Wire plate conveyor belt

• US 7,987,972 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambridge International, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Cambridge International, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Inventors: Jones, Chetwyn, Hennigar, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell; James R
• Application Number:
  US12/608,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20100108475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 198/848, 198/849, 993/65
• US Class Current: 198/848
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/00 Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/064 the profiles, rods, bars, rollers or the like being interconnected by a mesh or grid-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/065 the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to a single traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/067 the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to more than one traction element

Abstract

A conveyor belt includes a plurality of spaced rods transversely disposed with respect to a direction of travel and a plurality of plate elements overlying at least some of the rods so as to provide a support surface which imparts a predetermined marking or lack of marking to the product being conveyed.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt comprising:

a plurality of spaced rods, each of said plurality of rods including a first end and a second end, said plurality of rods being disposed transversely with respect to a direction of travel of the conveyor belt; and

a plurality of plate elements overlying at least some of said spaced rods, whereby a front side of said plurality of plate elements define a product support surface;

wherein said plurality of plate elements are connected to said plurality of spaced rods at a leading edge of said plate elements and at a trailing edge of said plate elements relative to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt.

2. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein said first end and said second end of each said rod is bent rearwardly, and a terminal end thereof is curled so as to interlock said rod with an adjacent one of said rods.

3. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of plate elements are generally smooth such that the product support surface defines a generally smooth surface.

4. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of plate elements includes a predetermined marking.

5. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of plate elements includes a cut-out portion defining a predetermined pattern.

6. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of plate elements includes an embossed graphic or text.

7. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein said plate elements are plastic.

8. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein said plate elements are stainless steel.

9. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein said plate elements are connected to said spaced rods by a plurality of connector bands.

10. The conveyor belt according to claim 9, wherein said connector bands and said plate elements are formed from a same material.

11. The conveyor belt according to claim 9, wherein said connector bands and said plate elements are formed from a different material.

12. The conveyor belt according to claim 9, wherein said plate elements include four connector bands on a trailing edge of each said plate element connecting said plate element to one of said spaced rods.

13. The conveyor belt according to claim 12, wherein said plate elements include three connector bands on a leading edge of each said plate element connecting said plate element of another one of spaced rods.