Self-supporting conveyor belt with wire-formed spacers
First Claim
1. A conveyor belt of the type having at least one side edge capable of collapsing or extending to permit the belt to be coiled in a helical belt stack with superimposed tiers;
- the belt comprising;
a plurality of transverse rods extending between opposite side edges of the belt;
a plurality of links joining adjacent transverse rods together so as to permit the belt to assume a curved configuration; and
a plurality of spacers secured to said belt and projecting upwardly from the belt so as to engage at least some of the transverse rods of an overlying belt tier of the belt stack to permit said overlying belt tier to move laterally relative the underlying belt tier with the spacers moving along an underside of the transverse rods of the overlying belt tier;
whereby the overlying and underlying belt tiers can move relative each other in said lateral direction without the belt tiers destacking.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A self-supporting conveyor belt a portion of the length of which follows a helical conveying path comprising a plurality of stacked tiers. The belt includes a plurality of interconnected pivotal link members by which the belt can either collapse or extend along a side edge thereof to follow a curved path. Secured to the link members are wire-formed spacers which extend between adjacent belt tiers, the wire-formed spacers of one tier abutting and supporting an immediately overlying tier. The spacers provide the belt stack with increased lateral stability to prevent destacking while permitting air flow therethrough comparable to prior art spiral belts without spacers and supported by rails.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A conveyor belt of the type having at least one side edge capable of collapsing or extending to permit the belt to be coiled in a helical belt stack with superimposed tiers;
- the belt comprising;
a plurality of transverse rods extending between opposite side edges of the belt;a plurality of links joining adjacent transverse rods together so as to permit the belt to assume a curved configuration; and a plurality of spacers secured to said belt and projecting upwardly from the belt so as to engage at least some of the transverse rods of an overlying belt tier of the belt stack to permit said overlying belt tier to move laterally relative the underlying belt tier with the spacers moving along an underside of the transverse rods of the overlying belt tier; whereby the overlying and underlying belt tiers can move relative each other in said lateral direction without the belt tiers destacking. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- the belt comprising;
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21. A conveyor belt having a length, a portion of the length being arranged to follow a helical path including a plurality of stacked tiers;
- said belt comprising;
a plurality of link members; a plurality of cross members extending between lateral edges of the belt and being attached to said plurality of link members; and a plurality of wire-formed spacers having a circular cross-section being secured to said belt for contacting an overlying belt tier to space and support adjacent tiers of the belt stack. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- said belt comprising;
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32. A conveyor belt having a length, a portion of which is arranged to follow a helical path including a plurality of stacked tiers;
- said belt comprising;
a plurality of interconnected link members on opposite sides of the belt; a plurality of transverse rods connected to said link members to form a belt with two sides, the belt being collapsible or extendible along at least one of said sides to follow the helical path, at least some of the rods having ends which are free of protrusions or enlarged heads; a tab portion formed on at least some of of said link members on a portion thereof disposed away from center of the belt, the tab being attached to the end of one off said rods to pivotally interconnect said plurality of link members and a plurality of spacer members secured to the belt so as to support an overlying belt tier by contacting the transverse rods of said overlying tier, each spacer member comprising a wire member substantially in the form of a closed loop having vertical legs which are connected to a top leg for contacting the overlying tier, and wherein an end of each vertical leg is secured to said belt such that the vertical legs are spaced apart a greater distance at a top portion of the closed loop than at a portion of the loop adjacent the belt. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
- said belt comprising;
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38. A conveyor belt having a length, a portion of which is arranged to follow a helical path including a plurality of stacked tiers;
- said belt comprising;
a plurality of interconnected link members on opposite sides of the belt; a plurality of transverse rods connected to said link members to form a belt with two sides, the belt being collapsible or extendible along at least one of said sides to follow the helical path, at least some of the rods having ends which are free of protrusions or enlarged heads; a tab portion formed on at least some of said link members at an area of the link disposed away from a center of the belt, the tab being attached to the end of one of said rods to pivotally interconnect said plurality of link members; and a plurality of wire-formed spacers having a circular cross-section being secured to said belt for contacting an overlying belt tier to space and support adjacent tiers of the belt stack. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
- said belt comprising;
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41. A conveyor belt having a length, a portion of the length being arranged to follow a helical path including a plurality of stacked tiers;
- said belt comprising;
a plurality of link members; a plurality of cross members extending between lateral edges of the belt and being attached to said plurality of link members and a plurality of wire-formed spacers secured to said belt for contacting an overlying belt tier to space and support adjacent tiers of the belt stack; wherein each of the wire-formed spacers includes an elongated wire member having two ends secured to the belt adjacent one of the link members such that the two ends are offset with respect to each other along a direction across the width of the belt to provide the spacer with a wide base for lateral stability. - View Dependent Claims (42)
- said belt comprising;
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43. A conveyor belt having a length, a portion of which is arranged to follow a helical path including a plurality of stacked tiers;
- said belt comprising;
a plurality of interconnected link members on opposite sides of the belt; a plurality of transverse rods connected to said link members to form a belt with two sides, the belt being collapsible or extendible along at least one of said sides to follow the helical path, at least some of the rods having ends which are free of protrusions or enlarged heads; and a tab portion formed on at least some of said link members on a portion thereof disposed away from a center of the belt, the tab being attached to the end of one of said rods to pivotally interconnect said pluralities of link ends, and wherein a cap member is removably secured to the tab portion of at least some of said link members. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
- said belt comprising;
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46. A conveyor belt having a length, a portion of which is arranged to follow a helical path including a plurality of stacked tiers;
- said belt comprising;
a plurality of interconnected link members on opposite sides of the belt; a plurality of transverse rods connected to said link members to form a belt with two sides, the belt being collapsible or extendible along at least one of said sides to follow the helical path, at least some of the rods having ends which are free of protrusions or enlarged heads; a tab portion formed on at least some of said link members on a portion thereof disposed away from a center of the belt, the tab being attached to the end of one of said rods to pivotally interconnect said plurality of link members; and means for extending the thickness of at least of said plurality of rods so that the rod is substantially coextensive with at least one link member to form a smooth surface on the underside of the belt to allow a guide rail to move along the underside of the belt between said wire member and an outer edge of the belt without getting caught on said link.
- said belt comprising;
Specification