Basics
1.2.2 Conveyance Uses Conveyor systems use either chains, belts, or rollers, depending on the application. The general guidelines for suitability are shown in Table 1.2, and discussed in Basics Section 1.2.1. Belt conveyors are most suitable for large-volume movement of bulk materi- als. Except for this situation, chains, belts, and rollers are generally difficult to compare in terms of capacity, speed, or distance of conveyance of unit materials. NOTE: In this discussion, bulk materials refer to items like grain or cement that may shift during conveyance. Unit materials, such as automobiles or cardboard, are stable when conveyed.
Table 1.2
Conveyor Type Bulk Handling Unit Handling
Chain
Belt
Roller
Only for light conveyor
Dust in Conveying Bulky Goods
( for closed conveyor)
——
Space Required
Small
Large
Large
Excellent
Good
Poor
1.3 SPROCKETS The chain converts rotational power to pulling power, or pulling power to rotational power, by engaging with the sprocket. The sprocket looks like a gear but differs in three important ways: 1. Sprockets have many engaging teeth; gears usually have only one or two. 2. The teeth of a gear touch and slip against each other; there is basically no slippage in a sprocket. 3. The shape of the teeth are different in gears and sprockets.
Figure 1.7 Types of Sprockets
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