about 50 degrees. However, the magnitude of the angle θ can be any value between 0 degrees and 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal direction L, such as at least 5 degrees and up to 85 degrees, such as at least 15 degrees and up to 75 degrees. For example, the angle θ may be about 30 degrees (e.g., within a 1 degree tolerance), 45 degrees, or 60 degrees, to name a few. As will be appreciated, the angle θ can be customized for a particular purpose by modifying the position of each lateral portion 322 of the platen 300. This configuration is beneficial because only the platen 300 of the belt conveyor assembly 100 needs to be modified to accommodate different configurations of the conveying system including the belt conveyor assembly 100. In addition, the roller assembly 400 of the belt conveyor assembly 100 does not need to be modified to accommodate different configurations of the conveying system including the belt conveyor assembly 100. In this way, the roller assembly 400 can be mass-produced, which reduces manufacturing lead time and cost, and the same configuration of the roller assembly 400 can be used for various configurations of the conveying system including the belt conveyor assembly 100.

[0043] Reference now Figure 3 , provides a top view of a strip conveyor assembly 100 according to an example embodiment. In various examples, it may be desirable to modify the width of the working portion of the strip conveyor assembly 100. To modify the width of the working portion of the strip conveyor assembly 100, the roller assembly 400 may be removed from the strip conveyor assembly 100 or not installed on the strip conveyor assembly 100. In addition, the width of the deck 300 in the transverse direction T may be reduced to modify the width of the working portion of the strip conveyor assembly 100.

[0044] Reference now Figure 4 , according to an example embodiment, Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of a roller assembly 400 of a belt conveyor assembly 100. The roller assembly 400 may include a housing 410 and a roller 420. In addition, the roller assembly 400 may include a tensioning assembly 500 ( Figure 5 ), the tensioning assembly is coupled to the housing 410 and the roller 420, which will be discussed further. As will also be discussed further, the housing 410 may include an access hole 412 to access the tensioning assembly 500 of the adjacent roller assembly 400.

[0045] Reference now Figures 5 to 8 , provides a perspective bottom view of a roller assembly 400 according to an example embodiment. As discussed, the roller assembly 400 may include a tensioning assembly 500. The tensioning assembly 500 may include a first translatable member 510 ( Figure 5 ) and a second translatable member 520 ( Figure 5 and Figure 6 In various examples, the tensioning assembly 500 includes a shaft 530 ( Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Figure 8). The tensioning assembly 500 may include an insert 550 ( Figure 7 and Figure 8 ).

[0046] exist Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the view of FIG. 5 , various components of the tensioning assembly 500 have been hidden. More specifically, in FIG. Figure 6 In the figure, the first translatable member 510, the shaft 530 and the insert 550 have been hidden to increase the visibility of the second translatable member 520; Figure 7 , roller 420 and second translatable member 520 have been hidden to increase visibility of first translatable member 510; and Figure 8 , roller 420 , first translatable member 510 , and second translatable member 520 have been hidden to increase visibility of shaft 530 and insert 550 .

[0047] In various examples, the first translatable member 510 can be configured to translate in the transverse direction T. For example, the first translatable member 510 can be configured to translate along an axis defined by the shaft 530. The shaft 530 can include one or more external threads corresponding to the aperture 516 ( Figure 7 ) in the insert 550 ( Figure 8 ). Insert 550 may be positioned within aperture 516 of first translatable member 510 such that insert 550 abuts against a wall of aperture 516 and remains stationary relative to first translatable member 510. Due to the threads on insert 550 and on shaft 530, rotation of shaft 530 causes translation of insert 550 along shaft 530, which in turn causes translation of first translatable member 510 along shaft 530.

[0048] exist Figures 5 to 8 In the example of FIG. 5 , the tensioning assembly 500 includes an insert 550 that is inserted into the aperture 516 of the first translatable member 510. However, in various examples, the tensioning assembly 500 does not include the insert 550. Instead, the first translatable member 510 includes female threads on the inner surface of the through hole 518 that extends through the first translatable member 510 along the transverse direction T. Therefore, the rotation of the shaft 530 will directly cause the first translatable member 510 to translate in the transverse direction T.

