BELT WITH TRAINING RIBS TO FACILITATE THE SELFADAPTATION TO THE CONVEYOR SYSTEM

Abstract: A belt (10) for use in a conveyor system has ribs (12, 14, 23, 24, 26, 30) to aid in the training of the belt. The invention comprises a belt (10) with a body (18) having an inner surface (16), an outer surface, and a first set of longitudinal ribs (12, 14, 23) disposed on the inner surface (16) of the belt. The ribs function to lessen the surface area of the belt contacting a roller (32) of the system during the training period. Accordingly, the new belt adheres to the rollers of the conveyor system less aggressively, reducing lateral coplanar forces having the potential to damage the belt and/or the conveyor system. The height of the ribs with respect to the body diminishes over time due to normal frictional wear during the use of the belt in the conveyor system. In some embodiments, the belt includes a second set of ribs (24, 26, 30) disposed on the outer surface (28) of the belt. The height of the second set of ribs with respect to the body also diminishes over time due to normal frictional wear during the use of the belt in the conveyor system. The sets of ribs may comprise two ribs (12, 14, 24, 26) running along the edges (20, 22) of the belt. A wider belt may require additional ribs (23, 30) located between the two edge ribs. The belt may be used in a system of rollers (32) and training guides (34). The training guides (34) function to maintain the alignment of the belt with respect to the rollers.

Description: BELT WITH TRAINING RIBS TO FACILITATE THE SELFADAPTATION TO THE CONVEYOR SYSTEM 1. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates in general to belts used on conveyor systems, and more specifically to a belt having ribs to reduce the surface area of the belt contacting the rollers of a conveyor system during a training period. New belts installed in conveyor systems typically require a breaking-in or training period before they operate efficiently within the system. A new belt tends to aggressively adhere to the rollers of the conveyor system producing lateral coplanar forces. Often, mechanical tracking aids used to train and track the belt cannot adequately compensate for these forces resulting in potential damage to the belt and/or conveyor system. 2. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention in a broad aspect addresses the problems and shortcomings mentioned above. More specifically, the invention comprises a belt with a body having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a first set of longitudinal ribs disposed on the inner surface of the belt. Normal frictional wear between the ribs and the rollers in a conveyor system results in the eventual diminishing of the height of the ribs with respect to the body, leaving the inner surface of the body of the belt essentially in full contact with the rollers of the conveyor system. In some embodiments, the belt includes a second set of ribs disposed on the outer surface of the belt. These height of these ribs also diminishes with respect to the body leaving the outer surface of the body of the belt essentially in full contact with the rollers of the conveyor system. The sets of ribs may comprise two ribs running along the edges of the belt. A wider belt may require additional ribs located between the two edge ribs. The belt may be used in a system of rollers and training guides. The training guides function to maintain the alignment of the belt with respect to the rollers. 3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figures la through Id are pictorial views of belts of the invention. Figure 2a is a top view of a portion of a conveyor system showing a roller, belt, and a training guide. Figure 2b is a cross-section of Figure 2a taken along line AA. Figure 3a and 3b are end views of a conveyor system before and after belt training. Figure 4 is a side view of a system of rollers, showing a possible belt path. Figures 5a through 5c are pictorial views of alternate rib designs for belts of the invention. The invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the terminology and phraseology employed herein is for purpose of description and illustration and should not be regarded as limiting. Like reference numerals are used to indicate like components. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below as it may be implemented using standard engineering design techniques. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions will typically be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, and such decisions can be expected to vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort may be complex and time-consuming, but will nevertheless be a routine undertaking of system design for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings, and first to FIG. la, a belt 10 is shown. A pair of longitudinal inner ribs 12, 14 are shown on the inner surface 16 of the belt body 18 located near the edges 20, 22 of the belt. In FIG. lb, a third inner rib 23 is located on the inner surface 16 intermediate the two inner ribs 12, 14. FIG. lc shows a belt similar to that of FIG. la including an additional set of outer ribs 24, 26 disposed on the outer surface 28 of the belt body 18 near the edges 20, 22. FIG. Id shows a belt similar to that of FIG. lb including outer ribs 24, 26 and a third outer rib 30 intermediate the two outer ribs 24, 26. New belts installed in conveyor systems typically require a breaking-in or training period before they operate efficiently within the system. A new belt tends to aggressively adhere to the rollers of the conveyor system producing lateral coplanar forces. Often, mechanical tracking aids that are used to train and track such belts cannot adequately compensate for these forces resulting in the potential for damage to the belt and/or the conveyor system. The purpose of the ribs 12, 14, 23, 24, 26, 30 illustrated in FIG. la through FIG. Id is described by referring to FIGS. 