Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2001-04-17
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216854
ABSTRACT:
PRIOR ART TECHNIQUE
The invention concerns a side-flexing conveyor belt of the kind disclosed in the preamble to claim
1
or the preamble to claim 2.
Side-flexing conveyor belts built up from a large number of chain links, substantially as disclosed in the preamble to claim
1
, are known in a number of different embodiments.
The individual chain links, and in many cases also the transverse rods which hold these together, are made of plastic by injection moulding or in another known manner. Plastic has many advantages which make the material suitable for this use, and therefore it is used to a great extent for straight-flow conveyor belts. If the conveyor belt is to be side-flexing, i.e. be capable of running in curves in the horizontal plane, ordinary conveyor belts of plastic and with plastic rods are of sufficient strength only if the belt is not loaded too much. This is due partly to the material and partly that the whole of the traction when the belt runs in curves is transferred along the edge of the belt outermost in the curve. In order to increase the strength in the outer edge of the belt, this can be reinforced, i.e. configured with a greater amount of material or material thickness than the rest of the belt. Such belt types are known, e.g. from European Patent No. 0 663 354 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,071. For the strengthening of the outer edge of the belt, on the outside of the chain links, i.e. on the pivot rods outside the links, reinforcement elements can be mounted, e.g. side plates, which connect the pivot rods and ensure transfer of the necessary traction when the belt is stretched out along the outer edge in a curve. However, it is a great disadvantage to have reinforcement elements in the form of side plates, steel wire or the like disposed on the outside of the chain links, in that this gives problems at the transition between the outer edge of the belt and the stationary edge on the frame which supports the conveyor. These configurations also result in adjacent belts not being able to be placed sufficiently close together, nor can dead-plates or other transfer means be placed up against the belt's outer edge for sideways transfer of items to or from the conveyor.
The chain links of the known types for the construction of conveyor belts seldom have sufficiently great tensile strength, in that the tensile strength of the known types is of the magnitude of up to approx. 150 kg. This means that there are considerable limitations on how great a load can be applied to a conveyor belt, and it also places limitations on how quickly the belt can run and limitations on the length with which a conveyor can be built.
The known side-flexing conveyor belts also suffer the disadvantage that large openings can arise in the surface, so that articles such as small containers on the belt can tip over, e.g. if they are in the form of small cans or plastic bottles for soft drinks. Such containers often have a bottom surface which is not flat but configured with so-called point supports.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
By configuring the conveyor belt according to the invention as disclosed and characterized in claim
1
or in claim
2
, it is achieved that the belt is given much greater strength and has relatively small openings in the surface, even when running in curves.
The belt according to the invention as disclosed in claim
1
is built up of special outer links and module chain links which are assembled with rods to form an endless belt of the desired breadth, in that in the conveying direction the links are staggered in relation to one another like bricks in a wall. The one-sided reinforcement areas existing in the edge links, i.e. the areas at the outer edge of the belt, where a thicker or a greater amount of material is used than in the rest of the belt, are made so large that they extend over at least one eye part for each row of eye parts, and in such a manner that there is room for at least one eye part to be replaced by a traction side plate, which has considerably greater strength than the eye parts in the edge chain link. There is hereby achieved a belt with a tensile strength which is up to several times greater than with the known belts, i.e. in the order of 3-6000 kg, depending on the type of material the side plates are made of, and depending on whether plastic or steel rods are used.
The belt according to the invention, and as disclosed in claim
2
, is configured in such a manner that the individual parts in the chain links have certain, relative dimensions, which ensures that only minimal openings arise in the belt when it is running in curves, and that the openings are generally distributed over the surface of the belt, so that even small plastic bottles with point-formed bottoms cannot tip over when being conveyed.
By placing the side plates in the belt according to the invention, i.e. “integrated” in the edge chain link, a number of important advantages are achieved. The belt according to the invention can run very closely to an adjacent belt, and thus in this manner it is possible to effect sideways transfer, or several belts can be allowed to run together to form a very broad conveyor. A belt according to the invention can run quite closely up against a dead-plate at the side of the belt, so that sideways transfer can be effected both to and from the belt without any problems and without any risk of the conveyed items tipping over. The special configuration of the edge chain links according to the invention also makes it possible for a side-flexing conveyor belt according to the invention to be run quite closely up against the edge of the supporting frame, so that slots or openings do not appear along the outer edge of the belt with the risk that items outermost on the belt can tip over, or that parts of such items can get jammed between the belt and the supporting frame.
Furthermore, the belt according to the invention is configured in such a manner that it can be driven in both directions, which is of great importance, e.g. when relieving pile-ups on the belt in connection with the stopping of a production machine to which one or more conveyor belts according to the invention are coupled.
Finally, the increased tensile strength makes it possible for side-flexing conveyors with the belt according to the invention to be built up in greater lengths than is the case with the known constructions.
As disclosed and characterized in claim
2
, the side plates in the conveyor belt according to the invention can be placed at a distance from the outer edge of the belt. This makes it possible for the transverse rods to be in engagement with the edge chain link, i.e. with the edge chain link's eye parts on both sides of each side plate, which contributes towards a further increase in the tensile strength of the belt, in that an undesired bending effect on the outer end of the rod is avoided.
The side plates are preferably configured as disclosed and characterized in claim
3
, in that it is hereby achieved that they can be disposed “internally” in the edge chain links, and can thus not come into contact with the items which are conveyed on the belt, or in contact with parts under the belt, e.g. slide rails on which the belt is fed forward, or come into contact with the edge rails of the conveyor.
The edge chain links in the conveyor belt according to the invention are preferably configured as disclosed and characterized in claim
4
. It is hereby achieved that the side plates are secured from the point of view of position, so that they cannot tip over during the running of the belt, e.g. those side plates which lie innermost in a curve when running in curves, and which consequently are not subject to any tractional influence. By avoiding the tipping over of the side plates, their influence on the rods and herewith the wear on the rods is reduced.
The edge chain links in a conveyor belt according to the invention can be configured as disclosed and characterized in claim
5
or in claim
6
. Side plates in adjacent links can hereby be held at a distance fro
Damkjær John Haue
Damkjær Poul Erik
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Bidwell James R.
Uni-Chains A/S
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