Multi-connection bracket and method of use

Abstract

Methods, systems, carriages, and the like are provided. In some embodiments, a multi-connection bracket (MCB) includes a bracket configured to connect a first rail section and a second rail section, where the bracket has one or more bracket recesses configured to receive one or more fasteners; and a ground pad having a pad recess and a plurality of teeth, where the pad recess is aligned with at least one of the one or more bracket recesses, where the ground pad is configured to receive one or more fasteners such that the ground pad is operably attached to the first rail section or the second rail section, and wherein the ground pad is configured to deform when operably attached to the first rail section or the second rail section such that the plurality of teeth remove the coating of the first rail section or the second rail section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to connecting brackets. In particular, the present disclosure relates to multiple connecting brackets for connecting conveyor belt sections for conveyor belt systems. Background Art

[0002] A bracket in a conveyor belt system may be used to connect two or more conveyor belt sections and thereby form a conveyor belt path. In addition to forming a physical connection, the two or more conveyor belt sections also have an electrical connection when attached by the bracket. Therefore, a separate ground connection is required, such as a ground connection from an electrical washer, which may create problems if / when the electrical washer deteriorates, such as after removing a ground bolt connection.

[0003] Through exertion of effort, ingenuity and innovation, applicants have solved the problems associated with connecting brackets by developing the solutions embodied in the present disclosure, which solutions are described in detail below. Summary of the invention

[0004] In general, embodiments of the present disclosure provide multi-connection brackets, conveyor belt systems, methods of use, and the like.

[0005] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a multi-connection bracket (MCB) is provided, comprising a bracket configured to connect a first guide rail section and a second guide rail section, wherein the bracket has one or more bracket recesses configured to receive one or more fasteners; and a grounding pad, the grounding pad comprising a pad recess and a plurality of teeth, wherein the pad recess is aligned with at least one of the one or more bracket recesses, wherein the grounding pad is configured to receive the one or more fasteners so that the grounding pad is operably attached to the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section, and wherein the grounding pad is configured to deform when operably attached to the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section so that the plurality of teeth remove a coating of the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section so that the grounding pad provides a grounding connection with the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section.

[0006] In some embodiments, the one or more bracket recesses include a first bracket recess and a second bracket recess, wherein the grounding pad includes a first grounding pad, the pad recess includes a first pad recess, and the plurality of teeth include a plurality of first teeth, and wherein the MCB further includes: a second grounding pad, which includes a second pad recess and a plurality of second teeth, wherein the first bracket recess is aligned with the first pad recess and the second bracket recess is aligned with the second pad recess, wherein the first grounding pad is configured to receive at least one of the one or more fasteners so that the first grounding pad is operably attached to the first guide rail section, wherein the second grounding pad is configured to receive at least one of the one or more fasteners so that the second grounding pad is operably attached to the second guide rail section, and wherein the first grounding pad and the second grounding pad are configured to deform when operably attached to the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section, respectively, so that the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth remove coatings of the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section, respectively, so that the first grounding pad and the second grounding pad provide grounding connections to the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section.

[0007] In some embodiments, the bracket further comprises one or more cut-out holes.

[0008] In some embodiments, the grounding mat includes a flexible, reusable mat configured to secure one or more fasteners through a mat recess.

[0009] In some embodiments, the bracket is constructed of a metal or metal alloy, is electrically conductive, and is configured to allow elastic deformation after repeated use.

[0010] In some embodiments, the bracket is surface treated with a composition comprising zinc and nickel.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first track section and the second track section comprise a first track section and a second track section of a conveyor belt system.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bracket and the ground pad comprise a single integral piece.

[0013] In some embodiments, the coating is a conductive coating configured to provide corrosion resistance properties to the bracket.

[0014] According to various embodiments, a conveyor belt system is provided, comprising: a frame configured to receive a conveyor belt for supporting or transporting one or more objects, wherein the frame includes a first guide rail section and a second guide rail section; a bracket configured to connect the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section, wherein the bracket includes one or more bracket recesses configured to receive one or more fasteners; and a grounding pad, the grounding pad including a pad recess and a plurality of teeth, wherein the pad recess is aligned with at least one of the one or more bracket recesses, wherein the grounding pad is configured to receive the one or more fasteners so that the grounding pad is operably attached to the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section, and wherein the grounding pad is configured to deform when operably attached to the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section so that the plurality of teeth remove a coating of the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section so that the grounding pad provides a grounding connection to the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section.