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b. The belt of FIG. lc will be used for illustration. FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b show a portion of a conveyor system 31 comprising a roller 32 and a training guide 34. The belt 10 passes over the roller 32. The training guide 34 maintains the position of the belt 10 with respect to the roller 32. The ribs 12, 14 contact the roller surface 36. Because the ribs extend above the inner surface 16, a portion of the belt body 18 does not contact the roller surface 36. In effect, the surface area of the belt 10 that contacts the roller surface 36 is reduced as compared to a belt without ribs. Because less surface area of the belt 10 contacts the roller surface 36, the belt 10 adheres less to the roller surface 36 and less lateral forces are exerted on the training guide 34 and other parts of the conveyor system 31. Accordingly, the likelihood of damaging the belt 10 and/or the conveyor system 31 is reduced. The training guide 34 is adjusted during the training period to maintain the position of the belt 10. FIG. 3a shows a side view of a belt 10 passing over a roller 32. The ribs 12, 14 contact the roller surface 36. For clarity, training guide 34 is not illustrated. As the belt 10 is operated within the conveyor system 31, the height of the ribs 12, 14 diminishes due to normal frictional wear. The ribs 12, 14 may be made of the same material as the belt. If faster wear of the ribs 12, 14 is desired, the ribs 12, 14 may be made of a material that has a lesser resistance to wear as compared to the body 18 of the belt. In either case, the height of the ribs 12, 14 will be gradually diminished due to normal frictional wear such that, for practical purposes, the inner surface 16 of the belt is in contact with the roller surface 36 as shown in FIG. 3b. In one embodiment of the invention the belt body 18 is a conveyor or round hay baler belt made from a multiplied carcass of thermoplastic with fabric reinforcement (e.g. nylon, polyester, or the like) and a synthetic rubber cover. In one embodiment of the invention the ribs 12, 14 are made of a similar rubber compound as the covering rubber, or if increased wear is necessary, a bondable, yet different compound may be used. For example, the body 18 may comprise a base polymer such as urethane and the ribs 12, 14 may be made from a base of ethylene-propylene diene monomer (EPDM) having a lower resistance to wear. Also, synthetic rubber such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) can have a reduced abrasion resistance due to compounding. Extending the SBR compound with processing oil or reducing the amount of SBR polymer in the recipe can each reduce the abrasion resistance. Of course, those skilled in the art will immediately recognize that different materials for both the belt and the ribs can be selected to accomplish the purpose of this invention. The ribs 12, 14 may be formed as an integral part of the body 18 of the belt by applying pressure to force the covering material into a mold and heating the material in a vulcanizing process. The time period required to essentially wear away the ribs 12, 14 is preferably greater than the time period required to train the belt 10 on the conveyor system 31. Thus during the time it takes to train the belt 10, the belt 10 will not grip the roller surface 36 as aggressively, and the likelihood of the lateral forces exerted by the belt causing damage to the belt 10 and/or the conveyor system 31 is reduced. The belts 10 shown in FIG. la through FIG. Id have different applications depending on the design of the conveyor system 31. FIG. 4 shows an example of portion of a conveyor system 31 having a plurality of rollers 32. Due to the serpentine nature of the conveyor system 31, both the inner surface 16 and the outer surface 28 interface with the rollers 32. Accordingly, ribs 12, 14 are present on the inner surface 16 and ribs 24, 26 are present on the outer surface 28. The training process of the belt 10 is essentially the same as the training process described above. Over time, the height of the ribs 12, 14, 24, 26 will diminish due to normal frictional wear, eventually leaving the inner surface 16 and the outer surface 28 in contact with the rollers 32. FIG. 5a through FIG. 5c show examples of alternate rib shape embodiments of the invention. The shape of the ribs 12, 24 shown in FIG. 5a is generally rectangular. FIG. 5b shows ribs 12, 24 having alternating ridges 38 and corresponding channels 40 running the longitudinal length of the rib. FIG. 5c shows ribs 12, 24 generally following a longitudinal path along the length of the belt 10. Along that longitudinal path, the ribs 12, 24 follow a wavy pattern. In the context of this specification wavy is defined as a path comprising alternating lateral divergences from the generally longitudinal path. A curved, wavy pattern is shown, but other divergent paths, for example a zigzag path, are contemplated and within the scope of the term wavy. The belts 10 having two ribs in each set, such as those shown in FIG. la and FIG. lc are preferably used in applications where the belt 10 is less that about 16 inches in width. In cases where the width of the belt 10 is greater than about 16 inches additional ribs are preferred. The belts 10 shown in FIG. lb and FIG. lc are examples of such belts. One or more ribs 23, 30 placed in positions intermediate the ribs 12, 14, 24, 26 near the edges 20, 22 are contemplated depending on the width of the belt. Preferably, the height of each of the ribs 12, 14, 23, 26, 26, 30 is about 0.025 inches above the respective inner surface 16 or outer surface 28. The width of each of the ribs 12, 14, 23, 26, 26, 30 is about 0.05 to 0.1 times the width of the belt 10 in preferred embodiments. Other rib heights and widths are contemplated depending on the design requirements of the particular conveyor system. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure that numerous variations from the foregoing illustrations will be possible without departing from the inventive concept described herein. Accordingly, it is the claims set forth below, and not merely the foregoing illustration, which are intended to define the exclusive rights claimed in this application.

