Abstract:
The current invention is a conveyor belt system and a conveyor belt drive roller and method of making in which the drive roller comprises a cylindrical body having a circumference and opposite ends, a plurality of lug grooves in the cylinder located around the circumference of the cylinder and a belt slot in the cylinder located around the circumference of the cylinder. It is preferred that the belt slot is located adjacent the lug grooves and deeper than the lug grooves. It is also preferred that the lug grooves are formed with inverted tapers which deepen towards the belt slot.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a Continuation-in-Part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/096,793 filed Apr. 1, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,457 which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to conveying devices. Specifically, this invention relates to an improved conveyor belt drive roller. 
   Conveyor belt systems for moving goods are well known in the art. The standard conveyor belt system has a conveyor support assembly, a drive roller, a tail roller, and a conveyor belt stretched between the two rollers. The drive roller is attached to a motor or engine system which turns the drive roller. Since the conveyor belt is stretched between the drive roller and the tail roller, the action of the rotating drive roller moves the conveyor belt in a linear fashion between the drive roller and the tail roller. As a result, objects which are placed on the conveyor belt move along the path of the belt from one end to the other. 
   Traditionally, the drive rollers for these systems were elongated cylindrical devices which rotated about an axis and were connected to a driving force. The surface of the cylinder device was generally smooth and relied upon the friction between the cylinder surface and the conveyor belt which was typically rubber to provide the driving force to drive the belt. Over the years, improvements have been made to increase the driving force of the belt through devices such as knurling the drive roller and forming a belt groove into the drive roller, and attaching a belt, such as a V-belt, to the bottom or inside of the conveyor belt which road in the belt groove and gave greater driving force and reduced axial and linear sliding of the conveyor belt on the drive roller. A further improvement to the conveying system is shown in Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0089519 A1 where a conveyor belt has a plurality of belt teeth or lugs and a plurality of recesses or grooves on the drive roller, therefore the drive roller grooves receive the belt lugs and give an even more positive driving force for the belt. 
   One of the problems of the prior art is that if a traditional flat drive roller is used, only a traditional flat bottomed conveyor belt can be used on that system. With a belt conveyor system or a belt teeth/lug system is used, then only that belt or a traditional flat conveyor belt can be used with the corresponding drive roller. In other words, a belt conveyor belt cannot be used on a lug-type drive roller and visa versa. This creates a need to keep on hand multiple conveyor belts which mate specifically with the conveyor system&#39;s drive pulley. 
   In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to have a universal conveyor drive roller which will work with any of the aforementioned types of conveyor belts. 
   The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved conveyor belt drive roller. 
   A further feature of the present invention is a drive roller which is easy to wash down and clean out of by-products that could possibly accumulate on the conveyor belt. 
   A further objective of the present invention is a conveying system which is capable of using traditional or improved conveyor belts. 
   A further objective of the current invention is a method of creating a universal drive roller for a conveyor belt system. 
   A further objective of the current invention is a provision of a conveyor belt drive roller which is economical to manufacture, durable in use, and efficient in operation. 
   One or more of these or other objects, features or advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims that follow. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One or more of the foregoing may be achieved by a roller for driving a conveyor belt, comprising a cylindrical body having a circumference and opposite ends, a plurality of lug grooves in the cylinder located around the circumference of the cylinder and a belt slot in the cylinder located around the circumference of the cylinder. The belt slot may be located adjacent the lug grooves and may be deeper than the lug grooves. The lug grooves are preferred to be formed with inverted tapers which deepen toward the belt slot. The belt slot is preferred to receive a V-belt placed on an underneath side of a conveyor belt and the lug grooves are configured to receive lugs which are placed on an underneath side of a conveyor belt. 
   One or more of the foregoing may also be achieved by a conveyor belt system combination comprising a conveyor support assembly, the conveyor support assembly comprising a drive roller and a follower roller each configured to rotate, a belt stretched around the drive roller and the tail roller, the driver roller operatively connected to a drive motor, and the driver roller configured as a cylindrical body having a circumference and opposite ends, a plurality of lug grooves in the cylinder located around the circumference of the cylinder, and a belt slot in the cylinder located around the circumference of the cylinder. 
   One or more of the foregoing may also be achieved by a method of creating a universal conveyor belt drive roller comprising the steps of providing a cylindrical body with a circumference, forming a plurality of lug grooves in the cylinder around the circumference of the cylinder and forming a belt slot in the cylinder around the circumference of the cylinder. It is preferred that the belt slot be adjacent the lug grooves and formed with inverted tapers which deepen towards the belt slot. 
