There is provided 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, there is provided a conveyor system that 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 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 support and guide structure for a closed-loop articulated link conveyor includes at least two guides, oriented according to respective development axis and defining respective sliding surfaces for the conveyor; and at least one support component having two surfaces opposite to each other, wherein the guides protrude from a first surface to define at least one sliding channel to house at least one portion of the articulated links of the conveyor. The support and guide structure includes at least one housing extending along a direction parallel to the development axis, and containing at least one respective reinforcing element to limit the deformation of the support component. Each reinforcing element has a cross-sectional shape compatible with the cross-sectional shape of the respective housing. Each reinforcing element is manufactured with a material having a hardness which is greater than the hardness of the materials of the guides and the support component.

Disclosed is a substrate conveyance device, comprising: a carrying platform, configured to support a substrate; a conveying mechanism, disposed below the carrying platform and configured to convey the carrying platform; and oppositely disposed guiding mechanisms, disposed on both sides of the carrying platform in a conveying direction, respectively. First magnetic field generators are disposed on both sides of the carrying platform in the conveying direction, and the guiding mechanism includes second magnetic field generators adjacent to the first magnetic field generators and disposed oppositely to the first magnetic field generators, respectively, such that the first magnetic field generator and the second magnetic field generator which are adjacent to each other have the same polarity. The substrate conveyance device is suitable for conveying various display substrates, especially the substrate having a large size.

A support and guide structure for a closed-loop articulated link conveyor includes at least two guides, oriented according to respective development axis and defining respective sliding surfaces for the conveyor; and at least one support component having two surfaces opposite to each other, wherein the guides protrude from a first surface to define at least one sliding channel to house at least one portion of the articulated links of the conveyor. The support and guide structure includes at least one housing extending along a direction parallel to the development axis, and containing at least one respective reinforcing element to limit the deformation of the support component. Each reinforcing element has a cross-sectional shape compatible with the cross-sectional shape of the respective housing. Each reinforcing element is manufactured with a material having a hardness which is greater than the hardness of the materials of the guides and the support component.

Disclosed is a substrate conveyance device, comprising: a carrying platform, configured to support a substrate; a conveying mechanism, disposed below the carrying platform and configured to convey the carrying platform; and oppositely disposed guiding mechanisms, disposed on both sides of the carrying platform in a conveying direction, respectively. First magnetic field generators are disposed on both sides of the carrying platform in the conveying direction, and the guiding mechanism includes second magnetic field generators adjacent to the first magnetic field generators and disposed oppositely to the first magnetic field generators, respectively, such that the first magnetic field generator and the second magnetic field generator which are adjacent to each other have the same polarity. The substrate conveyance device is suitable for conveying various display substrates, especially the substrate having a large size.

Curved magnetic guide for guiding the chain of a conveyor chain along a curvilinear transport direction including a pair of first guide profiles arranged spaced apart and extending in a continuous manner along a respective development direction concentric to the curvilinear transport direction, a support structure for supporting the first guide profiles having a plurality of box-shaped bodies, the box-shaped bodies being arranged in succession one after the other and spaced apart from one another along the curvilinear transport direction, where each of the box-shaped bodies houses at least one magnetic body and has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite one another, where the upper surface is provided with a pair of first constraining projections that are spaced apart and faced with distances between centers substantially equal to the distance between the development directions where the first constraining projections of the plurality of box-shaped bodies define two rows of first constraining projections that extend, spaced apart from one another, along a respective the development direction, where each of the first guide profiles is coupled with the first constraining projections aligned along one of the two rows, where the guide defines a forward guide for guiding the forward branch of the chain, the forward guide having a forward channel adapted for receiving the hinging portions of the links and which is laterally delimited by the first guide profiles of the at least one pair, where the first guide profiles each defines a sliding surface for the plate-shaped portion of the links to slide thereon, and where the magnetic bodies interact with the links to attract the links of the chain with the part of their plate-shaped portions against the sliding surfaces defined by the first guide profiles.

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.

Curved magnetic guide for guiding the chain of a conveyor chain along a curvilinear transport direction including a pair of first guide profiles arranged spaced apart and extending in a continuous manner along a respective development direction concentric to the curvilinear transport direction, a support structure for supporting the first guide profiles having a plurality of box-shaped bodies, the box-shaped bodies being arranged in succession one after the other and spaced apart from one another along the curvilinear transport direction, where each of the box-shaped bodies houses at least one magnetic body and has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite one another, where the upper surface is provided with a pair of first constraining projections that are spaced apart and faced with distances between centers substantially equal to the distance between the development directions where the first constraining projections of the plurality of box-shaped bodies define two rows of first constraining projections that extend, spaced apart from one another, along a respective the development direction, where each of the first guide profiles is coupled with the first constraining projections aligned along one of the two rows, where the guide defines a forward guide for guiding the forward branch of the chain, the forward guide having a forward channel adapted for receiving the hinging portions of the links and which is laterally delimited by the first guide profiles of the at least one pair, where the first guide profiles each defines a sliding surface for the plate-shaped portion of the links to slide thereon, and where the magnetic bodies interact with the links to attract the links of the chain with the part of their plate-shaped portions against the sliding surfaces defined by the first guide profiles.

A guide structure for a chain for an article conveyor is disclosed. The guide structure includes a guide for 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.