Patent ID: 6035996
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A conveyor system, comprising:a conveyor having a movable endless conveyor belt mounted thereon with an upward-facing forward stretch of conveyor belt and a downward-facing return stretch of conveyor belt, said conveyor further including an end roller about which said conveyor belt is wrapped, said end roller being positioned at the transition between said upward-facing forward and said downwardly-facing return stretches of said conveyor belt; anda blower assembly having nozzle means for producing a substantially fan shaped air stream, said blower assembly being positioned below the downward-facing stretch of conveyor belt in a manner so that the air stream produced by said nozzle means blows in a substantially upward direction against a portion of the return stretch, such that the air stream any chips of waste material sticking to the return stretch as said return stretch moves relative to said nozzle means to thereby facilitate dislodging of said chips from said conveyor belt, said nozzle means being positioned to direct said air stream against a substantially horizontal portion of said return stretch such that the downward-facing surface of said return stretch blocks any upward movement of the dislodged chips;wherein said nozzle means comprises a nozzle adapted to produce a substantially fan-shaped air stream pattern on the surface of said downward-facing return stretch of conveyor belt, said pattern having a length substantially transverse to the direction of movement of said conveyor belt and a width oriented substantially parallel to the direction of movement of said conveyor belt, the length of said pattern having a greater measurement than the width of said pattern,wherein the nozzle is positioned at a first horizontal distance from the end roller of said conveyor, and wherein said nozzle is adapted to produce an air stream pattern which contacts the downward-facing stretch of the conveyor at a second horizontal distance from said end roller, the second horizontal distance being less than the first horizontal distance so that the air stream contacts and dislodges chips between the end roller and the portion of the downward-facing stretch located vertically above the nozzle.