   A few terms need to be explained in this application. The word conveyor belt in this application is considered to mean a continuous-looped belt as is standard in the art. The word lugs is used within this application to describe protrusions extending on the underside of a conveyor belt. The term inverted taper, as used in this application, generally refers to a taper or slight angle of a surface which extends inward with respect to the part it is on. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of one embodiment of a conveyor system assembly using the drive pulley of the current invention. 
       FIG. 2  shows an end view of the conveyor belt system assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a sectional view of the conveyor belt system assembly of  FIG. 1  taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  shows one embodiment of a conveyor belt drive roller of the current invention. 
       FIG. 5  shows one embodiment of a conveyor belt drive roller of the current invention engaging a conveyor belt. 
       FIG. 6  shows an end view of the conveyor belt drive roller engaging a conveyor belt shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a sectional view of the drive roller engaging a conveyor belt of  FIG. 5  taken along lines  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8  shows a top view of the drive roller of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 9  shows a side view of the drive roller of  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 10  shows a sectional view of the drive roller of  FIG. 8  taken along lines  10 - 10 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   One embodiment of a belt conveyor system assembly  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The convey system assembly  10  of the current invention can be used for conveying any goods, whether they be commercial goods, industrial goods, food goods, or etc. 
   The conveyor belt  12  shown in the figures is constructed with belt lugs  36 . These lugs  36  give extra driving force for a more positive traction belt  12  and also help to keep the belt  12  centered on the drive roller  14  and the follower roller  16 . 
   The conveyor support assembly  18  shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  can be configured in any form. The conveyor support assembly  18  in this embodiment, is configured with roller bearings  20 , which allow both the drive roller  14  and the follower roller  16  to rotate about an axis. The belt tightening assembly  22  is used for keeping tension on the conveyor belt  12  so that the belt does not slip with respect to the drive roller  14 . The belt tightening assembly can be affixed to tighten either the drive roller  14 , the follower roller  16 , an idler roller (not shown), or other similar method of tightening the conveyor belt  12 . 
   This embodiment of the belt conveyor system assembly  10  is shown with a drive roller drive wheel  24  which connects to a roller shaft  26  on the drive roller  14 . The drive roller drive wheel  24  is affixed to the roller shaft  26  in such a way that the drive roller drive wheel receives power through a belt drive system connected to a motor (not shown). However, it is contemplated that the drive roller  14  can be connected to any type of device such as, but not limited to, a motor, engine, transmission, belt drive, chain drive, shaft drive, or other system capable of causing the drive roller  14  to rotate. It is also preferred that the drive roller drive wheel  24  be held tight to, and non-rotating with respect to the drive roller  14  via a roller shaft drive groove  34 , such as a standard keyway which is commonly used in the art. However, set screws, welds, notches, adhesives, bolts or other means may be used for holding a drive roller drive wheel  24  tight to the drive roller  14  to prevent slippage as the drive roller  14  is being rotated. 
   As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the follower roller  16  is preferred to be constructed as a cylinder with a roller lug slot  28  and two shafts  26 . The shafts  26  should rotate freely about an axis with the aid of the roller bearings  20 . The follower roller lug slot  28  is preferred to be an indention in the cylinder of the follower roller  16  which goes around the circumference of the follower roller  16 . The purpose of the follower roller lug slot  28  is to allow the conveyor system assembly  10  to be used with a standard flat bottom conveyor belt (not shown), a conveyor belt with a belt drive, such as a V-belt affixed to the underneath side of the conveyor belt, or a conveyor belt  12  with belt lugs  36 . A standard flat bottom conveyor belt can be used with the follower roller lug slot  28  in any location on the follower roller  16 . However, for a belt drive conveyor belt or a conveyor belt with lugs  12  to be used, the belt lugs  36  or the belt should align with the follower roller lug slot  28 . This alignment, allows the conveyor belt  12  to travel around the follower roller  16  without the belt lugs  36  or the drive belt (not shown) interfering with the travel or pushing outward on the conveyor belt as the belt travels around the roller  16 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 1  and  FIGS. 3-10 , the drive roller  14  is preferred to be formed with multiple drive roller lug grooves  30  and a drive roller belt slot  32 . In addition, it is preferred that the drive roller  14  be configured with a roller shaft  26  extending from each end of the drive roller  14 . In addition, a roller shaft drive groove  34  can be used in connection with a drive roller drive wheel  24  and a standard key to prevent slippage during operation of the drive roller  14 . 
