A slat for use within a material moving system of an agricultural combine may include a connector web extending in a lengthwise direction of the slat between a first end and a second end and in a widthwise direction of the slat between a front side and a rear side of the slat. The connector web may also define an outer surface and an inner surface. The slat may also include a front wall extending outwardly from the outer surface of the connector web along the front side of the slat and a rear wall extending outwardly from the outer surface of the connector web along the rear side of the slat. Additionally, the slat may include one or more additional features for increasing the structural integrity of the slat and/or for enhancing the crop grabbing/gripping capabilities of the slat.

An apparatus and method are provided for the industrial manufacture of bakery products, such as long or elongated breads, rolls, baguettes, Parisian breads, round loaves. The apparatus includes a conveyor for conveying at least one piece of dough on a conveying surface in a transport direction, a substrate which is arranged above said conveyor. The substrate includes a contact surface at a side facing the conveyor. The apparatus is configured for providing a relative movement between the contact surface and the conveying surface. The contact surface is configured for touching an upper side of said at least one piece of dough on said conveying surface. And the apparatus further includes a heating device configured for heating at least a part of a circumference of the at least one piece of dough facing the contact surface for forming a film on said part of the circumference.

An apparatus and method are provided for the industrial manufacture of bakery products, such as long or elongated breads, rolls, baguettes, Parisian breads, round loaves. The apparatus includes a conveyor for conveying at least one piece of dough on a conveying surface in a transport direction, a substrate which is arranged above said conveyor. The substrate includes a contact surface at a side facing the conveyor. The apparatus is configured for providing a relative movement between the contact surface and the conveying surface. The contact surface is configured for touching an upper side of said at least one piece of dough on said conveying surface. And the apparatus further includes a heating device configured for heating at least a part of a circumference of the at least one piece of dough facing the contact surface for forming a film on said part of the circumference.

A conveyor chain includes a first link, a second link, and a coupler link. The first link includes a first sprocket-engaging portion and a second sprocket-engaging portion, each protruding laterally away from one another. The second link includes a first sprocket-engaging portion and a second sprocket-engaging portion, each protruding laterally away from one another. The coupler link couples the first link to the second link, and the coupler link is positioned laterally between the first sprocket-engaging portion and the second sprocket-engaging portion of each link. The coupler link includes a first joint pivotably coupled to the first link and a second joint pivotably coupled to the second link. The first joint permits pivoting movement of the first link about a plurality of axes, and the second joint permits pivoting movement of the second link about a plurality of axes.

Disclosed is a method for estimating tension of a chain of a scraper conveyor, belonging to a method for estimating chain tension. The method comprises the following steps: embedding strain sensors in a plurality of scrapers of a scraper conveyor to measure the tension of weak coupling points between the scrapers and chains, converting acquired sensor signals into data signals through an A/D conversion unit, transmitting the data signals to a data control center using a wireless transmission module, further processing the tension data information of the weak coupling points through the data control center, establishing a chain tension distribution model, and determining an the estimated tension of the chain of the scraper conveyor. The method provided by the present invention is simple, efficient and practical, and the estimation of tension of the whole continuous moving chain is completed by the tension measurement at limited positions of the chain. The chain of the scraper conveyor is meshed with a sprocket and continuously moves in a middle trough and its tension also changes in real time along with the load; the strain sensors are arranged on the scrapers to measure the tension of the weak coupling points between the scrapers and the chains, and the estimation of tension of the whole chain is completed by tension measurement at limited positions on the chain.

In some aspects, a conveyor chain includes a first link, a second link, and a coupler link coupled between the first link and the second link. The first link includes a first portion and a second portion, the second portion oriented parallel to and laterally spaced apart from the first portion. The first portion includes a first sprocket-engaging pin protruding laterally, and the second portion includes a second sprocket-engaging pin protruding laterally. The second link includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first sprocket-engaging portion protruding laterally, and the second portion includes a second sprocket-engaging portion protruding laterally. A flight bar is positioned adjacent an end of the first sprocket-engaging portion of the first link.

A stockyard joint reclaiming system includes an outer output conveyor, a scraper reclaimer provided with a scraper mechanism, an inner feeder, and an inner output conveyor arranged below a stockpile. The scraper mechanism includes a chain and a scraper installed on a chain. The chain moves forwards or backwards under the action of a driving device to drive the scraper to push materials to a corresponding discharging port. The scraper mechanism drives the scraper through forward or reverse operation of the chain for pushing the materials to the output conveyor and a reclaiming line can be selected. A reclaiming mode is flexible and more output lines are available. When the material level is lower than a horizontal position, the scraper is driven to move through a reverse operation of the chain to push the materials to an upper part of the inner feeder for realizing reclaiming, thereby reducing unnecessary energy consumption and effectively guaranteeing the reclaiming capability of the scraper reclaimer.

A stockyard joint reclaiming system includes an outer output conveyor, a scraper reclaimer provided with a scraper mechanism, an inner feeder, and an inner output conveyor arranged below a stockpile. The scraper mechanism includes a chain and a scraper installed on a chain. The chain moves forwards or backwards under the action of a driving device to drive the scraper to push materials to a corresponding discharging port. The scraper mechanism drives the scraper through forward or reverse operation of the chain for pushing the materials to the output conveyor and a reclaiming line can be selected. A reclaiming mode is flexible and more output lines are available. When the material level is lower than a horizontal position, the scraper is driven to move through a reverse operation of the chain to push the materials to an upper part of the inner feeder for realizing reclaiming, thereby reducing unnecessary energy consumption and effectively guaranteeing the reclaiming capability of the scraper reclaimer.

A linkage for moving material from a first end of a conveyor toward a second end of the conveyor includes a first link and a second link. The first link includes a first side edge and a first indicator. The second link includes a second side edge and a second indicator. The second link is coupled to the first link such that the first side edge of the first link overlaps with the second side edge of the second link. Elongation of the first link in the direction of movement causes the first indicator to move relative to the second indicator, and a position of the first indicator relative to the second indicator provides an indication of a wear condition of the first link. In some aspects, a first surface and/or a second surface of one of the links includes a wear indicator representing a surface wear condition.

A method involves conveying tissue logs in a saw conveyor. The conveyor has independent lane control cutting and variable conveyor flight length. In one aspect of the method a first tissue log is received in a lane of a conveyor. With a first log advancement member, the first tissue log is advanced in the lane of the conveyor for cutting with a tissue log saw. A second tissue log is received in the lane of the conveyor when the first tissue log has advanced sufficiently in the lane to accommodate the second tissue log in the lane. With a second log advancement member, the second tissue log is advanced in the lane of the conveyor for cutting with the tissue log saw independently of the step of advancing the first tissue log in the lane. The conveyor may also have multiple lanes.