Cleanable diverter with vertical plate

• US 9,399,558 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: Guernsey, Kevin W., Lee, Brian R., Nagel, Jorge E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARP, WILLIAM RAY
• Application Number:
  US14/656,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20150183592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/52 Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/844 the article-engaging elements being pushers transversally movable on the supporting surface, e.g. pusher-shoes

Abstract

A cleanable shoe-type diverter belt having pegs that travel across the width of the diverter belt. Guides extending diagonally across the width of the belt contact the pegs to translate the pegs along their slots. In some versions vertical plates are attached to the pegs.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt comprising:

a top side;

a plurality of parallel tracks extending across the width of the conveyor belt on the top side transverse to the direction of belt travel;

a plurality of pegs arranged to ride along the tracks, wherein each of the pegs includes an upper portion above the top side of the conveyor belt;

a plurality of vertical plates, each of the vertical plates extending above the top side of the conveyor belt from the upper portion of one of the pegs;

wherein the vertical plates ride with the pegs along the tracks and

wherein the plurality of tracks are formed by elongated slots extending through the conveyor belt from the top side to an opposite bottom side and wherein the upper portion of the pegs has outer dimensions greater than the width of the elongated slot.

2. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein the vertical plates extend from the pegs in the direction of belt travel.

3. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein the upper portion of the pegs has a lower skirt having outer dimensions greater than the width of the elongated slot and wherein the outer dimensions of the upper portion of the pegs above the lower skirt are less than the width of the elongated slot.

4. A conveyor belt comprising:

a top side;

a plurality of parallel tracks extending across the width of the conveyor belt on the top side transverse to the direction of belt travel;

a plurality of pegs arranged to ride along the tracks, wherein each of the pegs includes an upper portion above the top side of the conveyor belt;

a plurality of vertical plates, each of the vertical plates extending above the top side of the conveyor belt from the upper portion of one of the pegs;

wherein the vertical plates ride with the pegs along the tracks;

a plurality of belt modules, each extending in length from a trailing end to a leading end in the direction of belt travel, in width from a left side to a right side, wherein the plurality of belt modules are arranged end to end and wherein at least some of the belt modules include;

a deck extending in length from the leading end to the trailing end and in width from the left side to the right side and from the top side of the conveyor belt to an opposite bottom side;

an elongated slot formed in the deck from the top side to the bottom side and extending across the width of the deck to form one of the tracks;

a bar extending along the width of the belt module along the bottom side of the deck;

wherein the pegs each have a through hole receiving the bar to retain the peg on the bar as the peg translates across the belt module along the elongated slot.

5. A conveyor comprising:

a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel and including;

a top side;

a plurality of parallel tracks extending across the width of the conveyor belt on the top side perpendicular to the direction of belt travel;

a plurality of pegs arranged to ride along the tracks, wherein each of the pegs includes an upper portion above the top side of the conveyor belt;

a plurality of vertical plates, each of the vertical plates extending above the top side of the conveyor belt from the upper portion of one of the pegs;

wherein the vertical plates ride with the pegs along the tracks and

wherein the plurality of tracks are formed by elongated slots extending through the conveyor belt from the top side to an opposite bottom side, wherein the pegs extend through the elongated slots with a lower portion of the pegs below the bottom side of the belt;

a guide having a guide surface below the bottom side of the belt and angled across the width of the conveyor belt in contact with the pegs to push the pegs along the track as the conveyor belt advances in the direction of belt travel.

6. A conveyor as in claim 5 wherein the vertical plates extend from the pegs in the direction of belt travel.