United States Patent [19J
`Kraft et al.
`
`I 1111111111111111 11111 111111111111111 IIIII 11111 11111 lllll 111111111111111111
`US005911307 A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`5,911,307
`Jun.15,1999
`
`[54] CONVEYOR BELT AND METHOD OF
`MANUFACTURING
`
`[75]
`
`Inventors: Klaus H. Kraft, Glenview, Ill.; Boaz
`Raam, Cresskill, N.J.
`
`[73] Assignees: Burrel Leder Beltech, Inc., Skokie,
`Ill.; Subcon Products, Inc., Totowa,
`N.J.
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 08/740,586
`
`[22] Filed:
`
`Oct. 31, 1996
`
`[51]
`[52]
`[58]
`
`[56]
`
`Int. Cl.6
`..................................................... B65G 15/34
`U.S. Cl. ............................................. 198/847; 198/846
`Field of Search ..................................... 198/833, 834,
`198/835, 846, 847
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`20,564
`1,280,716
`1,998,011
`2,912,722
`2,985,222
`3,050,178
`3,656,360
`3,666,085
`3,736,805
`3,967,720
`
`6/1858 Jewell .
`10/1918 Grean .
`4/1935 Gladwin .................................... 74/232
`11/1959 Howell ................................ 198/846 X
`5/1961 Marty et al. ................................ 154/4
`8/1962 Stone .................................. 198/846 X
`4/1972 Fix ............................................ 74/234
`5/1972 Folkes ..................................... 198/847
`6/1973 Dent .................................... 198/847 X
`7/1976 Arieh .................................. 198/847 X
`
`4,127,040
`4,270,656
`4,533,420
`5,195,737
`5,211,608
`5,342,250
`
`11/1978 Moore et al. ............................. 74/240
`6/1981 Chesmer et al. ........................ 198/847
`8/1985 Wetzel
`................................ 198/847 X
`3/1993 Ifkovits, Jr. et al. .............. 198/83.5 X
`5/1993 Wong et al.
`............................ 474/202
`8/1994 Sanders ................................... 474/249
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`9/1930 France ........................................... 3/5
`689124
`6/1993 Germany ............................... 198/846
`4139524
`259436 10/1926 United Kingdom .
`
`Primary Examiner-James R. Bidwell
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hill & Simpson
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A conveyor belt and a method of manufacturing are pro(cid:173)
`vided. The conveyor belt includes a flat belt, having a
`topside, a pulley side, a first outer edge and a second outer
`edge. The conveyor belt further includes a timing belt with
`timing teeth extending from the pulley side. The conveyor
`belt is used in a conveyor belt system including a drive roller
`having a gear portion shaped complementary to the timing
`teeth of the flat belt. The drive roller is arranged to engage
`with the pulley side of the flat belt. The conveyor belt system
`further includes a tail roller which also includes a gear
`portion shaped complementary to the timing teeth of the flat
`belt and arranged to engage with the pulley side of the flat
`belt.
`
`20 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
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`14
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`20
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`30
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`48
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`12
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`18
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`16
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`32
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`Weber EX1054
`Weber v. Provisur
`IPR2020-01557
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun. 15, 1999
`
`Sheet 1 of 2
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`5,911,307
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`14
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`FIG .1
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`r10
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`20
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`46
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`30
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`48
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`12
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`18
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`16
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`32
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`12
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`14
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`FIG.2
`22
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`16
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`FIG.3
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`28
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`(22
`j ( 26
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`26
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`12
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`12
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`20
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`28
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun.15,1999
`
`Sheet 2 of 2
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`FIG.4
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`12
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`5,911,307
`;10
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`24
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`34
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`18
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`FIG.5
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`FIG.6
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`

`

`5,911,307
`
`1
`CONVEYOR BELT AND METHOD OF
`MANUFACTURING
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention relates to a conveyor belt and a
`method of manufacturing, and particularly to conveyor belts
`used in the food processing industry.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`10
`
`2
`It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
`conveyor belt wherein the supporting conveyor frame may
`be constructed with a light weight design.
`It is still a further object of the present invention to
`5 provide a conveyor belt which will track and not wander on
`the conveyor, and wherein the motion is positive and can be
`indexed.
`It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
`a conveyor belt which can move high loads.
`It is still yet a further object of the present invention to
`provide a conveyor belt wherein the drive motion is not
`affected by contamination.
`And yet another object of the present invention, a con-
`15 veyor belt is provided in which sanitization is easily main(cid:173)
`tained.
`The present invention provides a reinforced or homoge(cid:173)
`neous type conveyor belt and a method of manufacturing.
