Chain conveyor and clip
View Patent ↗A chain conveyor includes a plurality of load rollers, a plurality of drive rollers, which are arranged in pairs, and a pair of spaced apart rows of interconnecting linkages aligned generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chain conveyor. The load rollers and the drive rollers are rotatably mounted between the linkages with the load rollers positioned between the pairs of drive rollers. The diameter of each load roller is larger than the diameter of each drive roller. The load rollers and the drive rollers are spaced along the longitudinal axis wherein the chain conveyor includes gaps between the outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and between the outer surfaces of adjacent driver rollers. The chain conveyor further includes a clip, which is supported by the load rollers and includes a substantially rigid body, which has an upper surface spanning between the outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers with a length along the longitudinal axis greater than the gap between the adjacent load rollers to thereby substantially close the gap between the adjacent load rollers. The body also includes a lower surface, which spans between the outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and has a length along the longitudinal axis greater than the gap between the adjacent load rollers to thereby prevent the clip from being ejected from between the adjacent load rollers.
1. A chain conveyor comprising:
a plurality of load rollers, each of said load rollers having a diameter and an outer surface;
a plurality of drive rollers, each of said drive rollers having a diameter and an outer surface, and said plurality of drive rollers arranged in pairs;
said chain conveyor having a longitudinal axis;
a pair of spaced apart rows of interconnecting linkages aligned generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, said load rollers and said drive rollers rotatably mounted between said linkages with said load rollers positioned between said pairs of said drive rollers, said diameter of each of said load roller being larger than said diameter of each of said drive rollers, said load rollers and said drive rollers being spaced along said longitudinal axis wherein said chain conveyor includes gaps between said outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and between said outer surfaces of adjacent driver rollers; and
a clip, said clip being supported by said load rollers and comprising:
a substantially rigid body, said body having an upper surface spanning between said outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and having a length along said longitudinal axis greater than said gap between said adjacent load rollers to thereby substantially close said gap between said adjacent load rollers, said body having a lower portion with a lower surface spanning between said outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and having a length along said longitudinal axis greater than said gap between said adjacent load rollers and being preinstalled in said chain whereby said clip is prevented from being ejected from between said adjacent load rollers.
2. The chain conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein said body of said clip includes a pair of projecting tabs, said tabs straddling said adjacent load rollers to thereby generally align said upper surface between said adjacent load rollers.
3. The chain conveyor according to claim 2 , wherein each of said tabs includes a longitudinal extent extending generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, said longitudinal extents having terminal ends, said terminal ends spaced inwardly from said outer surfaces of adjacent drive rollers.
4. The chain conveyor according to claim 2 , wherein each of said tabs includes a wedge-shaped cross-section.
5. The chain conveyor according to claim 2 , wherein each of said tabs includes an upper surface, said upper surfaces of said tabs being positioned below said upper surfaces of said load rollers.
6. The chain conveyor according to claim 2 , wherein each of said tabs includes a longitudinal extent extending generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, each of said longitudinal extents of said tabs having a length less than said length of said upper surface of said body of said clip.
7. The chain conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein said body has a forward surface, a rearward surface, and left and right surfaces, said forward and reward surfaces facing said load rollers and generally following the outer surfaces of said load rollers.
8. The chain conveyor according to claim 7 , wherein said forward and rearward surfaces are spaced along said longitudinal axis and interconnected by said left and right surfaces.
9. The chain conveyor according to claim 8 , wherein said left and right surfaces are substantially planar.
10. A chain conveyor comprising:
a plurality of load rollers, each of said load rollers having a diameter and an outer surface;
a plurality of drive rollers, each of said drive rollers having a diameter and an outer surface, and said plurality of drive rollers arranged in pairs;
said chain conveyor having a longitudinal axis;
spaced apart rows of interconnecting linkages aligned generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, said load rollers and said drive rollers rotatably mounted between said linkages with said load rollers positioned between pairs of said drive rollers, said diameter of each of said load roller being larger than said diameter of each of said drive rollers, said load rollers and said drive rollers being spaced along said longitudinal axis wherein said chain conveyor includes gaps between said outer surfaces of said adjacent load rollers and between said outer surfaces of adjacent driver rollers; and
a clip comprising:
a substantially rigid body, said body positioned between said adjacent load rollers and adapted to be secured in said chain conveyor, said body having an upper surface spanning between said outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and having a length along said longitudinal axis greater than said gap between said adjacent rollers to thereby substantially close said gap between said adjacent load rollers, wherein said body of said clip includes a pair of projecting tabs, said tabs straddling said adjacent load rollers to thereby generally align said upper surface between said adjacent load rollers, each of said tabs including a longitudinal extent extending generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, said longitudinal extents having terminal ends, and said terminal ends spaced inwardly from said outer surfaces of said adjacent drive rollers.
11. The chain conveyor according to claim 10 , wherein said clip is supported by said load rollers.
12. The chain conveyor according to claim 10 , wherein each of said tabs includes a wedge-shaped cross-section.
13. The chain conveyor according to claim 10 , wherein each of said tabs includes an upper surface, said upper surfaces of said tabs being lower than said upper surface of said body.
