A roller conveyor or conveyor-classifier assembly is disclosed which comprises a plurality of rollers (16), a corresponding bearing support block (18) for each end of each of the rollers (16), with each block (18) being of upper case "H" configuration in transverse cross section to define an upper and lower groove (18U and 18L in FIG. 6), and including frame (25) for supporting the blocks (18). The frame assembly (25) comprises oppositely disposed rails (22A, 24A) each having a track (22B, 24B), respectively, adapted to slidably project into oppositely disposed grooves (18U, 18L) in bearing support blocks (18). Shims (36) which are lower "h" configuration in transverse cross section, are insertable from the outboard sides of the frame assemblies (25) and are interposed between adjacent bearing support blocks (18) with the lower portion (36A, 36B) of the "h" configuration being adapted to interlockingly straddle the upwardly projecting lower track (24B) for retention in position to provide a predetermined spacing between the adjacent bearing support blocks (18), and thus, to provide a predetermined clearance or spacing between adjacent rollers (16) supported by the adjacent bearing support blocks (18).

This invention relates to roller conveyors or roller conveyor-classifiers 
for conveying and/or classifying objects or materials. 
The roller conveyor-classifier of the invention is particularly suited for, 
although not restricted to, use in connection with the conveying and 
classifying of "green" mineral ore pellets from a supply source such as a 
balling drum which discharges the green ore pellets onto a 
conveyor-classifier for transport to the inlet end of a grate conveyor. 
However, the principles of the present invention can also be applied to a 
roller conveyor and method of making same where the conveyor does not 
include a material classifying function. 
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an 
improved roller conveyor or roller conveyor-classifier construction which 
minimizes the number and complexity of parts required with resulting 
simplification of assembly and manufacturing procedures, and with 
consequent economic savings as compared to prior art constructions for 
this general type of apparatus. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved 
roller conveyor or roller conveyor-classifier construction and method of 
manufacturing same in which the resulting assembly is characterized by 
overall structural rigidity and by ease of adjustment both at the time of 
initial manufacture and also for subsequent maintenance adjustment. 
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved roller 
conveyor or roller conveyor-classifier construction and method of 
manufacturing same, including an improved shimming arrangement which 
facilitates ease of adjustment of the spacing between contiguous rollers 
as may be required, for example, for a predetermined desired material 
classification, and in which the improved shimming arrangement also 
permits adjustment of the roller spacing subsequent to the initial 
manufacturing assembly whereby to compensate for wear on the rollers or 
for other reasons and without requiring disassembly of the entire roller 
conveyor or conveyor-classifier to permit insertion of the shim members. 
In achievement of these objectives, there is provided in accordance with 
the invention, a roller conveyor or conveyor-classifier assembly 
comprising a plurality of rollers, a corresponding bearing support block 
for each end of each of said rollers, a bearing supported by each of said 
bearing support blocks, each roller being rotatably supported contiguous 
its opposite ends by the bearings of its corresponding oppositely disposed 
bearing support blocks, each roller and its corresponding bearing support 
blocks defining a first subassembly, whereby said roller conveyor assembly 
comprises a plurality of said first subassemblies, a support frame for 
said plurality of first subassemblies and comprising first and second 
oppositely disposed frame means respectively adapted to slidably receive 
and retain the respective oppositely disposed bearing support blocks, and 
means mounted on said roller conveyor assembly for applying a compressive 
loading to the plurality of bearing support blocks on each lateral side of 
said roller conveyor assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE AGGLOMERATING PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is schematically shown a system in which the 
roller conveyor-classifier of the invention has particular utility. Thus, 
there is shown in FIG. 1 an agglomerating device generally indicated at 10 
in which mineral ore in moistened pulverized form is formed into balls or 
pellets which are then discharged onto a feed belt 12. The agglomerating 
device may be a balling drum or a balling disc, for example. Feed belt 12 
delivers the balls or pellets of ore onto the inlet end of a roller 
conveyor-classifier generally indicated at 14 which may be constructed in 
accordance with the present invention, and the roller conveyor-classifier 
14 discharges the "green" ore pellets having a diameter above a 
predetermined minimum diameter onto the inlet end of a traveling grate 16. 