[0049] As will be appreciated, it may be beneficial to incorporate the insert 550 into the first translatable member 510. For example, the insert may be fabricated from metal, while the first translatable member may be fabricated from a non-metallic material, such as plastic. In various examples, the insert 550 is a standard component, such as a hexagonal metal nut, such as a coupling nut, which is readily available at a relatively low cost. Moreover, metallic materials are generally more durable than non-metallic materials. However, when the insert 550 is incorporated into the tensioning assembly 500, the first translatable member 510 may be fabricated from plastic rather than metal, which may reduce the cost of the first translatable member.

[0050] If the insert 550 is not incorporated into the tensioning assembly 500, the first translatable member 510 may need to be manufactured from metal. Additionally, internal threads need to be incorporated into the through hole 518 of the first translatable member 510, which may increase the cost of manufacturing the first translatable member 510. Therefore, incorporating the insert 550 has various benefits.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, the second translatable member 520 can be positioned proximate to the first translatable member 510. The first translatable portion can include a first angled portion 512, and the second translatable member 520 can include a second angled portion 522. The first angled portion 512 of the first translatable member 510 can correspond to the second angled portion 522 of the second translatable member 520 such that they have similar angles (e.g., within a one degree tolerance) relative to a plane defined by the transverse direction T and the vertical direction V. In various examples, and as shown, the first translatable member 510 and the second translatable member 520 remain in contact with each other.

[0052] In various examples, the first angled portion 512 of the first translatable member 510 or the second angled portion 522 of the second translatable member 520 may include a slot 524 ( Figure 6 ), and the other of the first angled portion 512 of the first translatable member 510 or the second angled portion of the second translatable member 520 may include a corresponding feature 514 ( Figure 7 ).exist Figures 5 to 8 In the example of FIG. 5 , the second translatable member 520 includes a slot 524 and the first translatable member 510 includes a corresponding feature 514 .

[0053] In various examples, and as shown, the slot 524 and the corresponding feature 514 have a rectangular cross-sectional shape. However, in various examples, the slot 524 and the corresponding feature 514 may have other cross-sectional shapes, such as a T-shape or a dovetail shape. The slot 524 and the corresponding feature 514 may be configured to cooperate to prevent movement of the second translatable member 520 in the vertical direction V. In various examples, the housing 410 includes a wall extending in the vertical direction V that prevents movement of the second translatable member 520 in the transverse direction T.

[0054] First translatable member 510 and second translatable member 520 may be configured such that translation of first translatable member 510 in transverse direction T causes translation of second translatable member 520 in longitudinal direction L. For example, and as Figure 5 As shown, the first angled portion 512 of the first translatable member 510 and the second angled portion 522 of the second translatable member 520 are angled such that movement of the first translatable member 510 in the transverse direction T causes a force to be exerted on the second translatable member 520 that is orthogonal to the first angled portion 512 of the first translatable member 510. Thus, the force on the second translatable member 520 includes a transverse component and a longitudinal component. However, because the movement of the second translatable member 520 is limited by the wall of the housing 410 of the roller assembly 400, either directly or indirectly through various other components, the second translatable member 520 translates only in the longitudinal direction L.

[0055] The roller 420 of the roller assembly 400 can be rotatably coupled to the second translatable member 520 of the tensioning assembly 500. For example, the roller 420 of the roller assembly 400 can include one or more spherical bearings to allow the roller 420 to rotate relative to a roller shaft 422 that extends through the roller 420 and the second translatable member 520 of the tensioning assembly 500. The roller shaft 422 can also extend through and be slidably coupled to the housing 410 of the roller assembly 400 to allow movement of the roller 420 and the tensioning assembly 500 relative to the housing 410 in the longitudinal direction L. For example, the housing 410 can include a slot 414 extending generally in the longitudinal direction L, with the roller shaft 422 positioned within the slot and allowed to move within the slot.

