Low friction, direct drive conveyer belt
AssigneeThermodrive LLC
InventorMichael DeGroot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave.
Claims7
A direct drive conveyor comprising:
- an endless belt;
- at least one drive pulley wherein one of the belt and the at least one drive pulley has teeth at a given pitch and the other of the belt and the at least one drive pulley has recesses at a different pitch such that the pulley pitch is greater than the belt pitch, wherein the recesses are adapted to receive the teeth as the belt wraps around the at least one drive pulley to an exit point;
- and
- means to minimize friction between the belt and the at least one drive pulley wherein only one tooth or recess on the belt at a time is driven by a corresponding drive recess or tooth on the at least one drive pulley under other than a no load condition so that the belt can slip relative to the at least one pulley after the driven tooth or recess on the belt exits its corresponding drive recess or tooth on the at least one drive pulley at the exit point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.