Traveling grate 16 carries the ore pellets through various stages of a 
thermal treatment process and may discharge the thermally treated pellets 
into the inlet end of a rotary kiln (not shown). The roller 
conveyor-classifier 14, in addition to serving as a conveyor for 
delivering the green ore pellets to the inlet end of traveling grate 16, 
also provides a classifying function, since the spacing between contiguous 
rollers of roller conveyor-classifier 14 can be adjusted to be of such 
value as to permit undersize ore pellets below a predetermined size or 
diameter to drop downwardly through the spacing between contiguous rollers 
and to be returned to the balling drum for recycling. This invention is 
directed to an improved construction for the roller conveyor-classifier 14 
of FIG. 1, and to a method of manufacturing such an improved roller 
conveyor-classifier. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the roller conveyor-classifier generally 
indicated at 14 includes a plurality of roller members 16. When roller 
conveyor-classifier 14 is employed in a system such as that shown 
diagrammatically in FIG. 1, each of the roller members 16 is driven by its 
own individual drive motor M (FIG. 4) through a suitable coupling to the 
drive motor. The plurality of motors M may instead be driven by a common 
drive motor or the like which is suitably connected to all of the rollers 
16. 
As best seen in the view of FIG. 3, each of the roller members 16 is 
provided at each of its opposite ends with a reduced end portion 16A which 
is supported in a corresponding bearing support block generally indicated 
at 18. 
Each of the bearing support blocks 18 is of generally H-shape in transverse 
cross section and includes an upper notch 18-U and a lower notch 18-L. 
Each bearing support block 18 is provided with a passage 20 therethrough 
which receives a suitable bearing 21 such as a sleeve bearing or 
anti-friction bearing, and the reduced end portion 16A at each end of a 
given roller 16 is received in and rotably supported by a corresponding 
bearing 21. Except for upper and lower notches 18-U and 18-L, bearing 
support block 18 is otherwise a six-sided polyhedron having planar 
surfaces on all of its sides. A separate bearing support block 18 as just 
described is provided for each of the opposite reduced ends 16A of each 
roller 16. Each roller 16 and the oppositely disposed bearing blocks 18 
supporting the given roller 16 together define a roller and bearing block 
subassembly generally indicated at 19, as seen in FIG. 3. 
As seen in the views of FIGS. 2, 3 and 7-11, inclusive, an upper support 
rail 22 and a lower support rail 24 are provided on each side of the 
roller conveyor-classifier assembly to support the plurality of roller and 
bearing block subassemblies 19. Upper support rail 22 and lower support 
rail 24 define a frame subassembly 25 on each lateral side of roller 
conveyor assembly 14. Each of the upper rail members 22 is of T-shape 
cross section and includes a web portion 22A and a leg portion 22B which 
extends downwardly from a substantially centrally located part of web 
portion 22A. Leg portion 22B is adapted to be received in the 
corresponding notch 18-U of each of the plurality of bearing support 
blocks 18 on the corresponding side of the roller conveyor-classifier 
assembly. Similarly, the lower support rail member generally indicated at 
24 on each side of the assembly includes a laterally extending web portion 
24A and a leg portion 24B which extends upwardly from a substantially 
centrally located part of lower web portion 24A. Leg portion 24B is 
received in the corresponding lower notch 18-L of each of the plurality of 
bearing support blocks 18 on the corresponding side of the roller 
conveyor-classifier assembly. 
As best seen in the views of FIGS. 7 and 10, upper and lower support rails 
22 and 24 on each side of the assembly are structurally reinforced and 
interconnected by one or more stiffening webs 26 which is/are welded to 
the outboard edges of the respective upper and lower rails 22 and 24 on a 
given side of the roller conveyor-classifier assembly. Several of these 
reinforcing web portions 26 may be connected between upper and lower 
support rails 22 and 24 at longitudinally spaced intervals on each side of 
roller conveyor-classifier assembly 14. As best seen in the view of FIG. 
10, each of the reinforcing webs 26 is bowed outwardly so as not to 
interfere in any way with the positioning of bearing blocks 18 between the 
support rails 22 and 24 on a given side of the roller conveyor-classifier 
assembly, and to provide access for bearing lubrication and maintenance. 
