US2288571A - Conveyer - Google Patents

Description

June 3o, 1942.

J.,E. POINTQN IcorwFYER Filed Nov. 2e, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 June 30 194Z- I J.' E. PoINToN 2,288,571

` coNvEYER Filed Nov. 26, 1940 2 sheets-she@ 2 Big5 1mg J5 2,1%,

N @W N Patented June 30, 1942 ooNvEYER John Edward Pointon, Peterborough, England assignor to Baker Perkins Incorporated, Saginaw, Mich.

Application November 26,

1940, Serial No.

367,269. In Great Britain November 13, 1939 3 Claims.

This invention relates to steel or wire mesh band oven and like conveyors such as are used for baking biscuits. Endless steel bands for biscuit ovens are made of special steel and are somewhat difficult to manufacture. The better classes of steel band at present used in this country are of foreign manufacture.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a steel band oven conveyor which is relatively simple to manufacture and which avoids the necessity of employing special steels or special processes of manufacture for the production of an endless steel band of considerable length which can be tracked, accurately under working conditions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means whereby different kinds of oven sole surfaces may be alternatively available in one and the same oven structure.

The invention consists in a composite band comprising a train of elongated longitudinally flexible thin metal or mesh surface elements or sheets mounted to present a substantially uninterrupted conveying and baking surface or sole.

According to one form the leading edge of each ed to permit accommodating movement between the sheets and means intermediate the leading and trailing edges for supporting the sheets. The intermediate means may comprise projecting or transversely extending members disposed beneath the body part or margins of the sheet.

The junction of the sheets is, as already indicated, preferably an overlapping one and one margin of a junction may be recessed to receive the other in order that the upper surface of the sheets may lie in the same horizontal plane. In placing the biscuits on the sheets by aid of acutting or cutting and embossing machine the panning means may be operated to lay the biscuits so that no row coincides with a sheet junction.k

Further features of the invention will be hereafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying Idiagrammatic drawings- Figure l is a perspective view of a composite band device` according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a cross section through a terminal end,

Figure 3 is a detail of the terminal drum,

Figures 4 and 5 are a plan and elevation of a part of the composite band,

Figures 6 to 9 are views of details.

It is to be noted that the relative dimensions of the parts in the drawings are not necessarily correct as certain parts are shown yrelatively larger for clearness.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode, as applied by way of example to an endless oven band for a biscuit baking oven, a pair of spaced parallel endless chains IU is mounted upon terminal chain wheels I I and adapted to travel on horizontal guide rails in known manner. The space between the chains is adapted to receive a series of long sheets of thin flexible steel, wire mesh, or the like I2 laid and supported so that a substantially continuous oven sole is provided on the upper lap of the chains. The steel sheets I 2 may suitably be of thin gauge and of a length of, say 5 to 10 feet or more, but it is to be understood that these dimensions are not essential and may be varied as required by conditions.

The head or leading end or margin of each sheet I2 is secured to the chains. This may be effected according to the form illustrated by dead eyes I3, the shanks I4 of which extend into ferrules or sleeves I5 of the chains Ill. The dead eyes I3 are bolted to the steel sheet I2.

As an alternative, inwardly facing links in appropriate positions on each chain I0 may be provided with lugs or projecting brackets to which the forward corners of the sheets are attached as by pins and cotters or set screws or other fixing means. These sheet head deadeyes or lugs are spaced apart longitudinally of the chain a distance somewhat less than the length of a sheet I2 so that the trailing edge of one sheet slightly overlaps the head of the sheet next following and serves to present a substantially continuous oven sole surface. On each chain and between the head dead eyes or lugs, longitudinally spaced dead eyes I5 or inwardly projecting members, inthe form of channels or oppositely facing angle brackets, are provided so that slots are provided in which the lateral edges of the sheets are engaged with a View to supporting the body portion of the sheets in position. These dead eyes I6 may be spaced at convenient distances for example, spacing equivalent to 2, 3, 4

'or other pitch of the chain according to the stiffness of the steel sheet I2. The dead eyes i6 are not secured to the sheet so as to allow for relative movement between the dead eyes and the sheets.

Where it is desired to-provide additional body support for the sheets a guide rail may be positioned intermediate the chains and underneath the sheets of the upper lap of the conveyer, or a series of rollers may be provided so that the sheets pass over these and are supported thereby as they travel along the horizontal lap through the oven or, as illustrated, spaced stiffening cross bars I'I may be secured to the sheets on the reverse sides thereof.

At the turning points of the oven between the chain wheels II, drums I8 are provided for guiding and supporting the steel sheets I9. These drums are provided with grooves I9 to accommodate the cross bars I'I.

