Patent Application
20200262654
Not applicable.
The present disclosure is described in the context of woven metal mesh conveyor belt arrangements. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to woven mesh conveyor belt arrangements capable of use in incline/decline conveying applications incorporating a flight engaged with a cross-rod of a conveyor belt.
Woven metal mesh belts are used in many different process conveying applications including, for instance, product freezing, frying, washing, chilling, and heat treatment. Varying the diameter of the wire used and changing the openings within the metal mesh allow the support surface provided by the woven metal belt to be adapted to the characteristics of an item being conveyed.
Frequently, woven metal mesh belts are used in incline/decline conveying applications or applications where the product needs to be confined within the length of the belt. For these applications, flights (a.k.a. “pushers”) may also be needed. However, it can be difficult to attach flights to the metal mesh in a way that is both practical and effective. The flights can be welded directly to the mesh at certain locations, but this can compromise the mesh itself and the welds can become prone to degradation during service due to loading and fatigue. Alternatively, flights can be attached to the mesh with “staples,” (i.e., short segments of wire fed from the underside of the mesh and then plug-welded to the flights to secure the flights to the belt surface).
Therefore, a need exists for an improved mesh conveyor belt system with flights that maintains the conventional features and benefits, while addressing various deficiencies associated with the assembly and implementation of flights on mesh conveyor belt assemblies.
Some embodiments provide a flight for use in a mesh conveyor belt assembly that can have a first planar portion and a second planar portion extending non-coplanar to the first planar portion. The first planar portion can have a pair of tabs extending therefrom, and each tab has a through-hole configured to receive a cross-rod of the metal mesh conveyor belt assembly therethrough.
Another embodiment includes a method of manufacturing a support system for coupling a flight to a mesh conveyor belt assembly. The method includes providing a flight with a first planar portion and a second planar portion extending non-coplanar to the first planar portion, forming a pair of holes into the first planar portion configured to receive a cross-rod of the mesh conveyor belt assembly, and forming a pair of tabs into the first planar portion whereby the pair of tabs contain the pair of holes.
In a further embodiment, a method for attaching a flight to a mesh conveyor belt assembly is provided. The method includes providing a mesh conveyor belt with at least one wound wire defining a passage, providing a cross-rod, providing a flight with a first planar portion and a second planar portion extending non-coplanar to the first planar portion, wherein the first planar portion has a pair of tabs extending therefrom, with each tab having a through-hole configured to receive a cross-rod of the mesh conveyor belt assembly therethrough, and inserting the cross-rod through the passage of the at least one wound wire and the through-holes of the flight to couple the mesh conveyor belt, the cross-rod, and the flight.
The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Given the benefit of this disclosure, skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives that fall within the scope of the invention.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Given the benefit of this disclosure, various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the underlying principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
Some of the discussion below describes flights that can be attached to a metal mesh belt with a cross-rod of the metal mesh belt. The context and particulars of this discussion are presented as examples only. For instance, embodiments of the disclosed invention can be configured in various ways, including other shapes and arrangements of elements. Similarly, embodiments of the invention can be used with other types of conveyor belts or assemblies in addition to those expressly illustrated or described herein.
A metal mesh conveyor belt is typically an endless belt driven in a direction of travel. The mesh belt can be constructed to address particular application requirements, for example, the gauge of the wire used and the openings in the metal mesh can be changed depending on the type of item being conveyed. An example of a chain-driven mesh conveyor belt 10 is shown in
A flight 50 attached to a metal mesh conveyor belt 10 with staples 52 is depicted in
An example of a flight 100 according to one embodiment is shown in
The pair of tabs 114 can be formed by stamping the first planar member 110 and can be sized and configured based on the specifications of the mesh conveyor belt 10 (e.g., so as to nest between consecutive windings of a wound wire 30). Considerations may be given to, for instance, the diameter of the cross-rod 20, the distance between the cross-rod 20 and the top side 34 of the mesh 40, and the lateral spacing defined by the wound wires 30. Further, it should be understood that more or fewer tabs 114 may be provided on the flight 100 yet remain within the purview of the inventive concept. For example, more or fewer tabs 114 may be provided depending on the width of the mesh belt or depending on the characteristics of the item being conveyed.
A method for forming a tab 114 can include punching the through-hole 116 of the tab 114 in the first planar member 110, punching and forming the periphery 118 of the tab 114 around the location of the through-hole 116, and bending the tab 114 substantially perpendicular to the first planar member 110 and in the direction opposite the second planar member 120. This process provides a tab 114 that is integrally formed with the flight 100; however, other configurations are contemplated, including attaching separate tabs to the first planar member 110 through welding or other fastening means. Other methods are also available to establish the desired structure of the tabs 114, such as waterjet or laser cutting.
The periphery 118 of the tab 114 preferably has an arcuate profile as shown. The arcuate profile provides a rounded surface facing the direction of travel (and the underside 32 of the mesh 40) thereby reducing the likelihood of catching on any obstructions present beneath the mesh conveyor belt 10. The arcuate profile also reduces the number of stress risers created in the first planar member 110 when the tab 114 is punched. For example, a square tab profile would create at least two stress riser corners in the negative area created by a punched tab. That being said, however, the arcuate profile should not be viewed as limiting as other profiles are contemplated.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications, and departures from the embodiments, examples, and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. For example, the spacing, size, gauge, form-factor, and other features may vary based on application-specific requirements (e.g., product to be conveyed, environmental factors, speed of conveyance, operational envelope limitations, etc.). In addition, while the embodiments have been described in context of a metallic construction, it is contemplated that other materials (e.g., polymers) or composite constructions (e.g., a metallic base with a plastic overmold) are possible. A mesh belt incorporating the attachment of a flight with integrally formed tabs during assembly establishes a mesh conveyor with fewer individual components that is more efficiently produced, manufactured, and assembled. Other types of conveyor belts may also benefit from the incorporation of aspects of the invention. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to United States Provisional Patent Application No. 62/806,323 filed on Feb. 15, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62806323 | Feb 2019 | US |
