Conveyor belt tracking device and system

Abstract

The invention discloses a conveyor belt tracking device which is used for promoting a staggered-rail conveyor belt to return to a correct advancing path. The apparatus includes a rotatable pulley for engaging the conveyor belt and a support assembly configured to operably mount the pulley in engagement with the conveyor belt. In some forms, the apparatus includes a sensor mounted for rotation with the pulley, the sensor configured to detect a position of a portion of the conveyor belt. The device may include an actuator mounted in the pulley interior space. An actuator moves the end portion of the pulley generally upstream or downstream with respect to a belt travel direction of the conveyor belt to urge the conveyor belt back to the correct travel path in response to a detected position of the conveyor belt portion indicating that the conveyor belt is misplaced.

Description

Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 574,037, filed April 3, 2024, entitled “CONVEYOR BELT TRACKING DEVICE AND SYSTEM,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to tracking devices and methods for tracking a conveyor belt. BACKGROUND

[0003] The rollers of a conveyor belt are arranged so that the conveyor belt travels thereon in a downstream belt travel direction and path. However, due to uneven loading of the belt, or for other reasons, the conveyor belt can tend to bend or mis-track laterally to one side or the other of the rollers. Mis-tracking can damage the conveyor belt and the conveyor belt structure, and in some cases can also result in inaccurate positioning, or spillage of the material or product carried by the conveyor belt. In addition, the positioning of the material being transported can require precise belt tracking, particularly when the material being transported is being processed on the conveyor belt. Some conveyor belt tracking devices have been developed that are capable of reacting to belt mis-tracking in an attempt to redirect the belt back onto the correct travel path centered about the conveyor rollers.

[0004] Belt tracking devices can be powered or unpowered. Some unpowered belt tracking devices are driven by the conveyor belt to change its direction, such as by friction, gravity, or a belt edge roller. Powered belt tracking devices rely on one or more actuators to change its direction, such as pneumatic or electric linear actuators. Powered belt trackers are typically used on conveyor belts that are relatively difficult to track. Such conveyor belts can be relatively short and / or relatively wide, or can be subject to uneven or inconsistent loading, such as lateral side loading due to loading or unloading of material from the lateral sides of the belt rather than along the longitudinal travel direction of the belt. In addition, for applications where the position of the belt or product thereon requires precise positioning, a powered belt tracker can be used.

[0005] Powered belt trackers typically rely on a belt edge sensor (such as a contact or non-contact sensor) located downstream of the belt tracker to determine the position of the belt relative to a known location, such as the belt tracker itself. Contact sensors directly contact the belt edge, which can be pneumatic or electric. Non-contact sensors are typically mounted close to the belt edge downstream of the tracker, but do not contact the belt itself, but rather sense the position of the belt edge. These sensors include photocells, capacitive sensors, pneumatic sensors, and acoustic sensors. If the sensor senses that the belt is deviated from the desired position, it will prompt the linear actuator to pivot the pulley into the correct position for correction.

[0006] Known powered belt trackers have several disadvantages. For example, known powered belt trackers typically require many components in addition to the tracking pulley itself, such as actuators, linear guides, sensors, pneumatic units, and controllers. In addition to the mounting features and supports required for the pulley, these additional components require their own mounting features and supports so that the components can be mounted on or around the conveyor belt structure. Furthermore, these additional components require electrical and pneumatic tubing to be installed between them. All of this requires additional space and installation effort to install the components. In many cases, retrofitting such a powered belt tracker on an existing conveyor belt can be difficult.

[0007] Belt trackers with separate actuators, sensors, and controllers (including electrical and / or pneumatic tubing between them) can become contaminated or clogged, for example, by the material being transported by the belt. If the belt edge sensors become heavily contaminated, the belt tracker will not function properly. The various components are difficult to keep clean and are therefore not suitable for sanitary applications such as food production. Furthermore, many powered belt trackers, including belt sensors located downstream of the pulley, are not suitable for reversible conveyor belts (i.e., conveyor belts that can run in opposite directions of travel). SUMMARY

[0008] A belt tracking device is described herein for facilitating the return of a misrouted conveyor belt to the correct path of travel. Both the device and the method utilize upstream or downstream movement of the end of the tracker pulley to guide or steer the belt back to its correct path of travel. The device is preferably bidirectional so as to be used with conveyor belts that can run in opposite directions of travel. In one form, the control electronics for sensing belt properties (e.g., belt position) and for controlling the actuators are mounted integrated with the pulley, and the actuators are mounted to extend within the interior space of the pulley, thereby making the belt tracker more sanitary, thereby allowing for simplified cleaning and maintenance and simplified installation. Furthermore, since the belt position sensors are integrated with the pulley and the actuators are mounted within the pulley, these components can advantageously be protected from the environment, debris, or other foreign matter, thereby providing greater reliability and performance. The integration of the belt position sensors and control electronics within and mounted within the pulley also enables the belt tracker to more accurately detect and determine information about the position, motion, and tracking of the conveyor belt, as well as characteristics of the conveyor belt tracker itself and its installation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a belt tracking device according to the present invention, showing a motion translator of a movable end of the belt tracking device.

[0010] Figure 2 is Figure 1A perspective view of the center belt tracking assembly showing the pivot support assemblies at opposite ends of the belt tracking assembly about which the pulleys of the belt tracking assembly can rotate.

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A plan view of a belt tracking device showing the pulley in its neutral position, extending transversely to the direction of belt travel. The outer pulley cladding is removed from the outer surface of the pulley to expose a belt position sensor assembly located on the outer surface of the pulley tubular body at the movable end of the pulley.

[0012] Figure 4A yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a belt tracker showing the pulley cladding with half of the pulley removed so that the internal components of the belt tracker can be seen, including the actuator assembly (including the transmission), a rotatable support shaft connected to the transmission, control electronics, and a roller bearing assembly for rotatably supporting the pulley.

[0013] Figure 4B yes Figure 1 Exploded perspective view of a pivot support assembly with tracking device.

[0014] Figure 5A yes Figure 1 A perspective cross-sectional view of a belt tracking device, through a vertical plane defined by the pulley longitudinal axis L and the pivot axis P, showing the support assembly and other internal components of the belt tracker within the pulley.

[0015] Figure 5B yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the pivot end of a belt tracking device showing the fixed support shaft pivotally received in the pivot support member.

[0016] Figure 5C yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the central portion of a belt tracking device showing the actuator assembly connected to the inner ends of the rotatable support shaft and the stationary support shaft.

[0017] Figure 6A yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the movable end of a mid-belt tracking device with the pulleys removed to show the rotatable and partially rotatable portions of the control electronics and the motion converter for converting rotational motion of the rotatable support shaft into generally upstream and downstream motion of the movable end of the device.

[0018] Figure 6B yes Figure 1is an exploded perspective view of the movable end of the belt tracking apparatus with the pulley and motion translator removed to show the rotatable support shaft, fully rotatable and partially rotatable portions of the control electronics, end plate assembly, and belt position sensor assembly.

[0019] Figures 7A to 7C are plan views of the belt position sensor assembly, one fully rotatable portion of the control electronics PCB, and another partially rotatable portion of the control electronics PCB, respectively.

[0020] Figure 7D is Figure 7A is an exploded perspective view of the belt position sensor assembly of

[0021] Figure 8 is Figure 1 is a block diagram of the control system of the belt tracking assembly of

[0022] Figure 9 is Figure 1 is a perspective view of the motion translator of the belt tracking apparatus in an unshifting position or neutral position.

[0023] Figure 10 is Figure 9 is a side view of the motion translator of Figure 3 in a first movement orientation corresponding to rearward or upstream movement of the movable end of the belt tracking apparatus relative to the direction of belt travel shown in

[0024] Figure 11 is Figure 9 is a side view of the motion translator of Figure 3 in a second movement orientation corresponding to forward or downstream movement of the movable end of the belt tracking apparatus relative to the direction of belt travel shown in

[0025] Figure 12 is Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the motion translator of the belt tracking apparatus.

[0026] Figure 13 is a partial exploded perspective view of an alternative motion translator for converting rotational motion of an internal actuator to upstream and downstream movement of the movable end of the belt tracking apparatus.

[0027] Figure 14 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the belt tracking apparatus showing the movable end portion of the apparatus moved in a downstream direction relative to the direction of belt travel such that the pulley extends non-orthogonally or obliquely to the direction of belt travel in the lateral and side directions for guiding the belt away from the movable end.

[0028] Figure 15 isFigure 14 Plan view of the belt tracking device of Fig. 1 showing the movable end of the device being moved in an upstream direction relative to the direction of belt travel such that the pulley extends non-orthogonally or obliquely to the direction of belt travel in both the transverse and lateral directions for guiding the misaligned belt back toward the movable end.

[0029] Figure 16 Schematic side view of the conveyor belt system of Fig. 1 showing Figure 1 Possible mounting position of the belt tracking device of Fig. 1 along the return run portion of the conveyor belt proximate to the return pulley.

[0030] Figure 17 Schematic side view of the return pulley of the conveyor belt system of Fig. 1 including the adjacent belt tracking device showing the mounting orientation of the belt tracking device and the belt wrap contacting the pulley of the belt tracking device. Figure 16

[0031] Figure 18 Graphical representation of the signals output from the belt position sensor where the upper row of pulses represents the position of the belt relative to the belt position sensor as the sensor rotates with the pulley.

[0032] Figure 19 Perspective view of an alternative belt tracking device according to the present invention showing the lever form motion translator located at the movable end of the belt tracking device.

[0033] Figure 20 Perspective view of the belt tracking device of Fig. 1 with the cladding removed to show the sensor assembly located at the pivot end of the belt tracking device and also showing the support assembly in the form of a leaf spring support assembly located at the end about which the pulley of the belt tracking device can pivot. Figure 19

[0034] Perspective view of the belt tracking device of Fig. 1 with the pulley removed so that the internal components of the belt tracker can be seen including the actuator assembly with transmission, the rotatable support shaft connected to the transmission and the roller bearing assembly for rotatably supporting the pulley. Figure 21 Figure 19 Perspective cross-sectional view of the belt tracking device of Fig. 1 showing the support assembly, actuator assembly and other internal components of the belt tracker within the pulley through a vertical plane.

[0035] Figure 22 Figure 19 Perspective view of the belt tracking device of Fig. 1 with the cladding removed to show the sensor assembly located at the pivot end of the belt tracking device and also showing the support assembly in the form of a leaf spring support assembly located at the end about which the pulley of the belt tracking device can pivot.

[0036] Figure 23 Perspective view of the belt tracking device of Fig. 1 with the cladding removed to show the sensor assembly located at the pivot end of the belt tracking device and also showing the support assembly in the form of a leaf spring support assembly located at the end about which the pulley of the belt tracking device can pivot. Figure 19 ​​​is a perspective view of an actuator, fixed support shaft, position sensor, end cap assembly configured to mount a rotatable portion of a control electronics PCB, and leaf spring support assembly of a belt tracking device, wherein the position sensor includes a magnetic field interface integrated circuit PCB and a target member that moves with the transmission device over a predetermined range of rotational displacement.

[0037] Figure 24 is a schematic side view of a movable end portion of a belt tracking device including a lever, showing an arcuate path of travel of the movable end portion when moved in generally upstream and downstream directions relative to a belt travel direction, including its forward and rearward components and a vertical component.

[0038] Figure 25 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative belt position sensor assembly, showing multiple layers of a PCB body of the sensor assembly, including a conductive border extending around a capacitive sensor electrode for providing electrostatic charge protection.

