Conveying apparatus having a modular conveying belt and at least one toothed drive wheel

Abstract

The conveyor has a modular conveyor belt (1) consisting of several modules (2) each with a plate-shaped module body (21). Tw series of link-eyelet elements (22,23) protrude from two opposite sides of the module body and each comprise a link-eyelet (221,231). Two adjacent modules interlock and are joined by a bar (3) going through the eyelets. At least one drive cog wheel (4 has teeth (41,42) driving the conveyor belt. At least one drive cog wheel has two series of teeth distributed over the periphery with the teeth of the two series staggered in relation to each other.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A conveying apparatus having a modular conveying belt ( 1 ,  101 ) which is made up of a plurality of modules ( 2 ,  102 ) and a first and second series of articulation-eyelet elements ( 22 ,  23 ,  122 ,  123 ) which project from two opposite sides of a module body ( 21 ,  121 ) and each comprise an articulation eyelet ( 221 ,  231 ,  126 ,  127 ), in which two adjacent modules ( 2 ,  102 ) interengage and are articulated on one another by an articulation rod ( 3 ,  103 ) which passes through the articulation eyelets ( 221 ,  231 ,  126 ,  127 ) of one articulation-eyelet-element series of the adjacent modules ( 2 ,  102 ), and having at least one toothed drive wheel ( 4 ,  104 ) with teeth ( 41 ,  42 ,  141 ,  142 ) for driving the conveying belt ( 1 ,  101 ), characterized in that the modules ( 2 ,  102 ) and the at least one toothed drive wheel ( 4 ,  104 ) are designed and arranged such that, during driving of the conveying belt ( 1 ,  101 ), the teeth ( 41 ,  42 ,  141 ,  142 ) each engage against an articulation-eyelet-element of a first module and are positioned between two adjacent articulation-eyelet elements ( 22 ,  23 ,  122 ,  123 ) of a second module ( 2 ,  102 ) forming direct lateral guides for the modular conveying belt. 
     
     
       2. Conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that on each module one transverse rib ( 24 ) is arranged on the underside of the module bodies ( 21 ), transversely to the conveying direction, and, during driving of the conveying belt ( 1 ), the teeth ( 41 ,  42 ) of the toothed drive wheel ( 4 ) engage against said transverse ribs ( 24 ). 
     
     
       3. Conveying apparatus according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the articulation-eyelet elements ( 22 ,  23 ,  122 ,  123 ) each have a part extending directly on the underside of the module body ( 21 ,  121 ). 
     
     
       4. Conveying apparatus according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the underside of the module bodies ( 21 ,  121 ) is smooth apart from the transverse rib ( 24 ) and the parts of the articulation-eyelet elements ( 22 ,  23 ,  122 ,  123 ) which extend directly on the underside of the module body ( 21 ,  121 ). 
     
     
       5. Conveying apparatus according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the at least one toothed drive wheel ( 4 ,  104 ) has two series of teeth ( 41 ,  42 ,  141 ,  142 ) distributed over the circumference, the teeth ( 41 ,  141 ) of one series and the teeth ( 42 ,  142 ) of the other series being offset with respect to one another laterally and in the circumferential direction, with the result that, during driving of the conveying belt ( 1 ,  101 ), the transverse ribs ( 24 ) each end up between one tooth ( 41 ,  141 ) of one series and one tooth ( 42 ,  142 ) of the other series. 
     
     
       6. Conveying apparatus according to  claim 5 , characterized in that one tooth ( 41 ,  141 ) of one series and one tooth ( 42 ,  142 ) of the other series are arranged on a planar surface ( 43 ) of its drive wheel, in which the ends of the two teeth ( 41 ,  42 ,  141 ,  142 ) which are directed away from one another in the conveying direction extend as far as a border of the surface ( 43 ), and the two teeth ( 41 ,  42 ,  141 ,  142 ) arranged on a surface ( 43 ) are preferably of the same shape but have been rotated through 180° in a horizontal plane with respect to one another. 
     
