GB2375091A

GB2375091A - Method of forming a conveyor belt with an engaged edging member

Info

Publication number: GB2375091A
Application number: GB0106832A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Joshua Smith
Original assignee: CHIORINO UK Ltd
Current assignee: CHIORINO UK Ltd
Priority date: 2001-03-20
Filing date: 2001-03-20
Publication date: 2002-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 2021-03-20
Also published as: GB2375091B; GB0106832D0

Abstract

A method of forming a conveyor belt with an engaged edging member 20 comprises providing a conveyor belt 10 with an edge with alternating projections 12 and recesses 14, providing a edging member 20 with cooperating projections 22 and recesses 26 and a second smooth or flat edge 28. The belt 10 and edging member 20 are inter-engaged with, and secured to, one another. The shaping of the projections 12, 22 and recesses 14, 26 may be such that the belt 10 and edging member 20 interlock as in fig.2. The belt 10 may be made of a laminated material, the edging member may be made of a plastics material. The securing process may involve the application of heat and/or adhesive to the belt 10 and edging member 20.

Description

CONVEYOR BELT The present invention relates to conveyor belts, in particular to conveyor belts having protective or other edging and a method for providing conveyor belts with protective or other edging.

Conveyor belts comprising a laminated structure are well known in the art. Typical laminated conveyor belts comprise layers of woven fabric and layers of plastics material. The layers of woven fabric and plastics material are fused together and the composite forms a material with the required strength, flexibility and surface characteristics. A disadvantage of the laminated material described above is the configuration of the edges. The edges may have protruding fibres of the woven fabric.

The protruding fibres can give the impression that a conveyor belt manufactured from such a laminated material is fraying. Further, fibres may separate from the conveyor belt, thus presenting a source of contamination which is very undesirable in many industries, for example food processing. Still further, the edges may present a risk of bodily injury by cutting.

One previously proposed method for covering the edges of conveyor belts comprising a laminated structure involves capping each of the edges along the whole length of the belt using a strip. However, the edges are thin and the method is complex and expensive to implement.

It is an aim of embodiments of the present invention to provide protective or other useful edging for conveyor belts in order to provide one or more benefits in terms of conveyor belt characteristics or manufacture.

t According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for forming a conveyor belt incorporating protective or other edging, the method comprising the steps of :

(a) providing conveyor belt material having a longitudinal edge which has a series of projections separated by a series of recesses (hereinafter"the shaped edge"); (b) providing an edging member having a first edge of complementary shape to that of the shaped edge of the conveyor belt (hereinafter"the complementary edge"), and a second, smooth edge;

t (c) positioning the shaped edge in inter-engaging relation with the complementary edge; (d) securing the conveyor belt material to the edging member with the shaped edge and the complementary edge thus inter-engaged.

Preferably, the shaped edge and the complementary edge are shaped to provide effective resistance to relative motion of the conveyor belt material and the edging member in a longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the shaped edge comprises a series of a V-shaped projections separated by V-shaped recesses to form an edge having a triangle wave shape. In another embodiment, the shaped edge is of saw-tooth shape. In another embodiment, the shaped edge is of castellated shape.

Preferably, the shaped edge and the complementary edge are shaped to interlock with one another and resist separation of the conveyor belt material and the edging member in a transverse direction, as well as in the longitudinal direction.

In one such embodiment, the shaped edge comprises a series of projecting lobes, each lobe shaped like the projection of a jigsaw piece, preferably separated by recesses of identical shape. In another embodiment, the shaped edge comprises a series of Tshaped projections separated by T-shaped recesses, the size and of the projections and recesses preferably being substantially identical.

Suitably, the conveyor belt material provided in step (a) comprises a laminated material, preferably comprising layers of plastics material and fabric. However, in some situations no fabric ply is included.

Preferably, the edging member provided in step (b) comprises a plastics material.

Preferably the plastics material comprises polyvinyl chloride or polyurethane.

I Preferably plastics materials referred to herein are thermoplastics materials.

Preferably, the positioning of step (c) positions the edging member and the conveyor belt material in substantially the same plane. Preferably there is no step at the interface between them.