[0039] Figure 26 is Figure 25 a plan view of a belt position sensor assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 to 18 , a belt tracking device 100 is disclosed that is adapted for use with an endless conveyor belt system 30 that is positioned in contact with its conveyor belt 10 to track the belt 10 along a generally longitudinal belt travel path or direction 12, the centerline 14 of the correct belt travel path 12 being indicated in Figure 3 . Accordingly, the belt tracking device 100 is configured to correct for lateral misalignment of the centerline 13 of the belt 10 relative to the correct belt travel path centerline 14. The belt tracking device 100 includes a rotatable pulley 102 having opposing end portions, including a movable end portion 104 configured to move generally upstream and downstream or forward and rearward in fore-aft directions 24, 25 relative to the belt travel direction 12, as shown in Figure 14 and Figure 15 , and a pivot end portion 106 that is located proximate to a pivot support member 120 about which the pivot end portion 106 pivots. As used herein, the terms “laterally outward”, “laterally outwardly”, and “outwardly” generally refer to away from a geometric center of the pulley 102 (located at the pivot support member 120), as shown in Figure 31 and the transverse direction 26) or are located further from the geometric center of the pulley 102 relative to one end or the other end of the pulley 102 in the transverse direction 26. The terms "transversely inward," "transversely inward," and "interior" generally refer to components or portions that are toward the geometric center of the pulley 102 or are located closer to the geometric center of the pulley 102 in the transverse direction 26 relative to one end or the other end of the pulley 102.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 5C As shown, the belt tracking device 100 has a pulley assembly 108 including a pulley 102 having a body 102A and an optional pulley cover 103, the pulley 102 being mounted to a support assembly 110 for rotation about a pulley longitudinal axis L. The pulley body 102A is tubular, having a generally annular or cylindrical structure, and may include the pulley cover 103 attached to a belt-facing surface 105 of the pulley body 102A for engagement with the surface of the conveyor belt 10. The pulley body 102A may be made of an insulating and radiolucent material, such as fiberglass, to allow proper operation of a conveyor belt position sensor assembly 170 attached to (so as to be integrated with) the pulley body 102A and to allow wireless communication with control circuitry 202 within the pulley, as will be further described below.

[0042] The cladding 103 can be made of a polymer material such as rubber or polyurethane to create sufficient friction with the belt 10 to enable manipulation of the belt through the pulley 102. When mounted on the belt-facing surface 105 of the pulley body 102A, the cladding 103 can also physically protect the belt position sensor assembly 170, allowing the belt sensor assembly 170 to be integrated into or with the annular wall or wall assembly 102B of the pulley 102. Furthermore, the cladding material can include additives or other components to increase the conductivity of the cladding 103 so that any static charge generated on the pulley 102 can be dissipated or directed away from the pulley assembly 108 (including its control circuitry 202). Furthermore, the pulley body 102A and / or the cladding 103 thereon can include a conductor operably connected to a portion of the conveyor system frame structure to provide a conductive path to ground to dissipate any static charge, thereby protecting the belt position sensor assembly 170 and the control circuitry 202. For example, self-adhesive metallic tape may be applied to the belt-facing surface 105 of the pulley body 102A proximate the belt position sensor assembly 170 and extended to either end 104, 106 of the pulley 102 and into contact with the end plates 175A, 175B of the support assembly 110 mounted in the opposing end openings 107A, 107B of the pulley body 102A.

[0043] The support assembly 110 of the pulley assembly 108 is configured to operably mount the pulley 102 to the conveyor system frame structure with the pulley 102 extending transversely relative to the belt travel direction 12 of the conveyor belt 10 and in contact with the return run portion 16 of the conveyor belt 10, e.g., adjacent to Figure 16 and Figure 17 the return rollers 18 shown in FIGS. 1-3. In this regard, the pulley 102 generally extends across the conveyor belt 10 in a transverse or lateral direction 26. The support assembly 110 is further configured to allow the pulley 102 to move relative to the conveyor belt 10 when the belt 10 is misrouted, from a neutral position in which the longitudinal rotational axis L of the pulley 102 extends in the transverse direction 26 perpendicular to the belt travel direction 12, to an inclined, non-perpendicular orientation of the longitudinal axis L of the pulley relative to the belt travel direction 12, such that the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 is located more downstream Figure 3 or more upstream Figure 14 than its opposite pivoting end 106, for guiding the belt 10 back to the correct travel path. Figure 15

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the support assembly 110 includes a support shaft 112 which is referred to as fixed in that it cannot rotate about its longitudinal axis. The fixed support shaft 112 extends generally in the transverse direction 26 from the pivoting end 106 of the pulley assembly 108. The support assembly 110 further includes a rotatable support shaft 114 which extends generally in the transverse direction 26 from the opposite movable end 104 of the pulley assembly 108. At the same time, the shafts 112, 114 support the pulley 102 for rotation about it relative to a fixed conveyor system support frame or other external support structure (not shown) via roller bearing assemblies 116A-C mounted on the support shafts 112, 114. Figure 5A

[0045] In particular, one roller bearing assembly 116A is mounted about the fixed support shaft 112 to extend thereabout at the pivoting end 106 of the pulley 102 between opposite ends 112A and 112B of the shaft 112. Roller bearing assemblies 116B and 116C are also mounted about the rotatable support shaft 114 to extend thereabout near either end 114A and 114B. The outer roller bearing assemblies 116A and 116C are part of end cap assemblies 183A, 183C, each of which is located in an inner end opening 107A, 107B of the pulley body 102A so as to be rotatable with the pulley body 102A and will be described in further detail below. The intermediate bearing assembly 116B is part of an intermediate rotatable support assembly 183B of similar configuration.

[0046] ​​The end cap assemblies 183A and 183C each include an end plate 175A, 175B, a roller bearing assembly 116A, 116C, an O-ring 182, and an annular compression member 180. The end cap assemblies 183A, 183C are operable to allow the pulley 102 to rotate about the rotatable support shaft 114 and the fixed support shaft 112, as well as to cover and seal the interior end openings 107A, 107B of the pulley body 102A, thereby inhibiting foreign matter (such as liquid, dust, or debris) from entering the pulley interior space 109 and protecting the internal components within the pulley assembly 108. The end cap assembly 183A will now be described for reference, and the description is similarly applicable to the end cap assembly 183C and the intermediate support assembly 183B. Figure 6A and 6B As shown, the outer ring of the outer roller bearing assembly 116C is mounted in an annular opening 173A of the end plate 175A in a friction fit manner. The annular compression member 180 includes a flange portion 180C of larger diameter, which extends radially from a sleeve portion 180D having a relatively smaller diameter and extending laterally outward. The annular compression member 180 is fixed to the inner side of the end plate 175A via the flange portion 180C by a plurality of threaded screws 181, which are received in corresponding threaded openings 180A provided around the body of the flange portion 180C. The sleeve portion 180D of the annular compression member 180 is received in a corresponding sleeve portion 185 of the end plate 175A, which has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sleeve portion 180D. The lip portion 186 extends radially outward from the laterally outer end of the sleeve portion 185 and, except for its flat top and bottom portions 187, 188 (as shown in FIG. Figure 4B The lip portion 186 extends substantially completely around the periphery of the end plate 175A, except as shown relative to the end plate 175B. The lip portion 186 abuts against the end of the pulley body 102A, as shown in FIG. Figure 4A As shown relative to end plate 175B. Figure 5A 、 Figure 6A and Figure 6B As shown, an O-ring 182 made of an elastic material extends around the periphery of the end cap assembly 183A and elastically engages the inner surface 111 of the pulley body 102A to secure the end cap assembly 183A to the pulley body 102A and form a seal therebetween. The O-ring 182 is compressed between the corresponding annular surfaces 184 and 180B of the end plate 175A and the annular compression member 180, respectively. Figure 5C As shown, intermediate rotatable support assembly 183B is configured similarly to end cap assemblies 183A and 183C and is formed by intermediate bearing assembly 116B, annular compression member 180 , intermediate plate member 175C, and O-ring 182 .

[0047] like Figures 4A to 5BAs shown, one end 112B of the fixed support shaft 112 is located in the interior space 109 of the annular or cylindrical pulley body 102A, while its other outwardly projecting end 112A is connected to a pivotal support member 120 via a pair of aligned fasteners, such as a pin or fixed screw 118 and a corresponding nut 119, such that the fixed support shaft 112 is pivotable about a generally vertical pivot axis P that extends normal to the pulley longitudinal axis L and is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the fixed screw 118. The pivotal support member 120 includes a central through hole 121 that extends sufficiently in the lateral direction 26 and is elongated in the anterior-posterior direction 24, 25 for receiving the lateral outer end 112A of the fixed support shaft 112, such that the fixed support shaft 112 has clearance to pivot therein about the pivot axis P. The fixed screw 118 is received in a corresponding vertically aligned and threadingly vertically extending through hole 120B, 120C formed in the upper and lower portions of a generally cylindrical collar portion 120D of the pivotal support member 120 that extends laterally inward from the flange body 120A and about the central through hole 121 for receiving the shaft end 112A therein. The fixed support shaft 112 includes vertically upper and lower flats 112C, 112D with a tapered recess 112E formed therein for receiving the tapered tip of the fixed screw 118. The tapered recess 112E forms a sliding interface with the tapered tip of the fixed screw 118, such that the fixed support shaft 112 is pivotable about the pivot axis P. The central opening 121 of the pivotal support member 120 includes corresponding upper and lower flats 121A, 121B that allow the support shaft 112 to pivot therein and also limit rotational movement of the fixed support shaft 112 about its longitudinal axis. The pivotal support member 120 has a flange body 120A extending from the generally cylindrical collar portion 120D in the anterior-posterior direction 24, 25 that has through holes for receiving fasteners to secure the pivotal support member 120 to the conveyor support frame structure.

[0048] As Figure 4A and Figures 5A to 5CAs shown, the belt tracking device 100 includes an internal actuator 124 mounted for extension in the interior space 109 of the pulley body 102A for moving the position of the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 in the generally fore-aft directions 24, 25 (i.e., in the generally upstream and downstream directions relative to the direction of belt travel 12) relative to the conveyor belt 10. In one form, the actuator 124 is an electric motor, such as a DC stepper motor. The electric motor 124 is mounted at the pivot end 106 for extension into the pulley body 102A and is oriented so that its drive shaft 124A is aligned with the longitudinal axis L of the pulley 102 and extends toward the movable end 104 of the pulley 102. The drive shaft 124A of the electric motor 124 is fixedly received in an input shaft 126A of a transmission 126. The transmission 126 can take any known form and its internal components are not shown for clarity. In one form, the transmission 126 is a planetary gear transmission 126 operable to increase the torque output of the electric motor 124 and reduce the speed of the electric motor output, such as in a 50: 1 ratio, although other gear ratios are contemplated. An output shaft 140 of the transmission 126 is received in a bore 114C at the end 114B of the rotatable support shaft 114 and is fixed relative to the rotatable support shaft 114 against rotation so that the rotatable support shaft 114 rotates about its longitudinal axis in either rotational direction.

[0049] In other embodiments, the actuator 124 can be positioned external to the pulley assembly 108. In such a form, the actuator 124 can be an electric motor and transmission mounted adjacent the pivot end 106 and connected to a rotatable support shaft that extends transversely through the pulley 102 and drives the motion translator 122 proximate the movable end 104 of the pulley 102. Alternatively, a pneumatic or electric linear actuator can be mounted external to the pulley assembly 108 adjacent the movable end 104 for moving the movable end of the pulley 102 about the pivot end 106 in the fore-aft directions 24, 25 upstream or downstream relative to the conveyor belt 10.

[0050] The electric motor 124 and transmission 126 form part of an actuator assembly 128 that interconnects the inner end 112B of the fixed support shaft 112 with an internal input end 114B of the rotatable support shaft 114 that is located inward of the interior space 109 of the annular or cylindrical body 102A of the pulley 102. The actuator assembly 128, together with the support shafts 112, 114, the pivot support member 120 and the motion translator 122, supports the pulley 102 and forms part of the support assembly 110.

[0051] As Figures 5A to 5CAs shown, the actuator assembly 128 has a housing 129 that includes opposing circular end plates 130, 132 connected via four elongated support rods or bolts 136 extending therebetween. A cylindrical support tube 138 of the housing 129 extends around the elongated support rods 136 and is held in place via compression between the opposing circular end plates 130, 132 to increase the rigidity of the housing 129 of the actuator assembly 128. The inner end 112B of the fixed support shaft 112 is secured to the end plate 130 at a laterally outward facing surface 130A via fasteners that pass through counter sunk through holes 130B in the circular end plate 130 and are received in corresponding longitudinally extending blind holes 112F in the end portion 112A of the fixed support shaft 112. Threaded ends 136A of the elongated support rods 136 are received in corresponding threaded holes 130C spaced around the periphery of the end plate 130. Bolt head ends 136B of the elongated support rods 136 are received in corresponding counter sunk through holes 132A formed in the opposing end plate 132.

[0052] The output end of the transmission 126 housing includes a mounting plate or flange 126B that is secured to the pivot facing inner side of the end plate 132 via a plurality of fasteners such that the transmission 126 and motor 124 connected thereto are cantilevered supported on the end plate 132. An output shaft 140 of the transmission 126 extends through a central hole in the end plate 132 in a clearance manner and is fixedly received in a hole 114C of the inner end 114B of the rotatable support shaft 114. As Figure 5C shown, the output shaft 140 and the inner surface of the hole 114C include corresponding recesses or keyways 140A, 114D for receiving a mating key 141 therein to provide a splined connection therebetween to rotatably secure the output shaft 140 to the rotatable support shaft 114. In this manner, the actuator assembly 128 extends between and interconnects the inner ends 114B, 112A of the shafts 114, 112 to provide a load path between the shafts 114, 112 for supporting the pulley assembly 108 for rotation thereabout.