`The present invention therefore provides a conveyor belt,
`having a flat belt with a topside, a pulley side, a first outer
`edge and a second outer edge, and a timing belt with timing
`teeth extending from the pulley side.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the conveyor belt system
`of the present invention;
`FIG. 2 is a part cross-sectional view of the conveyor belt
`of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 3 is a part breakaway view of the conveyor belt of
`FIG. 1;
`FIG. 4 is a partial view of the conveyor belt of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 5 is a part cross-sectional view of an alternative
`embodiment of the conveyor belt; and
`FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pulley for the conveyor
`belt of FIG. 1.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT
`INVENTION
`
`Traditionally flat conveyor belts move product from point
`A to point B by carrying the product along a pre-defined
`route or track. Flat conveyor belt motion is driven by the
`contact between the belt and the drive pulley. The load on
`the belt is evenly distributed along the contact surface of the
`drive pulley.
`Traditionally flat homogeneous belts are used in conveyor
`systems where cleanliness is of paramount importance. The
`term "homogeneous belt", as used herein, is an industry term
`that generally refers to an extruded belt or one made from a 20
`single material and is not reinforced. These belts provide a
`smooth continuous surface. Their non-absorbing surface
`allows for easy cleaning of spilled contaminants or remains
`from the manufacturing process. These belts are not likely to
`be carrying foreign materials which might contaminate the 25
`product being conveyed.
`Belts of this type are driven by a pulley, generally at one
`end of the conveyor assembly. To ensure that the pulley has
`sufficient force to drive the belt, belts are pretensioned.
`Pretensioning is the placing of the belt under tension so that 30
`the friction between the belt and the drive pulley is sufficient
`to ensure that the belt does not slip against the surface of the
`pulley.
`While pretensioning ensures that the pulley will drive the
`belt, there are resultant unavoidable issues. A properly 35
`pretensioned belt will slip against the surface of the pulley
`when lubricated with oils or other contaminants. Pretension(cid:173)
`ing by definition means stretching the belt. Homogeneous
`belts do stretch. Stretched belts require repretensioning at
`intervals determined by the stretching force applied to the 40
`belts. Belt stretching requires replacement after exceeding
`stretch limits.
`Additionally, the load will also affect the stretch of the
`belt. Pretensioning also requires the additional cost associ(cid:173)
`ated with ensuring that the conveyor frame bed be suffi- 45
`ciently strong enough to withstand the stress placed on it.
`Further, improperly aligned belts will mis-track resulting in
`damaged belt edges and a shorter belt life.
`Timing belts are used for accurate timed and indexed
`transmission of power from one drive wheel to another slave
`wheel. The drive wheel is notched with a pattern opposite to
`that of the timing belt. As the drive wheel rotates protrusions
`in the timing belt embed into depressions in the drive pulley
`forcing the belt to move.
`Modular plastic chains and belting does meet the needs as
`far as positive driving and tracking are concerned, but they
`are a haven for dirt, product residue, bacteria, etc., and they
`are difficult, if not nearly impossible, to clean quickly or
`efficiently.
`The present invention is directed to overcoming the above
`problems as well as other problems associated with the prior
`art conveyor belts.
`
`Referring to FIG. 1, a homogeneous conveyor belt 10, is
`shown to include a flat belt 12, having a topside 14 and a
`pulley side 16. The flat belt 12 further includes a first outer
`edge 18, and a second outer edge 20.
`FIG. 2 discloses a first embodiment of the conveyor belt
`10. The conveyor belt 10 is shown to include the flat belt 12.
`The flat belt 12 is made of solid plastic without any fabric
`and provides a low bacteria count. Volta Israel provides a
`belt which satisfies the requirements of the present inven-
`50 tion. The topside 14 and first and second outer edges 18, 20,
`provide a smooth surface which may be easily cleaned and
`maintained.
`FIG. 2 further shows a timing belt 22, having timing teeth
`24, extending from the pulley side 16. The timing belt 22, is
`55 made of a reinforced or non-reinforced polyurethane. The
`timing belt 22, is laminated to the pulley side 16 of the flat
`belt 12 by a liester heat gun bonding process.
`FIG. 3 discloses that the ends 26 of the timing belt 22, are
`spliced together to form a continuous loop. In addition, the
`ends 28 of the flat belt 12, are also joined to similarly form
`a continuous loop.
`FIG. 4 shows the manufactured conveyor belt 10, with the
`laminated timing belt 22, and timing teeth 24.
`FIG. 5 discloses an alternative embodiment of the con(cid:173)
`veyor belt 10. The conveyor belt 10 is shown to include a
`first portion 34 and a second portion 36. The first portion 34
`
`60
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`It is an object of the present invention to provide a
`conveyor belt which does not require pretensioning.
`
`65
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`5,911,307
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`3
`includes the first edge 18, and a first inner edge 38. The
`second portion 36 includes the second outer edge 20, and a
`second inner edge 40. The timing belt 22 includes a first
`inner edge 42 and a second inner edge 44. Similar to the first
`embodiment, the timing belt 22 is laminated to the flat belt 5
`12 and, more specifically, laterally between the first belt
`portion 34 and the second belt portion 36 as shown in FIG.
`5. However, in the alternative embodiment, the first and
`second inner edges 42, 44 of the timing belt 22, are heat
`bonded to the respective first and second inner edges 38, 40 10
`of the flat belt 12. FIG. 5 further discloses that the timing
`teeth 24, extend from the pulley side 16 of the flat belt 12.
