Conveyor belting for handling bakery goods

#The present invention relates to conveyor belting and more particularly relates to conveyor belting useful in conveying bakery goods.

#Automated bakeries utilize textile belting materials, principally woven cotton belting, for conveying dough pieces through a variety of process operations. For example, raw dough is supported on and carried through processing operations such as thickness rolling, scoring, transfer (to and from ovens, etc.), cutting, shaping, and the like on woven cotton belting. The baked article is also transferred through various operations such as counting, packaging, etc. on such belting.

#Traditional woven cotton belts are woven to width and are not suitable to be slit from a master roll for subsequent use in bakeries because the edges would unravel. Also, there is a need for a lighter, stronger belting that will resist edge fraying.

#The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures of which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an endless belt of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional, side elevation view of a portion of the belting of the invention after the batt has been needled to the scrim;

#FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an endless belt 10 of the invention, useful for conveying dough through bakery process operations such as thickness rolling, scoring for dimensions, dough transfer, cutting of shapes and like operations. The belt 10 may also be used to convey baked articles received from bakery ovens, in baking and packaging procedures. The belt 10 is a flat web or sheet made endless by the joinder of ends at seam 12. The belt 10 may be employed with conventional conveyor apparatus for support and endless running.

#Turning to FIG. 2, the belt 10 comprises a surface 14 provided by a batt of carded cotton fibers. The surface 14 together with the body of the batt of cotton fibers is secured to a scrim 15 or strength member of interwoven machine direction yarns 16 and cross-machine direction yarns 18. The scrim 15 may be formed out of textile yarns in the machine direction and formed out of spun polyester yarns in the cross-machine direction. The scrim 15 may be woven or knitted. As shown, the machine direction yarns 16 and the cross-machine direction yarns 18 are provided in an open weave cloth as the scrim 15. Any weave may be used, a plain weave being stable and therefore advantageous.

#The machine direction textile yarns 16 should have a relatively high tensile breaking strength, for example on the order of at least about 20 lbs. per inch and preferably greater than 50 lbs. per inch. The machine direction textile yarns 16 will have low stretch properties, for example on the order of at least about 4 percent to 5 percent (½ normal breaking load) to about 15 percent to 20 percent. Further, it is important that the machine direction yarns 16 exhibit uniformity in their shrink characteristics, i.e., machine direction yarns of a high degree of shrinkability should not be mixed with machine direction yarns of a low degree of shrinkability to minimize buckling or cockling of the finished belting 10. In that respect, the machine direction yarns 16, may be selected from a wide variety of synthetic yarns, such as polyester, polyamide, and like yarns. The machine direction yarns 16 will be spun yarns or the like having a tendency to absorb and hold the polymeric elastomeric material 36.