A conveying system, such as a conveying system for material including non-ferrous metals, includes a conveying belt and a stabilizer. The conveying belt includes a conveying surface and is adapted to convey the material on the conveying surface. The stabilizer is configured to apply a stabilizing force onto the material on the conveyor belt such that the material is stabilized while being conveyed. A method of stabilizing material on a conveyor belt includes receiving the material on the conveying surface of the conveyor belt, conveying the material at a conveying speed with the conveyor belt, and applying the stabilizing force onto the material with a stabilizer such that vertical displacement of at least some of the material is dampened and/or minimized at the conveying speed.

A guide structure for a chain for an article conveyor is disclosed. The guide structure includes a guide tor guiding the chain along a direction of movement of the chain and having at least two rails each delimiting a respective guide channel for at least partly accommodating the chain. An accompanying means for supporting the chain and accompanying it into the guide channel, wherein the accompanying means comprises a contact surface) adapted to be in contact with the chain while the chain is accompanied into the guide channel. A fixing means for keeping the accompanying means in fixed position with respect to the guide. And, an adjusting means for adjusting a position of the accompanying means generally orthogonal to the direction of movement of the chain to adjust the angular position of the accompanying means with respect to the guide in at least a first and a second angular positions.

A conveyor system including: a track comprising a first magnetic element; and a moving element comprising a second magnetic element for interacting with the track to provide a magnetic force that retains the moving element on the track; wherein absent the magnetic force, the moving element is released from the track. In another aspect, a conveyor system includes: a track having at least one guide rail; and a moving element; wherein a magnetic force controls movement of the moving element in a direction of travel and the magnetic force supports the moving element in a second direction perpendicular to the direction of travel; and wherein the at least one guide rail supports the moving element in a third direction perpendicular to both the direction of travel and the second direction.

A guide for a chain (105) for an articles conveyor (100) is proposed. Said guide comprises a return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) being adapted to guide the chain (105) along at least a portion of a return section of a conveyor path of the articles conveyor (100). The chain (105) comprises a plurality of links (115) each one having a first link element (115.sub.1) for supporting the articles to be conveyed and a second link element (115.sub.2) for supporting the first link element (115.sub.1). The return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) comprises a return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R) along the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R), said return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R) extending within the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) from a surface (110.sub.RB;210.sub.RB;310.sub.RB) of the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) that, in use, defines a lower outer surface of the guide. The return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) further comprises return guide magnetic interaction means (130.sub.R,135;230.sub.R,235;330.sub.R,335) adapted in use to magnetically interact with chain magnetic interaction means (120) to cause a magnetic attraction of the chain (105) within the return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R), SO that by effect of said magnetic attraction said return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R) is adapted to slidably receive within it the second link element (115.sub.2), and said surface (110.sub.RB;210.sub.RB;310.sub.RB) of the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) is adapted to provide a slide abutment, external to the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R), for the first link element (115.sub.1). The guide further comprises accompanying means (140,145,150) for accompanying the movement of the chain (105) with respect to said return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R), said accompanying means (140,145,150) comprising: means (145) for promoting an input of the chain (105) into, and magnetic attraction and retention of the chain (105) within, said return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R), and means (

A radius conveyor comprising a sideflexing conveyor belt and a touchless magnetic bearing at the inside of a turn. The conveyor belt has electrically conductive elements in a side edge. An array of permanent magnets along the conveyor's side rail at the inside of the turn produces a permanent magnetic field. As the conveyor belt is driven through the turn, the permanent magnet field induces currents in the electrically conductive material. The currents produce reaction magnetic fields opposed to the permanent magnetic field that result in a radially outward force pushing the conveyor belt away from frictional contact with the side rail. Alternatively, permanent magnets in the side edge of the belt and electrically conductive elements in the conveyor's side rail likewise provide a magnetic bearing.

A continuous conveyor is used as a sorting apparatus, for example, and includes a drive element that is guided over at least two drums and pulls a plurality of carriages. Entrainment of the carriages is implemented using permanent magnets, which are preferably disposed on the drive element, and the pulling force of which is transferred to the carriages using drivers affixed to them.

