Spiral conveyor belt with ridged drive capstan
OwnerKarl V. Palmaer, Eric K. Palmaerinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a low tension spiral conveyor belt system, driving assistance is provided between the driving cage or capstan and a plastic conveyor belt via ridges formed generally vertically on the bars or caps on the cage bars. These ridges, preferably rounded at their exterior surfaces, interact with grooves provided in inner edge members of the belt, or with gaps between successive edge members. As the belt progresses up the spiraling incline of the system, the drive capstan ridges seat in belt grooves or gaps for a short period of time, assisting in driving engagement, then advance forward out of the groove due to the overdrive relationship of the capstan to the belt.
Claims9
In a driving cage for a modular plastic conveyor belt in a spiral conveyor, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of generally vertical cage bars positioned on the outer radius of the driving cage,
- at least some of the cage bars having means providing generally vertical protrusion on the vertical cage bar, generally rounded and smooth in the lateral direction, such that the vertical protrusions smoothly engage with and disengage from gaps in the belt's edge or vertical grooves provided in side plates of the belt, thus establishing momentary engagement of the vertical protrusions with the belt to assist in driving engagement between the driving cage and the spiral conveyor belt.
A side plate for a modular plastic conveyor belt in a spiral conveyor, comprising,
- a molded plastic body having a pair of legs generally parallel and offset from one another, the two legs being connected by a central angled portion such that the two legs and the central angled portion define the length of the side plate,
- one of the two legs being an outer leg for positioning at an edge of a modular plastic conveyor belt and having an outer surface which is adapted for engaging cage bars of a driving cage in a spiral conveyor system, and
- formed generally vertically in the outer surface, transverse to the length of the side plate and extending through the height of the side plate,
- whereby the groove in the side plate and in similar side plates in a series of such side plates in a plastic conveyor belt may be engaged by protruding elements of a driving cage of the spiral conveyor to assist in driving engagement between the driving cage and the spiral conveyor belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.