AN ACCUMULATING CONVEYOR

An accumulating conveyor (1) comprises a first helical track (6) and a second helical track (7) including coincident centrelines, a first S-shaped bridge (8) and a second S-shaped bridge (9), each having a first bend (8a) in one direction and a second bend (8b) in opposite direction as seen from above, a first set of auxiliary guides (16) and a second set of auxiliary guides (17) and an endless conveyor belt (10) which is drivable in a direction of conveyance (X). The conveyor belt (10) is guidable by the first and second helical tracks (6, 7), bridges (8, 9) and sets of auxiliary guides (16, 17) such that under operating conditions the conveyor belt (10) successively follows the first helical track (6) from a lower end (18) thereof in upward direction to a location below an upper end (15) thereof, the first bridge (8) to a location at the second helical track (7) below an upper end (19) thereof, the second helical track (7) in downward direction to a lower end (20) thereof, the first set of auxiliary guides (16) to the upper end (19) of the second helical track (7), the second helical track (7) in downward direction, the second bridge (9) to the first helical track (6), the first helical track (6) in upward direction to the upper end (15) thereof, and the second set of auxiliary guides (17) to the lower end (18) of the first helical track (6). The bridges (8, 9) are at least partly located at a common inner side of the first and second helical tracks (6, 7) and synchronously movable along the first and second helical tracks (6, 7) for varying the effective lengths of the conveyor belt (10) between the lower ends (18, 20) of the first and second helical tracks (6, 7) via the first bridge (8), on the one hand, and between the upper ends (15, 19) of the first and second helical tracks (6, 7) via the second bridge (9), on the other hand. At least portions of the first and second bends (8a, 8b) of at least one of the first and second bridges (8, 9) bank to their insides. L'invention concerne un transporteur à accumulation (1) qui comporte une première piste hélicoïdale (6) et une seconde piste hélicoïdale (7) comprenant des lignes centrales coïncidentes, un premier pont en forme de S (8) et un second pont en forme de S (9), chacun étant pourvu d'un premier coude (8a) dans une direction et d'un second coude (8b) dans une direction opposée telle que vue depuis le dessus, un premier ensemble de guides auxiliaires (16) et un second ensemble de guides auxiliaires (