FIELD: materials handling facilities; belt conveyor. SUBSTANCE: proposed belt conveyor has endless closed conveyor belt which can bend around axles parallel to cross direction of belt. It has also guide arrangements for directing part of conveyor belt along straight-line main path and branching device capable of moving along main path and designed for changing direction of movement of conveyor belt from main path into two branches which are parallel to branching line and are directed across main path to boom and from boom, respectively. Boom can be turned in plane transverse to branching line. Branching device has two first deflecting rollers displaced in opposite sides in cross direction from main path. Axis of each roller is square to plane of deflection passing through center of corresponding rollers. This plane intersects with path and corresponding branch paths at certain distance from first deflecting rollers. EFFECT: provision of optimum operating conditions for conveyor belt. 11 cl, 4 dwg