   The drive roller lug grooves  30  should be configured to mate with the belt lugs  36 . As seen in the preferred embodiment, the belt lugs  36  are an elongated rounded body with rounded ends. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the drive roller  14  the drive roller lug grooves  30  are configured to mate with this shape. This gives a positive, slip resistant drive capability for the drive roller  14  with respect the conveyor belt  12 . Any desired shape can be used for the belt lugs  36  and the corresponding drive roller lug grooves  30 . In fact, the belt lugs  36  and the drive roller lug grooves  30  do not have to be the same shape so long as the belt lugs  36  fit into the drive roller lug grooves  30 . 
   The preferred embodiment of the invention also has a drive roller belt slot  32  formed in the drive roller  14 . This belt slot  32  goes around the circumference of the drive roller  14 . The purpose of the drive roller belt slot  32  allows the drive roller  14  of the current invention to be used with a standard conveyor belt with a belt, such as a V-belt, incorporated into the bottom side of the conveyor belt. As is standard in the art, belt drive conveying systems help give added traction and force to a drive roller and also help keep the conveyor belt located axially on the drive roller. It is preferred that the drive roller belt slot  32  be configured to mate with a standard V-belt. However, other types of belt slots  32  can be used with the current invention. 
   It is preferred, but not necessary that the drive roller belt slot  32  be located in connection with the drive roller lug grooves  30  as shown in the figures. However, the drive roller lug grooves  30  and the drive roller belt slot  32  can be located on the drive roller  14  in different locations. In fact, multiple drive roller belt slots  32  and multiple sets of drive roller lug grooves  30  can be used on the same drive roller  14  corresponding to a configuration of the desired belt to be used on the system. 
   As seen in  FIGS. 6-10 , the drive roller lug grooves  30  are preferred to have rounded ends  38 . These rounded ends  38  allow the drive roller  14  to accurately mate with a conveyor belt with lugs  12 . In addition, the rounded ends  38  reduce containments sticking in corners of the drive roller lug grooves  30 . Furthermore, the rounded ends  38  allow for easy cleanout of contaminants within the drive roller lug grooves  30 . 
   It is also preferred, but not necessary, that the drive roller lug grooves  30  be constructed with an inverted taper  40  so that the groove  30  follows inward towards the center of the drive roller  14  as it reaches the linear center of the lug groove  30 . This allows for easier cleaning of contaminants within the lug grooves  30  because when being wash with high pressure wash, the contaminants are forced away from the high pressure and travel along the taper  40  towards the roller belt slot  32 . Once, contaminants are in the belt slot  32  they are easily washed away with high pressure wash. 
   Additionally, having the inverted taper  40  in the roller lug grooves  32  allows for automatic cleaning of the grooves  30  as the belt lugs  36  travel in and out of the lug grooves  30  during use. This is done by the fact that as the belt lug  36  enters the lug groove  30 , it gets pressed into the lug groove  30  and any contaminants in the groove  30  are pushed inward toward the center of the drive roller  14  and therefore migrate towards the belt slot  32 . The contaminants which end up in the belt slot  32  are more likely to fall out of the belt slot  32 . Thus, self cleaning of the lug grooves  30  is accomplished. 
   With the drive roller  14  being constructed with drive roller lug grooves  30  and a drive roller belt slot  32 , a single drive roller  14  can be used with conventional flat-bottom conveyor belts, belt drive or V-belt drive conveyor belts, and lug-drive conveyor belts  12 . Therefore, it is not necessary to continually stock every type of conveyor belt for use on a conveyor system assembly. In other words, if a belt fails, whatever belt is available will work with the current drive roller  14 . 
   The drive roller  14  and the follower roller  16  are preferred to be made from stainless steel or other material suitable of withstanding the forces upon them. The shape, grooves, slots, etc. of the drive roller  14  and the follower roller  16  can be milled, molded, or otherwise formed by any suitable method. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4A , the drive roller  14  can be constructed from a hollow tube or pipe. Roller end caps  42  can hold the roller shaft  26  to the roller  14  with one or more weld joints  44 . This design allows a roller  14  to be constructed less constly than from a solid material. In addition, the end caps  42  and weld joints  44  can add strength to the roller  14 . 
   The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.