[0056] As previously described, the housing 410 may include an access hole 412. The access hole 412 may be used to access the shaft 530 of the tensioning assembly 500 of an adjacent roller assembly 400. Incorporating the access hole 412 may be beneficial because adjustment of the tensioning assembly 500 of the belt conveyor assembly 100 may be accomplished without removing any roller assembly 400 from the belt conveyor assembly 100.

[0057] Reference now Fig. 9 and Fig.10, a bottom view of a roller assembly 400 is provided according to an example embodiment. Fig. 9 The tensioning assembly 500 of the roller assembly 400 is shown in a minimum tension mode, and Fig.10 The tensioning assembly 500 of the roller assembly 400 is shown in a maximum tension mode. Although only the minimum tension mode and the maximum tension mode will be described, it should be understood that the tensioning assembly 500 can be in other modes or positions between the minimum tension mode and the maximum tension mode.

[0058] In operation, the tensioning assembly 500 can be moved from a minimum tension mode to a maximum tension mode, and vice versa, by rotating the shaft 530. For example, rotating the shaft 530 in a first circumferential direction can cause the first translatable member 510 to move upward in the transverse direction T (relative to the page). As discussed, moving the first translatable member 510 upward in the transverse direction T (relative to the page) causes the second translatable member 520 to move upward in the longitudinal direction L relative to the platen 300 ( Figure 2 Because roller 420 is directly or indirectly coupled to second translatable member 520, roller 420 may also translate outward and away from platen 300 in longitudinal direction L. Because belt 200 of roller assembly 400 is looped around roller assembly 400 and platen 300, translating roller 420 outward and away from platen 300 increases tension on belt 200.

[0059] To reduce tension on belt 200, shaft 530 may be rotated in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction. Rotating shaft 530 in the second circumferential direction causes first translatable member 510 to move downwardly (relative to the page) in transverse direction T. As discussed, moving first translatable member 510 downwardly in transverse direction T causes second translatable member 520 to translate inwardly in longitudinal direction L and toward platen 300. Because roller 420 is directly or indirectly coupled to second translatable member 520, roller 420 may also translate inwardly in longitudinal direction L toward platen 300.

[0060] Once the belt 200 has the desired tension, an anti-rotation device (not shown) may be used to prevent rotation of the shaft 530, which may also maintain the positions of the first translatable member 510, the second translatable member 520, and the roller 420 at the desired positions. For example, an anti-rotation device (such as one or more internally toothed lock washers, retaining lock nuts, serrated flange lock nuts, toothed nuts, plain nuts, lock nuts, split lock washers, nylon lock nuts, and / or top lock nuts) may be used to prevent rotation of the shaft 530. Additionally or alternatively, a split pin or safety wire may be used to prevent rotation of the shaft 530.

[0061] The strip conveyor assembly 100 of the present disclosure has various benefits. For example, the engineering tolerances and manufacturing tolerances of the multiple belts 200 of the strip conveyor assembly 100 may not be as strict as those of the belts of the conventional strip conveyor assembly. In the conventional strip conveyor assembly, a single tensioning mechanism is provided to uniformly adjust the tension of all the belts of the strip conveyor assembly. However, as will be understood, this conventional configuration requires very strict manufacturing tolerances and engineering tolerances of the belts to prevent the tension of some belts from being too loose or too tight, which is undesirable. The strip conveyor assembly 100 of the present disclosure solves this problem by allowing the tension of each belt in the belt 200 of the strip conveyor assembly 100 to be adjusted individually. In this way, the manufacturing tolerances and engineering tolerances of the belts 200 do not have to be so strict, which can reduce the cost and manufacturing lead time of the belt. In addition, even if the belts of the conventional strip conveyor assembly may be tight, the length of each belt of the conventional strip conveyor assembly may still vary. Therefore, it may be necessary to tighten all the belts with a single tensioning mechanism so that the longest belt is tight enough. This can cause the shorter belts to be too tight, which can reduce their durability and the durability of the rollers that move the belts. The belt conveyor assembly 100 of the present disclosure solves this problem by allowing the tension of each of the belts 200 of the belt conveyor assembly 100 to be adjusted individually. Adjusting the tension of each of the belts 200 to the appropriate tension can increase the durability of the belts and the rollers 310, 420 on which they rotate. Increasing the durability of the belts can reduce the frequency with which the belts need to be replaced, which reduces material and labor costs and costs associated with downtime of the belt conveyor assembly 100.

