Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Il FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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`,This invention relates to conveyor belts and modules for the construction
2 1,1thereof, and more particularly to A modular conveyor belt comprising inte~
3 1lconnected modules of the same integral construction.
IlBACKGROVND OF THEINVENTION
4 ¦IModular conveyor belts are known which comprise modules pivotally con-
5 l`,nected to one another, e~ch module beiry~ molded ~s ~ single unit~ preferably of a
llplastic materiaL Such conveyor belts are shown, for example, in U.S. patents
7 'I3,870,141 and 4,051,949 of the same inventor and assignee as herein~ ~or some
8 Ipurposes, as in the food industry, it is desirable that the convey~r be readily
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9 1¦inspected to assure cleanliness. Government and industry regulations also ~ecify
standards of inspectability and cleanliness for eguipment used in processing
11 ll products for human consumption. An easily inspectable conveyor belt is shown in
la I U.S. patent 4,159,763 of The Laitram Corporation, the assignee herein.
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I' SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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13 In accordance with this invention, a conveyor belt is provided which includes
14modules of integral molded construction each having ~ flat conveying surface and
15first and æcond link ends spaced ~ong the width of the module. Each of the link
16ends includes meshable segments each having a pivotal bore aligned on a pivot axis
17across the width of the module, end which are operative to cover A pivot rod on the
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top or conveying side of the module, r~endering that side substantialIy flat and2 cleanable, the pivot rods remaining substantially exposed on the bottom or reverse
3 side for inspection ~nd cleaning. The rod is exposed to ambient temperature and is
4 therefore more easily heated or cooled than a concealed pivot . od, such that
` temperature cycling, thermal expansion and contraction is more uniform for the
6 , modules and interconnecting rods. Longitudin~l ribs are provided on the underside
7 of the module body terminating at the link ends, these ribs haYing enclosed end
8 portions circumscribing an opening centered on the pivot axis. Transverse ribs
g 'I extend across the width of the module, and longitudinal ribs are spsced between
o i! the transverse ribs. With the interconnected modules lying on a straight path, the
linked ends ~re concealed, and the belt provides an effectively continuous
12 ll conveying surface. Along a curved path, the linked ends are exposed for inspection
13 , and cleaning.
14 ll Sprocket recesses are provided on each module by confronting surfaces of
l' the transverse ribs and are disposed midway between the piYot ~ces of the module.
16 ll The sprocket recesses are adapted to mate with corresponding sprocket teeth of an
17 1 associated sprocket wheel to provide a centrally driven conveyor module which
18 i exhibits minimal chordPl action and scrubbing between the mating surfaces of the
19 module and the sprocket wheeL
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2~ The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed
21 description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
22 Fig. 1 is a pictorial YieW of the novel conveyor belt and ~ssociated sprocket
23 drive;
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1l Fig. 2 is a pictorial view of the bottom side of linked modules;
2 ll Fig. 3 is a top pictorial view of linked modules;
3 ll Fig. 4 is a partial bottom view of a module;
4 1 Fig. 5 is a partial end elevation view of a module;
Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation view taken along lines 6-6 of Fig. 4;
6 Pig. 7 is a top view of modules lir~ed in brick-laid fashion;7 Fig. 8 is a cutaway side elevation view illustrating linked modules in
8 engagement with a sprscket wheel;
9 Fig. 9 is an elevation view of a sprocket wheel employed with the linked
modules; and
11 ~ig. 10 is 8 sectional end view of the sprocket wheel of Fig. 9.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION O~ THE INVENTION
l . 1.
12 ¦ Referring to Figs. 1-6 of the drawing, there is shown a module 10 which i5
13 interconnected with like modules to produce a modular linked conveyor belt in
14 accordance with the invention. Each module 10 is formed as an integral unit~ry
1 structure of plastic material by well-known inJection molding or other molding
16 1 process. Each module includes a generally rectangular plate-like body l2 having Q
17 1 first plurality of link ends 14 and a second plurality of link ends 16. A pair of
18 ¦i transverse ribs 18 extend across the width of the body, and a plurality of
19 ,, longitudinally disposed ribc 20 are spaced between the transverse ribs 18. A
il plurality of longitudinal ribs 22 slso extend from each transverse rib 18 toward and
21 i~l terminate at the respective link ends. The grid structure formed by the transverse
22 ~! ribs 18 and the interconnecting longitudinal ribs 20 and 22 serves to strengthen the
23 module snd to prevent eny si8nificsnt bending of the module sbout its longitudinPI
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¦¦ or transverse axes. The lin3c ends 14 and 16 each have upper surface portions 24
2 ,1 (Fig. 3) coplanar with the upper conveyor surface 26 of the body 12, and an end
3 l'i portion 28 which downwardly extends from the surface and which defines a
4 ~, partially cylindrical segment. For e~ch link end, the partially cylindrical segments
i are aligned about a common transverse axis which is the p~vot axis of adjacent
6 1 interconnected links. The longitudinal ribs 22 which terminate at each link end
7 ¦¦ include enclosed end portions 30 which circumscribe a pivotal bore 31 therethrough
8 ~¦ which is in alignment with the pivot axis and through which a pivot rod 32 extends
9 I to interconnect mated links. The pivot rods 32 are typicslly headed or otherwise
¦ de~ormed at their ends for axial retention in the module.
