Metal conveyor belt with service points
The modular metal conveyor belt design addresses the challenge of maintaining conventional metal wire belts by allowing easy removal and insertion of hinge rods, enhancing maintenance accessibility and belt flexibility.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024564825
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-09-14
- Filing Date
- 2023-04-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-19
AI Technical Summary
Conventional metal wire conveyor belts are difficult to open for maintenance due to welded hinge rods, and existing maintenance points are often widely spaced, making it challenging to add or remove belt rows without cutting metal hinge rods.
A modular metal conveyor belt design featuring a plurality of belt rows with aligned rod holes for hinge rods, allowing for easy removal and insertion of hinge rods to open and close the belt, with a blocking structure preventing hinge rods from exiting the hinge joint.
Enables easy access for maintenance by allowing hinge rods to be removed and reinserted, facilitating the addition or removal of belt rows without cutting metal hinge rods, thus improving maintenance efficiency and belt flexibility.
Smart Images
Figure 2025518662000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention generally relates to power-driven conveyors, and more particularly to a modular metal conveyor belt having a regular service point where the belt can be easily opened for servicing.
Background Art
[0002] Metal wire belts are often used as lightweight and washable conveyor belts. Conventional metal wire belts have a series of belt rows joined end-to-end by hinge rods, forming an endless belt loop. Tension links on the outside of each row on opposite sides are on the sides of the internal article support section. When the belt moves forward, the thicker tension links support almost all of the belt's tension. Since the internal article support section does not need to withstand the belt's tension, it can be made of thin wires or metal links that provide large openings for air flow and drainage.
[0003] Since the hinge rods are often welded to the tension links, it is difficult to open the belt for maintenance. Some belts have one or more maintenance points designed to open the belt. However, when there are multiple maintenance points, they are usually widely spaced, for example, more than 200 feet apart. Often, it is necessary to add or remove rows to change the length of the conveyor belt. When there are few service points on the belt, to add or remove a belt row, it is necessary to cut the metal hinge rod and replace the tension link to which the end of the cut hinge rod is welded.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] One version of the conveyor belt implementing the features of the present invention includes a plurality of belt rows extending from a first outer side to a second outer side in the width direction and from a first end to a second end in the conveying direction. Each belt row is provided with a first tension link on the first outer side and a second tension link on the second outer side. The first tension link and the second tension link each have a first rod hole at the first end and a second rod hole at the second end. The article support section of each belt row is disposed between the first tension link and the second tension link and extends from the first end to the second end of the belt row. The conveyor belt also includes a hinge rod and a rod cap. The first rod holes of the first tension link and the second tension link of each belt row are aligned with the second rod holes of the first tension link and the second tension link of the adjacent belt row. The hinge rod extends through the aligned first rod holes and second rod holes and the first ends and second ends of the article support sections of the adjacent belt rows to couple the belt rows to each other at hinge joints. The hinge rod extends outward from the first outer side and is covered by the rod cap. The first set of hinge rods includes a blocking structure that prevents the first set of hinge rods from exiting the hinge joint. The second set of hinge rods has no blocking structure and can be removed from the hinge joint by removing the rod cap to open the belt, inserted into the hinge joint and capped with the rod cap to couple the adjacent belt rows at the hinge joint.
[0005] Another version of the conveyor belt includes a plurality of belt rows that extend from a first outer side to a second outer side in the width direction and from a first end to a second end in the conveying direction. Each belt row has a first rod hole, a first tension link on the first outer side with a first rod hole at the first end and a second rod hole at the second end, a second tension link on the second outer side with a first rod hole at the first end and a second rod hole at the second end, and an article support section that is between the first tension link and the second tension link and extends from the first end to the second end of the belt row. The first rod holes of the first tension link and the second tension link of each belt row are aligned with the second rod holes of the first tension link and the second tension link of an adjacent belt row. The hinge rod extends through the aligned first and second rod holes and through the first and second ends of the article support section of the adjacent belt row, connecting the belt rows to each other at a hinge joint between the adjacent belt rows. The article support section includes a wire spirally wound around the hinge rod at the first and second ends of the belt row between the first tension link and the second tension link, defining a top of the article support section that is convexly curved with a constant curvature.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0006]
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
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Figure 7
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The outer portion of a single belt row of the conveyor belt implementing the features of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Belt row portion 10 includes tension links 12 on the outer side 14 of the belt row. Although not shown, belt row 10 has another similar tension link on the opposite outer side. Tension link 12 bears the belt tension on a straight or curved path. In a straight path, both outer tension links share the belt tension. In a curved path, the outer tension link on the outer side of the turn bears the belt tension, and the tension link on the inner side of the turn does not bear the tension. Tension link 12 is U-shaped, with two arms 16 extending from base 18. First alignment rod holes 20 are formed near the distal ends of arms 16. Second alignment rod holes 22 are formed near base 18 of arms 16. First alignment rod holes 20 are circular in cross-section or slightly longer in the conveying direction 24, while second alignment rod holes 22 are even longer in the conveying direction. Alternatively, a linear tension link with a single first rod hole and a single second rod hole passing through a single arm can be used.
