Modular plastic conveyor belt suitable for tight turns

An edge module for a modular plastic conveyor belt, the edge module comprising:

• an edge portion extending generally from a first side edge of the module laterally inward toward an opposite second side edge of the module;
• a first plurality of A-shaped hinge members each having a cross bar, a vertex, and first and second legs with laterally aligned holes formed in the legs;
• a second plurality of A-shaped hinge members each having a cross bar, a vertex, and first and second legs with laterally aligned holes formed in the legs;
• wherein the second plurality of A-shaped hinge members is offset laterally and extends oppositely from the first plurality of A-shaped hinge members;
• wherein the vertices of the first plurality of A-shaped hinge members define a first end of the row and the vertices of the second plurality of A-shaped hinge members define a second end of the module;
• wherein the cross bars of the first plurality of A-shaped hinge members lie along a first imaginary line and the cross bars of the second plurality of A-shaped hinge members lie along a second imaginary line;
• wherein the first and the second imaginary lines converge inward from the first side edge of the module.

A modular plastic conveyor belt comprising:

• a series of rows of belt modules, each row extending laterally in width from a first side edge to a second side edge and longitudinally in the direction of belt travel from a leading end to a trailing end;
• an edge module in each row forming the first side edge of the row, wherein the edge module includes:
• an edge portion extending generally from the first side edge of the row laterally inward toward the second side edge of the row and including:
• first laterally spaced links extending from the trailing end to the leading end of the edge module, each link forming an acute angle measured clockwise from the direction of belt travel;
• second laterally spaced links extending from the trailing end to the leading end of the edge module, each link forming an acute angle measured counterclockwise from the direction of belt travel;
• wherein the first links and the second links alternate in position laterally across the edge portion and form laterally aligned holes along the leading and trailing ends;
• first lateral webs each joining the leading end of a first link to the closer leading end of a consecutive link;
• second lateral webs each joining the trailing end of a first link to the closer trailing end of another consecutive link;
• first cross bars each extending between a pair of first and second links joined at the leading end;
• second cross bars each extending between a pair of first and second links joined at the trailing end;
• wherein the first cross bars define a first imaginary line and the second cross bars define a second imaginary line;
• wherein the first and the second imaginary lines converge inward from the first side edge of the row;
• a plurality of hinge pins extending through lateral passageways formed by the laterally aligned holes through interleaved leading and trailing joined links of consecutive rows to interconnect the rows into a conveyor belt.

An edge module for a modular plastic conveyor belt, the edge module comprising:

• an edge portion extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end and generally from a first side edge of the edge module laterally inward toward a second side edge of the edge module and including:
• first laterally spaced links extending from a first end to an opposite second end of the edge module, each link forming an acute angle measured clockwise from the longitudinal direction;
• second laterally spaced links extending from the first end to the second end of the edge module, each link forming an acute angle measured counterclockwise from the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the first links and the second links alternate in position laterally across the edge portion and form laterally aligned holes along the first and second ends;
• first lateral webs each joining the first end of a first link to the closer first end of a consecutive link;
• second lateral webs each joining the second end of a first link to the closer second end of another consecutive link;
• first cross bars each extending between a pair of first and second links joined at the first end;
• second cross bars each extending between a pair of first and second links joined at the second end;
• wherein the first cross bars define a first imaginary line and the second cross bars define a second imaginary line;
• wherein the first and the second imaginary lines converge inward from the first side edge of the belt module.