Small radius conveyor belt and conveying system
AssigneeAshworth Bros., Inc.
InventorGerald C. Roinestad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A small radius conveyor belt for traveling along both straight and laterally curved paths and a conveyor system including such belt is shown. A plurality of rods extend across the belt and are pivotally connected together by tractive central links and inner and outer edge links which are longitudinally expandable and collapsible. The inner links are fully expanded and the outer links are collapsed in the straight path. The inner links collapse and the outer links expand to allow the belt to bend around the curve.
Claims24
A conveyor belt having a normal orientation to follow one path and alternate orientations with a collapsed inner edge and an expanded outer edge to follow alternate paths curved laterally to one side of said one path, which comprises:
- a plurality of longitudinally spaced rods extending laterally across the belt and having inner and outer ends along the inner and outer edges of the belt and central portions therebetween;
- central link means including central links arranged in at least one longitudinal row pivotally interconnecting the central portions of said rods, said central link means having a tractive condition with said rods in said normal orientation and in at least some of said alternate orientations;
- egde link means aranged in at least one longitudinal row along each edge of the belt including inner links and outer links pivotally interconnecting the inner and outer ends of said rods, said edge link means being longitudinally collapsible and expandable along their said rows;
- said inner links having a normal fully expanded and tractive condition in said normal orientation and a collapsed condition in said alternate orientations;
- and
- said outer links having a normal collapsed condition in said normal orientation and being expanded from said normal condition in said alternate orientations.
In a conveyor system having a substantially straight portion and a laterally curved portion, a conveyor belt having a normal orientation for following said substantially straight portion and an alternate orientation for following said curved portion with the belt defining a concave inner edge and a convex outer edge along said curved portion, said conveyor belt including a plurality of longitudinally spaced rods extending laterally across the belt and having inner and outer ends along the inner and outer edges of the belt and central portion therebetween;
- edge link means arranged in at least one longitudinal row along each edge of the belt including inner links and outer links interconnecting the inner and outer ends of said rods, said edge link means being collapsible and expandable along their said rows;
- tensioning means engaging said conveyor belt along said straight portion and friction edge drive means engaging said concave inner edge of said conveyor belt at a plurality of locations along said curved portion to frictionally drive said belt along said curved portion under a substantially lower tension than along said straight portion;
- the improvement wherein said conveyor belt further comprises central link means including central links arranged in at least one longitudinal row pivotally interconnecting said central portions of said rods, said central links means and said inner links having a tractive condition in said normal orientation to share the tractive load on the belt, said inner links collapsing as the belt curves laterally from said normal orientation, and said outer links having a collapsed and non-tractive condition in said normal orientation and expanding from said collapsed condition in said alternate orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.