Patent ID: 8739966

Claim:
A flat wire conveyor belt comprising: a plurality of pickets, wherein each picket comprises a first end and a second end, and each picket has a length defining the width of a flat wire conveyor belt; a plurality of linking regions bendably formed and spaced along the length of each picket, wherein each linking region has a first set of holes and a second set of holes; a plurality of first edge linking regions, wherein each first edge linking region is the linking region formed at the first end of the picket, and each first edge linking region comprises a first outer edge hole wherein the first outer edge hole is the hole in the first set of holes formed nearest to the first end of each picket; a plurality of second edge linking regions, wherein each second edge linking region is the linking region formed at the second end of each picket, and each second edge linking region comprises a second outer edge hole wherein the second outer edge hole is the hole in the first set of holes formed nearest to the second end of each picket; a third set of holes located within the spacing between the plurality of linking regions on the plurality of pickets, wherein the third set of holes comprises one or more holes; and a plurality of connecting rods, wherein each connecting rod comprises a first end and a second end, and each connecting rod is configured to pass through the first set of holes of at least one linking region on a first picket and the second set of holes of the at least one linking region on an adjoining picket, and each connecting rod has a length less than the width of the flat wire conveyor belt, thereby reversibly linking two adjoining pickets and incrementally extending a length of the flat wire conveyor belt and wherein the plurality of connecting rods reversibly connect to the picket via the third set of holes.