[0015] In some embodiments, the one or more bracket recesses include a first bracket recess and a second bracket recess, wherein the grounding pad includes a first grounding pad, the pad recess includes a first pad recess, and the plurality of teeth include a plurality of first teeth, and the MCB further includes: a second grounding pad, which includes a second pad recess and a plurality of second teeth, wherein the first bracket recess is aligned with the first pad recess and the second bracket recess is aligned with the second pad recess, wherein the first grounding pad is configured to receive at least one of the one or more fasteners so that the first grounding pad is operably attached to the first guide rail section, wherein the second grounding pad is configured to receive at least one of the one or more fasteners so that the second grounding pad is operably attached to the second guide rail section, and wherein the first grounding pad and the second grounding pad are configured to deform when respectively operably attached to the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section so that the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth remove coatings of the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section, respectively, so that the first grounding pad and the second grounding pad provide grounding connections to the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section.

[0016] In some embodiments, the bracket further comprises one or more cut-out holes.

[0017] In some embodiments, a grounding mat includes a flexible, reusable mat configured to secure at least one fastener through a mat recess.

[0018] In some embodiments, the bracket is constructed of a metal or metal alloy, is electrically conductive, and is configured to allow elastic deformation after repeated use.

[0019] In some embodiments, the bracket is surface treated with a combination of zinc and nickel.

[0020] In some embodiments, the bracket and the ground pad are a single integral piece.

[0021] In some embodiments, the coating is a conductive coating configured to provide corrosion resistance properties to the bracket.

[0022] In some embodiments, the grounding mat is configured to resist cyclic loading of the conveyor belt system.

[0023] According to various embodiments, a method for using an MCB is provided, the method comprising: securing a bracket and a first grounding pad to a first rail section via a first fastener; securing a bracket and a second grounding pad to a second rail section via a second fastener; removing a coating from the first rail section or the second rail section via a plurality of teeth; and forming a grounding connection between the first rail section and the second rail section via the plurality of teeth.

[0024] The above-mentioned summary of the invention is provided only for the purpose of summarizing some exemplary embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples. It should be understood that, in addition to those summarized here, the scope of the present disclosure also covers many possible embodiments, some of which will be further described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Having thus generally described the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0026] Figure 1A shows an isometric view of an example multi-connection bracket (MCB) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 1B shows a top plan view of an example MCB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 1C shows a side elevation view of an example MCB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 1D shows a front elevation view of an example MCB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2 shows an isometric view of an example MCB connecting two example rails according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 3A shows a side elevation view of an example MCB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 3B shows a front elevation view of an example MCB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0033] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating an example method of using an example MCB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some but not all embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. In fact, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure meets applicable legal requirements. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "or" (also indicated as " / ") is used herein in both alternative and combined senses. The terms "exemplary" and "exemplary" are examples for which there is no indication of a quality level. Throughout the text, similar reference numerals may refer to similar elements. The phrase "in one embodiment", "according to one embodiment", etc. generally means that the specific features, structures or characteristics following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present disclosure (importantly, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment).

[0035] Overview

[0036] According to various embodiments, a multi-connection bracket (MCB) can be used to connect one or more rail sections of a conveyor belt system. The MCB may include a bracket having one or more bracket recesses and one or more grounding pads, each grounding pad having a pad recess aligned with the one or more bracket recesses. One or more fasteners may be provided through the aligned recesses to secure the MCB to the one or more rail sections. The one or more grounding pads may also include a corresponding plurality of teeth. When the MCB is secured to the one or more rail sections, the one or more grounding pads may be deformed, causing the plurality of teeth to contact the one or more rail sections and thereby remove the coating from the one or more rail sections. In at least this manner, the one or more grounding pads may provide a grounding connection to the one or more rail sections.

