Spiral conveyor system with direct cage engagement
OwnerRicardo Pio Barakat Biscioniinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a spiral conveyer belt system. Embodiments of the system allow for a longer compressed pitch and improved engagement/disengagement interactions between a drum and an inner edge of a spiral conveyor belt while maintaining necessary product support and belt support strength. In part, the disclosures relate to a grooved, “ribless” cage bar cap, wherein grooves extend below an outer-facing surface of the cage bar cap and are configured to engage with a belt support rod inner-end or a belt-link tab. The bar cap groove may be straight (generally orthogonal to the outer-facing surface) or angled to better engage and drive the belt so the belt cannot slip forwards or outwards with respect to a drum outer boundary.
Claims20
An spiral conveyor system comprising:
- a belt formed from a plurality of segments and configured to move along a helical path, the belt having a belt width, an inner edge, and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge translates the helical path having an inside radius and the outer edge translates the helical path having an outside radius;
- each of the plurality of segments comprising at least one rod having an elongate shape with a central portion terminating at an inner end and an outer end and at least one link coupled to the at least one rod, wherein each segment is movably coupled to two adjoining segments;
- a drum formed generally as a cylinder having a central longitudinal axis coaxial with the helical path and an outer boundary, wherein the drum is configured to rotate around the central longitudinal axis and to releasably interact with each of the plurality of segments at the outer boundary;
- wherein the belt moves along the helical path in response to the sequential interaction between the drum outer boundary and the belt segments as the drum rotates.
The spiral conveyor system of claim 18, where the bar inner ends comprise an angle.
An spiral conveyor system comprising:
- a belt having from a plurality of segments and configured to move along a helical path, the belt having a belt width, an inner edge, and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge translates the helical path along an inside radius and the outer edge translates the helical path along an outside radius,
- each of the plurality of segments comprising at least one bar having an elongate shape with a central portion terminating at an inner end and an outer end and at least one link coupled to the at least one bar, wherein each segment is movably coupled to two or more adjoining segments;
- and
- a rotatable drum having
- a plurality of bars arranged around a central longitudinal axis forming a cage, and a plurality of bar caps fitted to some or all of the plurality of bars, wherein the bar caps define an outer boundary of the drum,
- wherein the drum is configured to rotate around the central longitudinal axis coaxial with the helical path and to releasably interact with each of the plurality of segments at the outer boundary, and
- wherein the belt moves along the helical path in response to the sequential interactions between the drum outer boundary and the belt segments effected by the rotating drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.