The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

Ml SC ELLA NEO US CONVE YORS 183 power that is imparted to one pair of rings being conveyed by one of the rollers placed loosely upon this pair and the next, so that the next pair of rings is revolved by the roller resting on top ; in like manner is the rotating power transmitted by the second pair of rings to the second roller placed upon them, and the third pair, and so on. The rollers are reduced at both ends where they rest on the rings, so that the material conveyed cannot damage the surface which revolves on the rings. The advantages over the old type are smooth running, and therefore smaller expenditure of driving power, smaller initial cost, and infinitely less expenditure for repairs, for if one of the rollers should be broken or damaged it can simply be lifted out and a spare one dropped into its place. One of these conveyors has been at work at the Société Anonyme d’O Ugree- Marihaye since 1909 ; it is 225 ft. long and consists of 277 rollers each 8 in. in diameter, and placed at a pitch of 10 in., every seventh pair of rings being fitted with a driving Fig. 245. The “Thomas” Roller Conveyor. wheel. The material conveyed is bloom crop cuttings, and the driving power required is 20 H.P. Bolinder Timber Conveyors.1—These conveyors are made on the same principle as the live rollers or roller trains, only as the timber so conveyed is always in long lengths the rollers are much further apart. A conveyor of this type was in use at the Mill wall Docks for many years for convey- ing boards, but unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in 1912. These conveyors are somewhat on the principle of a band conveyor; but whereas in the band conveyor the baud is driven, and causes the supporting rollers to revolve, in the Bolinder conveyor the rollers are made to revolve, and thus propel the boards placed upon them. Fig. 246 shows a section through the conveyor on its supporting structure, with the elevators which lifted the boards on to the conveyor. It also shows another section and a longi- tudinal elevation of the conveyor. The rollers aa were of cast iron, and 10 in. in diameter by 2 ft. 6 in. long, pitched 5 ft. apart, and driven by a small steel shaft about 1 in. in diameter, running the whole 1 Timber Trade Journal, 13th July 1901.