Patent ID: 7198148
Filing Date: 2007-04-03
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
1. In a modular plastic conveyor belt of the type made of a multiplicity of module rows each containing one or more belt modules having link ends at fore and aft ends, the link ends being interdigited with link ends of preceding and succeeding module rows and connected together by connecting pins, an improvement to provide raised flights to engage and move along products being conveyed on the belt while also providing for the ability to flatten the belt surface for removal of products or cleaning, comprising: at least one camming member connected to a lower side of the belt by two successive connecting pins, the camming member having a bottom surface which is angled obliquely downwardly and rearwardly relative to a direction of travel of the belt when the belt is in a generally planar configuration and not producing a raised flight at the location of the camming member, and hold-down devices positioned forward of and aft of the camming member in the belt, for engagement with a longitudinal groove of a supporting track or platform below the belt to hold module rows down against the track or platform both forward and aft of two adjacent module rows creating the raised flight, whereby the conveyor belt can cooperate with the track or platform at the position of each angled camming member such that each camming member resides down in the groove in portions of the belt travel where a raised flight is not desired, permitting clearing of conveyed products by scraping them off the non-raised surface of the belt or permitting cleaning by wiping the belt surface, and whereby, in locations where a raised flight is desired across the width of the belt, the groove is essentially absent so that the bottom surface of the camming member pivots and rises to a flat and essentially horizontal orientation along the track or platform surface, pushing upwardly one connecting pin along the width of the belt and thus creating a roof-shaped raised flight from the two adjacent module rows for moving conveyed products along with the belt, with the belt held generally flat forward and aft of the raised flight by the hold-down devices.