CONTINUOUS CONVEYOR FOR PASTA PRODUCTS INSIDE A DRYER

• US 20020092319A1
• Filed: 01/29/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Linde AG (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: AGA AB (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Jagaeus, Ulf
• Granted Patent: US 6,408,639 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/604
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/067 the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to more than one traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/34 having flat surfaces, e.g. platforms, grids, forks
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/02 Articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/04 Bulk
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/04 by conveyors in general B65G

Abstract

A device for making pellets of a material that can be made to solidify by changing its temperature comprises an endless belt (6) on which the material is placed at a feeding location and is conveyed along a processing path (7) to a guide roller (4) at a discharging location, and a member (2) for changing the temperature of the material on the belt (6) along the processing path (7). The endless belt (6) comprises a plurality of transverse lamellae (9), which are articulately juxtaposed and have at least one duct (11) which is extended in the longitudinal direction of the belt and has, between the edges of each lamella against adjacent lamellae a transverse ridge (13) of a height smaller than the depth of the duct (11).

Claims

1. A device for making pellets of a material that can be made to solidify by changing its temperature, the device comprising an endless belt (6) on which the material is placed at a feeding location and is conveyed along a processing path (7) to a guide roller (4) at a discharging location, and means (2) for changing the temperature of the material on the belt (6) along the processing path (7), characterised in that the endless belt (6) comprises a plurality of transverse lamellae (9), which are articulately juxtaposed and have at least one duct (11) which is extended in the longitudinal direction of the belt and has, between the edges of each lamella against adjacent lamellae a transverse ridge (13) of a height smaller than the depth of the duct (11).

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the endless belt (6) has a plurality of separate ducts (11).

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the side surfaces of each duct (11) are inclined outwards from the duct.

4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, characterised in that each transverse ridge (13) has a width that decreases towards its top.

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, characterised in that the bottom of the duct (11) is cup-shaped between each pair of adjacent transverse ridges (13).

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, characterised in that the bottom of the duct (11) is substantially flat between each pair of adjacent transverse ridges (13).

7. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, characterised in that the bottom of the duct (11) exhibits one or more grooves (14) having a width that gradually decreases downwards.

8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, characterised by a filling trough (15) which extends across the width of the belt (6) and whose lower edges extend in a plane above the transverse ridges (13).

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the filling trough (15) has two compartments (16, 17), which are successively arranged in the longitudinal direction of the belt (6).

10. A conveyor belt for making pellets of a material that can be made to solidify by changing its temperature, characterised in that a plurality of transverse lamellae (9), which are articulately juxtaposed and have at least one duct (11) which is extended in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt and has, between the edges of each lamella against adjacent lamellae a transverse ridge (13) of a height smaller than the depth of the duct (11).