Belt control

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONTROLLING LATERAL MOVEMENT OF AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT TRAVELING LONGITUDINALLY AROUND A PULLEY WHICH METHOD COMPRISES POSITIONING A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTING ROLLERS EXTENDING LATERALLY IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BELT AT LOCATIONS SPACED FROM SAID PULLEY AND FROM EACH OTHER, PROVIDING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT THRUST DETECTION ROLLERS CLOELY ADJOINING OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE BELT AND INTERSECTING THE PLANE THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY AT A LOCATION SPACED FROM THE PULLEY ON THE BELT RUN APPROACHING THE PULLEY WHERE THE PROGRESSIVE DECREASE IN POTENTIAL LATERAL THRUST OF THE BELT RELATIVE TO DISTANCE FROM THE PULLEY BEINGS A VIRTUAL PLATEAU, SAID DETECTION ROLLERS BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID PULLEY AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS, EACH OF SAID DETECTION ROLLERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED AGAINST OUTWARD LATERAL MOVEMENT TO RESIST THRUST RESULTING FROM LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE BELT FIXING THE AXIS OF SAID PULLEY SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID BELT, DETECTING THE MAGNITUDE OF TRUST EXTERED AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE DETECTION ROLLER AS SAID BELT MOVES LATERALLY, AND VARYING THE ANGLE OF SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS RELATIVE TO THE BELT TO CORRECT THE ALIGNMENT OF THE BELT WHEN SAID THRUST AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE DETECTION ROLLER RISES TO A PREDETERMINED SUBSTANTIAL MAGNITUDE WHILE LEAVING THE AXIS OF SAID PULLEY FIXED RELATIVE TO THE BELT UNTIL THE ANGLE OF APPROACH OF THE BELT TO SAID DETECTION ROLLERS AND SAID PULLEY IS MAINTAINED SO CLOSELY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF THE PULLEY IS MAINTAINED SO CLOSELY NORMAL TO THE ROLLERS REMAINS BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED MAGNITUDE FOR A SUBSTANTIAL TIME WITHOUT FURTHER ADJUSTMENT OF SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONTROLLING LATERAL MOVEMENT OF AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT TRAVELING LONGITUDINALLY AROUND A PULLEY WHICH METHOD COMPRISES POSITIONING A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTING ROLLERS EXTENDING LATERALLY IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BELT AT LOCATIONS SPACED FROM SAID PULLEY AND FROM EACH OTHER, PROVIDING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT THRUST DETECTION ROLLERS CLOELY ADJOINING OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE BELT AND INTERSECTING THE PLANE THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY AT A LOCATION SPACED FROM THE PULLEY ON THE BELT RUN APPROACHING THE PULLEY WHERE THE PROGRESSIVE DECREASE IN POTENTIAL LATERAL THRUST OF THE BELT RELATIVE TO DISTANCE FROM THE PULLEY BEINGS A VIRTUAL PLATEAU, SAID DETECTION ROLLERS BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID PULLEY AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS, EACH OF SAID DETECTION ROLLERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED AGAINST OUTWARD LATERAL MOVEMENT TO RESIST THRUST RESULTING FROM LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE BELT FIXING THE AXIS OF SAID PULLEY SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID BELT, DETECTING THE MAGNITUDE OF TRUST EXTERED AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE DETECTION ROLLER AS SAID BELT MOVES LATERALLY, AND VARYING THE ANGLE OF SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS RELATIVE TO THE BELT TO CORRECT THE ALIGNMENT OF THE BELT WHEN SAID THRUST AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE DETECTION ROLLER RISES TO A PREDETERMINED SUBSTANTIAL MAGNITUDE WHILE LEAVING THE AXIS OF SAID PULLEY FIXED RELATIVE TO THE BELT UNTIL THE ANGLE OF APPROACH OF THE BELT TO SAID DETECTION ROLLERS AND SAID PULLEY IS MAINTAINED SO CLOSELY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF THE PULLEY IS MAINTAINED SO CLOSELY NORMAL TO THE ROLLERS REMAINS BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED MAGNITUDE FOR A SUBSTANTIAL TIME WITHOUT FURTHER ADJUSTMENT OF SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS.