Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Spiral
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-16
2001-05-29
Olszewski, Robert P. (Department: 3652)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Spiral
C198S822000, C198S852000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237750
ABSTRACT:
PRIOR ART TECHNIQUE
The invention concerns a conveyor belt of the kind disclosed in the preamble to claim
1
. Such conveyor belts arranged for the transport of items, e.g. food products, canned goods and the like, are known from EP patent application No. 0283209 (Ashworth Bros. Inc., US) or EP patent No. 0288475 (Frigoscandia Food Process Systems Aktiebolag, SE), where the latter publication discloses a conveyor belt arranged especially for operation in connection with helical plants for cold storages for the freezing of newly-produced food products or portions of food products.
All of the parts in the known conveyor belts are normally made of steel and are assembled by welding of the individual parts in the formation of a chain link, where the outer links are so strong that they can support the overlying parts of the belt when operating in a helical plant.
The known constructions have several disadvantages. Firstly, certain food products have a tendency to freeze fast on the metal belts, even though these have wire- or net-formed supporting surfaces. Thereby food-product remains are left on the belt after the thermal treatment, which is undesirable not only from the point of view of hygiene but also because it necessitates an increase in the efforts required for cleaning. Another great disadvantage is that the known belts require tools, e.g. welding equipment etc., to effect repairs if the belt breaks. It is a particularly difficult task to repair a conveyor belt that has broken, especially if the belt runs in a helical manner in a cold storage plant, where the working space is restricted and where all of the parts are severely cooled down. Therefore, the repair of broken belts is usually a complicated matter, and it takes a long time to rectify the damage.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
By configuring the conveyor belt according to the invention as disclosed and characterized in claim
1
, the result is a belt where the individual parts are assembled without the use of tools, and particularly without the use of welding equipment etc., The belt can be assembled and disassembled without the use of tools, and this means that possible repairs and replacement of worn parts can be carried out much more quickly than with the known types of belts. Furthermore, the whole of the belt can be made of plastic, which means that food products, e.g. bread, poultry etc. which are to be frozen down, do not so easily freeze fast to the belt.
The conveyor belt according to the invention can be used both as a straight-running belt as well as for running in curves, and also as a self-stacking helical belt in units for the thermal treatment of food products, but it will also be able to be used for the accumulation of items between machines, e.g. in a production line.
The traction in the conveyor belt according to the invention is transferred from link to link through the outer links, which are coupled together by the axles. In special cases, i.e. at very great loads where high tractive forces require to be used, steel axles can be inserted at the outer links, but outer links of plastic are sufficiently strong with the loads which arise in normal practice.
By configuring the snap-lock according to the invention in each outer link as disclosed and characterized in claim
2
, the configuration achieved hereby is one which can be produced in a simple manner by injection moulding at the same time that the outer link is moulded. In a simple manner, a recess in each end of the axle can engage with the snap-lock in the outer links, and snap-locks of the kind disclosed in claim
2
can easily be configured so that the traction which is in the belt for the driving of the belt ensures that the parts cannot be separated before the conveyor belt is standing still without traction.
In conveyor belts of the kind described, the solid axles can be of steel or plastic, depending on the kind of product required to be transported.
By configuring the conveyor belt according to the invention and as disclosed and characterized in claim
3
, it is achieved that that end of each outer link, in which the elongated hole for the axle in the adjacent link extends, is held out in place at each side, so that regardless of the direction in which the belt
1
is running, and regardless of what kind of underlayer or track the belt is sliding on, the partly free ends of the outer links cannot move inwards because of the positioning element in each side. If a piece of tubing is used as positioning element or spacing element, the possibility is provided at the same time of being able to stop the feeding of the products on the belt without stopping the belt, in that the tube pieces can be arranged to function as rollers, so that the conveyor belt can function as an accumulation conveyor.
By configuring the conveyor belt according to the invention as disclosed in the preamble to claim
4
, i.e. with a further support element of plastic which surrounds the axles, a belt with small opening can be achieved, i.e. a belt which can transport small items. With this configuration, the items always rest on a plastic underlayer, so that raw foodstuffs or other items do not freeze fast to this layer during the freezing-down. When further support elements are configured as disclosed and characterized in claim
4
, it is achieved that when running in curves, e.g. in a helical system, the belt cannot bend around the axles while it is in the helical system, but is locked by the cooperating parts. The belt thus remains flat during its ascent in the helix, and cannot, for example, lift up at the outer edge because of the tractive force. When the belt again runs in a straight line, it will again be able to bend around the axles, e.g. around a driving sprocket or a carrier wheel.
The invention also concerns a conveyor belt as disclosed in the preamble to claim
5
. By configuring the further support elements or grid elements according to the invention and as disclosed and characterized in claim
5
, further advantages can be achieved. “Concealed” areas which are difficult to clean are hereby avoided, so that the belt according to the invention becomes easier to clean. Furthermore, the support elements can be produced quickly by injection moulding, in that the tool construction does not require gates, but merely comprises an ordinary two-part injection mould which opens immediately upon the conclusion of a moulding cycle.
The invention also concerns a conveyor belt as disclosed in the preamble to claim
6
. By configuring the conveyor belt according to the invention as disclosed and characterized in claim
6
, i.e with outer link of large type, the same unit, i.e. the outer links, can at one and the same time be both outer link and secure the axles, transfer the tractive force etc. through the belt as described above, and comprise those elements which maintain the vertical distance between the belt parts during operation in a helical system. The large outer links are also injection moulded as a one-piece unit of plastic.
If the outer links of the large type are configured as disclosed and characterized in claim
7
, the possibility is provided for a suitable radius for rearward bending of the belt in those conveyor units in which this is required.
If the conveyor belt according to the invention is to be used for operation in a helical system with heavy loads or with many tiers in the helix, the outer links can preferably be configured with reinforcement ribs as disclosed and characterized in claim
8
.
The outer links for the conveyor belt according to the invention can be configured as disclosed and characterized in claim
9
, in that the whole of the belt is hereby automatically provided with railings, which enables the transport of small, round objects, e.g. cans.
If the conveyor belt according to the invention is to be used in a helical system, e.g. for the freezing of fresh food products, the large outer links are preferably configured as disclosed and characterized in claim
10
. An improved possibility is hereby achieved for the circulation of cold
Damkjaer Poul Erik
Raum Jack Ronald
Smith Andrew Clyde
Costellia Jeffrey L.
Jaketic Bryan
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Olszewski Robert P.
Uni-Chains International
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