Patent ID: 6062377
Filing Date: 2000-05-16
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
In an air supported belt conveyor apparatus having a belt, a belt support, a belt drive and a source of pressurized fluid supplying fluid to an underside of the belt for support thereof as it travels along the belt support, the improvement comprising:a) a belt support having a generally flat center section disposed between belt support outer sections, each outer section angled upwardly from the generally flat center section and connected to the generally flat center section by a transition section having a radius;b) a guide mounted above each angled outer section;c) an elongated member disposed between each guide member and each angled outer section each elongated member adjacent a side wall of a support structure of the apparatus, each of the elongated members, angled outer sections and guides forming a recess sized to receive an end portion of the belt, each recess sized to direct at least a portion of the fluid originating from under the belt, around a belt edge, and across upper surfaces of each of the end portions of the belt.