Preferably, in step (d) the joining of a conveyor belt material to the edging member is achieved by the application of heat to the areas of the conveyor belt material and/or the edging member adjacent to the interface between them. The application of heat to the areas of the conveyor belt and/or the edging member adjacent to the interface may be by exposure of the areas to infra-red radiation, absorbed and converted to heat. The application of heat to the areas of the conveyor belt material and/or the edging member adjacent to the interface may be by the passage of heated fluid over the areas. The application of heat to the areas of the conveyor belt material and/or the edging member adjacent to the interface may be by contact of a heated body, for example a heated roller, over the areas. The application of heat to the areas of the conveyor belt material and/or the edging member adjacent to the interface may be by any combination of the abovementioned methods.

In step (d) the joining of a conveyor belt material to the edging member along the interface may be achieved by means of adhesive, for example an adhesive which is heat cured.

The joining of step (d) may be achieved by providing a covering layer for the conveyor belt material and edging members and joining the covering layer to both the conveyor belt material and the edging member.

The covering layer may be used in addition to any other method for joining the conveyor belt material and the edging member.

I The covering layer may comprise a layer above the conveyor belt material and edging member. The covering layer may comprise a layer below the conveyor belt material and the edging member. The covering layer may comprise a layer above and below the conveyor belt material and edging member, for example as separate layers or by means of one piece extending around the edge region of the conveyor belt.

The covering layer may be joined to the conveyor belt material and edging member by the application of heat. For example, the application of heat to the covering layer may be by exposure of the areas to infra-red radiation. Preferably, the application of heat to the covering layer may be by the passage of heated fluid over the layer. Preferably, the application of heat to the covering layer may be by contact of a heated body, for example a heated roller, over the layer. The application of heat to the covering layer may be by any combination of the abovementioned methods.

The covering layer may be joined to the conveyor belt by adhesive. The adhesive may be heat cured.

The edging member is preferably a protective strip of a material more robust than the conveyor belt material. For example it may be more abrasion resistant or stiffer or tougher. However, the edging member need not be a protective strip. For example it could be decorative or secured for safety reasons.

Preferably, the edging member is an edging strip that is narrow in the transverse direction of the conveyor belt, compared with the conveyor belt material.

Preferably, both longitudinal edges of the conveyor belt material are provided with an edging member according to the method. Preferably, the edging members are identical and secured identically.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a conveyor belt provided with one or two longitudinal edging members by the method described herein. I For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a conveyor and an edging member according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a section of a conveyor and an edging member according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a plan view of a section of a conveyor and an edging member according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a section of a conveyor belt and edging members according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown a section of conveyor belt material 10 and a section of an edging member 20 in the form of a narrow strip. The longitudinal direction is parallel to the Y axis shown and is the intended direction of travel of the conveyor belt 10.

The conveyor belt material 10 is a laminated thermoplastics polyurethane/fabric material and has a shaped edge 12. The shaped edge 12 comprises a series of notches

14 separated by a series of projections 16. In the first embodiment as shown in Figure 1, the notches 14 and the projections 16 are of substantially identical V-shape.

The edging member 20 is manufactured from a thermoplastics material, typically polyvinyl chloride or polyurethane and comprises a first edge 22 and a second edge 28.

The first edge 22 is of a complementary shape to the shaped edge 12. The second edge 28 is straight and smooth.' The securement of the edging member 20 to the conveyor belt material 10 will now be described.

The conveyor belt material 10 and the edging member 20 are first arranged in the same plane. This may be facilitated by the use of a planar support surface (not shown). The shaped edge 12 and the complementary first edge 22 are brought into mesh with one another.

Heat is applied to the conveyor belt 10 material and the edging member 20 in the region of their interface. The heat may be applied by illuminating the region with infra-red radiation, by passing hot air or other heated fluid over the region, by contact of a heated body with the region or any combination of these methods. The heat causes the partial melting of the thermoplastics materials that make up the conveyor belt material 10 and the edging member 20 and these fuse together.

The securement of the conveyor belt 10 to the edging member 20 may alternatively be achieved by the application of a covering layer or layers on the upper, lower or both faces of the conveyor belt material 10 and the edging member 20, across the interface between them. The covering layer or layers may comprise films of plastics materials and may be secured to the conveyor belt material 10 and the edging member 20 by heat fusion, or by adhesive, including heat cured adhesive. The covering layer or layers may be applied in addition to any other method for securing the conveyor belt material 10 to the edging member 20 or as the only securement method.

