US 7,494,005 B2
Variable spaced conveyor belt
George H. Messick, Jr., E. New Market, Md. (US); and Robert E. Maine, Jr., Hebron, Md. (US)
Assigned to Cambridge International, Inc., Cambridge, Md. (US)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/529,596.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/722003, filed on Sep. 30, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2007/0080048 A1, Apr. 12, 2007
Int. Cl. B65G 15/54 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 198—848  [198/849] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A variable spaced flat wire conveyor belt comprising:
a plurality of spaced tractive rods;
a plurality of rows of flat wire wickets transversely disposed with respect to a direction of travel and interconnecting said plurality of spaced tractive rods, each said wicket having a uniform thickness dimension throughout a width of the conveyor belt;
each of said rows of wickets defining a plurality of first links and a plurality of second links, each of said links having a longitudinal height and a transverse spacing;
wherein said plurality of first links have a first height and a first transverse spacing and said plurality of second links have a second height and a second transverse spacing, said first height being substantially egual to said second height and said first spacing being less than said second spacing, and
wherein said conveyor belt includes opposing first and second outer edges and said plurality of first links are disposed on at least one of the first and second outer edges of the flat wire conveyor belt, said first links thereby strengthening said at least one outer edge for receiving tension during use.