Decline Speed-Controller Gravity Roller Brakes

Polyurethane flat belt decline speed-controller gravity roller brakes are an inexpensive way to slow down items on declines. These flat belts work well if your boxes are all about the same weight and moving at about the same speed. Sometimes they can be used successfully where boxes have varying weights and speeds. For example, if you do not mind a light box stopping on the incline until the next box nudges it along -- or light boxes being slowed down more than heavy boxes, and heavy boxes moving faster than desired.

Better yet, you can combine them with Interroll's Magnetic Speed-Controller Rollers to slow down boxes of varying weights so all move at the same speed. Simply slave idler rollers to Interroll's speed-controller with our flat belts. For example, slaving an idler roller on either side of a speed-controller effectively produces three speed controller rollers, greatly reducing your costs. Together they can also help slow boxes weighing above Interroll controller's maximum weight. Moreover, our flat belts will provide more grip to boxes, preventing them from sliding on the rollers on steep declines.

Braking force can be adjusted by varying the number, width, thickness, tension and pattern of the belts as shown in the adjacent pictures.

By linking rollers together it is possible to significantly reduce the rate at which they rotate. Flat belts have a slight resistance to bending, but the primary source of braking is the nature of rollers themselves. The axis of a roller is never precisely at the center of rotation, so TIR (Total Indicated Readout -- a measure of radius variability) is always greater than zero. Since the a rollers' high and low points are almost always out of phase with its neighbor, linking them together produces a resistance to movement, wherein the belt is forced to stretch and relax with each rotation. This produces drag, which slows down roller rotation and box speed.

Brake belts will slow down boxes, tubs, cartons and plastic or aluminum pallets. Wood pallets can be braked also, but they should not ride on the belts, as nails or wood splinters, protruding from the pallet, can cut urethane belts.

Because of the numerous variables involved, (e.g., decline angle, average roller TIR, box weight, box speed, roller length, bearing type, box surface, belt stretch, thickness and width), it is difficult to determine the exact dimensions of the belts to use. Therefore, we provide a few samples, usually 1.5" (38mm) wide, for you to try. Based on their performance, you can zero in on the best size.

Speed-controller gravity roller belts
Four brake belts per roller

Speed-controller gravity roller belts
Two brake belts per roller