Positive drive balanced mesh belt system
View Patent ↗A compound balanced woven-wire conveyor belt including a plurality of interwoven helically-wound spirals and connector rods, and a plurality of spiral wires forming protruding tangs on a surface of the woven-wire belt. A conveyor system further includes at least one rotatable member including an outer cylindrical surface symmetrically disposed relative to a central axis of rotation of the rotatable member and a plurality of cavities on the outer cylindrical surface for engaging the protruding tangs of the woven-wire belt, each of the protruding tangs substantially corresponding to the cavities of the rotatable member.
1. A conveyor system comprising:
a compound balanced woven-wire belt assembled from a plurality of interwoven helically-wound spirals and connector rods, said woven-wire belt further including a plurality of shaped spiral wires forming self-supporting protruding drive tangs on a surface of the woven-wire belt; and
at least one hollow rotatable member including an integrally formed outer cylindrical surface symmetrically disposed relative to a central axis of rotation of said member and a plurality of spaced cavities on said outer cylindrical surface for engaging said protruding drive tangs of said woven-wire belt, each of said cavities substantially corresponding in size to the protruding drive tangs.
2. The conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of shaped spiral wires are triangular, D-shaped or trapezoidal in shape.
3. The conveyor system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of spaced cavities on said outer cylindrical surface of said at least one rotatable member comprises a plurality of slots.
4. The conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of shaped spiral wires extends substantially across an entire width of said compound balanced woven-wire belt.
5. The conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of shaped spiral wires extends across a portion of a width of said compound balanced woven-wire belt so as to define a plurality of drive lanes and a smooth belt surface adjacent thereto.
6. A conveyor system comprising:
a compound balanced woven-wire belt assembled from a plurality of interwoven helically-wound spirals and connector rods, said woven-wire belt further including a plurality of shaped spiral wires forming self-supporting protruding drive tangs on a surface of the woven-wire belt; and
at least one solid rotatable member including an integral outer cylindrical surface symmetrically disposed relative to a central axis of rotation of said member and a plurality of grooves cut into said outer cylindrical surface for engaging said protruding drive tangs of said woven-wire belt.
7. The conveyor system according to claim 6 , wherein said plurality of shaped spiral wires are triangular, D-shaped or trapezoidal in shape.
8. The conveyor system according to claim 6 , wherein said plurality of grooves extends an entire length of said at least one rotatable member.
9. The conveyor according to claim 6 , wherein said plurality of shaped spiral wires extends substantially across an entire width of said compound balanced woven-wire belt.
10. The conveyor according to claim 6 , wherein said plurality of shaped spiral wires extends across a portion of a width of said compound balanced woven-wire belt so as to define a plurality of drive lanes and a smooth belt surface adjacent thereto.
11. A drive roll for use in a conveyor system comprising a compound balanced woven-wire belt assembled from a plurality of interwoven helically-wound spirals and connector rods, the woven-wire belt further including a plurality of shaped spiral wires forming protruding drive tangs on a surface of the woven-wire belt, said drive roll comprising:
at least one hollow rotatable member including an integrally formed outer cylindrical surface symmetrically disposed relative to a central axis of rotation of said member and a plurality of cavities disposed on said outer cylindrical surface for engaging said protruding drive tangs of said woven-wire belt.
12. The drive roll according to claim 11 , wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of spaced openings on said outer cylindrical surface.
13. The drive roll according to claim 12 , wherein said plurality of spaced openings defines slots in said outer cylindrical surface.
14. The drive roll according to claim 11 , wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of grooves cut into said outer cylindrical surface.