A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

A

Accumulation Conveyor - any conveyor designed to permit accumulation of packages, objects, or carriers. May be roller, live roller, roller slat, belt, vibrating, power-and-free, or tow conveyors. See Minimum pressure accumulation conveyor and Zero pressure accumulation conveyor.

Adjustable Speed Drive - a drive or power transmission mechanism that incorporates a device that permits control of its speed within design limits.

Alignment - the position of parts, or components, in relation to each other.

Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) - a combination of equipment and controls which handles, stores, and retrieves materials with precision, accuracy, and speed under a defined degree of automation.

B

Ball Table - a group of ball transfers over which flat surfaced objects may be moved in any direction.

Ball Transfer - a device in which a larger ball is mounted and retained on a hemispherical face of smaller balls.

Bare Pulley - a pulley which does not have the surface of its face covered (or lagged).

Bearing - a machine part in or on which a journal, shaft, axle, pin, or other part rotates, oscillates, or slides.

Bed - (1) that part of a conveyor upon which the load or carrying medium rests or slides while being conveyed; (2) in bulk material handling, the depth of material being processed.

Belt - see Conveyor belt; Drive Belt

Belt Cleat - see Cleat

Belt Conveyor - an endless fabric, rubber, plastic, leather, or metal belt operating over suitable drive, tail end and bend terminals and over belt idlers or slider bed for handling bulk materials, packages, or objects placed directly upon the belt.

Belt Conveyor Idler - see Idler, Belt Conveyor

Belt Conveyor, Magnetic - see Magnetic Belt Conveyor

Belt Conveyor, Troughed - see Troughed Belt Conveyor

Belt Driven Live Roller - see Live Roller Conveyor

Belt Fastener - device for holding the ends of a belt together.

Belt Misalignment - the lateral movement of a conveyor belt to either side of its intended path.

Belt Speed - see Speed

Bend Pulley - any pulley used to change the direction of the travel of the belt.

Bin - a container for storing material.

Bushing - (1) in machinery, a removable liner fixed in a bore to improve the bearing surface; (2) in chain, a renewable liner fixed in the barrel of a link, or center link, to provide an improved bearing surface; (3) in chain, a hollow cylinder used to space the sidebars and provide a bearing surface for the chain pin, and on which the rollers may or may not be mounted.

C

Capacity - the number of pieces of a defined size, volume of material, that can be handled by a conveyor in a unit of time.

Ceiling Hangar - a support fastened from an overhead frame work to position and carry loads.

Chain Conveyor - any type of conveyor in which one or more chains act as the conveying element.

Chain Drive - a power transmission device employing a drive chain and sprockets.

Chain Driven Live Roller Conveyor - See Live Roller Conveyor

Chain Tension - the actual pull existing at any point in a conveyor chain.

Cleat - an attachment fastened to the conveying medium to act as a pusher, support, check, or trip, etc. to help propel material, parts, or packages along the normal path of conveyor travel. May be of various shapes to suit the supplication.

Cleated Belt - a belt having raised sections spaced uniformly to stabilize flow of material

Clutch - a device to permit engagement or disengagement of equipment while in motion or at rest.

Coefficient of Friction - a numerical expression of the ratio between the force of contact existing between two surfaces and the resistant force tending to oppose the motion of one with respect to the other. The coefficient of friction is used in determining the power necessary to drive a machine; to determine the slope angles used in hoppers, bins, chutes, and bunkers; or to determine the maximum angle of inclination for a conveyor.

Control Enclosure - the type of construction of the housing or case which encloses a control component or assembly of components. The common types of enclosures are designated by NEMA.

Conveyor - a horizontal, inclined, or vertical device for moving or transporting bulk materials, packages or objects in a path predetermined by the design of the device and having points of loading and discharge fixed, or selective; included are skip hoists and vertical reciprocating and inclined reciprocating conveyors. Typical exceptions are those devices known as industrial trucks, tractors and trailers, tiering machines (truck type), cranes, hoists, monorail cranes, power and hand shovels, power scoops, bucket drag lines, platform elevators or conveyors designed to carry passengers or the elevator operator, and highway or rail vehicles.

Conveyor Belt - a belt used to carry materials and transmit the power required to move the load being conveyed.

