Endless roller conveyor

• US 5,261,525 A
• Filed: 09/11/1992
• Issued: 11/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing International Incorporated (Catalina Marketing Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Regina Sud SpA (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Garbagnati, Carlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Application Number:
  US07/944,108
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 198/850, 198/851, 198/853, 198/779
• US Class Current: 198/779
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/08 the surface being formed by the traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/32 Individual load-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/40 Chains acting as load-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/02 Articles

Abstract

An endless conveyor comprises a sequence of link elements (10) connected to each other in an articulated manner, each of them supporting a plurality of idler rollers (14) disposed on parallel pivot pins (15) for defining a transporting surface at the upper part thereof. Each link element (10) is provided with faced side shoulders (18) having housings (19) designed to receive the pivot pin (15) ends. Shoulders (18) are engaged to the link element (10) by snap coupling means (24).

Claims

1. An endless conveyor comprising a sequence of link elements connected to one another in an articulated manner, each link element supporting a plurality of parallel pivot pins upon which are rotatably mounted idle rollers, an upper peripheral surface of said rollers together defining a transporting surface, each said link element defining a flat base portion located in a plane substantially parallel to said transporting surface, said base portion extending transversally to the direction of the conveyor movement having two lateral ends with snap coupling means and a shoulder snap coupled to each end and supporting pivot pin ends therein.

2. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said snap coupling means comprises on the link element and for each shoulder, a pair of faced arms having side teeth adapted to be snap fitted in corresponding seats provided in the shoulder.

3. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein each link has a seat therein at an end thereof, and each shoulder is comprised of a lower guide tooth insertable complementarly in a seat of the link element in a direction normal to the pivot pin extension.

4. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said link element has at least one support at an intermediate position to said ends, said support having supporting seats for intermediate portions of said pivot pins.

5. The conveyor according to claim 4, wherein said intermediate supporting seats have openings at the top for introducing the pivot pins thereinto.

6. The conveyor according to claim 5, wherein each upper opening in the supporting seats has a smaller diameter than the pivot pins so that the pivot pins can be force fitted therein.

7. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein adjacent rollers have facing peripheral side walls diverging towards the periphery of the rollers.