US 4,729,471 AGranted

Chain conveyor for transporting packaging containers

AssigneeSIG Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft

InventorsHeinz-Josef Tuns, Willi Altermatt

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Abstract

A chain conveyor for conveying containers and composed of a chain extending over a closed conveyor path having straight and curved portions, the chain being composed of links and roller pins connecting the links together and extending transverse of the conveyor path, a chain protection box enclosing the chain and provided with rails for supporting the roller pins, the box and the rails presenting a lateral slit recess extending along the conveyor path alongside the chain and providing an enclosure for the chain which is sealed against dust except for the opening presented by the slit, connecting elements each forming part of a respective roller pin and extending out of the box through the recess for supporting holders for the containers, and a closed shielding belt formed of a succession of laminae each pivotally mounted on at least one respective roller pin and dimensioned and positioned such that the belt covers the slit recess over both the straight and curved portions of the conveyor path, each lamina covering the slit over at least approximately the distance between two successive roller pins and contacting the laminae adjacent thereto in the vicinity of the associated roller pins.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A chain conveyor for conveying containers comprising:

a chain extending over a closed conveyor path having straight and curved portions, said chain being composed of links and roller pins connecting said links together and extending transverse of the conveyor path;
a chain protection box enclosing said chain and provided with rails for supporting said roller pins, said box and said rails presenting a lateral slit recess extending along said conveyor path alongside said chain and providing an enclosure for said chain which is sealed against dust except for the opening presented by said slit;
connecting elements each forming part of a respective roller pin and extending out of said box through said recess for supporting holders for the containers;
and
means defining a closed shielding belt formed of a succession of laminae each pivotally mounted on one respective roller pin and dimensioned and positioned such that said belt covers said slit recess over both the straight and curved portions of said conveyor path, each said lamina covering said slit over at least approximately the distance between two successive roller pins and contacting said laminae adjacent thereto in the vicinity of the associated roller pins, each lamina being substantially coextensive in length with a respective link;
wherein said laminae are constituted by sheet metal strips each having two opposed ends, one end having a convex circular outline and the other end having a concave circular outline with a radius of curvature approximately the same as that of said convex circular outline, each said strip being pivotally mounted on a respective roller pin at said one end having a convex circular outline;
and
wherein said means defining a shielding belt comprise spring elements mounted to press said laminae against portions of said chain protection box adjacent to both sides of said slit recess.

5 more elements

A chain conveyor for conveying containers comprising:

a chain extending over a closed conveyor path having straight and curved portions, said chain being composed of links and roller pins connecting said links together and extending transverse of the conveyor path;
a chain protection box enclosing said chain and provided with rails for supporting said roller pins, said box and said rails presenting a lateral slit recess extending along said conveyor path alongside said chain and providing an enclosure for said chain which is sealed against dust except for the opening presented by said slit;
connecting elements each forming part of a respective roller pin and extending out of said box through said recess for supporting holders for the containers;
and
means defining a closed shielding belt formed of a succession of laminae each pivotally mounted on two adjacent pins and dimensioned and positioned such that said belt covers said slit recess over both the straight and curved portions of said conveyor path, each said lamina covering said slit over at least approximately the distance between two successive roller pins and contacting said laminae adjacent thereto in the vicinity of the associated roller pins, wherein each said lamina is substantially coextensive in length with a respective link, and is pivotally mounted on two adjacent chain roller pins and has a convex circular outline at each of its ends, and said means defining a shielding belt comprise a plurality of intermediate members each associated with a respective one of every alternate lamina and each having a concave circular outline at each end via which it contacts the circular outline at the adjacent end of a respective lamina adjacent said lamina which is associated with said intermediate member.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.