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A Brief History Of Conveyor Belts
By: Shaun Parker
Post Date: 2009-05-07
Today conveyor belts are everywhere - used in many different trades and industries, mainly for production of goods, but conveyor belts have actually been around since the 19th century, but conveyor belts as we know them today have been around since 1901 when a Swedish company named Sandvik invented the steel conveyor belt, which was to inspire a British mining engineer, Richard Sutcliffe, who thus invented the first underground conveyor belt.
These conveyor belts would be up to 4 miles long and were generally made from layers of rubber and cotton. This revolutionised the mining industry, along with the coal cutting machines which Sutcliffe also invented in the 1880s. Conveyor belts also revolutionised many other industries, allowing for quick, efficient mass production, with the likes of Henry Ford catching on and introducing them to his production lines.
The introduction of synthetic conveyor belts allowed for strong yet very cheap belts that suited many different industries and trades. Synthetic was first used as the prime material for conveyor belts during World War Two, largely because there were very few natural materials such as rubber, cotton and canvas to make them with.
Today conveyor belts are largely used in warehousing, serving the purpose of offering fast, efficient automated distribution controlled by computer pallet handling equipment. Synthetic belts and rubber belts are mainly used for smaller items or bags as in a supermarket but other common types of conveyor belt include roller conveyors comprising of small diametrical steel or PVC rollers for more heavy duty work, mainly in factories and warehouses. These rollers reduce friction thus allowing heavy goods to be conveyed with the minimum of fuss.
Other types of conveyor belt include modular belt conveyors used largely in factories, particularly those producing food goods. The belts are often made from plastic links which can be easily replaced when broken, are affordable and very durable.
Today conveyor belts are everywhere, not just in factories - at supermarket checkouts, at airports (we even walk on them at airports!), ski resorts, sushi restaurants, even on game shows! Everybody remembers The Generation Game where contestants would have to memorise items that travelled through on a conveyor belt. And then there was Gladiators where at the end of the show, during the race between the contestants, they would have to take on The Travellator - a slanted conveyor belt travelling towards them so they would have to power up against it in order to get to the top!
So it's plain to see that conveyor belts have indeed been a very useful invention and will continue to be used in many different facets of life for years to come. They may serve the main purpose of conveying things but they are used in many different ways, as discussed.
Article Source: http://www.easyarticlesubmit.com
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About the Author:
Shaun Parker is a historian with a keen interest in inventions, new and old. Find out more about conveyor belts at www.amek.co.uk
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