A catenary idler comprises a cable, a plurality of bearing surfaces disposed along a length of the cable, and a plurality of rollers disposed over the plurality of bearing surfaces. The plurality of bearing surfaces are fixed to the cable. The plurality of bearing surfaces may be a plurality of clamps. The plurality of rollers are rotatably supported upon the plurality of bearing surfaces. The cable may be rotatably supported at its ends. The catenary idler may include a first compression spring at a first end of the cable and a second compression spring at a second end of the cable. The rollers may be formed of an oil filled nylon. A conveyor belt impact bed includes a frame, a plurality of catenary idlers supported upon the frame, and a conveyor belt supported upon the plurality of catenary idlers.

A conveyor system has an endless belt with an upper transport portion sized to support a wheeled structure, and a lower return portion. A support deck is positioned to support the upper transport portion of the endless belt, the support deck includes a lower support deck structure, and wear plates that are supported on the lower support deck structure. The support deck includes alignment aperture pairs. Each alignment aperture pair includes a first alignment aperture through the lower support deck structure, and a second alignment aperture through one of the plurality of wear plates. A belt-rinsing system is provided and includes a plurality of rinsing system outlet bodies, wherein each of the plurality of rinsing system outlet bodies extends into one of the first alignment apertures of the lower support deck structure and into one of the second alignment apertures of one of the plurality of wear plates.

A joint connector for track sections of a conveyor wherein the track sections comprise a feature that requires alignment, the joint connector including: a first segment for attachment to an attachment feature of a first track section of the conveyor; and a second segment for attachment to an attachment feature of a second track section of the conveyor, wherein the second segment is configured to be adaptive to non-alignment of the attachment features of the first and second track sections in order to maintain alignment of the feature after installation of the joint connector.

The present invention relates to a pocket-type conveyor belt installation (2) having a plurality of carrying rollers (21) which are designed to support a pocket-type conveyor belt (1), preferably a lower conveyor belt edge (12) of a pocket-type conveyor belt (1), wherein the carrying rollers (21) are each connected in load-bearing fashion by means of at least one carrying roller holder (22) to a carrying frame (23) of the pocket-type conveyor belt installation (2). The pocket-type conveyor belt installation (2) is characterized in that at least one carrying roller holder (22), preferably a plurality of carrying roller holders (22), has at least one sensor element (4), which is arranged and designed to record at least a force and/or a change in force between the carrying roller (21) and the carrying frame (23).

The present invention relates to a pocket-type conveyor belt installation (2) having a plurality of carrying rollers (21) which are designed to support a pocket-type conveyor belt (1), preferably a lower conveyor belt edge (12) of a pocket-type conveyor belt (1), wherein the carrying rollers (21) are each connected in load-bearing fashion by means of at least one carrying roller holder (22) to a carrying frame (23) of the pocket-type conveyor belt installation (2). The pocket-type conveyor belt installation (2) is characterized in that at least one carrying roller holder (22), preferably a plurality of carrying roller holders (22), has at least one sensor element (4), which is arranged and designed to record at least a force and/or a change in force between the carrying roller (21) and the carrying frame (23).

Work-saving improvements for food-process lines include (1) mounting alternate machines of a food process line on pivot hardware to speed up washing and maintenance operations, (2) mounting the machines on rolling riding gear in order to speed up the activities of building and re-building food process lines of a different series of machines, or (3) isolate the food process line in its own tunnel and hence its own climate-controlled atmosphere to reduce conflicts with running two food process lines side by side where one food process line is a source of air borne allergens.

Work-saving improvements for food-process lines include (1) mounting alternate machines of a food process line on pivot hardware to speed up washing and maintenance operations, (2) mounting the machines on rolling riding gear in order to speed up the activities of building and re-building food process lines of a different series of machines, or (3) isolate the food process line in its own tunnel and hence its own climate-controlled atmosphere to reduce conflicts with running two food process lines side by side where one food process line is a source of air borne allergens.

A belt unit includes a belt member to be caused to rotate, a stretching member that is rotatable about an axis and over which the belt member is stretched, and a rotatable member that is rotatable about the axis and relative to the stretching member and over which the belt member is stretched, the rotatable member including a receiving part configured to receive the belt member in an axial direction when the belt member is shifted in the axial direction.

A belt unit includes a belt member to be caused to rotate, a stretching member that is rotatable about an axis and over which the belt member is stretched, and a rotatable member that is rotatable about the axis and relative to the stretching member and over which the belt member is stretched, the rotatable member including a receiving part configured to receive the belt member in an axial direction when the belt member is shifted in the axial direction.

A conveyor employs an assembly at a drive end having a position limiter assembly configured to accommodate flights in a conveyor belt while ensuring proper engagement between the conveyor belt and a drive. The end assembly includes opposing end plates, a drive extending between the end plates and a position limiter assembly extending between the end plates below the drive for ensuring proper engagement of a conveyor belt with the drive. The position limiter comprises a series of spaced apart rollers mounted to and spaced from a mounting bar extending between the end plates. Roller mounting arms connect the rollers to the mounting bars.