Conveyor Width - (1) in unit handling, the dimension inside to inside of frame rails; (2) in belt conveyors for bulk materials, the width of the belt; (3) in vibrating conveyors, distance between side walls; (4) in slat conveyors, the length of the slat.

Countershaft - an intermediate or secondary shaft between the drive shaft of a conveyor and the source of power.

Cross Ties - structural members which maintain frame rail spacing on unit handling conveyors.

Crown Lace Pulley - a pulley with greater diameter at the center than at the ends.

Curved Belt Conveyor - unit load belt conveyor usually operating horizontally through various angle turns, usually 30, 45, 60, 90, or 180 degrees.

D

Dead Loads - the combined weight of the conveyor elements and supports.

Double Pitch Chain - a roller chain using the same joint members as standard pitch chain and having the same dimensions except for the pitch which is twice standard.

Drag Chain Conveyor - a type of conveyor having one or more endless chains which drag bulk materials through a trough.

Drive - an assembly of the necessary structural, mechanical and electrical parts which provide the motive power for a conveyor.

Drive Belt - a belt which is used to transmit power or motion from one part to another.

Drive Chain - a chain used to transmit power.

Drive Shaft - (1) a main driving shaft on a which conveyor sprockets, gears, or pulleys are mounted. This shaft is connected to the drive unit through a coupling, sprocket, gear, or other form of mechanical power transmission; (2) a shaft used to support the end of a conveyor screw in a trough end and as a driving connection between a conveyor screw and the power transmitting medium.

Drive Sheave - the sheave which propels the drive belt.

Drive Sprocket - the sprocket which propels the chain.

Driven Roller - any carrying roller driven by belting, chain or other propelling medium.

Driven Sheave - the sheave which in propelled by the drive belt.

Driven Sprocket - the sprocket which is propelled by the chain.

E

Emergency Stop - a stop arising from a sudden and unexpected need, and not as a part of the normal operation.

Emergency Stop Device - a device which must be actuated to stop a conveyor in an emergency situation.

Escapement - in a gravity or power operated package conveyor, a device to permit the release of packages one at a time on demand.

Explosion-Proof - equipment designed in accordance with existing codes and standards such that it will operate in a specified hazardous environment without causing an explosion. For further information, contact the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

F

G

Fixture - a device or attachment fastened to or propelled by the conveying medium; used for supporting or securing objects being processed as they are conveyed.

Floor Conveyor - any of several types of conveyors using chain, cable, or other linkage mounted near or flush with the floor for the purpose of assembling, or finishing built-up products and subassemblies.

Flow Rack - a tiered structure with multiple storage compartments with conveyors as the load supporting members.

Frame - the structure which supports the machinery components of a conveyor.

Frame Rails - members which support the conveying components of non-powered or powered conveyors.

Friction Clutch - any clutch in which driving effort is developed by contact between pressure elements through friction alone. General use is for the purpose of engaging and disengaging revolving parts. Also used as a safety device to permit slip when overload occurs.

Gate - a device or structure by means of which the flow of may be stopped or regulated. Also, a section of conveyor equipped with a hinged mechanism for movable service often called a hinged section.

Gearmotor - a motor and speed reducer combination where the two units are flanged for connection to each other and have one output shaft; or where the two units are closely coupled with the motor resting on a base which is an integral party of the speed reducing housing.

Gravity Conveyor - see Roller Conveyor; Wheel Conveyor.

H

Herringbone Roller Conveyor - a roller conveyor consisting of two parallel series of rollers having one or both series skewed. See Roller Conveyor.

Horsepower - a measure of the time rate of doing work defined as the equivalent of raising 33,000 pounds one foot in one minute. Electrically, one horsepower is 746 watts.

I

Idler - a pulley, sheave, sprocket, or wheel around which a belt, cable, or chain passes in changing direction of travel.

Idler Roller - any carrying roller of a live roller conveyor not driven. Also the rollers of a belt idler.

Indexing - the controlled operation of equipment to obtain predetermined intermittent movements.

J

Jackshaft - see Countershaft

K

Knee Brace - a structural brace at an angular position to another structural component for the purpose of providing support and/or stability of the conveyor frame.

L

Labyrinth Seal - a type of non-contact seal incorporating intricate passages to prevent foreign matter from entering ball or roller bearings, and to retain lubricant.