At one longitudinal end of the roller conveyor-classifier assembly, such as 
the right-hand end relative to the views of FIGS. 4 and 7, for example, 
the two laterally spaced support rail subassemblies are rigidly joined 
together by a cross member or plate generally indicated at 30 which is 
welded at each of its respective laterally opposite ends to the upper and 
lower rails 22 and 24 on each side of the roller conveyor-classifier 
assembly. At the opposite end of the assembly (or left-hand end relative 
to the views in FIGS. 2, 4 and 7), a second end plate or cross member 32 
is detachably secured to the oppositely disposed laterally spaced support 
rail subassemblies. A pair of laterally spaced bolt members 34 (FIGS. 4 
and 7) are positioned in screw threaded engagement with detachable end 
plate 32. A lock nut 35 on each bolt 34 maintains the respective bolt in a 
desired adjusted position. Bolt members 34 define a loading means for 
placing the stacked bearing support blocks 18 and interposed shims 36 in 
longitudinal compression. Each of the bolt members 34 is positioned in 
alignment with a corresponding one of the rows of stacked bearing support 
blocks 18. Each bolt 34 can be rotated to apply compressive force to the 
plurality of bearing support blocks 18 with which it is in alignment. 
While bolts 34 have been shown as an exemplary arrangement for applying a 
compressive load to the bearing support blocks 18 and shims 36, other 
means may be provided for placing shims 36 and bearing support blocks in 
compression. For example, an overcenter clamp (not shown) may be suitably 
mounted to apply compressive loading to the bearing support blocks 18 and 
shims 36. Alternatively, a spring loaded compression preload assembly (not 
shown) may be suitably mounted to apply compressive loading to the bearing 
support blocks 18 and shims 36. 
In a still further modified arrangement for applying a compressive force to 
the bearing support blocks and shims, a single bolt 34 could be used, such 
bolt being positioned centrally of the transverse dimension of detachable 
end plate 32. Such a centrally located bolt 34 would apply pressure 
against a plate member (not shown) interposed between the inner surface of 
end plate 32 and the contiguous surface of the nearest bearing support 
blocks 18 on both lateral sides of the roller conveyor-classifier 
assembly, whereby pressure applied by the single centrally located bolt 34 
would be transmitted through the interposed plate member to the 
horizontally stacked bearing blocks and shims on both lateral sides of the 
assembly. 
An important feature of the construction is the use of shims 36 which are 
interposed between contiguous bearing support blocks 18 to provide a 
predetermined desired spacing between contiguous rollers 16. 
As seen in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 shim or spacer 36 is in the shape of a "lower 
case" h, in contrast to the bearing support blocks 18 which have a cross 
section in the shape of a capital or upper case H. Shim 36 includes a 
notch or slot portion 36A which extends upwardly from the bottom edge of 
the shim. Slot 36A defines two downwardly extending leg portions 36B and 
36C. At the upper portion thereof, relative to the views in the drawings, 
spacer 36 includes a single upwardly extending leg portion 36D on the 
left-hand or outboard side of the spacer relative to the views in the 
drawings and also relative to the roller conveyor-classifier assembly. 
Each shim 36 is provided with an extension 36E which is used as a means for 
gripping shims 36 during insertion and removal thereof from the roller 
conveyor-classifier assembly. The shape of shim or spacer 36 as seen in 
FIGS. 8-10, inclusive, has important advantages since it permits shims 36 
to be inserted into the interspace between contiguous bearing support 
blocks 18 from the outboard side of the assembly by a rotating motion, 
with spacer 36 being tipped into engagement with the upstanding edge 24B 
of lower support rail member 24 on the corresponding side of roller 
conveyor-classifier assembly 14. The shape of shims 36 permits shims 36 to 
be inserted by the tipping motion previously described either at the time 
of initial manufacture, or as required at any time subsequent to the 
initial manufacture of the roller conveyor-classifier assembly to take up 
or compensate for wear on rollers 16, and without the necessity of 
disassembling the entire roller conveyor-classifier assembly in order to 
permit insertion of the shims or spacers. 
Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an elongated bar 42 which may be an 
extrusion, a rolled shape or the like, having an H cross section similar 
to the cross section of bearing support 18 shown in the view of FIG. 6. 
This elongated bar may then be cut into a plurality of sections, each of 
which sections then forms one of the bearing supports 18 of FIG. 6. 
METHOD OF ASSEMBLY 
In assembling the roller conveyor or roller conveyor-classifier 14, the 
assembly process is begun using a support frame comprising two laterally 
spaced pairs of upper and lower support rails 22 and 24 which are closed 
at one end only by a cross plate 30 (FIGS. 4 and 7) which is welded or 
otherwise suitably secured to upper and lower support rails 22 and 24 on 
each side of the framework. At this stage of the assembly, the opposite 
end of the supporting framework is open and the detachable cross member 32 
has not yet been positioned on the supporting framework. A plurality of 
the roller and bearing block subassemblies 19 each comprising a roller 16 
and a pair of oppositely disposed bearing blocks 18 and bearings 21 
supporting the opposite reduced end portions 16A of a given roller 16, are 
then inserted into the guide tracks defined by upper and lower support 
rails 22 and 24 on the two laterally opposite sides of the framework. 