[0008] The article support section 26 between the two tension links 12 is a metal wire mesh formed by spirally winding a metal wire. By spirally winding, a series of loops with open interiors are formed. In this version, the tops 25 of the loops are in the same plane, forming a flat article support platform. The bottoms 27 of the loops are parallel to the tops 25 and are in the same plane so as to be able to smoothly contact the wear strip of the carryway. The article support section 26 extends from the first end 28 of the belt row 10 to the second end 29 in the conveying direction 24. The hinge rod 30 extends through the aligned first row of holes 20 in both tension links 12 across the width of the belt row 10 and through the open interior of the first end 28 of the article support section 26. A second hinge rod (not shown) extends through the second rod hole 22 and through the open interior of the article support section 26 at the second end 29. The hinge rod 30 extends beyond the first outer side 14 of the belt row 10 through the rod holes 20, 22. The ends of the hinge rod 30 are covered by rod caps 32. The dimensions of the rod caps 32 are sufficiently larger than the dimensions of the rod holes 20 to hold the rod caps 32 outside the outer side 14 of the belt row 10.
[0009] As shown in FIG. 2, the ends of the metal hinge rod 30 are provided with a surface treatment useful for holding the rod cap 32 at the end of the rod. In the version shown in FIG. 2, axially grooved indentations 31 are splined at the ends of the hinge rod 30. The rod cap 32 is press-fitted onto the ends of the hinge rod 30. Instead of splining the ends of the hinge rod, the ends can be treated in other ways such as knurling, grooving, or other roughening treatments. Since the rod cap 32 is firmly attached to the ends of the hinge rod 30, the rod cap 32 is prevented from falling off, coming loose, or rotating on the hinge rod.
[0010] Figure 3 is an outside view of a portion of a conveyor belt composed of a belt train 10 joined end to end by a hinge rod 30 at a hinge joint 34. A first rod hole 20 passing through a tension link 12 on the opposite side of the belt train 10 is aligned with a second rod hole 22 passing through the tension link of an adjacent belt train. The hinge rod 30 extends through the aligned first and second rod holes 20, 22 and through the first and second ends 28, 29 of the article support section 26 of the adjacent belt trains, and joins the belt trains to each other at the hinge joint 34. The belt is shown being driven by a drive member 36 of a helical drive drum that rotates in the direction of arrow 38. The raised rib 40 of the drive drum engages a rod cap 32 that protrudes from the outside 12 of the belt toward the inside of the rotation. As the helical drum rotates, the rib 40 drives the belt along the circumference of the drum and along a helical path over the drum. To prevent damage or snagging to the drive member 36 by the ends of the headless protruding metal hinge rods, the drive protrusions, i.e., the rod caps 32, are made of a thermoplastic polymer. Alternatively, the rod caps 32 can be made of other materials such as thermosetting polymers or steel for suitable applications. In this example, the rod cap 32 is cylindrical and has a flat outer surface 42 as also shown in FIG. 1. However, as two other examples, they can be spherical or frustoconical in shape.
