Patent ID: 11970337
Assignee: LAITRAM, L.L.C.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A conveyor belt comprising:
a series of rows of belt modules having a top side and a bottom side and hingedly linked together between consecutive rows along hinge joints defining hinge axes extending perpendicular to a conveying direction from a first side edge of the rows to an opposite second side edge of the rows, wherein the hinge joints have play in the conveying direction to allow the rows to collapse together at the first side edge when the first side edge is at the inside of a turn in a conveying path;
a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion projecting outward at the first side edge of one of the rows to a flat distal end and having at least one drive face perpendicular to the conveying direction and a constant cross section in planes perpendicular to one of the hinge axes of the row;
wherein the constant cross section has a minor axis in the conveying direction and a longer major axis perpendicular to the conveying direction and to the hinge joints;
wherein the at least one drive face is contacted by an external drive member to drive the conveyor belt in the conveying direction.