Alabama Conveying Contractor Examination

On a typical horizontal belt conveyor, which pulley is normally the drive pulley?

• ATail pulley
• BSnub pulley
• CHead pulley
• DTake-up pulley

What is the primary purpose of a gravity or screw take-up on a belt conveyor?

• AIncrease belt speed
• BMaintain proper belt tension
• CReduce motor horsepower permanently
• DEliminate the need for idlers

Troughing idlers on a bulk belt conveyor mainly serve to:

• AClean the return strand
• BForm the belt into a trough to carry bulk material
• CDrive the belt forward
• DMeasure belt speed

A wing (self-cleaning) pulley is most often selected because it:

• AIncreases belt wrap more than a lagged drum
• BAllows material and debris to fall through the wings
• CEliminates the need for lagging forever
• DDoubles belt capacity

Rubber lagging on a drive pulley is installed primarily to:

• AReduce belt thickness requirements
• BIncrease friction and reduce belt slip
• CAllow higher belt splice angles only
• DReplace the need for take-up

Skirtboards (skirt seals) at a belt conveyor loading point are used to:

• ASupport the drive shaft
• BContain material and reduce spillage at the load zone
• CProvide primary emergency stop control
• DCool the belt cover

Impact idlers are typically installed:

• AOnly on the return strand far from loading
• BUnder the belt at loading and transfer impact zones
• CIn place of the head pulley
• DOnly on portable conveyors under 20 ft

A cleated or chevron belt is most appropriate when:

• AConveying flat packages on a level warehouse line only
• BMoving bulk material up steeper inclines without excessive rollback
• CEliminating all idlers on long runs
• DReplacing OSHA guarding requirements

On a screw conveyor, material is moved primarily by:

• APneumatic air pressure alone
• BA rotating helical flight (screw) inside a trough or tube
• CVibrating the trough without rotation
• DMagnetic fields along the casing

Compared with full-pitch flights, short-pitch screw conveyor flights are typically used to:

• AIncrease free fall of material in vertical runs only
• BControl feed rate and improve conveying on inclines
• CEliminate the need for trough covers
• DRemove hanger bearings forever

Hanger bearings on a long screw conveyor are installed to:

• ADrive the screw from midspan
• BSupport the screw shaft between ends and limit deflection
• CAct as primary emergency stops
• DReplace trough end seals

A ribbon flight screw is often preferred when handling:

• AClean packaged cartons
• BSticky or viscous materials that tend to build up on standard screws
• COnly free-flowing dry sand on level runs
• DPalletized unit loads

In bulk materials handling, mass flow in a silo or hopper means:

• AOnly the center core moves while wall material remains stagnant
• BAll material is in motion toward the outlet with first-in, first-out tendency
• CMaterial is fluidized with plant air only
• DDischarge is blocked by a solid arch at all times

Belt capacity for bulk material (tons per hour) increases when which factor increases, assuming other design limits are met?

• ABelt speed
• BOnly the number of return idlers
• COnly skirtboard height with zero speed
• DPulley lagging color

A bucket elevator primarily lifts bulk material by:

• ADragging material with a screw in a closed trough
• BBuckets attached to a belt or chain that elevate and discharge material
• CSliding packages on rollers only
• DUsing only compressed air without mechanical parts

In the AWS electrode classification E7018, what does the "70" indicate?

• AA 70-degree included groove angle
• B70,000 psi minimum tensile strength of the deposited weld metal
• C70 amperes of recommended welding current
• D70 percent iron powder in the coating

ASME B20.1 is best described as the American National Standard for:

• AElevators for passenger traffic only
• BSafety of conveyors and related equipment
• CBuilding electrical codes for commercial wiring
• DScaffolding erection on high-rise sites

Under typical conveyor safety practice aligned with ASME B20.1 concepts, personnel should:

• ARide the belt for short inspection trips if speed is under 100 fpm
• BNever ride a conveyor as a means of transportation
• CStand on moving rollers to clear jams while running
• DBypass pull-cord stops during normal production

Nip points on a belt conveyor are most commonly found at:

• AOpen flat floor areas away from equipment
• BWhere the belt meets pulleys, rollers, or where belts converge
• COnly at the motor cooling fan
• DOnly on screw conveyors

Emergency stop pull cords along a conveyor walkway should be arranged so that:

• AOnly supervisors can reach them with a key
• BA person can stop the conveyor from accessible points along the length as designed
• CThey are painted but not connected until after commissioning forever
• DThey reset the conveyor to full speed automatically

Before performing maintenance that requires entry into a guarded conveyor area, the required control of hazardous energy practice is:

• AYell “clear” and restart if no one answers in 5 seconds
• BLockout/tagout (or equivalent energy isolation) so the conveyor cannot start unexpectedly
• CLeave the conveyor in reverse only
• DRely solely on the local e-stop without isolating power

Guarding at head and tail pulleys is required primarily because these areas:

• AGenerate no hazards if the belt is slow
• BPresent severe in-running nip hazards
• CAre only electrical shock locations
• DNever accumulate material

An audible or visual start-up warning before a remote-started conveyor runs is intended to:

• AIncrease belt capacity
• BAlert personnel that the conveyor is about to start
• CReplace all machine guarding
• DCalibrate belt scales

When installing a fixed belt conveyor frame, the structure should be set so that:

• AIdler shafts are intentionally out of square to force tracking
• BThe conveyor is level/true per design and idler shafts are square to the belt path
• COnly one side of the frame is supported
• DThe tail is always 6 in higher than the head regardless of drawings

