Inverted Vacuum Belt Conveyor System
AssigneeBernard J. Sherwood
InventorBernard J. Sherwood
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Abstract
This invention is a vacuum belt conveyor designed to operate inverted and move articles suspended from its lower side rather than laying on top. This is achieved by the use of a matching toothed drive roller and toothed belt having its teeth facing outward and pierced between strategic teeth with vacuum cups secured through the holes. Vacuum is applied when needed to sections of a vacuum rail spring loaded against the smooth inner surface of the belt, the rail having a machined vacuum groove in horizontal alignment with the holes in the belt to provide vacuum to the cups. The belt and suspended articles secured to it by suction are held to the main frame by two retaining rails having clearance allowing passage of the cups.
Claims7
A conveyor system working inverted being suspended from above and having an endless belt traveling in a loop having a lower working belt portion and an upper return belt portion;
- guide rolls adjacent the ends of said working and return belt portions;
- belt driving means located between said guide rolls having a toothed driving roll located within said loop receiving said belt in driving relation therewith, an on coming guidance roll and an off going guidance roll, and said rolls positioned to substantially control the wrap and load transfer between said belt and driving roll, wherein said driving roll includes at least one annulus of gear teeth to engage driving relation with said belt, said belt having projecting tooth portions on the belt outer face in engaging relation with said gear teeth of said driving roll, said driving roll having a machined groove, if needed, in the centre of its circumference of sufficient proportion to allow unencumbered passage of vacuum cups attached to the outer surface of said belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.