`In both embodiments, the conveyor belt 10 provides a
`smooth surface along the topside 14 and the first and second
`outer edges 18, 20.
`With reference to FIG. 1, the completed conveyor belt 10
`is assembled onto a conveyor frame (not shown) having a
`tail roller 30 and a drive roller 32. The tail roller 30 and drive
`roller 32 include a gear portion 46 at a center portion 48.
`FIG. 6 more clearly discloses the drive roller 32, having the
`gear portion 46. The gear portion 46 includes grooves 50,
`which are complementary-shaped to receive the timing teeth
`24. The drive roller 32 is driven by a mechanical means (not
`shown), and in turn directly drives the conveyor belt 10, in
`the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1.
`FIG. 6 discloses that the gear portion 46 includes a 25
`recessed portion 52. The recessed portion 52 is
`complementary-shaped to receive the timing belt 22 of the
`first embodiment. However, the recessed portion 52 may be
`omitted for the first embodiment of the conveyor belt 10.
`Although the above description refers specifically to a 30
`homogeneous type conveyor belt, the invention is equally
`applicable to a multilayer, or reinforced conveyor belt.
`The foregoing detailed description has been given for
`clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limita-
`tions should be understood therefrom.
`We claim:
`1. A conveyor belt, comprising:
`a flat belt having a topside, a pulley side, a first outer edge
`and a second outer edge; and
`a timing belt having a topside and a pulley side, the top 40
`side of the timing belt being heat bonded to the pulley
`side of the flat belt, the pulley side of the timing belt
`having timing teeth extending therefrom.
`2. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the topside of the
`flat belt having a smooth surface extending from the first 45
`edge to the second edge.
`3. The conveyor belt of claim 2; wherein the first outer
`edge and second outer edge each include a smooth surface.
`4. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the flat belt is
`made of a material having a low bacterial count.
`5. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the flat belt is
`made of plastic.
`6. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the flat belt is
`made of nonreinforced plastic.
`7. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the timing belt
`is made of reinforced polyurethane.
`8. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the timing belt
`is made of nonreinforced polyurethane.
`9. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the width from
`the first edge to the second edge is in the range of ½ inch to
`4 inches.
`10. A conveyor belt, comprising:
`a flat belt having a topside, a pulley side, a first outer edge
`and a second outer edge;
`a timing belt with timing teeth extending from the pulley
`side; and
`the flat belt including a first portion and a second portion,
`the first portion having the first outer edge and a first
`
`50
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`55
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`60
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`65
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`4
`inner edge, and the second portion having the second
`outer edge and a second inner edge, the timing belt
`having a first edge and a second edge, the first inner
`edge is laminated to the timing belt first edge, and the
`timing belt second edge is laminated to the second
`inner edge.
`11. A method of manufacturing a conveyor belt, compris(cid:173)
`ing:
`forming a timing belt with timing teeth;
`arranging the timing belt laterally between a first flat belt
`portion and a second flat belt portion with the timing
`teeth extending from a pulley side of the timing belt;
`and
`laminating the timing belt laterally between the first and
`second flat belt portions.
`12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of arranging
`further comprises arranging a top surface of the timing belt
`to be even with a top surface of the first and second flat belt
`portions.
`13. A conveyor belt system, comprising:
`a flat belt having a topside and a pulley side;
`a timing belt having a topside and a pulley side, the
`topside of the timing belt being laminated to the pulley
`side of the flat belt and the pulley side of the timing belt
`having timing teeth extending therefrom;
`a drive roller having a gear portion shaped complemen(cid:173)
`tary to the timing teeth of the flat belt, the drive roller
`engages with the pulley side of the flat belt; and
`a tail roller, whereby the drive roller transfers motion
`power to the flat belt.
`14. A method of manufacturing a conveyor belt, compris(cid:173)
`ing:
`forming a timing belt with a topside and a pulley side, the
`pulley side of the timing belt having timing teeth
`extending therefrom;
`arranging the topside timing belt adjacent a pulley side of
`a flat belt with the timing teeth extending from a pulley
`side of the flat belt; and
`laminating the topside of the timing belt to the pulley side
`of the flat belt.
`15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of arranging
`further comprises:
`arranging the timing belt at a center of the pulley side of
`the flat belt.
`16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of arranging
`comprises:
`arranging the timing belt between a first flat belt portion
`and a second flat belt portion, with the timing teeth
`extending from a pulley side of the timing belt.
`17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of arranging
`further comprises arranging a top surface of the timing belt
`to be even with a top surface of the first and second flat belt
`portions.
`18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of lami(cid:173)
`nating is by a heat gun bonding process.
`19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step
`of connecting the respective ends of the flat belt and timing
`belt.
`20. A conveyor belt, comprising:
`a flat belt having a topside, a pulley side, a first outer edge
`and a second outer edge; and
`a timing belt having a topside and a pulley side, the
`topside of the timing belt being laminated to the pulley
`side of the flat belt, the pulley side of the timing belt
`having timing teeth extending therefrom.
`
`* * * * *
`
`