If a belt consistently runs off toward one side along the entire length, the first installation check should usually focus on:

• APaint color of the structure
• BPulley and idler alignment and frame squareness
• CMotor nameplate voltage only
• DWhether the belt is brand new vs. used only

The governing principle behind training a belt by skewing idlers is that the belt moves toward:

• AThe end of the idler roll that the belt reaches first
• BThe end of the idler roll that the belt reaches last
• CWhichever end of the idler sits lowest, regardless of skew
• DThe head pulley only, never laterally

Before final belt installation and tracking, head and tail pulley shafts should be:

• AParallel to each other and square to the conveyor centerline
• BIntentionally skewed 5° for self-cleaning
• CLeft loose so the belt centers itself forever
• DVertical regardless of conveyor slope

A backstop (holdback) on an inclined belt conveyor is provided to:

• AIncrease belt speed on startup
• BPrevent reverse runback of the loaded belt if power is lost
• CReplace the motor brake on all horizontal conveyors
• DMeasure tonnage automatically

A zero-speed (underspeed) switch on a conveyor is typically used to:

• AIndicate if the belt has stopped or is not reaching expected speed
• BIncrease motor voltage automatically
• CLubricate idler bearings
• DSet troughing angle

Belt misalignment (run-off) switches are mounted near belt edges to:

• ACount packages
• BDetect excessive belt drift and stop or alarm the conveyor
• CHeat the belt covers in cold weather
• DReplace take-up devices

For a multi-conveyor bulk transfer system, a common start sequence practice is to:

• AStart the most upstream conveyor first so material piles into stopped equipment
• BStart downstream conveyors first so the path is clear before feeding material
• CStart all conveyors in reverse before forward
• DDisable interlocks during every normal start

A variable frequency drive (VFD) on a conveyor motor is commonly used to:

• AProvide soft starting and adjustable belt speed
• BEliminate the need for overload protection
• CReplace all mechanical reducers forever in every design
• DServe as the only required emergency stop device

During preventive maintenance, belt conveyor idler bearings that seize can cause:

• AImproved tracking always
• BBelt cover wear, heat, and possible fire risk from friction
• CAutomatic increase in capacity
• DElimination of skirt leakage

Belt cleaner (scraper) primary cleaners are usually mounted:

• AAt the head pulley discharge area to remove carryback
• BOnly on the motor base
• CInside the gear reducer sump
• DOn the electrical disconnect handle

Excessive belt tension beyond design can result in:

• ALower splice stress always
• BAccelerated splice failure, bearing overload, and structural stress
• CZero power consumption
• DAutomatic perfect tracking with no alignment

A vulcanized belt splice, compared with a typical mechanical fastener splice, generally provides:

• AFaster field installation always with no tools
• BA smoother joint and often higher retained strength for continuous bulk service
• CNo need for any squareness during joining
• DImmunity to all heat and chemical attack

CEMA, in the bulk conveyor industry, is best known as an association that publishes:

• AOnly electrical worker licensing exams
• BConveyor equipment standards, design guides, and related industry practices
• CResidential building plumbing codes
• DPassenger elevator inspection rules only

Undercut along the toe of a fillet weld on a conveyor support bracket is a defect primarily because it:

• AAdds excess weld metal that must be ground off
• BReduces the base metal section and leaves a stress riser at the weld toe
• CChanges the color of the weld bead
• DIncreases the effective throat of the weld

A snub pulley is used primarily to:

• AIncrease the angle of belt wrap on the drive pulley
• BReplace the need for a gear reducer
• CAct as the only belt cleaner
• DMeasure belt thickness online

For bulk material transfer chutes, a well-designed chute should generally:

• ADrop material from maximum height to “air-wash” fines always
• BCenter-load the receiving belt and minimize impact and dust where practical
• CAlways discharge material against the belt travel direction only
• DOmit wear liners on abrasive service to save weight

OSHA machine guarding principles applied to conveyors require that guards:

• ABe easily defeated by any worker without tools as normal practice
• BPrevent access to hazardous moving parts during operation
• CBe made only of cardboard
• DBe optional if a sign is posted

Access doors or removable covers on screw conveyor troughs that expose moving flights should be:

• ALeft open during operation for inspection
• BInterlocked or otherwise arranged so the screw cannot run with the hazard exposed, per sa…
• CUsed as primary walkways
• DPainted red and ignored

When aligning a gear reducer to a conveyor drive pulley shaft with a flexible coupling, best practice is to:

• AIgnore angular and parallel misalignment if the coupling is “flexible”
• BAlign shafts within the coupling manufacturer’s angular and offset limits
• CHeat the coupling red-hot every shift
• DRemove coupling guards permanently for easier viewing

Before welding on an installed conveyor frame, the welding ground (work) clamp should be attached where?

• ADirectly to the workpiece as close as practical to the weld, never letting return current…
• BTo the nearest structural steel column anywhere in the plant
• CTo the motor frame so the drive is grounded during welding
• DTo the belt itself so current flows evenly

In screw conveyor terminology, the “pitch” of a flight is:

• AThe outside diameter of the trough only
• BThe distance between adjacent corresponding points on successive flights along the axis
• CThe motor horsepower rating
• DThe hanger bearing bolt size

A shaftless screw conveyor is often selected for materials that are:

• AClean, free-flowing pellets that never stick
• BStringy, sticky, or large-lump materials that wrap or jam conventional center shafts
• COnly packaged boxes
• DOnly used for overhead passenger transport