Wire plate conveyor belt

A conveyor belt includes a plurality of spaced rods transversely disposed with respect to a direction of travel and a plurality of plate elements overlying at least some of the rods so as to provide a support surface which imparts a predetermined marking or lack of marking to the product being conveyed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a conveyor belt, more particularly to a wire conveyor belt, and still more particularly, to a wire conveyor belt having a plurality of plates thereover that are designed to provide a predetermined marking or lack of marking to a product being conveyed thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wire conveyor belts have been in the market for many years. Wire conveyor belts are ideal for material handling, cooking, icing, slicing breading, cooling, filling, inspecting, and packing of products like breads, rolls, buns, donuts, confections, cakes, pies, pastries, light loads of meat, seafood, poultry, and processed products. They are also excellent for light-duty applications in metalworking and other industries. The simple, open design of wire conveyor belts provides efficient operation with minimum maintenance and easy cleanup to meet sanitation requirements. With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, wire conveyor belt10comprises a plurality of metal rods16interconnected by a plurality of knuckles18formed at the rod ends. In conveyor belt10, it is the rods16which support the product to be conveyed and hold the components of the belt together by way of the knuckle edge configuration.

It has been found in some instances that the rods of a wire conveyor belt can leave a mark on the product that runs on top of the belt. The markings may become even more prominent if the product is heated while it is on the belt or put under pressure, or if the product being conveyed is naturally soft or pliable. Since product appearance is an important part of any mass produced food item, the marking can be a barrier to the use of a conveyor belt to carry a product that has traditionally not been in contact with a belt and has a smooth surface. On the other hand, since product markings can become part of a product's recognition and even become desirable, controlling the marking on a product being conveyed could be beneficial and conducive to the use of a conveyor belt in most any environment. Still further, the surface of the product could be uneven and forced smooth by the use of a conveyor belt or a pair of opposing conveyor belts.

Accordingly, there exists a need in the marketplace for a wire conveyor belt having a product support surface that produces a predetermined marking, or lack of marking, on the product being conveyed based upon user preference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects are met by a wire conveyor belt including a plurality of spaced rods and a plurality of plate elements disposed overlying at least some of the rods. The plate elements can be generally smooth such that when a product is being conveyed on the support surface no marking occurs from the plate elements or the underlying rods. Alternatively, the plate elements may include a predetermined marking or cut-out section, such as a logo, artistic design, pattern, or other graphic or text message on the upper surface thereof such that when a product is being conveyed on the support surface the marking on the plate element is imparted into the product while it is being conveyed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A conveyor belt in accordance with the present invention is shown generally inFIG. 3by reference numeral100. Conveyor belt100preferably comprises a wire conveyor belt including a plurality of spaced rods110disposed in succession and transversely with respect to a direction of travel T as represented by arrow T of belt100, each rod110having two ends120and130. The rods110are preferably formed from a metal wire, such as stainless steel, AISI T-304, or any similar metal wire. As shown inFIG. 4, the ends120,130of each rod are bent rearwardly a predetermined distance and the terminal ends are curled so as to form a knuckle125and interlock with the adjacent rod110.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, belt100preferably includes a plurality of plate elements140disposed overlying at least some of the rods110. The plate elements140are connected at a rear side thereof to the rods110by a plurality of connector bands150, as best shown inFIG. 6. The plate elements are preferably formed from a metal material, such as stainless steel, or any other material usable in the end use environment. The plate elements could also be formed from a plastic material, such as Acetal. The connector bands150are preferably formed of the same material as the plate elements. During belt fabrication, a plurality of rods110are interconnected at the ends120,130to from an underlying wire belt and plate elements140are secured to the upper surface of the belt so as to define the product support surface150. In a preferred embodiment, each plate element140includes four connector bands150a,150b,150c,150don a trailing edge and three connector bands150e,150f,150gon a leading edge. The plates140can be modified to allow selected sections of product to receive airflow, thereby aiding in heating, cooling or forming of product in an industrial setting.

In accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plate elements140are generally smooth. In this instance, when a product is being conveyed on support surface150, no marking occurs from the plate elements140or the underlying rods110.

In a further preferred embodiment, plate elements140may include a predetermined marking, such as a logo, artistic design, pattern, or other graphic or text message on the upper surface thereof. The marking will preferably be formed by a pattern in the plate element. Thus, when a product is being conveyed on support surface150, the marking on the plate element140is embossed into the product while it is being conveyed. Alternatively, if the plate element140includes a cut-out section that allows uneven heating, marking can occur by scorching of a pattern onto the product during a toasting/cooking application.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment of the present invention, this is by way of illustration for purposes of disclosure rather than to confine the invention to any specific arrangement as there are various alterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, substitutions, omissions and departures which may be made in the particular embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the claims.