A spiral conveyor construction comprises an endless conveyor belt guided on a conveying path. At least a part of the conveying path surrounds a drive tower. Spaced along the periphery of the drive tower are arranged vertical engagement members. Additionally on a lower section of the drive tower adjacent blocks are provided, radially projecting further from the drive tower than the engagement members, and where the blocks are provided with a radially extending secondary rib.

A system for removing seeds includes a track, one or more carts moveably disposed on the track, one or more sensors, a removing device, and a controller. The controller includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to determine a location of one or more of one or more contaminated seeds and one or more contaminated plants on the one or more carts based on information received from the one or more sensors and instruct the removing device to remove one or more of the one or more contaminated seeds and the one or more contaminated plants based on the location.

A freezing spiral net chain structure includes a plurality of chain links successively arranged in a travelling direction of a rail. Transmission teeth are arranged at inner ends of the chain links. Engagement teeth are arranged at two sides of the chain links. The engagement teeth of the adjacent chain links are engaged with each other. Axial holes are disposed between the mutually engaged engagement teeth. Rotary shafts are inserted into the axial holes. A metal piece is connected between outer ends of every two adjacent rotary shafts. The metal piece may bear a load from an outer-end spiral net, and since a coefficient of expansion of metal is smaller than that of plastic, deformation between the adjacent rotary shafts as a result of cold shrinking is reduced. The metal piece is different from the rotary shafts of the plastic spiral conveying net chain in terms of pitch.

A conveyor belt blower for a conveyor belt having an infeed portion and a return portion having a width includes a pressure distribution assembly located between the infeed portion and the return portion, a plenum body having first and second ends, wherein the plenum body extends across at least a portion of the width of the return portion, a nozzle assembly having at least one opening extending along a length of the plenum body that is configured to direct air onto the return portion, and an air movement device in communication with the first end of the plenum body for flowing air into the plenum body.

An article storage device includes a first conveying line, a second conveying line, and a temporary storage passage, wherein the first conveying line and the second conveying line ascend spirally around the temporary storage passage to form a double spiral structure, and two ends of the temporary storage passage respectively are in communication with the first conveying line and the second conveying line, the first conveying line conveys the article to the temporary storage passage, the temporary storage passage receives the article from the first conveying line and conveys the article to the second conveying line, and the second conveying line receives the article from the temporary storage passage and conveys the article.

Variable-capacity store for cylindrical articles of the tobacco processing industry; the store comprises a conveying assembly comprising a first conveyor having a substantially helical shape; a second conveyor having a substantially helical shape and arranged above the first conveyor; and a linear transfer conveyor, which is adapted to convey the articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, having a variable length and, by extending and shortening, changes the area of the first conveyor from which it picks up the articles and the area of the second conveyor to which it feeds the articles, thus varying the capacity of the store.

A spiral conveyor system including a tank for containing a liquid at a predetermined temperature therein. A conveyor conveys items through the liquid. A guiding structure is disposed in the tank for guiding the conveyor in a spiral-type fashion. The spiral conveyor system further comprises means for securing the items while being conveyed through the liquid.

A centrifugal dewatering conveyor system for removing liquid from a conveyed product comprises a modular conveyor belt designed to follow a path that includes both straight portions and helical portions. The modular conveyor belt comprises a plurality of hingedly connected modules having side walls and capable of shifting laterally relative to each other and curling up about the hinge rods to form the helical portions. In the helical portions, a centrifugal force imparted on conveyed product forces water through openings in the conveyor belt.

A thermal processing apparatus (20) includes a spiral conveyor system (22) configured into an ascending spiral stack (26). An inner mezzanine (40) is disposed within the circular interior of the stack (26) and an exterior mezzanine (42) encircles the spiral stack. The mezzanines divide the processing chamber (32) into a plurality of processing zones. A sealing system (90) seals the interior mezzanine (40) relative to the spiral stack (26). A sealing system (130) seals the outer mezzanine (42) relative to the exterior of the spiral stack, and a seal system (132) seals the outer mezzanine relative to the walls (56, 58) of the housing, thereby to limit the leakage of the processing fluid between the mezzanines and the spiral stack (26) and housing walls so that as much as the thermal processing medium is possible is forced through the spiral stack for processing work products carried on the conveyor system (22).

A thermal processing apparatus (20) includes a spiral conveyor system (22) configured into an ascending spiral stack (26). An air balance tunnel (40) includes a tunnel housing (76) positioned inside of a thermal processing chamber adjacent an outlet opening (36). A conveyor belt (24) travels through the housing on its way out of the processing chamber. An air pervious ejector assembly (78) is positioned within the housing at an elevation above the conveyor belt (24). An air pervious evacuation sheet (80) is located within the housing at a location beneath the conveyor belt (24). An air pervious cover assembly (150) is positioned over the conveyor belt (24) at a location just before the conveyor belt enters the air balance tunnel (40). The cover sheet (150) is connectable to the ejector assembly (78) so as to remove the ejector assembly from the tunnel housing (76) by manually moving the cover assembly (150).