Claims: 5. CLAIMS 1. A belt, comprising a body having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a first plurality of longitudinal ribs disposed on said inner surface extending substantially the entire length of said body, wherein the height of said first plurality of ribs diminishes with respect to said body during the use of said belt in a conveyor system due to frictional wear. 2. A belt, as set forth in Claim 1 , wherein said body has first and second opposing edges, and said first plurality of ribs comprises a first rib disposed on said inner surface adjacent the first edge of said body and a second rib disposed on said inner surface adjacent the second edge of said body. 3. A belt, as set forth in Claim 2, wherein said first plurality of ribs further comprises a third rib disposed on said inner surface of said body between said first and second ribs. 4. A belt, as set forth in Claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of longitudinal ribs disposed on said outer surface extending substantially the entire length of said body, wherein the height of said second plurality of ribs diminishes with respect to said body during the use of said belt in a conveyor system due to frictional wear 5. A belt, as set forth in Claim 4, wherein said body has first and second opposing edges, and said second plurality of ribs comprises a first rib disposed on said outer surface of said body adjacent the first edge and a second rib disposed on said outer surface of said body adjacent the second edge of said body. 6. A belt, as set forth in Claim 5, wherein said second plurality of ribs further comprises a third rib disposed on said outer surface of said body between said first and second ribs. 7. A belt, as set forth in Claim 1, wherein each of said first plurality of ribs has a height of about 0.025 inches above said inner surface of said body. 8. A belt, as set forth in Claim 1, wherein each of said first plurality of ribs has a width of about 0.05 to 0.1 times the width of said body. 9. A belt, as set forth in Claim 4, wherein each of said second plurality of ribs has a height of about 0.025 inches above said inner surface of said body. 10. A belt, as set forth in Claim 4, wherein each of said second plurality of ribs has a width of about 0.05 to 0.1 times the width of said body. 11. A belt, as set forth in Claim 1 , wherein each of said first plurality of ribs comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges and corresponding channels extending essentially the entire length of each said rib. 12. A belt, as set forth in Claim 1, wherein each of said first plurality of ribs follows a wavy path. 13. A belt, as set forth in Claim 4, wherein each of said first plurality of ribs comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges and corresponding channels extending essentially the entire length of each said rib. 14. A belt, as set forth in Claim 4, wherein each of said first plurality of ribs follows a wavy path. 15. A belt, as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said body is constructed of a first material, said first plurality of ribs is constructed of a second material, and said first material has a greater resistance to wear than said second material. 16. A belt, as set forth in Claim 4, wherein said body is constructed of a first material, said second plurality of ribs is constructed of a second material, and said first material has a greater resistance to wear than said second material. 17. A conveyor system, comprising: a) a belt, said belt comprising a body having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a first plurality of longitudinal ribs disposed on said inner surface extending substantially the entire length of said body, and b) a plurality of rollers, at least one of said rollers contacting said first plurality of ribs during traverse of said belt through said conveyor system, wherein the height of said first plurality of ribs diminishes with respect to said body due to frictional wear between said first plurality of ribs and said rollers. 18. A conveyor system, as set forth in Claim 17, including at least one training guide aiding in the positioning of said belt with respect to said rollers. 19. A conveyor system, as set forth in Claim 17, wherein said belt further comprises a second plurality of longitudinal ribs disposed on said outer surface extending substantially the entire length of said body, at least one of said rollers contacts said second plurality of ribs during traverse of said belt through said conveyor system, and the height of said second plurality of ribs diminishes with respect to said body due to frictional wear between said second plurality of ribs and said rollers. 20. A method for training a belt on a conveyor system, the conveyor system comprising a belt, a plurality of rollers, and a first training guide, the belt having a body with an inner surface, an outer surface, and a first plurality of longitudinal ribs disposed on the inner surface extending substantially the entire length of the body, the method comprising the steps of: a) installing the belt on the conveyor system such that the first plurality of ribs contacts at least a first roller; b) adjusting the first training guide to maintain the alignment of the belt with respect to the plurality of rollers; and c) operating the conveyor system and repeating step (b) until the height of the first plurality of ribs diminishes through normal frictional wear such that essentially the entire inner surface of the belt contacts the first roller. 21. A method for training a belt on a conveyor system, the conveyor system comprising a belt, a plurality of rollers, and a first training guide, the belt having a body with an inner surface, an outer surface, a first plurality of longitudinal ribs disposed on the inner surface extending substantially the entire length of the body, and a second plurality of longitudinal ribs disposed on the outer surface extending substantially the entire length of the body, the method comprising the steps of: a) installing the belt on the conveyor system such that the first plurality of ribs contacts at least a first roller; b) installing the belt on the conveyor system such that the second plurality of ribs contacts at least a second roller. c) adjusting the first training guide to maintain the alignment of the belt with respect to the plurality of rollers; and d) operating the conveyor system and repeating step (c) until the height of the first and second pluralities of ribs diminishes through normal frictional wear such that essentially the entire inner surface of the belt contacts the first roller and essentially the entire outer surface of the belt contacts the second roller.

Inventors: ARNOLD D BRINK, ARNOLD, D., BRINK
Applicants: MORRISON COMPANY INC, MORRISON COMPANY, INC.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65G15
IPC codes: B65G15