Vibratory conveyor improvement

Abstract

This invention provides an improvement in a vibratory conveyor of the type including an elongate utilized container, which can be vibrated as a free mass at a selected frequency and stroke by drive means, such as a motor having weights eccentrically mounted on its output shaft, and which container is interconnected by yieldable means to elongate counterbalance means located opposite one long side of the container and with the stroke axis of the container being inclined with respect to the long central axis of the container. Basically, the improvement of the present invention is that the counterbalance means is comprised of plural counterbalance sections which are longitudinally arranged generally parallel to the long central axis of the container. Preferably, the plural counterbalance sections are interconnected to one another by connector means that are generally rigid in a direction perpendicular to the stroke axis of the container so as to inhibit relative movement between the counterbalance sections in that direction but are also constructed so as to permit relative movement between the counterbalance sections in a direction parallel to the stroke axis of the container. The improvement of the present invention is particularly beneficial wherein the unitized container has a length of greater than thirty feet.