     
       7. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 5  wherein each tooth of one series of teeth has a curved surface which engages against a matching curved surface of the articulation-eyelet element of the first module and wherein each tooth of the other series of teeth further has a planar drive surface which engages against matching planar drive surface of the transverse rib of the second module. 
     
     
       8. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 5  wherein each tooth in the two series of teeth have a curved surface which engages against a matching curved surface of the articulation-eyelet element of the first module and a third module and further having a planar drive surface which engages against a matching planar drive surface of the transverse rib of the second module with the teeth of one series having the curved tooth surface facing in a forward direction and the planar drive surface facing in a rearward direction and wherein the teeth of the other series have the curved tooth surface facing in a rearward direction and the planar drive surface facing in a forward direction so that the modular conveyor belt is capable of being driven in both a forward and a rearward direction. 
     
     
       9. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the transverse rib has a trapezoidal cross-section. 
     
     
       10. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the transverse rib engaged by the teeth is planar. 
     
     
       11. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the teeth which engages against the transverse rib is planar. 
     
     
       12. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the transverse rib engaged by the teeth is planar to match a similarly planar drive surface of the teeth. 
     
     
       13. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the matching planar surface of the transverse rib and the planar drive surface of the teeth are inclined with respect to an upper surface of the module. 
     
     
       14. Conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, during driving of the conveying belt ( 101 ), the teeth ( 141 ,  142 ) of the toothed drive wheel ( 104 ) are positioned against the articulation-eyelet elements ( 122 ,  123 ). 
     
     
       15. A conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the toothed drive wheel has at least two laterally and circumferentially offset series of teeth ( 41 ,  42 ,  141 ,  142 ) distributed over the circumference. 
     
     
       16. The conveying apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the articulation-eyelet elements engaged by the teeth is curved. 
     
     
       17. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least that a portion of the teeth which engages against articulation-eyelet elements is curved. 
     
     
       18. The conveyor apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the articulation-eyelet elements engaged by the teeth is curved to match a similarly curved drive surface of the teeth. 
     
     
       19. Conveying apparatus having a modular conveying belt ( 1 ,  101 ) which is made up of a plurality of modules ( 2 ,  102 ) and a first and second series of articulation-eyelet elements ( 22 ,  23 ,  122 ,  123 ) which project from two opposite sides of a module body ( 21 ,  121 ) and each comprise an articulation eyelet ( 221 ,  231 ,  126 ,  127 ), in which two adjacent modules ( 2 ,  102 ) interengage and are articulated on one another by an articulation rod ( 3 ,  103 ) which passes through the articulation eyelets ( 221 ,  231 ,  126 ,  127 ) of one articulation-eyelet-element series of the adjacent modules ( 2 ,  102 ), wherein each module has a transverse rib provided on the underside of the module body, transversely to the conveying direction, and having a toothed drive wheel ( 4 ,  104 ) with teeth ( 41 ,  42 ,  141 ,  142 ) for driving the conveying belt ( 1 ,  101 ), the drive wheel having two series of teeth ( 41 ,  42 ,  141 ,  142 ) distributed over the circumference, the teeth ( 41 ,  141 ) of one series and the teeth ( 42 ,  142 ) of the other series being offset with respect to one another laterally and in the circumferential direction, and wherein each tooth in two series of teeth have a curved surface which engages against a matching curved surface of the articulation-eyelet element of the first module and a third module and further having a planar drive surface which engages against a matching planar drive surface of the transverse rib of a second module with the teeth of one series having the curved tooth surface facing in a forward direction and the planar drive surface facing in a rearward direction and wherein the teeth of the other series having the curved tooth surface facing in a rearward direction and the planar drive surface facing in a forward direction so that the modular conveyor belt is capable of being driven in both a forward and a rearward direction.