[0011] Figures 4 and 5 show several belt rows 10 with the internal article support sections removed for clarity. In this version, hinge rods 30' with projections 44 and hinge rods 30 without projections are arranged alternately. The projections 44 can be formed, for example, by crimping the hinge rod 30. The projections 44, or ears, extend radially in opposite directions from around the hinge rod 30' and increase the effective diameter of the hinge rod at the axial position of the projection. The projections 44 are formed on the hinge rod 30' of the article support section and are adjacent to the inner leg 16' of the tension link 12, and extend radially outward by a length sufficient to prevent the tension link from sliding inward along the hinge rod. The diameter of the first rod hole 20 of the tension link 12 is slightly larger than the diameter of the hinge rod 30'. The projections 44 increase the effective maximum outer dimension of the hinge rod 30' at the axial position of the projection to a distance greater than the diameter of the first rod hole 20. Thus, the projections 44 form a blocking structure on the hinge rod 30' to prevent the tension link 12 from sliding on the hinge rod and maintain the fixed width of the belt.
[0012] Since the hinge rod 30' with the projection 44 cannot slide the tension link 12, the hinge rod 30 without the projection is used to open and maintain the belt. In this version, all hinge rods 30, 30' are shown with an integral head 46 on one side of the belt and a rod cap 32 on the other side of the belt (in this case, the inner side of the turn of the belt). However, the rod cap can be used on both sides.
[0013] Belt maintenance is performed by first identifying the section of the belt that requires maintenance. Next, a hinge rod 30 without protrusions that sandwiches the belt section to be maintained is selected. The rod cap 32 of each rod 30 is removed. Since each rod cap 32 is firmly attached so as not to come off during normal operation of the belt, it is usually necessary to use a tool such as pliers to pull out the rod cap from the end of the hinge rod 30 to remove it. When the cap 32 is removed, the rod 30 is pulled out from the opposite side of the belt, and the belt opens. The same applies to the other rod 30. This is made possible because the rod head 46 is not welded to the tension link 12. The rod head 46 of the hinge rod 30' with protrusions 44 is optionally welded to the tension link 12. After servicing, the hinge rod 30 is inserted again, and a new rod cap 32 is press-fitted onto the end of the rod on the first side of the belt to close the belt.
[0014] The removable hinge rod 30 can be attached to all hinge joints even without the hinge rod 30 with protrusions 44. However, for most belts, it is better to attach the removable hinge rod 30 at regular intervals, such as every 12 inches or at intervals less than 36 inches. In this way, the hinge rod 30' with protrusions 44 helps to maintain the width of the belt, and the removable hinge rod 30 allows a small portion of the belt to be removed for maintenance.
[0015] A portion of the conveyor belt 50 composed of the belt rows 10 is shown in Fig. 6 as shown in Fig. 1, and it is shown that the belt can rotate in both directions and can respond to left and right turns. The conveyor belt 50 includes plastic rod caps 32 at both ends of each hinge rod 30, 30'. Therefore, to service the belt 50, the rod cap 32 on either the outside of the belt can be removed from the hinge rod 30 without protrusions, and the hinge rod can be pulled out from the opposite outside to open the belt. The plastic rod cap 32 on the outside of the belt 50 on the outside of the turn of the spiral conveyor provides a surface that is less likely to damage the guide block than the un-capped ends of the metal hinge rods 30, 30'. Furthermore, since the conveyor belt 50 is symmetric about the middle surface in the middle of the upper and lower sides of the belt, it is reversible (it can be reversed up and down to extend the life), has bidirectionality, and can run in either direction.
[0016] Fig. 7 shows a helical wire mesh 60 with a curved top that can be used as an alternative to the flat top article support section 26 of Fig. 1. The convexly curved top 62 of the wire loop has a certain curvature, which is slightly smaller than the curvature of the sprocket around which the belt wraps at the exit end of the carryway. The curved top 62 and the sprocket both have the same center of curvature. In this way, the top 62 of the belt row that undergoes articulation movement on the sprocket defines a continuous arc, which enables the placement of a transfer plate near the belt that goes around the sprocket in order to transfer the article from the end of the conveyance path without impact. Similar to the flat top article support wire mesh section 26 of Fig. 1, the curved top article support wire mesh section 64 of Fig. 7 has a coplanar loop bottom 64 for smooth contact with the wear strip of the conveyance path.
