Belt having a non-linear seam and a method of on-machine joining of belt ends
AssigneeVoith Patent GmbH
InventorsMichael Spence, Paul Riding, John Jeffrey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An industrial belt having a non-linear seam adapted to be on-machine joinable. In a particular embodiment, the seam is made up of a opposite end regions of the belt having complementary projections, such as in the form of castellations, which engage at the seam, providing a completely integrated belt throughout the zone of the seam. In the field of papermaking, the belt of the invention can take the form of a transfer belt, whereby the invention provides a fully interlocking, strong seam which minimizes any potential mechanical or hydraulic sheet marking. The invention also includes a method of creating the end regions of the belt, seaming the belt, and casting the belt.
Claims15
An on-machine seamable industrial belt comprising:
- a base structure comprising:
- a plurality of machine-direction (MD) extending members;
- and
- a plurality of cross-machine-direction (CD) extending members interconnected with said plurality of MD-extending members;
- a layer of impregnating material forming an encapsulated base structure;
- said encapsulated base structure having first and second complementary inter-connectable end regions forming a non-linear seam;
- each of said end regions comprising a plurality of CD-spaced-apart, MD-extending projections;
- a plurality of parallel CD-extending tubular pathways within each of said projections, each of the tubular pathways adapted to receive a CD-extending member;
- a plurality of said CD-extending members of the base structure being positioned along the belt beyond said end regions;
- successive ones said CD-extending members within respective successive ones of said tubular pathways being spaced apart a distance equal to a spacing between successive pairs of said plurality of CD-extending members of the base structure positioned along the belt beyond said end regions.
A method of constructing an on-machine seamable industrial belt that comprises a base structure comprising a plurality of machine-direction (MD) extending members and a plurality of cross-machine-direction (CD) extending members interconnected with said plurality of MD-extending members;
- a layer of impregnating material forming an encapsulated base structure;
- said encapsulated base structure having first and second complementary inter-connectable end regions forming a non-linear seam;
- each of said end regions comprising a plurality of CD-spaced-apart, MD-extending projections;
- and a plurality of parallel CD-extending tubular pathways within each of said projections, each of the tubular pathways adapted to receive a CD-extending member, said method comprising:
- prior to adding the layer of impregnating material to the base structure, designating an area along a length of the base structure as an area for said non-linear CD-extending seam;
- adding said layer of impregnated material to form said encapsulated base structure;
- cutting said seam in said area.
A method of constructing an on-machine seamable industrial belt that comprises a base structure comprising a plurality of machine-direction (MD) extending members and a plurality of cross-machine-direction (CD) extending members interconnected with said plurality of MD-extending members;
- a layer of impregnating material forming an encapsulated base structure;
- said encapsulated base structure having first and second complementary inter-connectable end regions forming a non-linear seam;
- each of said end regions comprising a plurality of CD-spaced-apart, MD-extending projections;
- and a plurality of parallel CD-extending tubular pathways within each of said projections, each of the tubular pathways adapted to receive a CD-extending member, said method comprising:
- prior to adding the layer of impregnating material to the base structure, designating an area along a length of the base structure as an area for said non-linear CD-extending seam;
- inserting tubular pintles within said base structure from one side of the base structure to a second side;
- inserting seaming pintles within respective ones of said tubular pintles;
- adding said layer of impregnated material to form said encapsulated base structure;
- cutting said seam in said area through a thickness of the encapsulated base structure, including cutting said tubular pintles and seaming pintles;
- removing said tubular pintles and said seaming pintles from said encapsulated base structure, thereby leaving said plurality of tubular pathways within said projections.
An on-machine seamable industrial belt comprising:
- a spiral link structure comprising:
- a plurality of rows of interdigitated spiral loops, each of said plurality of rows extending in a cross machine direction (CD), each of said loops comprising a machine-direction (MD) extending member;
- and
- a series of CD-extending parallel pintles, each of said pintles interconnecting a respective one of said plurality of rows of loops;
- a layer of impregnating material forming an encapsulated spiral link structure;
- said encapsulated spiral link structure having first and second complementary inter-connectable end regions forming a non-linear seam;
- each of said end regions comprising a plurality of CD-spaced-apart, MD-extending projections;
- each of said projections having a plurality of parallel CD-extending tubular pathways, each of the tubular pathways adapted to receive a pintle.
A method of manufacturing a belt that comprises a base structure comprising a plurality of machine-direction (MD) extending members and a plurality of cross-machine-direction CD extending members interconnected with said plurality of MD-extending members;
- a layer of impregnating material forming an encapsulated base structure;
- said encapsulated base structure having first and second complementary inter-connectable end regions forming a non-linear seam;
- each of said end regions comprising a plurality of CD-spaced-apart, MD-extending projections;
- and a plurality of parallel CD-extending tubular pathways within each of said projections, each of the tubular pathways adapted to receive a CD-extending member, said method comprising:
- casting the base structure with said impregnating material, said casting comprising:
- arranging the base structure to travel in a casting direction downwardly from top to bottom;
- arranging a pair of casting belts on opposite sides of the base structure;
- feeding said impregnating material at a feed point on one of said opposite sides of the base structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.