Patent ID: 6170646
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
In a conveyor system having guide rollers around which a conveyor belt moves, the conveyor belt having a bottom surface that contacts the guide rollers as the conveyor belt moves around the guide rollers, the guide rollers moving the conveyor belt essentially horizontally or at an incline and a curvilinear structure encompassing the conveyor belt for at least a portion of the conveyor system, the structure having an entrance end and an exit end, the conveyor belt entering the structure through the entrance end and exiting the structure through the exit end, and a cleated belt, the improvement comprising:a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of cleats attached to the top surface of the conveyor belt, the cleats extending perpendicular from the top surface of the conveyor belt and forming a front end and a back end, the cleats containing slits, each slit having two parallel sides and defining an opening in the front end of adjacent cleats and an exit at the back end of the adjacent cleats, the slit being formed into the cleats such that the slit is tapered from a first position in the opening in the front end of the cleats to a different second position in the back end of the cleats, the slits enabling the cleats to transform from a flat surface of a conveyor belt to the curvilinear structure to create a wall preventing the backflow of materials along the conveyor belt within the curvilinear structure.