[0062] Furthermore, in the event that a belt of a conventional belt conveyor assembly needs to be replaced, all of the belts of the assembly will need to be de-tensioned by a single tensioning mechanism before the belt can be removed and replaced. De-tensioning all of the belts to replace a single belt may result in additional downtime. The belt conveyor assembly 100 of the present disclosure solves this problem by allowing a single belt 200 to be replaced without de-tensioning the other belts 200 of the belt conveyor assembly 100. The ability to replace a single belt 200 without adjusting the tension of the other belts 200 can reduce downtime associated with replacing a single belt 200.

[0063] in conclusion

[0064] The above description of various embodiments disclosed in the subject matter and the corresponding drawings and the contents described in the abstract of the specification are described herein for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the disclosed precise forms. It should be understood that it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments with modifications, substitutions, combinations and additions can be implemented to perform the same, similar, alternative or substituted functions of the disclosed subject matter, and are therefore considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but should be interpreted according to the breadth and scope of the following appended claims. In addition, although the previous description and the related drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions can be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, as can be set forth in some appended claims, it is also conceivable to combine elements and / or functions that are different from those explicitly described above. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used only in a general and descriptive sense, not for restrictive purposes.

Claims

1. A belt conveyor assembly defining a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, the belt conveyor assembly comprising: a deck having a stepped portion, the stepped portion comprising a plurality of lateral portions, each of the plurality of lateral portions being positioned at a different position along the longitudinal direction; and A plurality of roller assemblies, each roller assembly of the plurality of roller assemblies is positioned proximate to a corresponding lateral portion of the plurality of lateral portions.

2. The belt conveyor assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of belts each extending around a corresponding roller assembly and the deck.

3. The belt conveyor assembly of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal length of each roller assembly in the plurality of roller assemblies is approximately equal.

4. The belt conveyor assembly of claim 1, wherein each roller assembly of the plurality of roller assemblies comprises a roller and a tensioning assembly configured to translate the roller in the longitudinal direction.

5. A belt conveyor assembly defining a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, the belt conveyor assembly comprising: A plurality of roller assemblies, each roller assembly of the plurality of roller assemblies comprising: A tensioning assembly and a roller rotatably coupled to the tensioning assembly, wherein the tensioning assembly comprises: a first translatable member configured to translate in the lateral direction; and a second translatable member configured to translate in the longitudinal direction, Wherein the tensioning assembly is configured such that translation of the first translatable member in the transverse direction causes translation of the second translatable member in the longitudinal direction.

6. The belt conveyor assembly of claim 5, wherein the roller is rotatably coupled to the second translatable member such that translation of the second translatable member in the longitudinal direction causes translation of the roller in the longitudinal direction.

7. The belt conveyor assembly of claim 5, wherein one of the first translatable member or the second translatable member includes a slot, wherein the other of the first translatable member or the second translatable member includes a corresponding feature positioned within the slot.

8. The belt conveyor assembly of claim 5, wherein the first translatable member is configured to translate along a threaded shaft, wherein the threaded shaft is configured to translate the first translatable member in the lateral direction when the threaded shaft is rotated.

9. The belt conveyor assembly of claim 8, further comprising an anti-rotation device configured to prevent rotation of the threaded shaft.

10. The belt conveyor assembly of claim 8, further comprising an insert having one or more female threads, wherein the threaded shaft is positioned within the insert.

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