[0037] Example Multi-Connection Bracket (MCB)

[0038] Figures 1A to 1D Several different views of an example multi-connection bracket (MCB) 100 are shown according to various embodiments. The MCB 100 may include a first track section 202 and a second track section 204 configured to connect one or more track sections (e.g., a conveyor track 200, such as at least Figure 2104B). In some embodiments, the bracket 102 may be a flat rectangular sheet of metal (e.g., steel, phosphor bronze). The bracket 102 may be treated with a composition comprising zinc and nickel. In some embodiments, the bracket 102 may have one or more cutout portions forming one or more bracket recesses 104A, 104B. The bracket recesses 104A, 104B may be similarly rectangular or similarly shaped to provide a mechanical connection. In some embodiments, the bracket recesses 104A, 104B may have dimensional tolerances adjusted according to various fasteners used with the MCB 100. In some embodiments, the bracket recesses 104A, 104B may be mirror images of each other on the bracket 102. In some embodiments, one or more bracket recesses 104A, 104B may be configured to receive one or more fasteners for fixing the bracket 102 to one or more rail sections 202, 204. For example, one or more bolts may be used to form a connection.

[0039] In some embodiments, the bracket 102 may include one or more folded regions 108A, 108B. These folded regions 108A, 108B may define one or more cut-out holes 111A, 111B. The one or more cut-out holes 111A, 111B may be triangular or similarly shaped and disposed over at least a portion of the bracket 102. In some embodiments, the one or more cut-out holes 111A, 111B may be shaped to allow for slight deformations near the folded regions 108A, 108B.

[0040] In some embodiments, the MCB 100 may include one or more grounding pads 106A, 106B. The grounding pads 106A, 106B may be generally rectangular sheets disposed on top of the bracket 102. In some embodiments, the grounding pads 106A, 106B may be flexible, reusable pads configured to secure one or more fasteners through the bracket recesses 104A, 104B. In some embodiments, the grounding pads 106A, 106B may be integrated with the bracket 102. The one or more grounding pads 106A, 106B may be connected to / integrated with the bracket 102 via the folding regions 108A, 108B of the bracket 102. In some embodiments, the bracket 102 and the one or more grounding pads 106A, 106B may be integrated into a single piece. In some embodiments, the one or more pad recesses 110A, 110B may be rectangular or similarly shaped to provide sufficient clearance for movement of the pads 106A, 106B during the fastening of the one or more fasteners. This clearance makes it possible to compensate for any asymmetrical jamming of the teeth into the rail material.

[0041] In some embodiments, the ground pads 106A, 106B may each include a pad recess 112A, 112B. The pad recesses 110A, 110B may be aligned with one or more bracket recesses 104A, 104B. In some embodiments, similar to the one or more bracket recesses 104A, 104B, the pad recesses 110A, 110B may be configured to receive one or more fasteners for securing the bracket 102 to one or more rail sections (e.g., 202, 204).

[0042] In some embodiments, the ground pads 106A, 106B can each include a plurality of teeth 114A, 114B. In some embodiments, the plurality of teeth 114A, 114B can be configured to remove a coating of one or more rail sections (eg, 202, 204) when the MCB 100 is connected to the one or more rail sections.

[0043] Now refer to Figure 2 As previously described, the MCB 100 can be used to connect rail sections of a conveyor belt rail 200 (which can be part of a larger conveyor belt system). In some embodiments, the MCB 100 can connect a first rail section 202 and a second rail section 204 of the conveyor belt rail 200. In some embodiments, the MCB 100 can physically connect the first rail section 202 and the second rail section 204, and the MCB 100 can also form an electrical ground connection between the first rail section 202 and the second rail section 204. In some embodiments, the MCB 100 can be configured to attach and detach the conveyor belt sections 202, 204; that is, one or more fasteners can be removed so that the MCB 100 can be removed from the conveyor belt sections 202, 204 and replaced, repaired, maintained, etc.

[0044] Now refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B , in some embodiments, one or more grounding pads 106A, 106B may be configured to make a grounding connection with the first rail section 202 and the second rail section 204. In some embodiments, once one or more fasteners have been set through the pad recesses 110A, 110B, pressure may be applied to the grounding pads 106A, 106B. The grounding pads 106A, 106B may be configured to respond to such pressure by bending and / or flexing and / or deforming and / or the like, such that the plurality of teeth 114A, 114B scrape off a coating (e.g., paint) of the first rail 202 and / or the second rail 204; the teeth 114A, 114B may be configured to form an electrical grounding connection between one or more electrical contacts 206A, 206B of the first rail 202 and / or the second rail 204. It should be understood that, Figure 3B The views shown in are for illustration purposes.