[0053] A rotatable support shaft 114 extends laterally outward from the pulley interior space 109 beyond the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 for supporting the movable end 104 relative to the conveyance system support frame. The rotatable support shaft member 114 is rotatable in a limited manner by an actuator 124, for example 30 degrees in either rotational direction about its longitudinal axis that is aligned with the pulley longitudinal axis L. Other ranges of motion are possible, for example up to 180 degrees in either rotational direction, depending on the amount of rotation needed to move the movable end 104 generally upstream or downstream. The rotatable support shaft 114 is connected to the conveyance system support frame via a movable link, for example a motion converter 122 near the movable end 104, to allow the pulley 102 to move generally in the fore-aft direction 24, 25 (i.e., generally upstream and downstream relative to the belt travel direction 12) about a pivot axis P of a pivot support member 120. More specifically, because the pulley 102 pivots on an arcuate path to move in the fore-aft direction 24, 25, this upstream and downstream motion of the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 is a compound motion that also includes a lateral motion component in the lateral direction 26. In other forms, however, the pulley assembly 108 can be supported by different forms of movable and / or pivotal links at either end 104, 106 thereof such that the movable end 104 can be configured to move along a linear path or a path having linear and arcuate segments.

[0054] The motion converter 122 is part of the belt tracker support assembly 110 and supports the movable end 104 of the pulley assembly 108 via mounting to the conveyance system support structure. In one form, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 、 Figure 5A 、 Figure 6A and Figures 9 to 12 In one form, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the motion converter 122 is a pivot link mechanism configured to convert rotation of the rotatable support shaft 114 to generally upstream or downstream motion of the movable end 104 of the pulley 102.

[0055] Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which shows a schematic view of the pulley assembly 108 in a first position in which the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 is positioned generally upstream of the belt 10. In this position, the rotatable support shaft 114 is in a first rotational position, and the pulley 102 is in a first position in which the movable end 104 is positioned generally upstream of the belt 10. The motion converter 122 is in a first position in which the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 is positioned generally upstream of the belt 10. Figures 9 to 12The motion converter 122 includes forward and rearward upper movable pivots 160, 162 that are pivotable about the pivots so that the movable pivots 160, 162 can move forward and rearward along the forward and rearward directions 24, 25 while pivoting about the forward and rearward lower fixed pivots 164, 166. The motion converter 122 includes a rotatable or pivotable input member 142 that includes a through hole 143 that is sized to receive the lateral outer end portion 114A of the rotatable support shaft 114. The rotatable support shaft 114 is secured within the opening 143 with appropriate fasteners, such as set screws, to prevent rotation so that rotation of the rotatable support shaft 114 causes corresponding rotation of the rotatable input member 142.

[0056] The forward and rearward movable pivots 160, 162 are formed in part by a pair of spaced apart upper cylindrical bosses 144 that extend from the lateral outer side of the rotatable input member 142 above the opening 143, and a pair of bearings 145A, 145B are mounted on the upper cylindrical bosses. The bearings 145A-D can be radial spherical plain bearings that allow rotational motion of the rotatable input member 142 and the rotatable support shaft 114 about the longitudinal axis L, as well as rotational motion of the rotatable support shaft 114 and the rotatable input member 142 in either direction about the pivot P within a limited range of rotational motion, thereby enabling movement of the movable end portion 104. Thus, the spherical plain bearings 145A-D allow the rotatable support shaft 114 to move in the forward and rearward directions 24, 25 as well as the lateral direction 26. Depending on the length of the pulley 102, the range of motion of the movable end portion 104 will vary. In one form, the movable end portion 104 is configured to rotate about the pivot axis P in either direction about 1 inch, and the pulley 102 has a length between its opposite ends of about 16 inches.

[0057] The forward bearing 145A is received in a corresponding upper through hole 146 of a forward link 148, while the rearward bearing 145B is received in a similarly shaped upper through hole 147 of a rearward link 149, as shown in Figure 9 and Figure 12 The upper through holes 146, 147 have arcuate or spherical surfaces to match the arcuate or spherical outer races of the bearings 145A, 145B. The forward link 148 and the rearward link 149 are each generally triangular plate-like link members that include a recessed arcuate facing edge portion 148A, 149A that provides clearance for one of the upper portions of the forward link 148 and the rearward link 149 to pivot about the lower fixed pivot 164, 166 toward the other pivot, as shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11as shown.

[0058] Referring Figure 9 and Figure 12 The upper end plate 152 is mounted on the laterally outward facing surfaces of the front and rear linkages 148, 149 via fasteners 153 that extend through lower holes 152A, 152B in the upper end plate 152 and are received in threaded holes in the upper boss 144 of the rotatable input member 142. The front and rear linkages 148, 149 each include a lower through hole 150 and 151 that each receive bearings 145C, 145D (which can also be radial spherical plain bearings) of the front and rear fixed pivots 164, 166 to allow rotational movement of the front and rear linkages 148, 149 about the axis of the lower cylindrical boss 155, as well as limited rotation of the front and rear linkages 148, 149 about the pivot P, which rotational movements are caused by the pivotal movement of the rotatable support shaft 114 about the pivot P.

[0059] The fixed mounting plate 154 includes a pair of lower cylindrical bosses 155 that extend laterally inward from its inward facing surface that define the rotational axes of the fixed pivots 164, 166 about which the bearings 145C, 145D are rotatably mounted. The fixed mounting plate 154 includes a pair of holes 156 for receiving fasteners to mount the mounting plate 154, and thus the motion converter 122 and the connected rotatable support shaft 114, to the conveyor system support frame. The fixed mounting plate 154 has a generally rectangular configuration, but has a V-shaped central recessed portion 159 along its upper edge to provide clearance for the upper end plate 152 as one or the other of the forward and rearward movable upper pivots 160, 162 is rotated toward the mounting plate 154. Lower end rods 157 are mounted on the laterally inward facing surfaces of the front and rear linkages 148, 149 via fasteners or screws 158 whose threaded shafts extend through the bearings 145C, 145D and are received in threaded openings of the cylindrical bosses 155 of the fixed mounting plate 154.

[0060] As Figure 10 and Figure 11 shown, rotation of the rotatable input member 142, by the rotatable support shaft 114 that is fixedly received therein, causes the front and rear linkages 148, 149 to rotate about the front and rear fixed pivots 164, respectively. In particular, as Figure 10As shown, when the rotatable input member 142 is rotated in a clockwise manner by the rotatable support shaft 114, the rear link 149 pivots in a counterclockwise manner about the rear fixed pivot 166, and the front link 148 pivots in a counterclockwise manner about the front fixed pivot 164, which in turn causes the rotatable input member 142 and the rotatable support shaft 114 to move in a generally rearward or rearward direction 25. Likewise, as shown Figure 11 As shown, when the rotatable input member 142 is rotated in a counterclockwise manner by the rotatable support shaft 114, the rear link 149 pivots in a clockwise manner about the rear fixed pivot 166, and the front link 148 pivots in a clockwise manner about the front fixed pivot 164, thereby causing the rotatable input member 142 and the rotatable support shaft 114 to move in a generally forward or front direction 24. As the rotatable support shaft 114 moves generally forward or rearward with the rotatable input member 142, both move along an arcuate path about the pivot axis P. Consequently, the pulley assembly 108 will also pivot about the pivot axis P, thereby causing the pulley 102 to extend non-orthogonal to, or oblique to, the belt travel direction 12 to guide the mistracked belt 10 back to the correct belt travel path aligned along the centerline 14.

[0061] exist Figure 13 In another form shown, the motion converter can be configured to allow the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 to pivot about the pivot axis P to guide the mistracked conveyor belt back to the desired or correct path of travel. Specifically, the motion converter can be a cam mechanism 300, which includes: a rotatable roller assembly 302, which is located at the movable end 104 of the pulley 102; and a fixed end plate 304, which is configured to be mounted to the conveyor system support frame to engage with the roller assembly 302 and support the movable end 104 of the pulley assembly 108. The rotatable roller assembly 302 includes a roller mounting plate 310, which is operably fixed to one end of the rotatable output end of the transmission 126 (e.g., the rotatable support shaft 114), so that rotation of the shaft 114 causes rotation of the roller mounting plate 310. The roller mounting plate 310 includes an upper cylindrical boss 312 and a lower cylindrical boss 314 extending laterally outward therefrom, wherein the upper roller 306 and the lower roller 308 are rotatably mounted on these bosses. The fixed end plate 304 includes a laterally inwardly facing surface having an upper vertically elongated recessed channel 316 and a lower arcuate recessed channel 318 extending generally in the front-to-back directions 24 and 25.

[0062] When assembled, the upper roller 306 is rotatably received in the upper vertically oriented channel 316 and the lower roller 308 is rotatably received in the lower arcuate channel 318. Figure 13In the illustrated neutral position, the upper and lower rollers 306, 308 are aligned in the vertical direction 28, parallel to the pivot axis P. To move the movable end 104 of the pulley assembly 108 in the forward or downstream direction 24, the roller mounting plate 310 is rotated in a clockwise direction (from the perspective of the figure) so that the upper roller 306 engages the rear sidewall 320 of the upper vertically oriented channel 316, while the lower roller 308 follows an arcuate path defined by the lower arcuate channel 318 in the forward direction 24. Conversely, to move the movable end 104 of the pulley assembly 108 in the rearward or upstream direction 25, the roller mounting plate 310 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction so that the upper roller 306 engages the front sidewall 322 of the upper vertically oriented channel 316, while the lower roller 308 follows an arcuate path defined by the lower arcuate channel 318 in the rearward direction 25. It will be appreciated that since the lower roller 308 is allowed to move along the lower arcuate channel 318, and the upper roller 306 is constrained to move forward or rearward, when the lower roller 308 is moved in either direction from the neutral position along the lower arcuate channel 318, the upper roller 306 will have to move downward in the vertically oriented upper channel 316 in the vertical direction 28, resulting in a generally forward or rearward movement of the movable end 104. In other forms, the movable connection can be a rack and pinion mechanism or a lever mechanism. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the lever mechanism includes a single link 542 that is fixedly connected at one end to the rotatable support shaft 114 so as to extend generally orthogonally therefrom, and rotatably or pivotally connected at its opposite pivot end (e.g., with a ball joint) to the conveyor support frame structure, so that rotation of the rotatable support shaft 114 about the longitudinal axis L results in rotation of the pivot end of the pulley about the pivot end of the reaction arm in an arcuate path, and thus movement of the pivot end 106 in the forward and rearward directions 24, 25. Figure 13 Figure 19 and Figure 24

[0063] The belt tracker 100 can include one or more sensors for sensing conveyor belt portion information, such as the presence and / or position of a portion of the conveyor belt, such as the outer or side edge 20 of the belt 10. The one or more sensors can be integrated with the pulley assembly 108 of the belt tracker 100, and more particularly with the pulleys 102 thereof. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the belt tracker 100 includes a sensor 550 that is mounted to the upper pulley 306. The sensor 550 is configured to sense the presence and / or position of the outer edge 20 of the belt 10 as the belt 10 passes over the upper pulley 306. In other forms, the sensor 550 can be mounted to the lower pulley 308, or to another portion of the pulley assembly 108. In other forms, the sensor 550 can be mounted to the conveyor support frame structure 112, or to another portion of the belt tracker 100. Figure 3 、 Figure 4A and Figure 7A ​​As shown, the belt position sensor assembly 170 can be a non-contact sensor, such as a capacitive sensor, mounted on a belt-facing surface 105 of the rotatable pulley 102, such as at the movable end 104 of the pulley 102. In other embodiments, the belt position sensor assembly 170 can be mounted at the pivoting end 106 of the pulley. The belt position sensor assembly 170 is positioned on the surface 105 of the pulley 102 such that the belt edge 20 is intermittently positioned over the sensor assembly as the pulley 102 rotates about its longitudinal axis L. The belt position sensor assembly 170 can be fixedly mounted beneath the pulley cladding 103, such as by adhesive, fasteners, or the like, and optionally a shrink tube protective layer is installed beneath the pulley cladding 103 to protect the sensor assembly 170 from contact with the belt 10, debris, liquids, and other foreign matter that can cause damage or interfere with the operation of the sensor assembly 170. As a result of its mounting on the rotatable pulley 102, the belt position sensor assembly 170 is configured to rotate with the pulley 102 as the belt travels over the pulley 102 and into contact with its pulley cladding 103. The belt position sensor assembly 170 is sized and configured to extend only to a portion of the circumference of the pulley 102, such that the belt position sensor assembly 170 is able to instantaneously detect the presence and position of the conveyor belt 10 each time the pulley 102 is rotated one revolution.

