# US 11,305,938 B2 · Active direct drive spiral conveyor belt systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,938 B2 - Document ID: US11305938B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/004,560 - Filed: 2020-08-27 - Published: 2021-03-04 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-29 - Assignees: Cambridge International, Inc. - Applicants: Cambridge International, Inc. - Inventors: Frank Salsone; Thomas O. Perdue; Robert E. Maine, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305938B2 ## CPC - B65G 15/02: for conveying in a circular arc - B65G 15/30: Belts or like endless load-carriers (co-operating with rails or the like B65G21/22; {co-operating} with rollers B65G39/20) - B65G 15/64: for automatically maintaining the position of the belts - B65G 17/086: {specially adapted to follow a curved path (for individual load carriers B65G17/22)} - B65G 21/18: in three-dimensionally curved paths - B65G 23/06: with projections engaging abutments on belts or chains, e.g. sprocket wheels - B65G 2203/0283: Position of the load carrier - B65G 2203/042: Sensors - B65G 2207/24: Helical or spiral conveying path - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract An active drive spiral conveyor belt system includes a drum configured to rotate about a drum axis, a plurality of modules, a plurality of cross-rods joining together the plurality of modules, and an infeed system. The drum can include a plurality of drive bars, each with a drive member extending therefrom, and spaced an arc length. At least some of the plurality of cross-rods or modules can include a drive end configured to engage with the drive members. The plurality of modules can be configured to be collapsible relative to each other and the plurality of cross-rods. The infeed system can be configured to collapse the spacing between adjacent drive ends prior to transiting into engagement with a cooperating drive member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system comprising: a drum configured to rotate about a drum axis, the drum including a plurality of drive bars, each with a drive member extending therefrom and spaced an arc length; a plurality of modules; a plurality of cross-rods joining together the plurality of modules, at least some of the plurality of cross-rods having a drive end configured to engage with the drive members; the plurality of modules configured to be collapsible relative to each other and the plurality of cross-rods; an infeed system configured to set a drive-end distance between adjacent drive ends by over-driving the plurality of modules relative to the drum to at least partially collapse adjacent modules of the plurality of modules; and a feedback control system configured to monitor the drive-end distance and control the infeed system to adjust the over-driving of the plurality of modules. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 1, wherein the drive member is a rib provided along the length of a drive cap removably received around the drive bar. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 1, wherein the drive member is a drive rib plate secured to a side of the drive bar and extends outward past a front face of the drive bar. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 1, wherein the drive-end distance is a whole-number factor of the arc length. ### Claim 5 An active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system comprising: a drum including adjacent drive members spaced apart an arc length; a plurality of modules collapsible relative to an adjacent one of the plurality of modules, at least some of the plurality of modules including drive ends configured to engage with the drive members; an infeed system configured to control a drive-end distance between adjacent drive ends and the number of drive ends positioned between the adjacent drive members within the arc length; and a feedback control system configured to monitor the drive-end distance and control the infeed system to dynamically adjust the drive-end distance and the number of drive ends positioned between the adjacent drive members within the arc length. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 5, wherein the drive-end distance is a whole-number factor of the arc length. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 5, wherein the drive member is a drive rib plate secured to a side of a drive bar of the drum and extends outward past a front face of the drive bar. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 5, wherein the infeed system is configured to over-drive the plurality of modules relative to the drum to at least partially collapse the plurality of modules within the arc length. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 5, further comprising: a linear segment; a helical spiral segment; a transitional zone between the linear segment and the helical spiral segment; and a motor engaged with the plurality of modules to establish a velocity of modules of the plurality of modules passing through at least one of the linear segment and the transitional zone; wherein the feedback control system includes a sensor configured to monitor a present drive-end distance between adjacent drive ends; and wherein the infeed system is further configured to dynamically control a future drive-end distance by controlling the motor to control the velocity of the modules of the plurality of modules passing through the at least one of the linear segment and the transitional zone. ### Claim 10 A method of operating an active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system having a collapsible conveyor belt with a plurality of drive ends and a rotating drum comprising a plurality of drive members, the conveyor system defining a transitional zone between a linear segment and a helical spiral segment, the method comprising: adjusting the distance between the drive ends within the transitional zone prior to engagement with the drive members to establish a drive-end distance; engaging the drive ends with the drive members proximate the helical spiral segment; providing an infeed system within the linear segment; providing a feedback device; monitoring the feedback device to determine a present drive-end distance between adjacent drive ends within the transitional zone; and adjusting dynamically operation of the infeed system to alter the distance between drive ends to establish a future drive-end distance between adjacent drive ends that is different from the present drive-end distance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of operating the active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 10, wherein adjusting the drive-end distance comprises over-driving the collapsible conveyor belt relative to the rotating drum within the transitional zone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of operating the active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 10, wherein adjusting the drive-end distance comprises reducing a drive-end distance between sequential pickets of the collapsible conveyor belt by at least partially collapsing the sequential pickets together prior to reaching the helical spiral segment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of operating the active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 10, wherein the providing the feedback device comprises providing at least one of an optical sensor, a strain gauge, and an inductive sensor. ### Claim 14 An active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system comprising: a drum including adjacent drive members spaced apart an arc length; a plurality of modules collapsible relative to an adjacent one of the plurality of modules, at least some of the plurality of modules including drive ends configured to engage with the drive members; an infeed system configured to control a drive-end distance between adjacent drive ends and the number of drive ends positioned between the adjacent drive members within the arc length; a linear segment; a helical spiral segment; a transitional zone between the linear segment and the helical spiral segment; a motor engaged with the plurality of modules to establish a velocity of modules of the plurality of modules passing through at least one of the linear segment and the transitional zone; and a feedback device configured to monitor a present drive-end distance between adjacent drive ends; wherein the infeed system is further configured to dynamically control a future drive-end distance by controlling the motor to control the velocity of the modules of the plurality of modules passing through the at least one of the linear segment and the transitional zone. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The active direct drive spiral conveyor belt system of claim 14, wherein the feedback device comprises at least one of an optical sensor, a strain gauge, and an inductive sensor.