The second edge 28 of the edging member 20 is smooth, so does not present a cutting injury risk. Also, the plastics material that comprises the edging member 20 does not contain fibre layers and therefore cannot give the second edge 28 a frayed appearance or present a contamination risk in a manufacturing environment in which it is used, for example in food manufacturing. Preferably, the second longitudinal edge of the conveyor belt material 10 also has secured to it an identical edging member 20, in the same manner.

In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1 the notches increase the contact area between the shaped edge 12 and the first edge 22 over that achievable with a simple butt joint between straight edges. Also, the large angle that the sides of the notches make with the Y axis serve to resist shearing of the conveyor belt material 10 and the edging member 20 in the longitudinal direction"Y".

The second embodiment of the invention as shown in Figure 2 features a shaped edge 12 comprising lobes and a first edge 22 that interlock with one another and resist the separation of the conveyor belt material 10 and the edging member 20 in the transverse direction"X"as well as in the longitudinal direction"Y". Each lobe is shaped like the projecting portion of a jigsaw piece.

The third embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 3 and 4, and features a shaped edge 12 comprising a series of T-shaped projections separated by identically shaped recesses. The first edge 22 also comprises a complimentary series of T-shaped projections separated by a series of T-shaped recesses.

The third embodiment shares the advantage of the second embodiment in that the shaped edge 12 and the first edge 22 interlock with one another. The first and the third embodiments have the further advantage that their symmetry enables the shaped edge 12 and the first edge 22 to be cut using the same cutter. Using a shared cutter may reduce the costs in manufacturing the conveyor belt 10 and the edging member 20 and may help to ensure a close fit between the crenellated edge 12 and the first edge 22.

Figure 4 shows covering layers 30 on the upper face of the conveyor belt material 10 and the edging members 20, in the Figure 4 embodiment. The covering layers 30 may be of a plastics film material and may be approximately 50um thick in the"Z" direction. The covering layers 30 provide securement as between the conveyor belt material 10 and the edging members 20, additional to the securement provided by the heat fusion. In this embodiment such covering layers are secured in place after the heat fusion along each edge region, on the upper and lower faces of the conveyor belt.

In another embodiment such cover layers are located before heat fusion takes place. In such embodiments the cover layers are of a material which is not melted under the conditions used for the heat fusion step, but preferably a heat curable adhesive is employed to secure them. In yet other embodiments no heat fusion takes place; the cover layers are the only securement means, additional to the mechanical interlocking between the conveyor belt material and the edging member.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s). The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed

in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method of forming a conveyor belt incorporating protective or other edging, the method comprising the steps of :

(a) providing conveyor belt material having a longitudinal edge which has a series I of projections separated by a series of recesses ("the shaped edge") ; (b) providing an edging member having a first edge of complementary shape to that of the shaped edge of the conveyor belt material ("the complementary edge") and a second, smooth edge; (c) positioning the shaped edge in inter-engaging relation with the complementary edge; (d) securing the conveyor belt material to the edging member with the shaped edge and the complementary edge thus inter-engaged.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the shaped edge and the complementary edge are shaped to provide effective resistance to relative motion of the conveyor belt material and the edging member in a longitudinal direction.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the shaped edge and the complementary edge are shaped to interlock with one another and resist separation of the conveyor belt material and the edging member in a transverse direction.
4. The method of any preceding claim wherein the conveyor belt material provided in step (a) comprises a laminated material.
5. The method of any preceding claim wherein, the edging member provided in step (b) comprises a plastics material.

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6. The method of any preceding claim wherein the positioning of step (c) positions the edging member and the conveyor belt material in substantially the same plane.
7. The method of any preceding claim wherein at step (d) the joining of a conveyor belt material to the edging member is achieved by the application of heat to the areas

of the conveyor belt material and/or the edging member adjacent to an interface I between them, created in step (c).
8. The method of any preceding claim wherein the step (d) comprises the sub-steps: (dl) providing a covering layer for the conveyor belt material and edging member; and (d2) joining the covering layer to both the conveyor belt material and the edging member;
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step (d2) is accomplished by adhesive.
10. The method of claim 8 or 9 wherein the step (d2) is accomplished by the application of heat.
11. A conveyor belt made by the method of any preceding claim, having an edging member secured along each lateral edge of the conveyor belt material.
12. A conveyor belt substantially as herein described, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A method of forming a conveyor belt, the method being substantially as herein described, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.