[0064] Reference is now made to Figure 7A and 7D The belt position sensor assembly 170 has a generally rectangular body 170A, such as a flexible printed circuit board (PCB), which enables it to conform to the arcuate surface of the annular or cylindrical pulley body 102A. The belt position sensor assembly 170 includes a plurality of capacitive sensors formed on or integrated with the PCB body 170A, including a belt reference sensor 171 and a belt position sensor 172. In some embodiments, the PCB body 170A can be provided with additional sensors, such as reference environmental sensors for sensing environmental factors other than the belt 10, such as the cladding 103 and foreign matter and / or debris adhered thereto. As shown, Figure 7D The PCB body 170A includes a plurality of layers, from top to bottom, including a top insulating layer 167A, reference sensor electrodes 171A and belt position sensor electrodes 172A, a middle sensor layer 167B, a shield 169, and a bottom insulating layer 167C. As will be described in further detail below, for clarity, Figure 7D The ribbon electrical connector portion 177 for electrically connecting the belt position sensor assembly 170 to the rotatable control circuit portion 204 is omitted from FIG. 1 for clarity.

[0065] The belt reference sensor 171 includes a pair of adjacent shorter reference sensor electrodes 171A and a pair of shields 169. The belt position sensor 172 similarly includes a pair of longer adjacent belt position sensor electrodes 172A and a pair of shields 169. In both sensors 171, 172, the shield 169 is operable to focus the sensing direction above the generally rectangular body 170A toward the belt 10 and provide a barrier to interference from below the electrodes 171A, 172A. Each electrode 171A, 172A has an elongated strip structure in which the electrodes are arranged in parallel longitudinally extending rows. Each sensor electrode 171A, 172A has one end 171B, 172B located at the laterally inner edge 170B of the rectangular body 170A and extends laterally outward toward its opposite laterally outer edge 170C. As shown Figure 3 As shown, the belt position sensor assembly 170 is mounted at the movable end 104 of the pulley 102, with the reference sensor electrode 171A and the belt position sensor electrode 172A extending parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the pulley 102. The belt position sensor assembly 170 is sized and configured such that during normal operation of the belt 10, even if the belt detracks toward the pivot end 106 and away from the movable end 104 to which the belt position sensor assembly 170 is mounted, the belt 10 will be positioned above the shorter reference sensor electrode 171A, which extends only a short distance from the body's transverse inner edge 170B to its opposite end 171C. In contrast, the longer belt position sensor electrode 172A extends to near the transverse outer edge 170C of the generally rectangular body 170A, such that the opposite end 172C is located at or immediately adjacent to the transverse outermost extent of the movable end 104 at the end of the pulley 102, thereby allowing detection of the edge 20 of the belt 10 when the belt detracks toward the movable end 104. When the tape 10 is tracking correctly, the tape 10 will be able to completely cover the reference sensor electrode 171A, such that the tape edge 20 will be positioned laterally outward from the laterally outer end 171C of the reference sensor electrode 171A and laterally inward from the laterally outer end 172C of the tape position sensor electrode 172A, wherein the tape edge 20 will be further positioned over the middle portion of the tape position sensor electrode 172A, as shown. Figure 3 shown.

[0066] Both the belt reference sensor 171 and the belt position sensor 172 are driven by an excitation signal, which changes due to changes in capacitance near the sensor. Thus, when the belt 10 is positioned over the belt reference sensor 171 (which typically occurs intermittently with each rotation of the pulley 102) and over at least a portion of the belt position sensor 172, each sensor 171, 172 detects increased capacitance and outputs a signal proportional to the detected capacitance. The belt reference sensor 171 outputs a reference signal that takes into account the incremental unit measurement of the belt position sensor 172, which is generally independent of the belt position (assuming the belt edge 20 is positioned beyond the electrode end 171C). The belt position sensor 172 outputs a signal proportional to the lateral position of the belt edge 20 relative to the belt position sensor electrode 172A. Therefore, the more the belt 10 covers the belt position sensor electrode 172A, the higher the amplitude of the signal it outputs. Therefore, if the belt 10 is mistracked toward the movable end 104, the belt edge 20 will be located closer to the laterally outer end 172C of the belt position sensor electrode 172A, causing the belt 10 to cover a majority of the belt position sensor electrode 172A. This results in a higher capacitance detected by the belt position sensor electrode 172A relative to the capacitance detected when the belt 10 is properly tracking, and thus the belt position sensor 172 outputs a signal having a higher amplitude. Conversely, if the belt 10 is mistracked toward the pivoting end 106 of the pulley, the belt edge 20 will be located closer to, but not beyond, the laterally inner end 172B of the belt position sensor electrode 172A, causing the belt 10 to cover less of the belt position sensor 172 than when the belt is properly tracking, resulting in a relatively lower capacitance being detected and the belt position sensor 172 outputs a signal having a lower amplitude.

[0067] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 25 and 26 As shown, the belt position sensor assembly 570, which is similar in structure and function to the belt position sensor assembly 170, includes a conductive boundary 571 that extends around the reference sensor electrode 171A and the belt position sensor electrode 172A and is grounded to provide static charge protection to the belt reference sensor 171 and the belt position sensor 172. The conductive boundary 571 has a "U" shape that extends around the belt reference sensor 171 and the belt position sensor 172 on three sides, including the lateral inner edge 170B and the opposite elongated side 170D of the sensor assembly 570. Figure 26 As shown, conductive border 571 is located on middle sensor layer 167B and is sized to extend around the perimeter of top insulating layer 167A on three sides in a similar manner.

[0068] Now refer to Figure 18, a graph showing exemplary outputs of the belt reference sensor 171 and the belt position sensor 172 of the belt position sensor assembly 170, 570 over a period of time is provided. The graph shows a reference signal 400 output from the belt reference sensor 171 corresponding to the capacitance detected thereby, a belt position signal 402 output from the belt position sensor 172 corresponding to the capacitance detected thereby, and a calculated belt position 404 corresponding to the position of the belt 10 relative to the belt position sensor 172 superimposed on the reference signal 400 and the belt position signal 402. To illustrate the operation of the belt position sensor assembly 170, the conveyor belt 10 is gradually moved laterally (relative to the direction shown in Figure 3 FIG. 1) from a misaligned position where the belt centerline 13 is closer to the pivot end 106 to a misaligned position where the belt centerline 13 is closer to the movable end 104, while the pulley 102 rotates as the belt 10 moves along the belt travel direction 12. For purposes of demonstration, the motor 124 is deactivated so that the belt 10 is not attempted to be guided back to the correct travel path.

[0069] Each pulse of the reference signal 400 and the belt position signal 402 indicates passage of the belt 10 past the belt reference sensor 171 and the belt position sensor 172, respectively, and the horizontally flat portions of the signals 400, 402 between the pulses indicate rotation of the belt position sensor assembly 170 away from the belt 10 as the pulley 102 rotates one revolution. The pulse amplitude of the belt position signal 402 indicates how much of the belt position sensor electrode 172A is covered by the belt 10, and an increase in each pulse amplitude corresponds to the belt edge 20 moving further to the left (relative to the direction shown in Figure 3 FIG. 1) toward the end of the movable end 104 of the pulley 102. Accordingly, the amplitude of the calculated belt position 404 increases as the amplitude of the belt position signal 402 increases. The calculated belt position 404 can be determined using the following equation: where h RP = unit position of the reference sensor (typically 1); C 位置 = capacitance of the belt position sensor 172; C 位置 (0) = capacitance of the belt position sensor 172 when the belt 10 is not present; C RP = capacitance of the belt reference sensor 171; C RE = capacitance of the reference ambient sensor (zero if not present).

[0070] A lower calculated belt position 404 (e.g. Figure 18corresponds to the belt 10 being misaligned toward the pivot end 106 of the pulley 102, as shown in Figure 15 The calculated belt position 404 near the middle of the peak pulse value range corresponds approximately to the belt 10 being correctly aligned, such that the belt centerline 13 is located at the center of the pulley 102 between the ends 104, 106, as shown in Figure 3 A higher calculated belt position 404 (e.g., toward the peak pulse value shown on the right side of the graph) corresponds to the belt 10 being misaligned toward the movable end 104, as shown in Figure 14 The signals output by the belt position sensor 172 and the calculated belt position 404 can be used by the control system 200 of the belt tracking device 100 to control the actuator 124, e.g., using a closed loop, proportional, or proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm. For example, the control system 200 will control the actuator 124 to rotate the rotatable support shaft 114 to automatically move the position of the movable end 104 generally upstream or downstream in response to a difference between the detected position of the belt edge 20 and the desired position of the belt edge 20, thereby guiding the belt 10 back to the correct path of travel when the belt 10 is misaligned.

[0071] Advantageously, the belt tracker 100 is operable to track a reversible conveyor belt. If the direction of motion of the belt is reversed from the initial or primary belt travel direction 12, the belt position sensor assembly 170, the communication modules 210, 218, and / or the rotary encoder 222 can detect the change, and the control system 200 can reverse the operation of the actuator 124, e.g., change the actuation direction of the actuator 124, e.g., by changing the clockwise rotation of the drive shaft 124A to counterclockwise rotation, or vice versa, to compensate for the change in belt travel direction so that the movable end 104 moves in the correct upstream or downstream direction to turn the belt 10 around. For example, if the belt 10 is misaligned toward the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 and the belt is traveling in the belt travel direction 12, the actuator 124 moves the pulley 102 in the forward or downstream direction 24 to guide the belt 10 back to the center position on the pulley 102. However, when the belt travel direction 12 is reversed, the downstream direction is also reversed relative to the initial belt travel direction 12, and the pulley 102 will need to move in the new downstream direction, i.e., the rear or rearward direction 25, to guide the belt 10 toward the center position on the pulley 102.

[0072] Because the reference sensor electrodes 171A and the belt position sensor electrodes 172A are arranged in spaced-apart parallel rows that extend axially or longitudinally and transverse to the direction of rotation of the pulley 102, one of the belt reference sensor 171 and the belt position sensor 172 will detect the presence of the belt 10 before the other, resulting in a slight difference in phase between the signals. For example, as shown in Figure 3As shown, when the belt travels in the belt travel direction 12, the belt position sensor 172 will travel under the belt 10, just before the belt reference sensor 171. Figure 18 In the graph of FIG. 4 , the peak of the belt position signal 402 lags slightly behind the corresponding peak of the reference signal 400. This means that the pulley 102 rotates in the opposite direction to the direction in which it rolls, while the belt 10 travels in the belt travel direction 12, which produces Figure 18 , 402 are shown in the graph of FIG. Thus, the control system 200 can use the phase difference between the reference signal 400 and the belt position signal 402 to determine the direction of rotation of the pulley 102, and thus the direction of belt travel. The control system 200 can then control the actuator 124 based on the detected direction of belt travel and can immediately account for reversals in the belt travel direction. Thus, by mounting the belt position sensor assembly 170 on the surface 105 of the pulley 102, the pulley's direction of rotation and the belt travel direction 12 can be advantageously detected, which is not possible with conventional belt position sensors (e.g., belt position sensors mounted on the outside of a belt tracker near the belt edge 20). Although the belt position sensor assembly 170 is shown as being located at the movable end 104 of the pulley 102, the belt position sensor assembly 170 may also be located at or near the pivoting end 106, or the belt position sensor assembly 170 may be located at or near each end 104, 106.

[0073] In another embodiment, a sensor for detecting the presence and / or position of the belt can be mounted internally to the rotatable pulley 102 so that the sensor does not rotate with the pulley. In this embodiment, the belt position sensor can continuously detect the position of the belt 10, rather than instantaneously detecting the position of the belt 10 with each rotation of the pulley 102. In other embodiments, the belt position sensor can be mounted externally to the rotatable pulley 102, for example, near one side edge 20 of the belt in a downstream and / or upstream position near the belt tracker 100.

