Abstract:
A spiral conveyor and a method for taking up slack in a modular conveyor belt traveling a helical path. The spiral conveyor includes a rotating cylindrical drive drum with parallel drive members extending from the bottom to the top of the drum on its periphery. Each drive member includes an outwardly protruding ridge extending from the bottom to the top of the drum for engaging the inside edges of the belt. A motor-driven take-up shaft and shaft-mounted sprocket set takes up slack in the belt after its release from the drum. To control tension at the discharge of the belt from the drive drum, the take-up motor is normally operated in a closed-loop control mode, but switches to an open-loop constant-speed control mode when the take-up motor stalls.
Abstract:
A modular radius conveyor belt having magnetic material in adjacent belt rows, including magnets in selected rows of belt modules. Magnets in one belt row attract magnets or paramagnetic material in adjacent rows to prevent vibration between rows that could shake a conveyed article out of its preferred position or orientation on the conveyor belt.
Abstract:
An omnidirectional anemometer and a method for using such an anemometer to measure the airflow along a conveying path, such as a helical path through a processing chamber. The anemometer is a low-profile, omnidirectional, three-axis anemometer with minimal airflow-occluding structure. Because of its low profile, the anemometer can fit in spiral conveyors with a short tier pitch.
Abstract:
A magnetic conveyor belt module integrates a magnetic element into the body of the module to attract conveyed articles to the body. The magnetic conveyor belt module includes a recess for seating a magnetic element and a retention element for retaining the magnetic element within the recess. A cover encapsulates the magnetic element within the body of the module.
Abstract:
A modular spiral belt constructed of a series of hingedly interconnected belt modules arranged in a helical stack. The modular spiral belt includes outer side plates (50) that include openings for airflow and inner side plates (80) that are solid to block airflow. The openings may include valves for selectively opening and closing the openings. A locking mechanism may lock two tiers together. A hold down may apply pressure to prevent destacking of the belt, or a guide may be disposed with the helical stack for preventing destacking.
Abstract:
A modular spiral belt constructed of a series of hingedly interconnected belt modules arranged in a helical stack. The modular spiral belt includes outer side plates (50) that include openings for airflow and inner side plates (80) that are solid to block airflow. The openings may include valves for selectively opening and closing the openings. A locking mechanism may lock two tiers together. A hold down may apply pressure to prevent destacking of the belt, or a guide may be disposed with the helical stack for preventing destacking.
Abstract:
Una banda transportadora (20) que comprende: una serie de filas de módulos de banda (44) que tienen un lado superior y un lado inferior y enlazados de manera articulada entre sí entre filas consecutivas a lo largo de uniones articuladas (94) que definen ejes de articulación que se extienden en forma perpendicular a una dirección de transporte (96) desde un primer borde lateral de las filas hasta un segundo borde lateral opuesto de las filas, en donde las uniones articuladas (94) tienen libertad de movimiento en la dirección de transporte (96) para permitir que las filas se plieguen juntas en el primer borde lateral (66) cuando el primer borde lateral esta en el interior de una vuelta en una trayectoria de transporte, incluyendo el primer borde lateral una cara de accionamiento; caracterizado porque la banda transportadora comprende además una pluralidad de dientes (62), cada diente proyectándose hacia afuera desde el primer borde lateral (66) de una de las filas hasta un extremo distal (80) y que tiene una superficie de guía (78, 79) orientada para guiar un extremo de un elemento de accionamiento externo (14) entre los dientes y en contacto de accionamiento con la cara de accionamiento (89A, 89B) de la fila o de una fila consecutiva para accionar la banda transportadora en la dirección de transporte en donde únicamente el primer borde lateral (66) de las filas incluye una cara de accionamiento (89A, 89B) y un diente (62) adaptado para acoplarse positivamente al elemento de accionamiento externo (14) para accionar la banda en su dirección de transporte.
Abstract:
A spiral conveyor for positively driving a conveyor belt (20) along a helical path. The spiral conveyor includes a rotating cylindrical tower (10) with parallel drive members (14) extending from the bottom to the top of the tower on its periphery. Each drive member includes an outwardly protruding ridge (28) that varies in height from the bottom to the top of the tower. The variations in height facilitate the belt's entry onto and exit from the tower and robust, positive driving engagement with the inside edge of the belt along the majority of its path along the tower. In another version, a conveyor belt has teeth (62) with guide surfaces (78, 79 ) at the inside edge of the belt. The teeth guide the drive members between belt rows into driving engagement with drive faces at the inside edge of the belt.