VARVARIABLE SPACED CONVEYOR BELT WITH CLINCHED ROD ENDS

• US 20150129395A1
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambridge International, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Cambridge International, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Inventors: MESSICK, George Howard Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,475,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/834
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/54 Endless load-carriers made of interwoven ropes or wires
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/083 the surface being formed by profiles, rods, bars, rollers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 23/06 with projections engaging abutments on belts or chains, e.g. sprocket wheels

Abstract

A flat wire conveyor belt and system includes a plurality of spaced tractive rods and a plurality of rows of pickets transversely disposed with respect to a direction of travel and interconnecting the plurality of spaced tractive rods, each of the rows of pickets including a plurality of first links and a plurality of second links, the plurality of first links have a first spacing and the plurality of second links have a second spacing, the first spacing being less than the second spacing. The system further includes a sprocket, wherein the plurality of spaced tractive rods terminate with clinched ends within the plurality of first links disposed on the outer edges of the flat wire conveyor belt, and the first links are dimensioned for receiving the clinched ends and the sprocket teeth therewithin.

Claims

1. A variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt system comprising:

a plurality of spaced tractive rods;

a plurality of rows of flat wire wickets transversely disposed with respect to a direction of travel and interconnecting said plurality of spaced tractive rods, each said wicket having a uniform thickness dimension throughout a width of the conveyor belt;

each of said row of wickets defining a plurality of first links and a plurality of second links, each of said links having a longitudinal height and a transverse spacing; and

at least one sprocket having a plurality of sprocket teeth;

wherein said plurality of first links have a first height and a first transverse spacing and said plurality of second links have a second height and a second transverse spacing, said first height being substantially equal to said second height and said first spacing being less than said second spacing, and

wherein said conveyor belt includes an opposing first outer edge and a second outer edge and said plurality of first links are disposed on at least the first outer edge and the second outer edge of the flat wire conveyor belt,

wherein said plurality of spaced tractive rods terminate with clinched ends within said plurality of first links disposed on at least the first outer edge and the second outer edge of the flat wire conveyor belt, and

wherein said first links are dimensioned for receiving said clinched ends and said sprocket teeth therewithin.

2. The variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt system according to claim 1, wherein said first link disposed on the first outer edge and said first link disposed on the second outer edge include a rod opening on an outermost leg of said first links, a terminal end of said spaced tractive rod extending inwardly through said opening and bending towards the direction of travel such that said spaced tractive rod terminates at an interior position within said first link.

3. The variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt system according to claim 1, wherein said clinched ends define rounded protrusions on at least the first outer edge and the second outer edge of the flat wire conveyor belt.

4. The variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt system according to claim 1, wherein each of said row of wickets further defines a plurality of third links spaced inwardly from said plurality of first links, said plurality of third links having a longitudinal height substantially equal to said first height of said first links and a transverse spacing less than said first transverse spacing of said first links.

5. The variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt system according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of sprocket teeth on said at least one sprocket includes a first circumferential row of sprocket teeth and a second circumferential row of sprocket teeth.

6. The variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt system according to claim 5, wherein the first circumferential row of sprocket teeth engage said plurality of first links and the second circumferential row of sprocket teeth engage said plurality of third links, said plurality of third links being dimensioned to restrict lateral movement of the conveyor belt and prevent the first circumferential row of sprocket teeth from contacting said clinched ends.

7. A variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt comprising:

a plurality of spaced tractive rods; and

a plurality of rows of flat wire wickets transversely disposed with respect to a direction of travel and interconnecting said plurality of spaced tractive rods, each said wicket having a uniform thickness dimension throughout a width of the conveyor belt;

each of said row of wickets defining a plurality of first links and a plurality of second links, each of said links having a longitudinal height and a transverse spacing;

wherein said plurality of first links have a first height and a first transverse spacing and said plurality of second links have a second height and a second transverse spacing, said first height being substantially equal to said second height and said first spacing being less than said second spacing;

wherein said conveyor belt includes an opposing first outer edge and a second outer edge and said plurality of first links are disposed on at least the first outer edge and the second outer edge of the flat wire conveyor belt;

wherein said plurality of spaced tractive rods terminate with clinched ends within said plurality of first links disposed on at least the first outer edge and the second outer edge of the flat wire conveyor belt; and

wherein said first links are dimensioned for receiving said clinched ends therewithin.

8. The variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt according to claim 7, wherein said first link disposed on the first outer edge and said first link disposed on the second outer edge include a rod opening on an outermost leg of said first links, a terminal end of said spaced tractive rod extending inwardly through said opening and bending towards the direction of travel such that said spaced tractive rod terminates at an interior position within said first link.

9. The variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt according to claim 7, wherein said clinched ends define rounded protrusions on at least the first outer edge and the second outer edge of the flat wire conveyor belt.