Low friction, direct drive conveyor belt
AssigneeThermodrive LLC
InventorMichael DeGroot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermoplastic endless belt (100) has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth (106) at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley (102) with circumferentially spaced sheaves (104) at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means (132, 136, 138) are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter (200) ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave.
Claims25
A direct drive conveyor comprising:
- an endless belt;
- at least one drive pulley wherein one of the belt and the at least one drive pulley has teeth and the other of the belt and the at least one drive pulley has recesses adapted to receive the teeth as the belt wraps around the at least one drive pulley to an exit point, and wherein the at least one drive pulley has a pitch greater than the belt pitch with only one tooth or recess on the belt at a time being driven by a corresponding drive recess or tooth on the at least one drive pulley;
- and
- a position limiter disposed against the belt close to the exit point so that the driven tooth or recess on the belt will stay engaged with its corresponding drive recess or tooth on the at least one drive pulley until the exit point, such that the position limiter does not increase tension throughout the belt.
A method of driving an endless belt in a conveyor having at least one drive pulley, wherein one of the belt and the at least one drive pulley has teeth and the other of the belt and the at least one drive pulley has recesses adapted to receive the teeth as the belt wraps around the pulley to an exit point and wherein the at least one drive pulley and the belt have different pitches such that the pulley pitch is greater than the belt pitch, the method comprising:
- causing the at least one drive pulley to rotate so that only one tooth or recess on the belt at a time is driven by a corresponding drive recess or tooth on the at least one drive pulley
- enabling the belt to move at an average speed less than the average speed of the at least one drive pulley, and
- maintaining a position limiter against the belt close to the exit point so that the driven tooth or recess on the belt will stay engaged with its corresponding drive recess or tooth on the at least one drive pulley until the exit point, without increasing tension throughout the belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.