Conveyor belts and modules with slide bodies

A modular belt comprising:

• a series of belt rows of one or more belt modules each extending in length from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end of a belt row is hingedly linked to the second end of an adjacent belt row at a hinge joint;
• wherein at least some of the belt rows of the one or more belt modules include at least one slider belt module that includes:
• a recess recessed into the slider belt module from the second end to a back wall and having a first width;
• a slide body having a second width less than the first width and received in the recess to slide laterally along the recess and the hinge joint.

A modular belt comprising:

• a series of belt rows of one or more belt modules each extending in length from a first end to a second end and having first hinge elements along the first ends and second hinge elements along the second ends, wherein the first hinge elements of the belt rows are interleaved with the second hinge elements of adjacent belt rows;
• hinge rods extending through the interleaved first and second hinge elements to link the belt rows together at hinge joints;
• wherein at least some of the belt rows of the one or more belt modules include a slide body forming one or more of the second hinge elements;
• wherein the one or more second hinge elements of the slide body have slide cam surfaces;
• wherein one or more of the first hinge elements interleaved with the one or more second hinge elements of the slide body have corresponding cam surfaces that push against the corresponding slide cam surfaces on the one or more second hinge elements of the slide body as the modular belt articulates at the hinge joint to slide the slide body laterally.

A modular belt comprising:

• a series of belt rows each extending in length from a first end to a second end and having first hinge elements along the first ends and second hinge elements along the second ends, wherein the first hinge elements of the belt rows are interleaved with the second hinge elements of adjacent belt rows;
• hinge rods extending through the interleaved first and second hinge elements to link the belt rows together at hinge joints;
• wherein a laterally outermost first hinge element in each belt row has a first protrusion extending laterally inward toward the other first hinge elements;
• a hinge-rod retainer in each row including:
• a hinge eye at one end disposed in a gap inward of the laterally outermost first hinge element and receiving the hinge rod at the first end of the belt row and having a second protrusion extending laterally outward toward the laterally outermost first hinge element;
• a stop at an opposite second end of the hinge-rod retainer;
• wherein the first and second lateral protrusions extend circumferentially part of the way around the hinge rod;
• wherein the first and second lateral protrusions overlap and contact each other when the hinge joint at the first end of the row is articulated by an angle that is less than a maximum angle the modular belt can articulate forward in standard running operation to position the stop in a blocking position aligned with the hinge elements at the second end of the belt row to prevent the hinge rod from exiting;
• and
• wherein the first and second lateral protrusions do not overlap and contact each other to allow the hinge-rod retainer to be moved laterally and rotated about the hinge rod at the first end of the belt row to move the stop from the blocking position when the first hinge joint is articulated by an angle that is greater than the maximum angle the modular belt can articulate in standard running operation.

A conveyor comprising:

• a conveyor belt advancing along a conveying path having one or more conveying path segments, wherein the conveyor belt includes:
• a conveying surface extending laterally from a first side to a second side;
• sideguards standing up from the conveying surface along the first and second sides;
• a modular cover belt advancing along a belt path parallel to the conveying path along at least one of the one or more belt path segments, wherein the modular cover belt includes:
• a series of belt rows of one or more belt modules each extending laterally from a first side to a second side and in length from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end of a belt row is hingedly linked to the second end of an adjacent belt row at a hinge joint;
• slider belt modules at the first and second sides and including:
• first cam surfaces along the first ends and second cam surfaces along the second ends;
• an outer surface on each slider belt module;
• a recess opening onto the second end of each slider belt module;
• a slide body in each recess along the first or second side and having a clamp jaw and second slide cam surfaces along the second end;
• a stationary clamp jaw in each module body along the first or second side to form clamps along the first and second sides with the clamp jaws on adjacent belt rows of the slide body;
• wherein the clamp jaws clamp the sideguards of the conveyor belt when some of the first cam surfaces of a slider belt module push against corresponding second slide cam surfaces in an adjacent belt row to slide the slide body laterally in a first direction to close the clamp jaws as the adjacent belt rows articulate into a belt path segment parallel to one of the conveying path segments and to unclamp the sideguards of the conveyor belt when other of the first cam surfaces of the slider belt module push against corresponding second slide cam surfaces in an adjacent belt row to slide the slide body laterally in an opposite second direction to open the clamp jaws as the adjacent belt rows articulate out of the belt path segment parallel to the conveying path segment.