[0074] The control system 200 is configured to control the position of the pulley 102 relative to the belt 10 in response to information detected by the belt position sensor assembly 170 and / or other sensors 224 (e.g., belt position 404, belt speed, and direction of travel). The control system 200 includes control circuitry or electronics 202, including the belt position sensor assembly 170. The control circuitry 202 may be distributed among a plurality of locations within and / or outside the pulley 102, such as in modules mounted adjacent to the belt tracker 100. As shown in FIG6 to FIG6 Figure 8As shown, at least an internal portion 203 of the control circuitry 202 of the control system 200 is mounted within the interior space 109 of the pulley body 102A. In embodiments where the belt position sensor assembly 170 is mounted to the pulley 102 so that it rotates with the pulley, at least a portion 204 of the internal portion 203 of the control circuitry 202 (which is operably electrically connected to the belt position sensor assembly 170) is also configured to rotate with the belt position sensor assembly 170 and the pulley 102, such as by being secured to the pulley. This rotationally mounted portion 204 of the control electronics includes processing circuitry 214, including a capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) configured to acquire signals from the belt position sensor assembly 170 and process them into digital data for further processing, such as processing signals for controlling the actuator 124 and transmitting the data or signals to another portion of the control circuitry 202 or an external computing device via one or more communication modules 210.

[0075] Another portion 206 of the control electronics 202 is mounted so as to rotate with the rotatable support shaft 114. In this form, the portion 206 of the control electronics is partially rotatable in that the portion 206 moves or rotates in a limited manner when the actuator 124 moves the partially rotatable support shaft 114 to move the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 upstream or downstream. In one form, the partially rotatable support shaft 114 and the partially rotatable control electronics 206 mounted thereon are configured to rotate less than one full turn in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to move the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 throughout its general upstream and downstream range of motion. For example, the partially rotatable support shaft 114 and the partially rotatable control electronics 206 mounted thereon may be moved approximately 30 degrees in either direction by the actuator 124. In other embodiments, for example Figures 19 to 24 In the belt tracking device 500, the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 or another portion of the control circuit 202 can be mounted in a fixed, non-rotatable manner within the pulley 102, near the pivot end 106 of the pulley, such as on or around the fixed support shaft 512. Therefore, in some embodiments, the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 referred to herein can be a fixed control circuit portion, but can have the same or similar structure and the same or similar functionality as the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 described herein. Figure 20 As shown, if the belt position sensor assembly 170, 570 is mounted to the pulley 102 at its pivot end 106, this mounting position may be preferred.

[0076] The control electronics 202 include processing circuitry 214, 226, which can include discrete or integrated logic elements, and / or one or more state machines, processors (appropriately programmed), and / or field programmable gate arrays (or combinations thereof); indeed, can be any circuit (such as discrete or integrated logic elements, state machines, dedicated or general purpose processors (appropriately programmed), and / or field programmable gate arrays (or combinations thereof)). In operation, the processing circuitry 214, 226 can execute or run one or more application programs, routines, programs, and / or data structures implementing the specific methods, techniques, tasks, or operations described and illustrated herein. The functionality of the application programs, routines, or programs can be combined or distributed. Moreover, the processing circuitry can implement the application programs, routines, or programs using any programming language, whether now known or later developed, including, for example, assembly language, FORTRAN, C, C++, and BASIC, whether compiled or non-compiled; all of which fall within the scope of the present application.

[0077] The processing circuitry 214, 226 is communicatively coupled to one or more sensors, including the belt position sensor assembly 170 and the rotary encoder 222 for detecting the position, rotational direction, and / or speed of the pulley 102 and the rotatable support shaft 114, as well as any additional sensors 224 for processing signals therefrom, including analog-to-digital conversion thereof. Other sensors 224 can include, but are not limited to, accelerometers and temperature sensors, for example, which can be used for diagnostic purposes. The processing circuitry 214, 226 is also configured to prepare signals for communicating and transmitting signals or data to other devices or other components of the control electronics 202 associated with the belt tracker 100 and to control the actuator 124 based on the signals or data acquired from the belt position sensor assembly 170, the rotary encoder 222, and / or the other additional sensors 224. The processing circuitry 214, 226 is communicatively connected to memory modules 208, 228, which can be non-transitory computer readable memory, such as random access memory (RAM), solid state memory, or disk-based memory. Signals or data from the sensors 224, including the belt position sensor assembly 170, are transmitted to the processing circuitry 214, 226, which writes the received data to the memory modules 228 and / or 208.

[0078] The processing circuitry 214, 226 of the rotatable control circuitry portion 204 and the partially rotatable control circuitry portion 206 are communicatively connected to respective communication modules 210, 218 via printed conductive leads, which are configured to communicate with one another and to wirelessly transfer conveyor belt portion information or other data between them within the interior space 109 of the pulley 102 via a short-range communication protocol, such as Bluetooth or an optical wireless communication protocol (OWC), such as Li-Fi (Light Fidelity). For example, the communication modules 210, 218 can include an LED transmitter for optically transmitting data and a light receiver for receiving and processing data that is optically transmitted. In such embodiments, the communication modules 210, 218 can implement a rotary encoder 222 and / or be operable to provide encoder functionality to provide information to the control system 200 regarding the speed, position, and / or direction of rotation of the rotatable control circuitry portion 204 and the pulley 102. For example, the communication modules 210, 218 operating as receivers can detect the time at which the LED transmitter is aligned with the receiver each time, such as when the received signal amplitude is at a peak, and can determine the frequency at which the transmitter passes the receiver to determine the speed of the pulley 102 and the belt 10. The communication modules 210, 218 can also be configured to communicate wirelessly with computing devices associated with the conveyor system 30 and external computing devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, servers, and cloud computing systems) using any of a variety of communication protocols, such as via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The communication modules 210, 218 can be configured to communicate via one or more networks, such as cellular telephone networks (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.) and / or the Internet. The communication module 218 of the partially rotatable control circuitry portion or the fixed control circuitry portion 206 can also be configured to communicate wiredly using any variety of communication protocols.

[0079] In some embodiments, the control system 200 is configured to be operatively in communication with and monitored by a conveyor monitoring system, such as the various systems disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,836,585, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Such a conveyor monitoring system monitors other devices and sensors associated with ancillary equipment of a conveyor system, such as joints and joint fasteners, belt scrapers, idler rollers, belt trackers (e.g., the conveyor belt tracking apparatus 100), and / or buffer beds. One or more of the devices and sensors are associated with the ancillary equipment in a variety of ways, such as being integrated with the ancillary equipment, mounted to the ancillary equipment or in proximity thereto, mounted to a support structure of the ancillary equipment, and / or mounted to a frame member of a structure that supports a conveyor belt in proximity to the ancillary equipment.

[0080] The communication modules 210, 218 can employ any of a variety of communication protocols. For example, the communication modules 210, 218 can use infrastructure protocols such as 6LowPAn, IPv4 / IPv6, RPL, QUIC, Aeron, uIP, DTLS, ROLL / RPL, NanoIP, CNN, and TSMP; identification protocols such as EPC, uCode, IPv6, and URI; communication / transmission protocols such as Wifi, DigiMesh, ANT, NFC, WirelessHart, IEEE 802.15.4, Zigbee, EnOcean, WiMax, and LPWAN; discovery protocols such as Physical Web, mDNS, HyPerCat, UPnP, and DNS-SD; data protocols such as MQTT, MQTT-SN, Mosquitto, IBM MessageSight, STOMP, XMPP, XMPP-IoT, CoAP, AMQP, Websocket, and Node; device management protocols such as TR-069 and OMA-DM; semantic JSON-LD and Web Thing Model; and / or multi-layer framework protocols such as Alljoyn, IoTivity, Weave, and Homekit.

[0081] The stationary or partially rotatable portion 206 of the control circuit 202 is configured to provide power to the rotatable portion 204 of the control circuit 202, including the belt position sensor assembly 170. In one form, the power can be transmitted wirelessly, for example by induction. In other forms, the power can be transmitted via, for example, capacitive or opto-electric transfer. To transmit power via induction, the stationary or partially rotatable portion 206 of the control circuit 202 includes a power circuit 220 comprising a transmitter with an induction coil to transmit an electromagnetic field, and the rotatable portion 204 of the control circuit 202 can include a power circuit 216 comprising a corresponding receiver with a corresponding induction coil to receive the electromagnetic field and convert it into an electric current. The power circuit 220 of the stationary or partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 includes one or more direct current power sources for supplying appropriate power to the control circuit 202 and the actuator 124. In other embodiments, the power circuit 220 of the stationary or partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 includes one or more batteries for supplying appropriate power to the control circuit 202. The power circuit 220 is located inside the pulley 102 and is configured to be connected to a power source 212, for example a 110-230 V alternating current power source located outside the pulley 102. In other embodiments, the power circuit 220 is located outside the pulley 102. In another form, the control circuit 202 can be powered by an energy harvesting device, for example an electromagnetic generator powered by the rotation of the pulley 102.

[0082] To facilitate wireless power and data transmission, the rotatable control circuit portion 204 and the stationary or partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 are positioned directly adjacent to each other within the interior space 109 of the rotating pulley 102, as shown in Figure 6A and Figure 6B . As shown in Figure 6A , Figure 6B and Figures 7A to 7C , both the rotatable and partially rotatable electronic portions 204, 206 can be implemented as printed circuit boards (PCBs) having a ring-shaped configuration with a central through-hole 205, 207 to allow the rotatable support shaft 114 to extend therethrough. The rotatable control circuit portion 204 is operatively connected to the pulley 102 to rotate therewith. Although the rotatable control circuit 204 and the stationary or partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 are implemented as two separate PCBs, in other embodiments, the control circuit 202 can be divided into more than two separate portions. In particular, Figure 8 each of the components of the control circuit 202 shown in Figure 8The various physical locations shown in the figures, such as different circuit boards, are different physical locations, e.g., different circuit boards. For example, the sensor 224 shown as being located on the fixed or partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 can be located elsewhere within the pulley assembly 108, or can be located remotely from the pulley assembly.

[0083] In particular, the rotatable control circuit portion 204 is mounted via a post member 174 having a threaded end that is received in a corresponding threaded opening 179 in a laterally inward facing surface of the end plate 175A. The rotatable control circuit portion 204 is thus spaced apart from the laterally inner side of the annular compression member 180 and provides sufficient clearance for the control circuit components 202 (e.g., the communication module 210, the processing circuit 214, the memory module 228, and the power circuit 216) on the laterally outer side of the rotatable control circuit portion 204 circuit board 204A, as shown. Figure 6A In other embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 6, the rotatable control circuit portion 204 can be mounted to the end plate 175B at the pivot end portion 106 of the pulley assembly 108 in a similar manner as shown in FIG. 5 and described herein. Figures 19 to 24 In other embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 6, the rotatable control circuit portion 204 can be mounted to the end plate 175B at the pivot end portion 106 of the pulley assembly 108 in a similar manner as shown in FIG. 5 and described herein. Figure 6A and Figure 6B In such embodiments, the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 can be mounted to the fixed support shaft 112 in a fixed manner adjacent to the rotatable control circuit portion 204 with a gap therebetween to allow the rotatable control circuit portion 204 to freely rotate while facilitating wireless data and power transfer therebetween.

[0084] An opening or channel 176 is formed in the periphery of the end plate 175A and opens to the interior space 109 of the pulley 102 such that the band-like electrical connector portion 177 extends from the outer end 170C of the band position sensor assembly 170 and is in electrical communication therewith, outside of the pulley interior space 109, to pass through the pulley interior space 109 via the channel 176 and connect with a corresponding connector 204B that extends from the rotatable control circuit portion 204. The partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 extends around the rotatable support shaft 114 and is fixedly connected thereto via fasteners to the annular collar member 178 that is fixedly mounted to the shaft 114 such that the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 rotates therewith. The partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 is positioned on the rotatable support shaft 114 such that there is a gap between the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 and the rotatable control circuit portion 204 to allow relative rotational motion therebetween about the longitudinal axis L.