In the initial assembly of the plurality of roller and bearing block 
subassemblies 19 into the supporting framework, the contiguous rollers 16 
are first placed in face-to-face abutting contact. With the rollers in 
abutting contact as just mentioned, the gap between adjacent bearing 
support blocks 18 is then measured. 
Starting at the end of the roller conveyor-classifier assembly 14 adjacent 
cross member 30, the proper alignment for the first roller and bearing 
block subassembly 19-1 (FIG. 7) is established by inserting shims 36-A 
(FIG. 7) between cross member 30 and the oppositely disposed bearing 
support blocks 18 of said roller and bearing block subassembly 19-1. 
"Proper alignment" is defined as the proper positioning of the axis of the 
roller of subassembly 19-1 in a direction normal (i.e., at 90.degree.) to 
the longitudinal axis of the roller conveyor assembly 14 and hence normal 
to the laterally spaced longitudinal frame subassemblies 25. 
In order to provide the clearance space between cross member 30 and the 
subassembly 19-1, a pair of wedges (not shown) are driven between cross 
member 30 and the contiguous roller 16-1. With the clearance space thus 
established between cross member 30 and roller 16-1 of subassembly 19-1, 
shims 36A are then tipped into position between cross member 30 and each 
of the respective oppositely disposed bearing support blocks of 
subassembly 19-1. Shims 36 are tipped into position from the outboard side 
of each of the oppositely disposed frame subassemblies 25, in the manner 
previously described. Any lack of perpendicularity or normality between 
cross member 30 and the longitudinal axis of roller conveyor-classifier 
assembly 14 may be compensated for by adding more shims 36 on one lateral 
side of assembly 14 than the other, to thereby insure a proper normal 
relation of the first roller and bearing block subassembly 19-1 relative 
to the longitudinal axis of assembly 14. 
With proper alignment (i.e., proper normality) of the first roller and 
bearing block subassembly 19-1 insured, proper alignment (normality) of 
all of the other similar subassemblies 19-2, 19-3, etc., will then be 
insured. 
In order to provide the desired clearance between the various subassemblies 
19-1, 19-2, 19-3, etc. (FIG. 7), as required for material classification 
or for other reasons, the pair of wedges are driven between the contiguous 
rollers 16 of successive pairs of subassemblies 19-1, 19-2, etc. to 
provide the necessary clearance for shim insertion. Shims 36 (FIGS. 8-10, 
inclusive) having a total thickness equal to the gap established between 
adjacent bearing support blocks 18 with rollers 16 in abutting 
face-to-face contact as previously described, plus shims equal in 
thickness to the required roller clearance between adjacent rollers 16 as 
determined by the requirements of the particular process with which the 
equipment is being used, such as that described in connection with FIG. 1, 
are then inserted into the space between each pair of contiguous bearing 
blocks 18 on each of the opposite sides of assembly 14. 
Shims 36 for proper clearance between adjacent rollers 16, are inserted 
between the corresponding bearing support blocks 18 on each lateral side 
of the roller conveyor assembly 14 by tipping the shims 36 inwardly from 
the outboard side of the respective lateral sides of the assembly, as 
previously described. This eliminates the requirement for removing the 
roller and bearing support block subassemblies 19 from supporting 
framework 25 for shim insertion with subsequent reassembly into framework 
25. 
After the required thickness of shims is inserted between each pair of 
contiguous bearing support blocks 18, the wedges are then removed from 
between the corresponding rollers 16. 
With all of the roller and bearing block subassemblies 19 in position in 
the supporting framework and with the required thickness of shims being 
interposed between each pair of contiguous bearing blocks 18 on each 
lateral side of the assembly, the detachable end plate 32 is then suitably 
detachably secured to the upper and lower support rails 22 and 24 at the 
heretofore open end of the assembly to connect the two laterally spaced 
frame subassemblies 25 at the heretofore open end of assembly 14, and each 
of the loading bolts 34 is then turned to apply a predetermined pressure 
against the horizontally stacked bearing blocks 18 and shims 36 on each of 
the respective lateral sides of the assembly. When loading bolts 34 are 
adjusted to the desired position, lock nuts 35 are tightened to hold bolts 
34 in the desired adjusted position. Alternatively, if only a single 
loading bolt 34 is used and which is located centrally of the transverse 
dimension of end cross member 32, the centrally located bolt 34 may be 
tightened in the same manner as just described to apply pressure against 
an interposed pressure transmittal plate (not shown) which in turn applies 
equal pressure against the two laterally spaced horizontally stacked rows 
of bearing support blocks 18 and interposed shims 36 on each lateral side 
of the roller conveyor-classifier assembly 14. 