[0045] In some embodiments, the plurality of teeth 114A, 114B may be removed after they have been scraped of the coating from the first rail 202 and / or the second rail 204. That is, in some embodiments, the grounding pads 106A, 106B may be bent / flexed / deformed and / or the like away from the first rail and / or the second rail such that the grounding pads 106A, 106B and the plurality of teeth 114A, 114B may be removed from the conveyor rail 200 for repair, replacement, maintenance, etc. In some embodiments, one or more grounding pads 106A, 106B may form a pre-stressed connection between the first rail 202 and the second rail 204.

[0046] Example Use of Multi-Connection Bracket (MCB)

[0047] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method 300 of using an example MCB, according to some embodiments. The method 300 is described with respect to the MCB 100 and conveyor track 200 as previously described, but it should be understood that the method 300 may be used with other carriages, systems, devices, and / or the like as desired.

[0048] In some embodiments, method 300 may include step 302 of securing a bracket and a first grounding pad to a first rail section via a first fastener. In some embodiments, method 300 may include step 304 of securing a bracket and a second grounding pad to a second rail section via a second fastener. In some embodiments, method 300 may include step 306 of removing a coating from the first rail section or the second rail section via a plurality of teeth. In some embodiments, method 300 may include step 308 of forming a ground connection between the first rail section and the second rail section via a plurality of teeth.

[0049] Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein will occur to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the foregoing description and the teachings presented in the associated drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used only in a general and descriptive sense, and not for limiting purposes.

Claims

1. A multi-connection bracket (MCB), comprising: a bracket configured to connect the first rail section and the second rail section, wherein the bracket includes one or more bracket recesses configured to receive one or more fasteners; and A ground pad including a pad recess and a plurality of teeth, wherein the pad recess is aligned with at least one of the one or more bracket recesses, wherein the grounding pad is configured to receive the one or more fasteners such that the grounding pad is operably attached to the first rail section or the second rail section, and The grounding pad is configured to deform when operably attached to the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section so that the plurality of teeth remove a coating of the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section, so that the grounding pad provides a grounding connection to the first guide rail section or the second guide rail section.

2. The MCB of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bracket recesses include a first bracket recess and a second bracket recess, wherein the ground pad includes a first ground pad, the pad recess includes a first pad recess, and the plurality of teeth includes a plurality of first teeth, and wherein the MCB further includes: a second grounding pad including a second pad recess and a plurality of second teeth, wherein the first bracket recess is aligned with the first pad recess, and the second bracket recess is aligned with the second pad recess, wherein the first grounding pad is configured to receive at least one of the one or more fasteners such that the first grounding pad is operably attached to the first rail section, wherein the second grounding pad is configured to receive at least one of the one or more fasteners such that the second grounding pad is operably attached to the second rail, and Wherein the first grounding pad and the second grounding pad are configured to be deformed when they are respectively operably attached to the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section, so that the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth respectively remove the coating of the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section, so that the first grounding pad and the second grounding pad provide a grounding connection with the first guide rail section and the second guide rail section.

3. The MCB of claim 1, wherein the bracket further comprises one or more cut-out holes.

4. The MCB of claim 1, wherein the grounding mat comprises a flexible, reusable mat configured to secure the one or more fasteners through the mat recess.

5. The MCB of claim 1, wherein the bracket is constructed of a metal or metal alloy, is electrically conductive, and is configured to allow elastic deformation after repeated use.

6. The MCB of claim 1, wherein the bracket is surface treated with a composition comprising zinc and nickel.

7. The MCB of claim 1, wherein the first track section and the second track section comprise a first track section and a second track section of a conveyor belt system.

8. The MCB of claim 1, wherein the bracket and the ground pad comprise a single integral piece.

9. The MCB of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a conductive coating configured to provide corrosion resistance properties to the bracket.

10. The MCB of claim 1, wherein the grounding mat is configured to resist cyclic loading of the conveyor belt system.

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