Patent ID: 6843444

Claim:
Apparatus adapted to track an associated belt as said belt is built on first and second rotatable drums separated by a center-to-center distance, said belt comprising a longitudinal axis and a transverse width and including a belt component, said belt having a direction of travel as it is built on said pair of drums, said belt defining a belt span between said pair of drums, said apparatus comprising: a first tracking assembly positioned at a first drum in-feed position, said first tracking assembly being operable to engage said associated belt component for alignment relative to said first rotatable drum, said first tracking assembly including a first wheel pair and a second wheel pair, wherein said first wheel pair comprising a first upper wheel and a first lower wheel, said first upper wheel being rotatable about a first upper wheel axis and said first lower wheel being rotatable about a first lower wheel axis, wherein said first upper wheel axis is disposed at a first angle, α 1 , to said plane of said belt span, wherein α 1 is between about 10° and 80°, and wherein said first upper wheel and said first lower wheel are spaced to define a first gap therebetween; and said second wheel pair transversely spaced from said first wheel pair, said second wheel pair comprising a second upper wheel and a second lower wheel, said second upper wheel being rotatable about a second upper wheel axis and said second lower wheel being rotatable about a second lower wheel axis, wherein the second upper wheel axis is disposed at an angle of between about 10° and 80° to said plane of said belt span, and the second upper wheel and the second lower wheel are spaced to define a second gap therebetween; and a second tracking assembly positioned at a second drum in-feed position, said second tracking assembly being operable to engage said associated belt component for alignment relative to said second rotatable drum.