Patent ID: 7246698

Claim:
A conveyor belt, comprising: (a) a plurality of wire segments, said plurality of wire segments being interconnected to form a conveying surface to convey at least one article from one point to another, said conveying surface having first and second outermost edges, said plurality of wire segments each having the same configuration; (b) each of said plurality of wire segments having a first diameter, a first end, a first open end region, a second end and a second open end region and at least one span disposed between said first open end region and said second open end region, each of said first ends being spaced from a remaining portion of a corresponding wire segment a distance at least equal to said first diameter thereby forming a gap in each of said first end regions having a width at least equal to said first diameter; and, (c) said first open end region of one of said plurality of wire segments being disposed relative to said first open end region of an adjacent wire segment such that said first open end region of said one of said plurality of wire segments closes said first open end region of said adjacent wire segment.