14. The chain conveyor according to claim 13 , wherein said upper surfaces of said tabs are above said upper surfaces of said drive rollers.
15. The chain conveyor according to claim 10 , wherein said body of said clip includes a lower surface, said lower surface having a length along said longitudinal axis greater than said gap between said adjacent load rollers and spanning between said outer surfaces of said adjacent load rollers.
16. The chain conveyor according to claim 10 , wherein said body includes spaced apart forward and rearward surfaces and spaced apart left and right surfaces generally orthogonal to said forward and rearward surfaces, said forward and rearward surfaces facing said load rollers, and said left and right surfaces being generally planar.
17. The chain conveyor according to claim 16 , wherein said forward and rearward surfaces are curved to generally follow the outer surfaces of said load rollers.
18. The chain conveyor according to claim 10 , wherein said body of said clip comprises a substantially solid body.
19. The chain conveyor according to claim 18 , wherein said body comprises a plastic body.
20. A chain conveyor comprising:
a plurality of load rollers, each of said load rollers having a diameter and an outer surface;
a plurality of drive rollers, each of said drive rollers having a diameter and an outer surface, and said plurality of drive rollers arranged in pairs;
spaced apart rows of interconnecting linkages aligned along a longitudinal axis, said load rollers and said drive rollers rotatably mounted between said linkages with said load rollers positioned between pairs of said drive rollers, said diameter of each of said load roller being larger than said diameter of each of said drive rollers, said load rollers and said drive rollers being spaced along said longitudinal axis wherein said chain conveyor includes gaps between said outer surfaces of said adjacent load rollers and between said outer surfaces of adjacent driver rollers; and
a clip comprising:
a body, said body being positioned between said adjacent load rollers and adapted to be secured in said chain conveyor, said body having an upper surface extending between said outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and having a length along said longitudinal axis greater than said gap between said adjacent rollers to thereby substantially close said gap between said adjacent load rollers, said upper surface having outer edges adjacent said load rollers, said body including a pair of projecting tabs, said tabs straddling said adjacent load rollers to thereby generally align said upper surface between said adjacent load rollers, each of said tabs including terminal ends spaced along said longitudinal axis, and said terminal ends spaced inwardly from said outer edges of said upper surface of said body.
21. The chain conveyor according to claim 20 , wherein said terminal ends are spaced inwardly from said outer surfaces of adjacent drive rollers.
22. The chain conveyor according to claim 20 , wherein said body comprises a substantially rigid body.
23. The chain conveyor according to claim 22 , wherein said body comprises a plastic body.
24. The chain conveyor according to claim 22 , wherein said body comprises a solid body.
25. The chain conveyor according to claim 20 , wherein said body has a lower surface, said lower surface having a length along said longitudinal axis for extending between the load rollers, said length being dimensioned for covering the gap between the load rollers to prevent the clip from popping out from between the load rollers.
26. A clip for a chain conveyor, the chain conveyor including a plurality of load rollers, each of the load rollers having a diameter and an outer surface, a plurality of drive rollers arranged in pairs, each of the drive rollers having a diameter and an outer surface and, spaced apart rows of interconnecting linkages aligned along a longitudinal axis, the load rollers and the drive rollers rotatably mounted between the linkages with the load rollers positioned between the pairs of the drive rollers, the diameter of each of the load roller being larger than the diameter of each of the drive rollers, the load rollers and the drive rollers being spaced along the longitudinal axis wherein the chain conveyor includes gaps between the outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and between the outer surfaces of adjacent driver rollers, said clip comprising:
a substantially rigid body, said body having forward and rearward surfaces for facing the load rollers and left and right surfaces generally orthogonal to said forward and rearward surfaces;
said forward and rearward surfaces being curved for generally following the outer surfaces of the load rollers;
said left and right surfaces being substantially planar and spanning between said forward and rearward surfaces;
said body further having an upper portion with an upper surface and a lower portion with a lower surface, said upper and lower surfaces spanning between said forward and rearward surfaces and between said left and right surfaces, said lower surface being a non-flexible surface and being chosen from a non-flexible planar surface and non-flexible curved surface to thereby prevent said clip from being ejected from between adjacent load rollers; and
said body further including a pair of projecting tabs, said projecting tabs projecting from opposed sides of said body for straddling adjacent load rollers for generally aligning the clip between the load rollers.
27. The chain conveyor according to claim 26 , wherein each of said tabs includes a longitudinal extent for extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chain conveyor, said longitudinal extents having terminal ends, and said terminal ends spaced inwardly from outer edges of said upper surface of said body.
28. The chain conveyor according to claim 26 wherein each of said tabs includes a longitudinal extent for extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chain conveyor, said longitudinal extents having terminal ends, and said terminal ends being configured for being spaced inwardly from the outer surface of the drive rollers.
29. The chain conveyor according to claim 26 , wherein said body comprise a solid body.
30. The chain conveyor according to claim 26 , wherein said body comprises a plastic body.
31. The chain conveyor according to claim 26 , wherein each of said upper and lower surfaces has a length extending from said rearward surface to said forward surface, said length of said upper surface being greater than said lower surface.
32. The chain conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein said lower surface comprises a non-flexible lower surface chosen from a non-flexible planar surface and a non-flexible curved surface.