Lacing - see Belt Fastener.

Lagging - a smooth or embossed covering or coating applied to a pulley to reduce belt slippage, wear, and prevent material build-up.

Lagged Pulley - a pulley having the surface of its face covered with lagging.

Limit Device - a device so constructed and located when applied so as to effect control for limit of travel, degree, or to cause actuation, reversal, or stoppage of equipment in operation or to be operated.

Limit Switch - a mechanical device which, when activated, opens or closes contacts to alter the control circuit.

Lineshaft Conveyor - a roller conveyor with carrying rollers individually powered by drive belts from a rotating shaft.

Live Load - the weight of material being moved.

Live Roller Conveyor - a series of rollers over which objects are moved by the application of power to all or some of the rollers. The power transmitting medium is usually belting or chain.

Load - (1) unit load is the weight per unit of length, or weight of an individual unit on a conveyor (not to be confused with capacity); (2) total load is the total weight on the conveyor. See also Live Load.

Load Cell - a device which produces an output signal proportional to the applied load.

M

Magnetic Belt Conveyor - an inclined belt conveyor operating over a slider bed containing permanent magnets for handling ferrous metal parts.

Magnetic Brake - a brake usually mounted on a motor shaft with means to engage automatically when the electric current is cut off or fails.

Meter Belts - one or more in-line conveyors used to provide controlled material discharge.

Minimum Pressure Accumulation Conveyor - a type of conveyor designed to minimize build-up of pressure between adjacent packages or cartons.

Motorized Pulley - a drive unit consisting of a motor, gears, pulley and shaft combination wherein the pulley face (rim) is the rotating member. The shaft is stationary and the gears and motor windings are within the pulley enclosure.

N

Nose-Over - curved or segmented frame sections having rollers properly spaced to provide a transition from incline to level or from level to decline.

O

P

Pallet - (1) a flat or shaped wheelless load carrier of a pallet conveyor; (2) a portable platform on which packages or objects are placed. It is usually designed so that it can be picked up with a fork-lift truck.

Pillow Block - a bearing block or housing having a flat mounting surface offset, but parallel to the shaft.

Pop-out Roller - a special load carrying roller mounted in such a manner as to pop out when foreign objects are introduced between the belt and the roller.

Portable Conveyor - any type of transportable conveyor, usually having supports which provide mobility.

Power Conveyor - any type of conveyor which requires power to move its load.

Pressure Roller  - a roller used for holding the driving belt in contact with the load carrying rollers in a belt drive live roller conveyor.

Product Stop - a mechanical barrier to interrupt the flow of product on an active conveyor, that is, without shutting down the conveyor. Typically, a product stop is pneumatically actuated. Also known as Case Stop.

Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) - a device that is pre-programmed to accept relay ladder logic instructions and perform these instructions to control the equipment operation.

Proximity Switch - a switch actuated by the presence of an object near its operating head.

Pulley - a cylindrical member, but sometimes polygonal in cross section with provision for mounting on a shaft.

Pusher - a powered mechanical device mounted on or adjacent to a conveyor that, when activated, will transfer material handled from or to the conveyor.

Q

R

Reducer - see Speed Reducer

Roller Centers - distance between centerlines of adjacent rollers. For curves, roller centers are measure at the inside radius.

Roller Conveyor - a series of rollers supported in a frame over which objects are advanced manually, by gravity, or by power.

Rough Top Belt - a belt cover intentionally made with irregular ridges or projection to produce a broken surface for greater traction or carrying abilities. Used for inclined service.

Run - the distance or route covered by a conveyor.

S

Shaft - a bar, usually of steel and usually round, to support rotating parts or to transmit power.

Sheave - a wheel with a grooved rim used with ropes, cables, belts, etc.

Side Bow Chain - a side-flexing type of conveyor chain (suitable for articulating in the horizontal plane through conveyor curves). The curves are designed to capture the chain during its directional change. Also known as Flex Chain.

Skate-wheel Conveyor - a type of wheel conveyor making use of series of skate-wheels mounted on common shafts or axles, or mounted on parallel spaced bars on individual axles.

Slat - a member supported between chains in a slat conveyor. The series of slats form a conveying bed.