11 I The end portions 28 each include a partial interior cylindrical surface or
12 ! bore 33 which beQrs on the pivot rod 32 snd which provldes sufficient bearing
13 !I surface area to accommodate the tensile forces produced by drivin~ of the
14 1, interconnected modules along a conveyor path under load. The edges 34 of the
15 1ll module which confront the link ends 28 of a mated module are bevelled to closely
16 ll abut the rounded edges of the link ends 28, and to provide only a small gap between
17 ~¦ mated links and maintsin a substantially continuous conveying surfsce when mated
18 ~l links are disposed along a straight path, RS seen in Fig. 1. Preferably, the modules
19 11 are of link end configuration to be end-to-end reversable; that is~ either end of a
jl module can m~te with either end of sny other link module.
21 1¦ Along a straight path, the mated modules each have an upper conveying
22 ~ surface 26 which is substantially copl~nar and continuous with that of adjacent
23 , links to provide an effectively continuous and easily cleAned conveying surface
24 with only a small parting line between sdjacent modules. The pivot rod 32 joining
~' sdjscent modules is covered by the end portions 28. The pivot rod 32 is
26 substantially exposed on`the iMer side of the links, as seen in Fig. 2, to provide
27 visual access to the pivot rods and link ends for inspection snd cleaning RS required
by industrial ~nd government~l regulations, for example, in the food industry. The
2 ~ link ends ~nd edges of each module are also exposed for ease of inspection when
3 the belt is conveyed in a circular path around an associated sprocket, as shown in
4 Figs. 3 and 8.
!¦ Confronting inclined surfaces 40 of the transverse ribs 18 deine recesses
6 I which serve ~s sprocket recesses locQted midway between the piYot ~xes of the
7 ll module. These sprocket recesses are adapted to m~te with corresponding sprocket
8 i~ teeth 42 of ~n associated sprocket wheel 44, ~s shown in Figs. 1 and 8. The
9 1I sprocket wheel 44 is shown in Figs~ 9 and 10 and has teeth 42 with parPllel side
o I! surfaces 4~ and inclined ~ront and back surfaces 48 configured to engage the
corresponding surfaces of the sprocket recesses. The sprocket wheel 44 has
12 ¦l, hub 50 adapted to be secured to a square shaft. A sufficient plurality of sprocket
13 ll wheels is employed across the width of the module to provide intended support and
14 ll driving force, as sh~wn in Fig. 1. The centrally driven sprocket recesses provide
15 il the benefits of minimizing chordal action ~nd scrubbing between the m~ting
16 surfaces of the module Qnd the sprocket wheeL
17 ¦ The placement of the sprocket recesses midway be-tween
18 1 the pivot axes, and the drivin~ of the modules at this mid-
19 position, rather than driving the modules at the position
of the pi-vot axes as is conventionally done, provides sub-
21 stantially constant speed drive of the conveyor belt, sub-
22 stantially eliminates sprocket-to-belt wear, and provides a
23 belt capable of faster running speeds than conventional
24 belts by reason of minimized chordal action and scrubbin~.
The confrontin~ angled surfaces of the intermediate recesses
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also serves to present greater surface area to water and/or steam jets which can be
2 ! located above and below the modules for cleaning of the belt. The angled sections
3 also facilitate visual inspection of the belt.
4 The modules are preferably macle in widths which are multiples of the
smallest module width so that modules can be arranged in brick-laid f~shion to
6 l, provide a eorlveyor belt of any desired overall width. Referring to Pig. 7, the
7 i illustrated belt is composed of modules lOa of a small width, and modules 10b of a
8 ll greater width which is triple the smaller width. The modules are staggered as
9 , shown such that laterally adjacent modules are straddled by a single module to
11 achieve lateral interlocking of the belt. The modules may be easily cut to any
11 ,' intermediate widths such that belts of any width can be manufRctured from a
12 I single standard part.
13 jj The modules are fabricated as an integral unitary structure by injection
14 ,' molding of a plastic material such as polyethylene. The particular plastic material
,' is determined in accordance with the characteristics desired to suit a particular
16 1 operating environment. The pivot rods are typicPlly of the same or compatible
17 ll pl&stic materiaL
18 ~ The invention is not to be limited except as indicated in the appended
19 'I claims
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