[0085] The circuit boards 204A, 206A of the rotatable and partially rotatable control circuit portions 204, 206 are mounted to extend generally parallel to each other and transverse to the longitudinal axis L to allow rotation therebetween, facilitate data and power transfer, and allow detection of relative motion therebetween. In particular, the relative rotational angular orientation, direction and / or speed of the individual electronic portions 204, 206 relative to each other, alone or in combination with information from the belt position sensor assembly 170 (including the presence, position and detection frequency of the belt 10), can be used to measure, detect, derive and / or predict various information about the belt 10, the conveyor system 30 and the belt tracker 100 itself. For example, signals or data from the belt position sensor assembly 170 can be utilized by the control system 200 to determine whether the conveyor belt 10 is present, the position of the belt edge 20 on the pulley 102, whether the pulley 102 is rotating, the direction of rotation, the speed of rotation, whether the belt 10 is on top (as shown in Figure 3 the pulley assembly 108 or on the bottom, and whether the belt 10 is being reoriented to the correct direction in response to forward and rearward motion of the pulley 102. The control system 200 can use this sensed information to determine various other information, such as whether the belt 10 is moving, the direction of movement and the speed of movement. In particular, the speed of the pulley 102 can be determined by calculating the time between detections of the belt 10 by the belt reference sensor 171 and / or the belt position sensor 172, which corresponds to one rotation of the pulley 102. The revolutions per minute (RPM) of the pulley 102 can be converted to a belt speed by multiplying the RPM of the pulley 102 by the circumference of the pulley 102, i.e., the diameter of the pulley assembly 108 multiplied by π (3.14159). Whether the belt 10 is on top or on the bottom of the pulley assembly 108 can be determined by comparing the time at which the belt 10 is detected by the belt position sensor assembly 170 to the angular position of the rotatable control circuit portion 204 relative to the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 and / or the rotatable support shaft 114 as determined by the rotary encoder 222. Depending on the belt position relative to the top or bottom of the pulley assembly 108, the control system 200 will control the actuator 124 accordingly.

[0086] In particular, the pulley 102 will rotate in opposite directions depending on whether the belt 10 is above or below the pulley assembly 108. For example, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 14 if the belt 10 is above the pulley assembly 108 and the belt 10 is traveling in the belt travel direction 12, the pulley 102 rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the left side of the belt tracker 100. Accordingly, in order to redirect the misrouted belt 10 to the movable end portion 104 of the pulley 102, the pulley 102 must be moved in a forward 24 or downstream direction, as shown in Figure 14If the belt 10 is located under the pulley assembly 108 and travels in the same belt travel direction 12, the pulley 102 will rotate in a clockwise direction. Although the pulley 102 rotates in a different direction, when the belt 10 is mistracked toward the movable end 104, the pulley 102 must rotate in a clockwise direction. Figure 14 12 to redirect the belt 10. Therefore, to accurately determine the direction of travel 12 of the belt 10, the control system 200 determines whether the belt 10 is above or below the pulley assembly 108, as well as the rotational direction of the pulley 102. The pulley assembly 108 can then be moved in the appropriate forward and backward directions 24, 25 relative to the direction of travel 12 of the belt 10 by the actuator 124 to move the mistracked belt 10 back into the correct belt travel path aligned along the centerline 14.

[0087] The control system 200 may also detect or obtain other information, including the relative angular orientation or position, speed, and direction of rotation between the fully rotatable and partially rotatable control circuit portions 204, 206, via a rotary encoder 222 connected to the rotatable control circuit portion 204 and the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206. In addition, the rotary encoder 222 may be used to determine the position of the movable end 104 of the pulley 102. For example, if the fixed support shaft 112 is rotated to its maximum extent, such as 30 degrees in a clockwise or counterclockwise position, the rotary encoder 222 may detect the change in angular position of the partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 relative to the fully rotatable control circuit portion 204 and the corresponding movement upstream or downstream of the movable end 104. In addition, a separate switch or sensor 224 may be utilized to detect when the pulley 102 is in its home position, such as Figure 3 A neutral position is shown. A form of switch or sensor 224 is operably connected to the transmission 126 (e.g., the output shaft 140 thereof) or the rotatable support shaft 114. For example, the switch or sensor 224 can be implemented as a contact or non-contact switch, such as an optical switch, which detects when the output shaft 140 and / or the rotatable support shaft 114 is in the home position, i.e., in the middle of its range of motion. The control system 200 is configured to cause the actuator 124 to automatically return the pulley 102 to the home position upon activation, so that the home position can serve as a reference point for the control system 200 to accurately determine the position of the pulley 102, thereby allowing precise control of the movement of the pulley 102. In one embodiment, the switch or sensor 224 is in an "on" state when the output shaft 140 and the rotatable support shaft 114 are rotated clockwise from the home position, and the switch or sensor 224 is in an "off" state when the output shaft 140 and the rotatable support shaft 114 are rotated counterclockwise from the home position. In this configuration, the control system 200 detects the home position when the state of the switch or sensor 224 changes from on to off or from off to on.

[0088] existFigure 22 And Figure 23 In another form, as shown in FIGS. 27-29, the sensor 224 can be a position sensor, such as an inductive motion sensor. In one form, the inductive motion sensor is implemented by a magnetic field interface integrated circuit 529 and a target member 530. The magnetic field interface integrated circuit 529 is formed on an arcuate PCB 529A that is mounted by a mounting bracket 532 to extend laterally below the spaced apart ends of the bifurcated lateral inner end portion 512B of the stationary support shaft 512. The target member 530 is of a metallic material and is mounted to the rotatable portion of the support assembly 510, such as the rotatable portion of the housing 526A of the transmission 526 facing and directly adjacent to the arcuate PCB 529A, such that as the actuator 524 rotates the transmission housing 526A and the connected rotatable support shaft 514, the target member 530 rotates with the transmission housing 526A along a predetermined range of motion, such as plus or minus 30 degrees. The magnetic field interface integrated circuit 529 includes a transmitter coil that extends along an arcuate path of the PCB 529A that corresponds to the range of motion of the target member 530 to generate a magnetic field that induces eddy currents in the metallic target member 530. The target member 530 changes the magnetic field generated by the transmitter coil and the changes are sensed by one or more receiver coils that also extend along the length of the PCB 529A that corresponds to the range of motion of the target member 530. Advantageously, the magnetic field interface integrated circuit 529 is operable to detect the position of the target member 530 at any position within the range of motion of the target member 530 so that the control system 200 can determine the rotational displacement of the drive shaft 524A of the actuator 524 and, in turn, the control system 200 can determine the position of the movable end portion of the pulley assembly 508. Moreover, the magnetic field interface integrated circuit 529 does not require the target member 530 to return to a home position corresponding to a neutral position of the pulley assembly 508 to accurately detect the position of the target member 530, such as when the power to the strap tracker 500 is cycled, it can be necessary to determine the orientation of the drive shaft 524A or the displaceable end portion 504 of the pulley assembly 508 with other methods.

[0089] Advantageously, because the belt position sensor assembly 170 intermittently senses the position of the belt 10, the effects of environmental factors (e.g., dirt on the pulley 102) on the accuracy of the belt position sensor assembly 170 can be minimized. Foreign matter adhered to the pulley 102 will affect the measured capacitance of the belt reference sensor 171 and the belt position sensor 172, but because the belt 10 is only sensed within the arc portion of each rotation of the pulley 102 that corresponds to the amount of belt wrap on the pulley 102, e.g., between 0° and 180°, while foreign matter adhered to the pulley cover 103 will be sensed continuously, the control system 200 can distinguish between the two and filter out or otherwise compensate for the effects of such foreign matter and obtain accurate information regarding the presence and position of the belt 10.

[0090] The control system 200 can also use information from the belt position sensor assembly 170 and the rotary encoder 222 as a check to confirm whether a fault is present, e.g., whether a component of the control system 200, such as the belt position sensor assembly 170, is malfunctioning or not operating properly. For example, information received or derived from the belt position sensor assembly 170 and the rotary encoder 222, such as the direction of rotation of the pulley 102, can be redundant and thus can be used by the control system 200 as a check to ensure that the belt position sensor assembly 170 and / or the rotary encoder 222 are operating properly. In certain situations, as the pulley 102 becomes fouled over time due to foreign matter adhered to the cover 103, such as material being conveyed by the belt 10, the accuracy of the belt position sensor assembly 170 can be reduced, and by comparing the information detected by the belt position sensor assembly 170 and the rotary encoder 222, the control system 200 can detect a potential error or fault condition and notify the user accordingly.

[0091] The control system 200 can also be configured to detect potential problems with the belt tracker 100, including improper installation. Generally speaking, the belt tracker is most effective when it is in sufficient contact with the conveyor belt during the belt’s travel to generate sufficient friction to direct the belt 10 in the desired direction. In some installations, such as when the belt tracker 100 is installed along the return run portion 16 of the belt 10, sufficient friction is generated when the belt 10 contacts at least 1 / 12 of the circumference of the pulley 102 or the pulley cover 103. In other words, sufficient friction is generated when the contact angle over which the belt 10 is in contact with the pulley 102 or the pulley cover 103, i.e., the belt wrap portion 32, extends approximately thirty degrees, as shown in FIG. 3. However, in certain installations, such as when the belt tracker 100 is positioned along the top run portion 15 of the conveyor belt, there can be sufficient friction with little or no belt wrap. Figure 17

[0092] ​Advantageously, the control system 200 can be configured to detect the amount of belt wrap around the pulley 102. For example, as shown in Figure 18 FIG. 6, the belt position sensor assembly 170 mounted to the pulley 102 intermittently detects the presence of the belt 10 as the pulley 102 rotates one revolution. Each pulse of the belt position signal 402 corresponds to the presence of the belt 10, and the amplitude of each pulse indicates the relative position of the belt 10 along the longitudinal extent of the belt position sensor assembly 170. The pulse width (PW) relative to the duration of each cycle between adjacent pulse edges (T), i.e., the duty cycle (equal to PW / T), corresponds to the amount of belt wrap 32 around the pulley 102. In addition, the encoder 222 also detects when each rotation of the pulley 102 is complete, which information can be used to determine the duration of each cycle (T), or to verify whether the calculation of the duration of each cycle between adjacent pulse edges detected by the belt position sensor assembly 170 is accurate. Thus, the control system 200 can determine whether the amount of belt wrap 32 is below a certain threshold, e.g., 1 / 12 (30 degrees / 360 degrees), corresponding to a contact arc of approximately 30 degrees. In addition, the control system 200 can determine whether the amount of belt wrap 32 exceeds a certain threshold, e.g., whether the contact arc is greater than a value in the range of 60 to 175 degrees. If the duty cycle is above or below a predetermined threshold, the control system 200 can trigger an alarm or transmit a message to the user informing the user that the belt tracker 100 lacks sufficient belt wrap 32, has too much belt wrap 32, or more generally is not properly installed resulting in an improper amount of belt wrap 32.

[0093] As shown in Figure 17 FIG. 7, in many installations it is recommended that the movement of the belt tracking device 100 in the fore and aft or upstream and downstream directions of the movable end portion 104 of the pulley 102 be along line A (rather than line B), i.e., perpendicular to the midline 34 of the contact arc between the belt 10 and the pulley 102 or the conveyor belt wrap 32, which helps to ensure that the belt tracker 100 has a similar amount of contact and friction with the belt 10 when moving in the upstream and downstream directions without unduly increasing the tension on the belt 10. In other words, the belt wrap 32 should generally be positioned such that the center of the belt wrap 32 coincides with the vertical plane defined by the longitudinal axis L and the perpendicular direction 28. The control system 200 can compare information from the belt position sensor assembly 170 regarding the presence of the belt 10 with the relative position between the rotatable control circuit portion 204 and the fixed or partially rotatable control circuit portion 206 detected by the encoder 222 to determine whether the direction of the belt wrap 32 around the pulley 102 is in line with the recommended direction of movement of the belt tracking device 100 along line A. Figure 17The appropriate position shown is, for example, the centerline 34 of the belt wrap portion is parallel to or within a threshold range on either side of the pivot axis P. For example, if the belt position sensor assembly 170 detects the presence of the belt 10 each time the pulley 102 rotates one revolution, and the encoder 222 outputs a signal corresponding to one complete revolution of the belt position sensor assembly 170 and the rotatable control circuit portion 204, such as Figure 3 In the position of the tape tracking device 100 shown, these signals can be compared to determine whether the tape wrap portion 32 is detected and centered when the tape position sensor assembly 170 and the rotatable control circuit portion 204 complete one rotation. If the tape position sensor assembly 170 signal is not sufficiently synchronized with the encoder 222 signal, the control system 200 can output an alarm or notification to the user indicating that the tape tracker 100 is not installed in the correct orientation.