Claims
1. A conveyor belt configured to move forward in the conveying direction, A plurality of belt rows extending from a first outer side to a second outer side in the width direction and from a first end to a second end in the conveying direction, each said belt row comprising: A first tension link on the first outer side having a first rod hole at the first end and a second rod hole at the second end; A second tension link on the second outer side having a first rod hole at the first end and a second rod hole at the second end; An article support section between the first tension link and the second tension link and extending from the first end to the second end of the belt row; and the plurality of belt rows; A plurality of hinge rods; A plurality of rod caps; The first rod holes of the first tension link and the second tension link of each said belt row are aligned with the second rod holes of the first tension link and the second tension link of an adjacent said belt row, and the hinge rod extends through the aligned first rod holes and second rod holes and the first end and the second end of the article support section of the adjacent said belt row to connect the belt rows to each other at a hinge joint between the adjacent said belt rows; The hinge rod extends outward from the first outer side and is covered by a rod cap; The first set of hinge rods includes a blocking structure that prevents the first set of hinge rods from exiting the hinge joint; The second set of hinge rods has no blocking structure and can be removed from the hinge joint when the rod cap is removed to open the belt, and can be inserted into the hinge joint and capped with a rod cap to connect the adjacent belt rows at the hinge joint. A conveyor belt.
2. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the size of the rod cap is large enough to maintain the rod cap outwardly on the outer side of the first rod hole with respect to the size of the first rod hole.
3. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the blocking structure on the first set of hinge rods includes protrusions extending radially outward from the hinge rods near and inside the first tension link and the second tension link, thereby restricting the displacement range of the first set of hinge rods along the width of the belt row.
4. The conveyor belt according to claim 3, wherein the protrusions of the first set of hinge rods are formed by crimping the hinge rods.
5. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the hinge rod is made of metal, and the rod cap is made of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, and steel.
6. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the rod cap is press-fitted into the end of the hinge rod on the outer side of the first outer side of the belt row.
7. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the end of the hinge rod on the outer side of the first outer side of the belt row is subjected to texture processing, knurling processing, spline processing, or grooving processing in order to firmly hold the rod cap on the hinge rod.
8. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the article support section includes a wire spirally wound around the hinge rod at the first end and the second end of the belt row between the first tension link and the second tension link.
9. The conveyor belt according to claim 8, wherein the wire defines a loop having a top portion that is coplanar, said conveyor belt.
10. The conveyor belt according to claim 8, wherein the wire defines a loop having a top portion that is convexly curved with a constant curvature between the first end portion and the second end portion, said conveyor belt.
11. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the first tension link and the second tension link are U-shaped having two arms, and each said arm has one first rod hole and one second rod hole, said conveyor belt.
12. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the second set of hinge rods each have a rod head outwardly of the second outer side and are not welded to the second tension link, said conveyor belt.
13. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the hinge rod extends outwardly from the second outer side and is covered by the rod cap, conveyor belt.
14. The conveyor belt according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt is symmetric about a middle surface that is in the middle of the upper surface and the lower surface of the belt and is invertible from the upper surface to the lower surface, said conveyor belt.
15. A conveyor belt configured to advance in the conveying direction, A plurality of belt rows extending from a first outer side to a second outer side in the width direction and from the first end portion to the second end portion in the conveying direction, and each said belt row A first tension link on the first outer side having a first rod hole at the first end portion and a second rod hole at the second end portion, and A second tension link on the second outer side having a first rod hole at the first end portion and a second rod hole at the second end portion, and An article support section that is between the first tension link and the second tension link and extends from a first end to a second end of the belt row, and the plurality of belt rows, including a plurality of hinge rods, The first rod holes of the first tension link and the second tension link of each of the belt rows are aligned with the second rod holes of the first tension link and the second tension link of the adjacent belt rows, and the hinge rod extends through the aligned first rod holes and second rod holes and the first end and the second end of the article support section of the adjacent belt rows, and connects the belt rows to each other at a hinge joint between the adjacent belt rows, The article support section includes a wire spirally wound around the hinge rod at the first end and the second end of the belt row between the first tension link and the second tension link, and defines a top of the article support section that is convexly curved with a constant curvature. A conveyor belt.
16. The conveyor belt according to claim 15, including a plurality of rod caps, The hinge rod extends outward from a first outside and is covered by a rod cap, The first set of hinge rods includes a blocking structure that prevents the first set of hinge rods from exiting the hinge joint, The second set of hinge rods has no blocking structure, and can be removed from the hinge joint when the rod cap is removed to open the belt, inserted into the hinge joint and capped with a rod cap, and the conveyor belt that can connect the adjacent belt rows at the hinge joint.