Patent ID: 7243782

Claim:
An enclosed belt conveyer assembly, comprising: a head section; a tail section operably connected to the head section; the head section or the tail section including an enclosure that telescopically engages an adjacent end of an enclosure section in telescopic relationship, substantially sealing the enclosure to the adjacent end of the enclosure section to substantially prevent the escape of conveyed materials from the enclosed belt conveyer assembly; a continuous belt operably interconnecting the head section to the tail section and being supported at the head section by a head pulley on a first axle and being supported at the tail by a tail pulley on a second axle, a tensioner connected to both the enclosure and to the enclosure section comprising an elongate exoskeletal sleeve and an elongate member in operable slidable interaction with the sleeve to maintain the enclosure in substantially parallel telescopic relationship and generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the conveyor assembly and an adjustable extender/retractor operably connected to the sleeve and the member to slidably move the sleeve and the member relative to one another whereby the belt is tensioned and the enclosure is translated; and in which the tensioner further comprises an actuator to which a tool is engageable to operate the tensioner by swinging the tool in an arc and in which the actuator is located such that the tool can be swung three hundred sixty degrees without interference with structure of the enclosed belt conveyer assembly.