Attachments in modular conveyor belts

A conveyor belt comprising:

• a plurality of rows of belt modules hingedly linked end to end into a conveyor belt having first and second outer belt surfaces;
• at least some of the rows including belt modules having structure forming a series of receptacles spaced apart across the width of the row and opening onto an outer belt surface;
• an attachment element including a rigid base and first and second sets of appendages, the sets alternately arranged to extend from the base to distal ends, wherein distal ends of the first set of appendages extend in one direction and the distal ends of the second set extend in a different direction;
• and
• wherein the attachment element is firmly attached to the conveyor belt by inserting the first set of appendages into the receptacles in a first module of a row and by inserting the second set of differently-directed appendages into the receptacles in a second module of the row.

A conveyor belt comprising:

• a plurality of rows of belt modules hingedly linked end to end into a conveyor belt having outer belt surfaces;
• at least some of the rows including belt modules having structure forming a series of receptacles spaced apart across the width of the row and opening onto an outer belt surface;
• an attachment element including a basal flange and a set of hook-like appendages, wherein the appendages include a shank portion extending from the attachment element and a hook portion angling from the shank portion;
• and
• wherein the receptacles are shaped to admit the appendages along an insertion angle for which the basal flange element avoids contact with the outer belt surfaces of the row and to block the appendages from removal when the basal flange contacts an outer belt surface.

An attachment element for a conveyor belt comprising:

• an accessory portion;
• a base along a side of the accessory portion;
• and
• a set of appendages including a shank portion extending from the base and a hook portion extending from the shank portion opposite the base;
• and
• a contact member extending from the base in a different direction from the set of appendages.

An attachment element for a conveyor belt, comprising:

• an accessory portion;
• a base extending along a side of the accessory portion;
• a set of hook-like appendages extending outward from the base;
• and
• a pair of flanges flanking the set of hook-like appendages and extending in a direction different from the hook-like appendages.