GB2312196A

GB2312196A - Conveyor belt

Info

Publication number: GB2312196A
Application number: GB9707296A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bajo Demetrio Nunez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-04-18
Filing date: 1997-04-10
Publication date: 1997-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 2017-04-10
Also published as: FR2747659B3; GB2312196B; DE29706618U1; IT236142Y1; ES1033821Y; ITRM970078U1; GB9707296D0; NL1005847C1; FR2747659A3; ES1033821U

Abstract

In certain conditions, a mesh conveyor belt formed by links of plastic joined by articulating rods and moved by a toothed wheel, loses its alignment and some links are laterally displaced. This reduces the working life of the conveyor belt. In order to correct this, the links (1) feature portions of wall (7) and (8) which are presented obliquely to the passage of the teeth of the pulling wheel and contact with edges of the teeth to enable the links (1) to be centered automatically.

Description

CONVEYOR BELT The invention relates to a conveyor belt that includes a modular mesh of thermo-plastic material consisting of links articulated and joined by means of articulation rods placed transversely to the direction of movement of the belt.

The technique applied to the construction of conveyor belts is well known. They are moved by rotating parts, normally cog wheels made of the same thermo-plastic material as the links or modules forming the mesh of the conveyor belt.

Each of the said links or modules of thermo-plastic material usually consists of an elongate structure that includes a central spine from which extend a number of link-ends, parallel to and separate from each other, those of one side being offset from those of the other side so that the module is reversible end to end. Each link-end of the structure presents a hole, and all the holes situated to a given side of the structure must be co-axial to enable a joining rod to pass through the holes situated at one side of the structure and the holes of the adjoining side of the next module in such a way as to articulate a number of modules end to end placed side to side to form the modular mesh of the conveyor belt.

Also well known is the incorporation of a plaque or rib formed integrally with each pair of adjacent and alternately offset linkends. The plaque is projected outwards from the module perpendicular both to a common plane passing through the axes defined in the co-axial alignment of holes and to the axes themselves.

The conveyor belt of the invention is, in general, applicable to all types of industry and can be used, for example, as a device capable of transporting food products in bulk or packaged, and/or, alternatively, industrial products of any nature, the conveyor having extraordinary solidity, resistance to abrasion and to corrosion, ease of cleaning, etc.

In certain conditions, due to, for example, the high speed of the belt, sporadic rubbing against its supports, increases in the weight of the load or improper distribution of the load, the conveyor belt loses its alignment and some links may be laterally displaced, which will have to be corrected if it is desired to increase the working life of the conveyor belt.

The purpose of this invention is to improve conveyor belts of this type by introducing a special design in their links which ensures centering of the conveyor belt as it is driven by the pulling cog wheels.

The particular design of the links enables the useful area of the mesh to be increased, in order to achieve greater support for the carriage of products, with only a slight increase in the costs of manufacture given the small amount of material involved.

Reinforcement is also obtained at the point where the parallel elements join their link-ends, thus lengthening the working life of the conveyor belt if it uses this type of links in its formation.

According to the invention there is provided a conveyor belt that includes a mesh formed a number of links or modules of plastic material, each consisting of a long structure that includes a central spine integrating a number of parallel elements equidistant from each other, placed obliquely to the structure, and from the ends of which emerge link-ends, parallel to each other, separate, and those of one side offset from those of the other so that the module is reversible end to end. Each link-end presents a hole, and the holes situated at each side of the module are co-axial to enable a joining rod to pass through the holes situated at one side of the structure and the holes of the adjoining side of the next module in such a way as to create a pivoting connection between a number of modules end to end placed side to side in order to form the modular mesh of the conveyor belt.

In the conveyor belt of the invention, each one of the parallel elements equidistant from each other, and placed obliquely to the structure, has portions of wall that are presented obliquely to the passage of the teeth of the pulling wheel so that, in the event of a meeting between any such portion of a wall of a module and a tooth of the pulling wheel, any module that is laterally displaced with respect to the other modules of the conveyor belt will be centered.

According to the invention, the said portions of wall extend alternately along one side and the other of the parallel element, with the aim of ensuring the reversibility of the belt, in both drive and led positions.

According to the invention the said portions of wall tend towards the vertical at the confluence with the link-ends, in order to keep these appropriately thin.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1.- Shows a link or module for a conveyor belt, seen from above, and represented by means of sections thereof in order to illustrate its continuity.

Figure 2.- Represents, on one single pulling wheel, the arrangement of various sections of link: in the centre, the position of a section of a link of the conveyor belt engaged with a tooth of the pulling wheel, and at the side, a section of link laterally displaced from the tooth with which it is engaged in order to appreciate the meeting between the edge of the tooth and the oblique portion of the wall of the link.

Referring to the drawings, the link or module (1) that forms part of the mesh that constitutes the conveyor belt is configured by an elongate structure that includes a longitudinal spine (2) from which extend a number of parallel elements (3) equidistant from each other, placed obliquely to the structure, and from the ends (4) of which emerge link-ends (5), parallel to, and separate from, each other, those of one side being offset from those of the other. Each link-end (5) has in it a hole (6).

Each of the parallel elements (3) equidistant from each other and placed obliquely to the structure presents portions of wall (7) and (8).

These portions of wall (7) and (8) arise from the base of the module obliquely to the passage of the teeth (10) and (11) of the pulling wheel (9) in order to facilitate the centering of the module (1). The centering of a module (1) with respect to the belt from which it has gone off-centre, occurs when the outer edge (12) of the traction tooth (10) meets the oblique portion of wall (7) which forces the module (1) to align properly with the other modules of the conveyor belt.

If the turning direction of the pulling wheel (9) is reversed, the elements intervening in the centering of the module will be the traction teeth (11) and the respective portions of oblique wall (8).

Claims

1. A conveyor belt comprising a mesh driven by at least one toothed wheel, the mesh being formed by a plurality of links, each link including an elongate spine extending transversely of the belt, a plurality of parallel, equi-spaced elements extending from each side of said spine, and a plurality of parallel, equi-spaced link ends extending one from each element in a direction parallel with the direction of movement of the belt, the link ends to one side of the spine being symmetrically offset from those to the other side of the spine, the link ends each being provided with a hole therethrough whereby adjacent links can be pivotally interconnected with one another by means of joining rods extending through said holes, each element being formed with a wall portion extending obliquely to the spine and so arranged that, on offcentering of a link relative to the remainder of the belt, the teeth of the driving wheel engage said wall portion of the link to re-center the link.

2. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 1 in which the oblique wall portions are formed on one side of each element to one side of the spine and on the other side of each element to the other side of the spine.

3. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the oblique faces of the wall portions tend towards the vertical at their points with the associated link ends.

4. A conveyor belt substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.