The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

BAND CONVEYORS 97 Capacity and Horse Power Consumed by the Sandvik Band Conveyor for Lengths of 100 m., or say 328 ft., the Speed of the Belt being 300 ft. per Minute. Width of Belt. Capacity in Cubic Feet per Hour. Horse Power for Materials with a Specific Gravity of 1. Inches. 10 180 1-2 12 550 1-3 16 950 1-6 28 3,000 2-5 40 7,500 3-4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Band Conveyors.—The great advan- tages of band conveyors are: the small driving power required to manipulate them, their Fig. 126. Scraper or Plough for Intermediate Delivery from Steel Band Conveyor. noiseless and smooth working, their large capacity, non-injury to the material during the process of conveying, and their comparative security against breakdowns. It goes without saying that these advantages obtain only where first-class conveyors are installed, in the design of which all circumstances as to the nature of the material to be handled, the speed of travel, the number and size of the supports, the construction of the terminals, and the system of lubrication have been carefully considered. I he disadvantages are: the feed cannot be withdrawn at intermediate points without the use of a more or less cumbersome throw-off carriage, while in most cases the feed will have to be stopped if the delivery of the band is to be changed to a different point, and the great many small bearings which have to be oiled and kept in repair. As the rollers make 150 to 600 revs, per minute these require considerable attention, unless ball-bearing idlers are used. 7