Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-26
2001-04-17
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216853
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toothed conveyor belt which uses a steel belt as a reinforcement core, as well as to a coating removal jig for the toothed conveyor belt which functions to remove a coating from the conveyance-surface side of a belt end portion in order to expose the core for performing cut-and-joint operations on the toothed conveyor belt.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 11
, a conventional toothed belt A
1
for conveying articles is composed of a belt body A
2
and conveyance attachments A
3
. The belt body A
2
is molded from an elastic material such as rubber or polyurethane. The conveyance attachments A
3
are provided on the outer side of the belt body A
2
in order to hold articles from behind. Meshing teeth A
4
are formed on the inner side of the belt body A
2
and mesh with an unillustrated toothed pulley.
In order to improve the tensile strength of the toothed belt A
1
, a number of steel wires A
5
serving as reinforcement cores and extending in the direction of conveyance are embedded in the toothed belt A
1
in rows arranged widthwise.
Since the conventional toothed conveyor belt employs a number of steel wires as reinforcement cores, carrying out cut-and-joint operations at an arbitrary position on the belt is difficult. Bonding or fusing cut ends of the belt is not necessarily impossible, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 58-207542 and Japanese Patent Publication (kokoku) No. 57-31016. However, this method is not suitable for frequent cut-and-joint operations. Also, since cut ends of steel wires cannot be connected, a deterioration in tensile strength at a connected portion is unavoidable.
Also, since the conventional toothed conveyance belt employs, as reinforcement cores, steel wires embedded in rows arranged widthwise in the belt body, a restoration force for eliminating a twist about the direction of conveyance is poor. As a result, torsional vibration of the toothed belt tends to occur during conveyance of articles.
Further, since conveyance attachments are bonded onto or fused with the conveyance surface of the belt body, replacing conveyance attachments or altering their positions is impossible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems involved in the prior art and to provide a toothed conveyor belt which enables easy cut-and-joint operations without impairment of tensile strength and which permits replacement and positional alteration of conveyance attachments.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a coating removal jig for the toothed conveyor belt for carrying out cut-and-joint operations on the belt.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a toothed conveyor belt comprising a flexible belt body and an elastically deformable steel belt. The belt body conveys articles on the outer side thereof and has meshing teeth formed on the inner side thereof for meshing with a toothed pulley. The steel belt is embedded in the belt body and extends in the longitudinal direction of the belt body.
Since the steel belt is used as a reinforcement core, the toothed conveyor belt has the advantages of improved flexibility, endurance to high tension, less elongation over long-term use, and high rigidity to torsional deformation.
As a result, the toothed belt assumes high endurance and can convey articles smoothly and stably.
Since the thin steel belt has a sufficient strength to serve as a reinforcement core, when the toothed conveyor belt is used as an intermittent-feed conveyor, the mass of elements for carrying out an acceleration/deceleration motion can be significantly reduced as compared to the case of an intermittent-feed roller chain conveyor. As a result, drive elements such as a cam indexer and a servomotor can be of a relatively small capacity, thereby contributing to a reduction in the weight and cost of a conveyor apparatus.
Since a meshing-tooth mold can be positioned on the basis of holes which are formed in the steel belt at a pitch similar to that of the meshing teeth, the accuracy of the pitch of the meshing teeth formed on the belt body and the accuracy of the length of the toothed belt can be improved.
Preferably, bolt holes are formed at positions corresponding to those of the meshing teeth such that the bolt holes extend between inner and outer surfaces of the belt body. Bolt holes, each having a diameter smaller than that of the bolt hole formed in the belt body, are formed in the steel belt concentrically with the corresponding bolt holes formed in the belt body.
Accordingly, cut-and-joint operations for the belt body can be performed easily and accurately at the pitch of the meshing teeth.
Preferably, through-holes are formed in the steel belt at a laterally central portion and are longitudinally arranged at a pitch corresponding to that of the meshing teeth.
In this case, the steel belt becomes elastically deformable, and a firm integration of material for the belt body is established between the outer side and the inner side of the steel belt.
Preferably, the belt body and the steel belt embedded therein are longitudinally terminated such that the positions of the longitudinally opposite ends correspond to the bottom of a tooth space formed between the adjacent meshing teeth. An outer-side portion of the belt body extending between the end and a position corresponding to the bottom of the next tooth space is removed so as to expose the corresponding portion of the outer-side surface of the steel belt, thereby forming a link portion adjacent to each of the opposite ends. The two link portions oppose each other longitudinally and are linked together by means of a belt link piece such that the meshing teeth are arranged continuously. The belt link piece comprises an elastically deformable steel plate to be placed and bolted onto the exposed surface of the steel belt and a flexible belt link piece body integrated with the steel plate.
Accordingly, the belt length can be easily increased or decreased in an amount corresponding to multiples of a pitch between the adjacent meshing teeth. Thus, the bearing position of pulley engaged with the toothed belt does not need to be adjusted, thereby facilitating the installation or replacement of the toothed belt.
Preferably, conveyance attachments are fixedly attached onto the outer side of the belt body or the outer side of the belt link piece body by use of coupling bolts inserted through the corresponding bolt holes.
Accordingly, the conveyance attachments can be arranged at intervals, each corresponding to multiples of a pitch between the adjacent meshing teeth, according to the type of articles to be conveyed.
Since the conveyance attachment is fixedly attached onto the belt by use of the coupling bolts inserted through the corresponding bolt holes formed in the belt body and in the steel or by use of the coupling bolts inserted through the corresponding bolt holes formed in the belt link piece body and in the steel plate, the conveyance attachment can be easily removed.
Preferably, belt travel guide plates are fixedly attached onto the outer side of the belt body or the outer side of the belt link piece body by use of coupling bolts inserted through the corresponding bolt holes, and are guided by guide rails disposed on the opposite lateral sides of the belt body.
Accordingly, when the distance of conveyance is long, the belt travel guide plates prevent the toothed belt from slacking or meandering, thereby providing smooth conveyance.
The present invention further provides a coating removal jig for a toothed conveyor belt comprising a jig body, a clamp plate, a slider, and a push bolt. The jig body has a belt support surface on which are formed seating teeth for engagement with the meshing teeth of the belt body. The belt support surface supports an end portion of the toothed conveyor belt through engagement of the seating teeth with the meshing teeth of the end portion. The clamp plat
Bidwell James R.
Dann Dorfman Herrell and Skillman
Skillman Henry H.
Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
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