Chutes and slides, which will be used interchangeably here, are well-known devices for moving a wide variety of articles from one location to another. Often, the articles located in the chute move from an upper location to a lower location, by sliding down the chute via the force of gravity. Mechanical, electrical and/or human means may also provide the necessary force to move the articles down the chute, in addition to gravity.
Chutes may be constructed of a wide variety of materials. Often the material from which a chute is constructed is a function of how it is to be used and the articles that are slid down the chute. By way of example only, chutes constructed of fiberglass are often used for relatively lightweight articles. It has been found that when heavy articles are slid on fiberglass chutes, the articles wear the fiberglass down. Gaps, holes and tears can develop in the fiberglass which may catch articles and prevent them from moving in the chute.
Fiberglass chutes also suffer from another disadvantage regardless of the kind of articles that are slid on them. Namely, the chutes must be created from molds. The molds are expensive and only an exact duplicate of the mold can be created. The molds cannot be readily adapted to accommodate even the smallest desired change in the chute.
It is also known to use steel, or other metals, to construct chutes. While these chutes often can accommodate heavier articles, they also suffer from several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that their components are generally welded together. When one component fails, is damaged, or in need of repair, the weld often results in much more than just the single component needing to be removed. Instead, in such a situation, sections adjacent the component must also be removed or are caused to be removed by the removed component; in some cases, the entire chute must be removed. Additionally, because chutes can be located in very hard to reach areas, welds make it impossible to remove individual sections and the entire chute must be removed. This results in the original investment in the chute being wasted or much greater expense to repair the chute being incurred.
All of the prior art chutes also suffer from another disadvantage. Namely, it is often desirable to use a chute for articles of different weights and sizes, all of which may have varying lubricities, and for those articles to travel along the chute at a predetermined rate. However, when a chute constructed of a single material, with a fixed shape and pitch, is used in a way that it was not designed for, it often results in the articles in the chute not moving as it should. The result can be a chute clogged with articles, damage to the chute or articles within it.
In view of just some of the mentioned disadvantages of the prior art chutes, it would be advantageous for a chute to be readily adaptable to articles of various sizes, shapes, and lubricities. It would also be advantageous for the rate at which the chute transports articles to be adaptable to the desired situation. It would also be advantageous for the chute to be readily repairable and to replace any portion easily and efficiently.