Conveyor belt

A conveyor belt comprising:

• a plurality of link elements, each link element having intermeshing extensions sized to intermesh with intermeshing extensions of an adjacent link element, said intermeshing extensions having slotted transverse rod openings;
• a pivot rod received in said transverse rod openings of said plurality of intermeshing extensions thereby interconnecting adjacent intermeshed link elements together, said pivot rod including a button head at one end, said button head having a major dimension and a minor dimension, said major dimension being larger than said minor dimension, and at least one retention feature at another end;
• a first edge extension having an outer opening with a first dimension that is smaller than said major dimension of said button head but larger than said minor dimension of said button head so that said button head is inserted in said first edge extension by substantially aligning said minor dimension of said button head with said first dimension of said outer opening, and retained in said first edge extension by misaligning said button head relative to said outer opening;
• and
• a second edge extension including at least one lock mechanism that engages said retention feature of said pivot rod.

A method of assembling a conveyor belt comprising:

• providing a plurality of link elements, each link element having intermeshing extensions with transverse rod openings;
• intermeshing said intermeshing extensions of adjacent link elements together;
• providing a pivot rod with a button head at one end, said button head having a major dimension and a minor dimension;
• providing a first edge extension having an outer opening with a first dimension that is smaller than said major dimension of said button head but larger than said minor dimension of said button head;
• substantially aligning said minor dimension of said button head with said first dimension of said outer opening of said first edge extension;
• inserting said pivot rod in said transverse rod openings of said intermeshing extensions and passing said button head of said pivot rod through said outer opening so that said button head is received in said first edge extension;
• and
• rotating orientation of said pivot rod relative to said first edge extension so that said minor dimension of said button head is misaligned with said first dimension of said outer opening.

A method of assembling a conveyor belt comprising:

• providing a plurality of link elements, each link element having intermeshing extensions with transverse rod openings;
• intermeshing said intermeshing extensions of adjacent link elements together;
• providing a pivot rod with a button head at one end, said button head having a major dimension and a minor dimension, and at least one groove at another end;
• providing a first edge extension having an outer opening with a first dimension that is larger than said major dimension of said button head, and a second dimension that is smaller than said major dimension of said button head;
• substantially aligning said major dimension of said button head with said first dimension of said outer opening of said first edge extension;
• inserting said pivot rod in said transverse rod openings of said intermeshing extensions and passing said button head of said pivot rod through said outer opening so that said button head is received in said first edge extension;
• rotating orientation of said pivot rod relative to said fist edge extension so that said major dimension of said button head is misaligned with said first dimension of said outer opening and said button head is retained in said first edge element;
• and
• engaging said at least one groove to resist further rotation of said pivot rod.

A conveyor belt comprising:

• a plurality of link elements, each link element having intermeshing extensions sized to intermesh with intermeshing extensions of an adjacent link element, said intermeshing extensions having transverse rod openings;
• a pivot rod received in said transverse rod openings of said plurality of intermeshing extensions to interconnect adjacent intermeshed link elements together;
• a button head at an end of said pivot rod, said button head having a protruding portion that extends beyond an outer peripheral surface of said pivot rod;
• and
• a first edge extension having an outer opening, said outer opening being sized to allow said button head to be inserted into said first edge extension when said button head is aligned with said outer opening, and being sized to prevent removal of said button head from said first edge extension when of said button head is misaligned with said outer opening to thereby prevent removal of said pivot rod.

A method of assembling a conveyor belt comprising:

• providing a plurality of link elements, each link element having intermeshing extensions with transverse rod openings;
• intermeshing said intermeshing extensions of adjacent link elements together;
• providing a pivot rod with a button head at an end thereof, said button head having a protruding portion that extends beyond an outer peripheral surface of said pivot rod;
• providing a first edge extension having an outer opening sized to allow said button head to be inserted into said first edge extension when said button head is aligned therewith, and being sized to prevent removal of said button head from said first edge extension upon misalignment of said button head with said outer opening;
• inserting said pivot rod in said transverse rod openings of said intermeshing extensions to interconnect adjacent intermeshed link elements together;
• substantially aligning said protruding portion of said button head with said outer opening of said first edge extension;
• inserting said button head into said first edge extension;
• and
• rotating said button head in said first edge extension so that said protruding portion is misaligned with said outer opening of said first edge extension, thereby preventing removal of said pivot rod.

A conveyor belt comprising:

• a plurality of link elements, each link element having intermeshing extensions sized to intermesh with intermeshing extensions of an adjacent link element, said intermeshing extensions having transverse rod openings;
• a pivot rod received in said transverse rod openings of said plurality of intermeshing extensions to interconnect adjacent intermeshed link elements together;
• and
• a first edge extension having an outer opening for receiving an end of said pivot rod, said first edge extension including an extension portion that contacts an adjacent first edge extension to space apart said adjacent first edge extensions, and to misalign said end of said pivot rod relative to said outer opening, thereby preventing removal of said pivot rod.

A method of assembling a conveyor belt comprising:

• providing a plurality of link elements, each link element having intermeshing extensions with transverse rod openings;
• intermeshing said intermeshing extensions of adjacent link elements together;
• providing a first edge extension having an outer opening sized to receive an end of said pivot rod, said first edge extension including an extension portion;
• angling said first edge extension relative to an adjacent first edge extension;
• inserting a pivot rod through said outer opening to interconnect said edge extensions of said adjacent link elements together so that an end of said pivot rod is received in said first edge extension;
• and
• rotating at least one of said link elements so that said link elements are coplanar, said extension portion contacts said adjacent first edge extension to space apart said adjacent first edge extensions, and misaligns said end of said pivot rod received in said first edge extension relative to said outer opening, thereby preventing removal of said pivot rod.