Low friction, direct drive conveyor 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.
Claims22
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 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.
A direct drive conveyor comprising:
- an endless thermoplastic belt;
- at least one drive pulley wherein one of the belt and the pulley has teeth and the other of the belt and the pulley has recesses adapted to receive the teeth as the belt wraps around the pulley;
- and
- the drive pulley and the belt having different pitches, and minimal friction between them so that the belt is driven by one tooth at a time;
- and means to retain the belt against the pulley at the driven tooth for a distance more than the length of one pulley pitch.
A method of driving an endless belt in a conveyor having at least one drive pulley, wherein one of the belt and the at least one drive pulley has teeth and the other of the belt and the at least one drive pulley has recesses adapted to receive the teeth as the belt wraps around the pulley to an exit point and wherein the at least one drive pulley and the belt have different pitches such that the pulley pitch is greater than the belt pitch, the method comprising:
- causing the at least one drive pulley to rotate so that 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,
- enabling the belt to move at an average speed less than the average speed of the at least one drive pulley, and
- providing minimal friction between the belt and the drive pulley to enable the belt to slip relative to the drive pulley when the drive tooth is disengaged from the drive sheave.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.