[0094] The control system 200 can also be configured to track and record historical information about the belt and the belt tracker. For example, the control system 200 can detect whether the belt 10 frequently tracks to one side of the roller exceeding a predetermined threshold, and similarly, whether the movable end 104 of the pulley 102 frequently positions in the downstream or upstream direction exceeding a predetermined threshold, which indicates that the belt 10 or the belt support structure may need maintenance. In addition, the control system 200 can detect when the belt 10 begins to mistrack in a manner that is different from the historical mistracking of the belt 10. For example, if the belt 10 normally mistracks to the left of the movable end 104 of the pulley 102, and the belt 10 suddenly begins to mistrack toward the pivot end 106, the control system 200 can send a warning or alert to the user to check the conveyor system 30 to verify whether the conveyor system 30, the conveyor belt 10 (e.g., the belt joint), or the conveyor belt tracking device 100 requires maintenance or adjustment. The control system 200 may also monitor and store changes in the amplitude and / or signal-to-noise ratio of the conveyor belt position and / or reference signals 402, 400 obtained from the belt position sensor assembly 170 to determine whether inspection, maintenance, or repair is required. In addition, the control system 200 may be configured to monitor changes in the motion of the actuator 124 to correct the path of travel of the mistracking belt 10. For example, the control system 200 may monitor the required drive angle, i.e., the amount of rotation of the rotatable support shaft 114, the direction of the drive angle relative to the home position of the rotatable support shaft 114, and / or the number of rotations of the pulley 102 required to guide the mistracking belt 10 back to the correct path of travel from a specific belt edge position detected on the pulley 102.

[0095] We will now describe Figures 19 to 24 An alternative embodiment of a belt tracker 500 is shown in FIG. 5 , which is similar in structure and function to the belt tracker 100, but differs as will be seen in the following description. Generally speaking, the primary differences relate to the support assembly 510, the actuator assembly 528, the pulley assembly 508, and the sensor assembly 570. For example, Figure 20As shown, the sensor assembly 570 is mounted to the pulley 502 at the end 506 of the pulley assembly 508 (rather than at the opposite movable end 504). Thus, the control circuit 202 (comprising the rotatable control circuit portion 204 and the fixed control circuit portion 206) is mounted within the interior space 509 of the pulley 502, extending around the fixed support shaft 512 at the pivot end 506. This allows the actuator assembly 528, the control circuit 202, and the fixed support shaft 512 to have identical components and configurations and be assembled into a module regardless of the length of the pulley assembly 508, requiring only rotatable support shafts 514 of varying lengths to accommodate pulley assemblies 508 of varying lengths, which may be required for conveyor belts 10 of varying widths. This modularity allows for more efficient production. Furthermore, since all components requiring power are located on the same lateral side of the pulley assembly 508, installation is simplified by allowing a single electrical connection to the power source 212, which enters the pulley assembly 508 via a central through-hole 513 in the fixed support shaft 512. Support assembly 510 also includes an alternative embodiment of a motion converter 522 in the form of a lever 542 at displaceable end 504 and an alternative embodiment of a support member at end 506 in the form of a leaf spring support assembly 520. Motion converter 522 and leaf spring support assembly 520 allow displaceable end 504 to be moved substantially along Figure 24 The arcuate path shown in FIG is displaced in the fore-aft directions 24, 25, which can allow the belt tracker 500 to induce less tension on the belt 10 relative to the travel paths of other belt trackers when the movable end 504 does not generally move along the arcuate path in the fore-aft directions 24, 25. Other differences will be described in further detail below.

[0096] like Figures 19 to 24 As shown, the belt tracking device 500 has a pulley assembly 508, including a pulley 502 having an annular or cylindrical pulley body 502A, and optionally having a pulley cover 503 thereon to form an annular or cylindrical wall or wall assembly of the pulley 502, mounted for rotation about the pulley longitudinal axis L to a support assembly 510. Figure 21 As best shown, the support assembly 510 includes a support shaft 512, which is referred to as fixed because it cannot rotate about its longitudinal axis. The fixed support shaft 512 extends generally in the lateral direction 26 from the pivot end 506 of the pulley assembly 508. The support assembly 510 also includes a rotatable support shaft 514, which extends generally in the lateral direction 26 from the relatively movable end 504 of the pulley assembly 108. The shafts 512, 514 together support the support pulley 502 via roller bearing assemblies 516A-516C mounted on the support shafts 512, 514 for rotation about the pulley 502 relative to a fixed conveyor system support frame or other external support structure (not shown).

[0097] In particular, as shown in Figure 22 one roller bearing assembly 516A is mounted about the stationary support shaft 112 to extend around the end 506 of the pulley 502 between opposite ends 512A and 512B of the stationary shaft 112. Roller bearing assemblies 516B and 516C are also mounted about the rotatable support shaft 114 to extend about either end 514A and 514B thereof. The outer roller bearing assemblies 116A and 116C are part of end cap assemblies 583A, 583C, each of which is positioned in an interior end opening 507A, 507B of the pulley body 102A so as to be rotatable with the pulley body 102A. The intermediate bearing assembly 516B is part of a similarly configured intermediate rotatable support assembly 583B. The roller bearing assemblies 516A-516C are configured similarly to the roller bearing assemblies 116A-116C described above.

[0098] The end cap assemblies 583A and 583C of the pulley assembly 508 are configured similarly to the end cap assemblies 183A and 183C. However, as shown in Figure 19 and Figure 22 one or both of the end plates 575A, 575B can include one or more channels or holes 589 formed therein having a portion extending laterally inwardly from a lateral outward surface of the end plate 575A, 575B and then a portion extending radially outwardly to an outer radial flange edge of the sleeve portion 585, such that each channel 589 provides a path for the injection of pressurized air or other fluid to assist in the installation of the cover layer 503 about the pulley 502. In particular, by injecting air into the channels 589, the air exits the radially extending portion of the channels 589 at spaced apart locations about the circumference of the sleeve portion 585 and provides an air gap between the cover layer 503 and the end plates 575A, 575B and the outer surface of the pulley 502, which reduces friction therebetween and eases the sliding of the cover layer 503 about the pulley 502 during installation.

[0099] As shown in Figures 20 to 23As shown, the laterally inner forked end 512B of the fixed support shaft 512 is positioned within the interior space 509 of the annular or cylindrical body 502A of the pulley and is fixedly connected at its other, outwardly projecting, annular or cylindrical end 512A to a support assembly in the form of a universal or leaf spring support assembly 520 that allows the fixed support shaft 512 to pivot about a generally vertical pivot axis P extending along the central longitudinal axis of an elongated leaf spring plate 519 and orthogonal to the pulley longitudinal axis L. The leaf spring support assembly 520 includes a laterally inner receiving plate 518, an elongated leaf spring plate 519, a fastener including a washer and a threaded retaining nut 515, and a leaf spring mounting plate 517. More specifically, the laterally outer cylindrical end 512A of the fixed support shaft 512 extends through circular openings in the receiving plate 518 and the elongated leaf spring plate 519. , 25 . The elongated leaf spring plate 519 supports the fixed support shaft 512 relative to the conveyor support structure, and the elongated leaf spring plate 519 is connected to the conveyor support structure by fasteners via leaf spring mounting plates 517, which are positioned to be fixed or clamped on opposite sides of the lower end of the leaf spring plate 519. The leaf spring plate 519 is sized so that it is sufficiently rigid to resist compressive forces along its length, while being sufficiently flexible to allow a sufficient amount of twisting and flexing to accommodate the generally upstream and downstream movement of the pulley assembly 508. Specifically, the elongated leaf spring plate 519 can be twisted about its longitudinal vertical axis to allow the driven displaceable end 504 of the pulley assembly 508 to move along a generally arcuate path with a primary directional component along the fore-aft directions 24, 25. In addition, the upper end portion of the elongated leaf spring plate 519 can be bent laterally inwardly or outwardly about its lower end portion to allow the driven displaceable end 504 of the pulley assembly 508 to be displaced with a lesser directional component along the vertical direction 28, such as Figure 24 In this manner, the leaf spring plate 519 allows for more versatile movement of the pulley end 506 as the pulley end 504 is driven in the fore-aft directions 24, 25. Advantageously, the leaf spring support assembly 520 biases the pulley assembly 508 from a generally upstream or downstream offset orientation of the pulley assembly 508 back to a neutral orientation of the belt tracker 500.

[0100] like Figures 21 to 23 As shown, the fixed support shaft 512 of the support assembly 510 includes a forked or U-shaped transverse inner end 512B that extends along opposite sides of the actuator 524 to an input flange or end plate 531 to which the actuator 524 is mounted. Figure 23As shown, the fixed support shaft 112 also includes laterally outwardly facing flats 512C, 512D at the bottom of the U-shaped lateral inner end 512B to which the fixed control circuit portion 206 can be mounted. The actuator assembly 528 is similar to the actuator assembly 128, including an electric actuator 524 and a transmission 526, and also includes a magnetic field interface integrated circuit 529 and a position sensor 224 in the form of a target member 530 as described above for detecting rotational displacement of a rotatable component of the support assembly 510 and the actuator assembly 528, namely the drive shaft 524A, the transmission 526, and / or the rotatable support shaft 514, which rotate together when driven by the actuator 524.

[0101] The rotatable support shaft 514 extends from the transmission 526 in the pulley interior space 509 and laterally outward beyond the displaceable end 504 of the pulley assembly 508 for supporting the displaceable end 504 relative to the conveyor system support frame. The rotatable support shaft 514 is connected to the conveyor system support frame by a movable linkage in the form of a motion translator 522 that includes a lever or link 542 adjacent the displaceable end 504 to allow the support assembly 510 and the pulley assembly 508 to move generally in the fore-aft direction 24, 25 (i.e., generally upstream and downstream relative to the direction of belt travel 12) about a pivot axis P of the leaf spring support assembly 520, although due to the elasticity of the elongate leaf spring plate 519, the orientation of the pivot axis P can shift as the elongate leaf spring plate 519 twists and / or bends to accommodate movement of the displaceable end 504 and allow more general movement of the pulley end 506 as previously described. For example, the lever 542 is configured to translate rotational movement of the rotatable shaft 514 about the longitudinal axis L into arcuate movement of the displaceable end 504 that has a directional component in the fore-aft direction 24, 25 and smaller directional components in the vertical direction 28 and the lateral direction 26.

[0102] The lever 542 is fixedly mounted to a laterally outer end 514A of the rotatable support shaft 514. As Figure 22As shown, the lever 542 includes a through hole 543 at its upper end sized and configured to accommodate an end portion 514A of the rotatable support shaft 514. Both the through hole 543 and the end portion 514A of the rotatable support shaft 514 include respective transversely inwardly inclined surfaces 514C, 543C to allow the lever 542 to be secured against rotation about the rotatable support shaft 514. Specifically, by threading a threaded set nut 515 onto the threaded end portion 514A of the rotatable support shaft 514, the lever 542 is pushed transversely inwardly over the increasing circumference of the end portion 514A of the rotatable support shaft 514 with the respective transversely inwardly inclined surfaces 514C, 543C matingly engaged with one another. The elongated body of the lever 542 includes a lower through hole 544 at its opposite end in which a bearing 545, such as a radial spherical plain bearing, is received. A mounting shaft secured to a support structure of a conveyor system (not shown) is received in a central opening 545A of the bearing 545 to support the displaceable end portion 504 of the belt tracker 500 through the lever 542. As Figure 24 As shown, the bearing 545 allows the lever 542 and the pulley assembly 508 to rotate about the pivot axis P L rotational movement, the pivot axis P L The central opening 545A of the bearing 545 extends generally parallel to the transverse direction 26 in an arcuate path 550 having directional components in the forward and rearward directions 24, 25 and the vertical direction 28. The spherical plain bearing 545 also allows limited movement of the driven displaceable end portion 504 in the transverse direction 26 to accommodate generally downstream or upstream movement of the pulley assembly 508 about the leaf spring plate 519, including movement about its pivot axis P due to the fixed connection of the fixed support shaft 512 with the leaf spring support assembly 520. In other forms, the pulley assembly 508 can be supported by different forms of displaceable and / or pivotal connections at either end portion 504, 506 thereof such that the driven displaceable end portion 104 is configurable to move along a linear path or along a path having linear and arcuate segments.