A final check on clearance between rollers 16 is made with suitable 
correction by shim insertion before final tightening of loading bolt or 
bolts 34. 
The loading bolts or bolt 34 when tightened cause the horizontal stacks of 
bearing support blocks 18 and interposed shims 36 to be loaded in 
horizontal compression, and cause the roller conveyor assembly 14 to 
become a rigid beam. 
If it is necessary to insert any shims 36 in the roller conveyor-classifier 
assembly 14 after the initial manufacturing operation, in order to 
compensate for wear on rollers 16 or for any other reason, shims 36 may be 
inserted into the roller conveyor assembly on the outboard side of each 
upper and lower rail subassembly 25 in the same manner as in the initial 
assembly procedure merely by tipping the shims 36 to be inserted in a 
clockwise direction relative to the views of FIGS. 2, 8, 9 and 10 from the 
outboard side of the rail subassembly on a given side of the roller 
conveyor assembly whereby to engage notch 36A in the lower end of the 
adjusting shims 36 being inserted, with the upstanding vertical leg 24B of 
lower rail 24 on the given lateral side of the roller conveyor assembly. 
In order to prevent any of the shims 36 from falling out of the assembly by 
tipping in a counterclockwise direction relative to the views in the 
drawings toward the outboard side of the respective upper and lower rail 
subassemblies 25, a plurality of shim retaining links generally indicated 
at 40, and specifically designated at 40A', 40B' and 40C' in FIG. 7, are 
inserted into engagement with retaining holes 50 (FIGS. 6 and 9) in the 
outboard faces of spaced bearing blocks 18 whereby to prevent shims 36 
from falling out of the assembly. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, each of the 
bearing blocks 18 is provided in the outboard surface thereof with one or 
more holes or recesses 50 which are respectively adapted to receive one of 
the opposite ends 40-1 or 40-2 of a given shim retaining link 40. Shim 
retaining link 40 has two opposite end portions 40-1 and 40-2 each of 
which is adapted to engage a corresponding hole or recess 50 in the 
outboard surface of one of a pair of spaced bearing blocks such as those 
indicated at 18A and 18C in the view of FIG. 7. Thus, as seen in FIG. 7, 
the shim retaining link 40A' which extends in spanning relation to bearing 
blocks 18A, 18B and 18C has the opposite inturned ends 40-1 and 40-2 
thereof engaging holes 50 in the outboard surfaces of bearing blocks 18A 
and 18C. It can be seen that shim retaining link 40A' will retain the 
shims 36 between bearing support blocks 18A and 18B and also between 
bearing support blocks 18B and 18C to effectively prevent shims 36 from 
falling out of the assembly. In a similar manner, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 
7, additional shim retaining links 40B' and 40C' are used to retain the 
shims between other bearing support blocks on the same lateral side of the 
roller conveyor assembly as seen in the drawings. Similar shim retaining 
links 40 are also used on the opposite lateral side of the roller conveyor 
assembly. 
In a further structural modification shown in FIG. 11, one or more cross 
members 44 may extend between the oppositely disposed lower rails 24 to 
further structurally reinforce the assembly 14, in addition to the fixed 
cross member 30 at one end of the assembly and also in addition to the 
detachable cross member 32 at the opposite end of the assembly. 
In any of the various arrangements disclosed for applying compressive 
loading to the horizontally stacked bearing support blocks 18 and 
interposed shims 36, such as the loading bolts or bolt 34, or the 
overcenter clamp (not shown), or the spring loaded compression preload 
assembly (not shown), it will be understood that the compression loading 
is continuously applied during the normal usage of conveyor-classifier 
assembly 14 to maintain assembly 14 in properly assembled relation. 
From the foregoing detailed description of the present invention, it has 
been shown how the objects of the invention have been obtained in a 
preferred manner. However, modifications and equivalents of the disclosed 
concepts such as readily occur to those skilled in the art are intended to 
be included within the scope of this invention.