Patent ID: 7617925

Claim:
A conveyor idler support structure, said structure comprising: a support frame for rotatably mounting a conveyor idler, said frame being displaceable between an operation position and an idler removal position about a pivotal axis; wherein, in said operation position, said frame places said mounted idler in operational engagement with a conveyor belt; and wherein, in said idler removal position, said frame brings said mounted idler out of engagement with said conveyor belt to allow said idler to be removed from said frame, said frame comprising a pivotal shaft arranged along said pivotal axis and idler support arms extending from said pivotal shaft, said idler support arms arranged to receive and rotatably mount opposing ends of an idler shaft of said idler, each of said idler support arms comprising a recess for receiving and rotatably mounting said idler shaft; and an idler cradle arranged with respect to said support frame such that, as said support frame is displaced from said operation position to said idler removal position, wherein said mounted idler engages and rests upon said idler cradle, and further displacement of said support frame causes said idler shaft to demount from said recess in each of said idler support arms and demounts said idler from said support frame while said idler remains upon said idler cradle.