Slat Conveyor - a conveyor employing one or more endless chains to which non-overlapping, non-interlocking spaced slats are attached.

Slider Bed - a stationary surface on which the carrying run of a belt conveyor slides.

Snub Pulley - any pulley used to increase the arc of contact between a belt and drive or tail pulley.

Snub Roll - see Bend Pulley; Snub Roller

Speed - the length of belt, chain, cable, or other linkage which passes a fixed point within a given time. It is usually expressed in terms of "feet per minute." In the case of a rolling chain conveyor, the load is moved at a rate double the chain speed. In screw conveyors, the speed is expressed in terms of "revolutions per minute" and the speed at which material is conveyed is dependent upon speed, pitch of the screw, type of flight, angle of inclination, nature of material, etc.

Speed Reducer - a power transmission mechanism designed to provide a speed for the driven equipment less than that of the prime mover. Speed reducers may have either constant speed  or adjustable speed. They are generally totally enclosed to retain lubricant and prevent the entry of foreign materials.

Sprocket - a wheel with suitably shaped and spaced cogs or teeth to engage with the links of a chain.

Spur, Non-powered - a gravity conveyor section to switch unit loads to and from the main line.

Spur, Powered - a powered conveyor section to switch unit loads to or from the main line.

Static Load - force on the supporting structure resulting from the weight of equipment plus material when not operating.

Straight Lace Pulley - a pulley with a straight, cylindrical rim. Not crowned.

Stretch - the temporary change in length of a conveying medium such as a belt, chain, or cable. Stretch varies directly with tension in the conveying medium. Stretch is usually measured as a percentage of length and is a function of the working load, environmental and ambient conditions.

Supports - arrangement of members used to maintain the elevation or alignment of the conveyor. Supports can take the form of hangers, floor supports, or brackets and can be either stationary or portable.

T

Table-Top Chain (or Table-Top Conveyor) - the term TableTop is a registered trademark of Rexnord Corporation.

Tail Pulley - a pulley mounted at the tail end of a conveyor.

Tail Shaft - the shaft supporting the tail end pulley, sprockets, sheaves or other components at the tail end of a conveyor.

Take-up - the assembly of the necessary structural and mechanical parts which provides the means to adjust the length of belts, cables, chains, etc. to compensate for stretch, shrinkage, or wear and to maintain proper tension.

Take-up Bearing Block - a bearing with a housing having provision for movement in the take-up frame.

Take-up Belt Tension - the actual amount of tension in each of the two runs of conveying medium approaching and leaving the take-up.

Take-up Pulley - a pulley mounted on the take-up shaft.

Tapered Roller - a conical conveyor roller for use in a curve with end and intermediate diameters proportional to their distance from the center of the curve.

Transfer Car - any wheeled device used for transferring loads from one conveyor line to another. May be manually or automatically operated.

Transfer Mechanism - any device that transfers objects onto or off of a conveyor line or from one conveyor line to another.

Trough - a channel generally longer than its width, open at the top, or fitted with a cover, which contains the material being conveyed. The shaped of the cross section depends on the type of conveyor or feed involved.

Troughed Belt Conveyor - a belt conveyor with the conveyor belt edges elevated on the carrying run to form a trough by conforming to the shape of the troughed carrying idlers or other supporting surface.

Trough Roller Conveyor - a roller conveyor having two rows of rollers set at an angle to form a trough over which objects are conveyed.

Turntable - horizontal, rotatable conveyor mechanism used for transferring objects between conveyors which are in angular relation to one another.

U

V

Variable Speed Drive - see Adjustable Speed Drive

W

Wear Strip - a low-friction replaceable material such as steel or UHMW-PE, introduced where significant frictional degradation is expected to occur (for example, where a conveyor chain glides upon a conveyor bed, where a power transmission chain contacts a machinery frame, etc.)

Wire Mesh Conveyor Belt - a flexible belt composed of a series of formed wires laterally connected, or of longitudinally articulated wires laterally connected for operation over straight face pulleys. Sometimes chains are attached to the edges of the wire mesh and, by means of sprockets attached to the pulley shafts, provide positive belt motion.

X

Y

Z

Zero Pressure Accumulation Conveyor - a type of conveyor designed to eliminate build-up of pressure between adjacent packages or cartons.