A conveyor system including: a track comprising a first magnetic element; and a moving element comprising a second magnetic element for interacting with the track to provide a magnetic force that retains the moving element on the track; wherein absent the magnetic force, the moving element is released from the track. In another aspect, a conveyor system includes: a track having at least one guide rail; and a moving element; wherein a magnetic force controls movement of the moving element in a direction of travel and the magnetic force supports the moving element in a second direction perpendicular to the direction of travel; and wherein the at least one guide rail supports the moving element in a third direction perpendicular to both the direction of travel and the second direction.

A guide for a chain (105) for an articles conveyor (100) is proposed. Said guide comprises a return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) being adapted to guide the chain (105) along at least a portion of a return section of a conveyor path of the articles conveyor (100). The chain (105) comprises a plurality of links (115) each one having a first link element (115.sub.1) for supporting the articles to be conveyed and a second link element (115.sub.2) for supporting the first link element (115.sub.1). The return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) comprises a return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R) along the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R), said return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R) extending within the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) from a surface (110.sub.RB;210.sub.RB;310.sub.RB) of the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) that, in use, defines a lower outer surface of the guide. The return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) further comprises return guide magnetic interaction means (130.sub.R,135;230.sub.R,235;330.sub.R,335) adapted in use to magnetically interact with chain magnetic interaction means (120) to cause a magnetic attraction of the chain (105) within the return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R), SO that by effect of said magnetic attraction said return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R) is adapted to slidably receive within it the second link element (115.sub.2), and said surface (110.sub.RB;210.sub.RB;310.sub.RB) of the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R) is adapted to provide a slide abutment, external to the return guide (110.sub.R;210.sub.R;310.sub.R), for the first link element (115.sub.1). The guide further comprises accompanying means (140,145,150) for accompanying the movement of the chain (105) with respect to said return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R), said accompanying means (140,145,150) comprising: means (145) for promoting an input of the chain (105) into, and magnetic attraction and retention of the chain (105) within, said return chain guide channel (125.sub.R;225.sub.R;325.sub.R), and means (

A housing element (1) for the magnets (12, 14) of a support and guide magnetic structure (100) for conveyors (102) with articulated links is described. The housing element comprises a box-shaped body (10) comprising two seats (24, 26) for the magnets, openings (28, 30) for inserting the magnets in the seats, a housing portion (32) for a ferromagnetic plate (34), which is designed to come into contact with the magnets, and at least one retaining portion (36) to retain the magnets to the box-shaped body. The retaining portion is shaped and sized in such a way that it can retain the magnets by friction, while the plate is held in the respective housing portion by the magnetic force of the magnets. On the external surface of the box-shaped body at least one notch (38), which is designed to house and retain at least one corresponding sealing element (40), is obtained. This sealing element is arranged to prevent the access of unwanted substances inside the seats of the magnets and the housing portion when the housing element is mounted onto the support and guide magnetic structure.

A magnetic lifting device for bodies (Z) comprises an input transport device (10) for transporting lying bodies (4), a transport device (12) for transporting lifted bodies (9) hanging at the transport device (12) and arranged above the input transport device (10) and a control device (13). A first magnet arrangement (1) which is activated and deactivated by the control device (13) is arranged below the input transport device (10) in such a way that a body (4) lying on the input transport device (10) is magnetically held in a releasable way on the input transport device (10). A second magnet arrangement (2) is arranged above an area of the input transport device (10), in which the bodies are transported, and is formed in such a way that a body lying on the input transport device (10) is lifted by the magnetic field of the second magnet arrangement (10) when the magnetic field of the first magnet arrangement (1) is deactivated. A third magnet arrangement (3) is provided above the transport device (12) and is formed and arranged in such a way that a partially lifted body (4a) is lifted more and is lifted off the input transport device (10) and is transported in an upright position hanging magnetically at the transport device (12). The control device (13) is adapted to activate the first magnet arrangement (1) when a front edge of a body (4) lying on the input transport device (10) has passed the second magnet arrangement (2) and to deactivate the first magnet arrangement (1) when a trailing edge of this body (4) comes to lie below the second magnet arrangement (2).