Patent ID: 7070043

Claim:
A modular plastic conveyor belt comprising: a series of rows of belt modules, each row extending laterally in width from a first side edge to a second side edge and longitudinally in the direction of belt travel from a leading end to a trailing end; an edge module in each row forming the first side edge of the row, wherein the edge module includes: an edge portion extending generally from the first side edge of the row laterally inward toward the second side edge of the row and including: a first plurality of A-shaped leading hinge members each having a cross bar, a vertex, and first and second legs with laterally aligned holes formed in the legs; a second plurality of A-shaped trailing hinge members each having a cross bar, a vertex, and first and second legs with laterally aligned holes formed in the legs; wherein the second plurality of A-shaped trailing hinge members is offset laterally and extends oppositely from the first plurality of A-shaped hinge members; wherein the vertices of the first plurality of A-shaped hinge members define the leading end of the row and the vertices of the second plurality of A-shaped hinge members define the trailing end of the row; wherein the cross bars of the first plurality of A-shaped hinge members lie along a first imaginary line and the cross bars of the second plurality of A-shaped hinge members lie along a second imaginary line; wherein the first and the second imaginary lines converge inward from the first side edge of the row; a plurality of hinge pins extending through lateral passageways formed by the aligned holes through interleaved leading and trailing hinge members of consecutive rows to interconnect the rows into a conveyor belt.