[0103] The belt tracker 500 similarly includes one or more sensors for sensing the presence and / or position of the outer or side edges 20 of the belt 10. Specifically, a belt position sensor assembly 570 is mounted at the end portion 506 of the pulley assembly 508. The belt position sensor assembly 570 is oriented on the surface 505 of the pulley 502 such that the belt edge 20 is positioned intermittently over the sensor assembly as the pulley 502 is rotated about its longitudinal axis L. The belt position sensor assembly 570 can be identical to the belt position sensor assembly 170 such that it is integrated in or with the wall or wall assembly 102B of the pulley 502. In other forms, the belt position sensor assembly 570 can have a different form than the belt position sensor assembly 170, such as a form that is integrated in or with the support structure of the conveyor system (not shown). Figure 25 and 26The configuration shown in FIG. 6, and as described in further detail above. As Figure 20 As shown, the belt position sensor assembly 570 is mounted at the end 506 of the pulley assembly 508 with the reference sensor electrodes 171 A and the belt position sensor electrodes 172A extending parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the pulley 502. The belt position sensor assembly 570 is sized and configured such that, during normal operation of the belt 10, the belt 10 is positioned over the shorter reference sensor electrodes 171 A, which extend only a short distance from the body lateral inner edge 170B to the other, opposite end 171 C of the electrodes, even if the belt is misrouted toward the movable end 504 from the end 506 where the belt position sensor assembly 570 is mounted. In contrast, the longer belt position sensor electrodes 172A extend to near the lateral outer edge 170C of the generally rectangular body 170A of the belt position sensor assembly 570, with the other, opposite end 172C positioned at or immediately adjacent to the lateral outermost extent of the end 506 of the pulley 502 end, to allow detection of the edge 20 of the belt 10 when the belt is misrouted toward the end 506.

[0104] While particular embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, it will be understood, of course, that various modifications, changes and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit of the application, and it is intended to embrace all such modifications, changes and substitutions as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the present inventive concept.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt tracking device for causing a conveyor belt of a conveyor system that has strayed from its track to return to its correct path of travel, the conveyor belt tracking device comprising: a rotatable pulley for engaging the conveyor belt and rotating as the conveyor belt travels in a downstream direction of travel, the pulley being in a neutral position when the conveyor belt travels along a correct path of travel; a support assembly configured to operatively mount the pulley for rotation about the support assembly, the pulley having a longitudinal axis extending transversely relative to a downstream direction of travel of the conveyor belt; as well as a sensor integrated with the pulley so as to rotate therewith, the sensor being arranged to detect the position of a portion of the conveyor belt to allow the pulley to be moved from its neutral position when the detected position of the conveyor belt portion indicates that the conveyor belt is not traveling along a correct path of travel.

2. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 1, wherein: The pulley comprises an annular body and has an envelope extending around the annular body, and the sensor is connected to the pulley such that the sensor is integrated in or with an annular wall or wall assembly of the pulley.

3. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 2, wherein: The cover is made of a rubber or polymer material and includes additives or additional components to increase the conductivity of the cover relative to the conductivity of the rubber or polymer material alone for dissipating or drawing away static charge on the pulley.

4. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 1, wherein: The pulley includes an annular body including an interior space therein, and the actuator is mounted to extend within the interior space of the pulley.

5. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 4, wherein: The actuator is an electric motor.

6. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 4, wherein: The support assembly includes a rotatable support shaft extending laterally outward from a driven end portion of the pulley, wherein the rotatable support shaft is connected to the actuator to allow the actuator to rotate the rotatable support shaft to move the pulley from a neutral position of the pulley.

7. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 6, wherein: The support assembly includes a motion converter operably connected to the rotatable support shaft, the motion converter configured to convert rotation of the rotatable support shaft into substantially upstream or downstream motion of a driven end portion of the pulley.

8. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 6, wherein: The support assembly includes a non-rotatable support shaft extending laterally outward from an opposite end portion opposite the driven end portion, wherein the non-rotatable support shaft is operably connected to a movable support member to allow the driven end portion to move further upstream or downstream than the opposite end portion.

9. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 1, wherein: The pulley further includes a metal layer attached to a belt-facing surface of the pulley, wherein the metal layer is configured to provide a conductive path through the support assembly to ground to dissipate static charge on the pulley.

10. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 1, wherein: The pulley is made of an insulating and radiolucent material.

11. The conveyor belt tracking device of claim 1 , further comprising a control system, the control system comprising sensors, wherein: The control system is configured to determine a belt travel direction of the conveyor belt based on the signal output by the sensor and to reverse an actuation direction of the actuator to compensate for the change in the belt travel direction.

12. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor is located at or near an end of the pulley such that the outside edge of the conveyor belt intermittently travels over the sensor as the pulley rotates.

13. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor comprises a capacitive sensor including a pair of electrodes, wherein each electrode of the pair of electrodes has an elongated strip configuration, the electrodes being arranged in parallel longitudinally extending rows extending transversely along the length of the pulley.

14. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 1, wherein: the pulley comprising an annular body including an interior space therein, and a control circuit mounted to extend within the interior space of the pulley, wherein the control circuit comprises a rotatable portion connected to a rotatable pulley for rotation therewith; Wherein, the sensor is communicatively connected to the rotatable portion of the control circuit.

15. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 14, wherein: The control circuit includes a fixed or partially rotatable portion operatively connected to a support shaft of the support assembly and spaced apart from the rotatable portion of the control circuit; wherein the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit each include a communication module to allow at least one of the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit to wirelessly communicate data with at least another of the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit.

16. The conveyor belt tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a control system, the control system comprising sensors, wherein: In response to moving the pulley from its neutral position, the sensor generates a signal regarding the position of the conveyor belt portion to allow the control system to determine whether the conveyor belt is redirected back to the correct path of travel.

17. The conveyor belt tracking device of claim 6, further comprising a control system including a sensor and a position sensor operable to detect rotational displacement of the rotatable support shaft, wherein The control system is configured to determine a position of an end portion of the pulley based on the detected rotational displacement of the rotatable support shaft.

18. The conveyor belt tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a control system, the control system comprising sensors, wherein: The control system is configured to compensate for the presence of foreign matter attached to the pulley by comparing the sensor output when the sensor detects the position of the conveyor belt portion with the sensor output when the sensor does not detect the position of the conveyor belt portion.

19. A conveyor belt tracking device for causing a conveyor belt of a conveyor system that has lost its track to return to a correct path of travel, the conveyor belt tracking device comprising: a rotatable pulley for engaging a conveyor belt and rotating when the conveyor belt travels in a downstream direction of travel, the pulley being in a neutral position when the conveyor belt travels along a correct path of travel, the pulley having an annular pulley body including an interior space therein; a support assembly extending through the interior space, the support assembly being configured to operatively mount the pulley for rotation about the support assembly, the pulley having a longitudinal axis extending transversely relative to a downstream direction of travel of the conveyor belt; a movable end of the pulley configured to move further upstream or downstream than an opposite end of the pulley; a sensor configured to detect whether the conveyor belt is traveling along a correct travel path; and An electric actuator is installed in the inner space of the pulley and is used to electrically drive the movable end of the pulley when the sensor detects that the conveyor belt does not travel along the correct travel path, so that the conveyor belt returns to the correct travel path.

20. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 19, wherein: The electric actuator is an electric motor.

21. The conveyor tracking device of claim 19, further comprising a control system, the control system comprising sensors, wherein: The control system is configured to cause the electrically powered actuator to drive the movable end of the pulley when the sensor detects that the conveyor belt is not following a correct path of travel.

22. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 19, wherein: The support assembly includes a rotatable support shaft extending laterally outward from the movable end of the pulley, wherein the rotatable support shaft is operably connected to the electric actuator to allow the electric actuator to rotate the rotatable support shaft to move the movable end of the pulley.

23. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 22, wherein: The support assembly includes a motion converter operably connected to the rotatable support shaft, the motion converter being configured to convert a rotation of the rotatable support shaft into an upstream or downstream motion of the movable end portion.

24. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 22, wherein: The pulley includes an opposite end portion opposite the movable end portion, the support assembly includes a non-rotatable support shaft extending laterally outward from the opposite end portion of the pulley, and the non-rotatable support shaft is operably connected to the movable support member to allow the movable end portion to move further upstream or downstream than the opposite end portion.

25. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 24, wherein: The movable support member includes a leaf spring to which the non-rotatable support shaft is operatively connected, and the leaf spring is configured to twist and bend to allow the movable end of the pulley to move further upstream or downstream than the opposite end.

26. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 19, wherein: The sensor is connected to the pulley to rotate with the pulley.

27. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 20, further comprising a control circuit mounted within an interior space of the rotatable pulley; in, The control circuit includes a rotatable portion communicatively connected to the sensor to process a signal from the sensor, the rotatable portion operatively connected to the rotatable pulley such that the rotatable portion rotates together with the rotatable pulley.

28. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 27, wherein: The control circuit includes a fixed or partially rotatable part, which is capable of being operably connected to the support shaft of the support assembly and is spaced apart from the rotatable part of the control circuit, wherein the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit each include a communication module to allow at least one of the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit to wirelessly communicate data with at least another of the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit in the internal space of the pulley.

29. The conveyor belt tracking device of claim 27, further comprising a position sensor operable to detect a rotational displacement of the actuator, wherein The control circuit is configured to determine a position of a movable end portion of the rotatable pulley based on the detected rotational displacement of the actuator.

30. A conveyor belt tracking device for causing a conveyor belt of a conveyor system that has lost its track to return to a correct path of travel, the conveyor belt tracking device comprising: a rotatable pulley for engaging a conveyor belt and rotating when the conveyor belt travels in a downstream direction of travel, the pulley being in a neutral position when the conveyor belt travels along a correct path of travel, wherein the pulley includes an annular pulley body including an interior space therein; a support assembly extending through the interior space, the support assembly being configured to operatively mount the pulley for rotation about the support assembly, the pulley having a longitudinal axis extending transversely relative to a downstream direction of travel of the conveyor belt; a movable end of the pulley configured to move further upstream or downstream than an opposite end of the pulley; and a control circuit comprising a sensor arranged to detect a position of a portion of the conveyor belt; The control circuit includes a rotatable portion communicatively connected to a sensor to process a signal from the sensor, and the rotatable portion is mounted within an interior space of an annular pulley body and connected to the pulley to rotate with the pulley.

31. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 30 further includes an actuator, which is installed in the internal space and is used to move the movable end of the pulley when the sensor detects that the conveyor belt is not traveling along the correct travel path to prompt the conveyor belt to return to the correct travel path.

32. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 30, wherein: The sensor is connected to the pulley to rotate with the pulley.

33. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 30, wherein: The control circuit includes a fixed or partially rotatable part that can be operably mounted within the internal space, wherein the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit each include a communication module to allow at least one of the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit to wirelessly communicate data with at least another of the rotatable part and the fixed or partially rotatable part of the control circuit.

34. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 33, wherein: The stationary or partially rotatable portion of the control circuit is configured to provide power to the rotatable portion of the control circuit by induction.

35. The conveyor belt tracking device according to claim 33, wherein: The rotatable portion of the control circuit and the fixed or partially rotatable portion of the control circuit each include a circuit board, wherein the circuit boards are mounted to extend generally parallel to each other and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rotatable pulley to allow relative rotational movement therebetween.

36. The conveyor belt tracking device of claim 30, wherein: The control circuit is configured to determine at least one of a position, a speed, and a rotational direction of the rotatable portion of the control circuit.

37. A method for causing a conveyor belt of a conveyor system that has been mistracked to return to a correct path of travel, the method comprising: intermittently sensing a conveyor belt portion of the conveyor belt while the pulley rotates as the conveyor belt travels in a downstream direction of travel; communicating the sensed belt portion information to a control circuit mounted within an interior space of an endless pulley body of the pulley; and In response to communicated conveyor belt portion information indicating that the conveyor belt is not traveling along a correct path of travel, the movable end of the pulley is driven upstream or downstream by an actuator.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein: Intermittently sensing the belt portion of the conveyor belt includes sensing the presence of the belt portion once with each rotation of the pulley.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein: Sensing a portion of the conveyor belt includes sensing a position of a side edge of the conveyor belt using a sensor integrated with the pulley to rotate with the pulley.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein The actuator is an electric actuator installed in the internal space of the annular pulley body, and driving the movable end of the pulley includes using the electric actuator to rotate a rotatable support shaft extending from the internal space and converting the rotational motion of the rotatable support shaft into upstream or downstream movement of the movable end of the pulley to the outside of the internal space.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein: The belt portion information includes a direction of a downstream traveling direction of the conveyor belt, and further includes reversing an actuation direction of the actuator when the direction of the downstream traveling direction changes.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein: Communicating conveyor belt section information to a control circuit includes wirelessly communicating the conveyor belt section information from a rotatable control circuit section connected to the pulley for rotation with the pulley to a fixed or partially rotatable control circuit section of a support assembly portion mounted in an interior space of the pulley.

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