In order to retain the trailing edge of the sheet accurately in position with respect to the head f the next sheet, a slotted or channeled lug may be provided immediately forward of the sheet head lugs or dead eyes, and with a View to avoiding the fixing means at the head of one sheet fouling the trailing edge of the preceding sheet, the leading edge of the sheet may project forwardly of its head lug a short distance sucient to receive and form a bed for the trailing edge. The trailing edges may lie on the leading edges of the sheets by a simple contact or they may be secured thereto by countersunk studs engaging in slots or, alternatively, on the side margins at the head of a sheet upwardly projecting forwardly slotted or undercut members may be provided for accommodating the lateral portions or corners of the preceding trailing edge of a sheet.

If desired, the leading and/or trailing edges may be stiffened transversely by an angle iron or bar, or in the case of the heads of the sheets by bending such at an angle downwardly or in U form.

The stiffening at the leading edge may be effected by a rod or bar 22, Fig. 8. This rod may project beyond the edges of the sheet and be utilised to hold the sheet on the chains by engagement in a socket piece 23 having an opensided recess 24. The socket piece is provided with a shank 25 for engagement with the chain. The recesses 24 may be attened to receive corresponding flattened ends of the bars 22 so as to prevent the sockets rotating.

If it be desired that the upper surface of the sheets at their junctions should lie accurately in one plane, the head margin of one sheet or the forwardly projecting portion thereof may be bent to form a rebate or recess of a depth appropriate to the thickness of the trailing edge of the sheet. Alternatively, the recess may be formed in the thickness of the sheet or partly in the thickness of one sheet and partly in the thickness of the other.

According to another arrangement, the adjacent edges of the plates may substantially abut as shown in Fig. 9. The edges of the sheets are provided with supporting tongues 20 projecting beyond the edges of each sheet and adapted to lie beneath the other sheet. The tongues on each pair of sheets alternate with one another and are spaced apart a suitable distance so that the necessary support is provided. The tongues are curved to conform to the drum I8, and the surfaces of the latter may be recessed or grooved to accommodate the tongues.

As a further alternative, the leading edge of each sheet may be located beneath the trailing margin of the previous sheet, the latter being provided with a number of spaced clips engaging beneath said leading edge.

The engagement or association of the sheets should be such that free accommodating adjustments can take place longitudinally with a view to allowing the sheets to slide relatively to the chain supports and one another in passing round the turning points from the upper lap to the lower lap or vice versa. The mounting should also be such that the sheets are free to expand and contract in the direction of their length.

In the above described example, the sheets may be located on the pitch line of the chains when the accommodation for movement at the turning points is not so essential, or the sheet may be located above or below the pitch line, and in some cases it may be found preferable to mount the sheets upon the chains so that the sheets when viewed in plan cover or partly cover the Width of the chains.

'According to another mode, instead of mounting the sheets between chains their edges may be guided and supported on rails or in channel irons, while a single chain may be employed between the rails and underneath the sheets to apply a drive thereto through lugs on the chain engaging projections on the underside of the sheets, which projections may be in the form of bent angular portions projecting downwardly from the heads of the sheets. Alternatively, depending lugs on the sheet heads may engage the chain slots for driving purposes.

In order to render the sheets I D readily removable, instead of securing the sheets to their head lugs or dead eyes by screws, rivets or the like, apertures or keyhole or like slots may be formed in the sheets which are fitted over slotted or undercut pins or studs on the lugs.

Similarly, as illustrated in Figure 7, a turnbutton device 2I pivotally mounted on a horizontal bracket device secured to the chain may be provided instead of the channels or dead eyes I6 to engage and support the sheets intermediate of the head lugs or dead eyes I3. Again, the engagement between the trailing edges of the sheets and the leading edges may be in the form of keyhole slots and studs arranged at the sides or lateral portions of the sheets away from the area to be occupied by the rows of biscuits.

In order to provide an oven which is adapted to receive either a composite steel band or a wire mesh band, rollers are provided coaxial with and between the chain wheels so that when it is not desired to use a steel band the steel sheets may be removed and a wire mesh band may be placed around the rollers. Alternatively, a wire mesh band and a composite steel band may be in position at the same time, in which case the leading ends of the sheets may be secured to the meshes of the band by clips, hooks or other fastening means, so that when it is desired to use the wire mesh band alone the sheets may be detached, while when the steel band sole is required the sheets are reinstated and temporarily secured to the wire mesh. In the case of the dual-purpose oven it may be possible to dispense with the chains and chain wheels and use the wire band and rollers alone, the wire band being adapted to serve as a seating and conveyer to which the steel sheets are secured by temporary fastening means.

According to another mode, instead of providing an endless wire mesh band as an alternative sole to the impervious metal sheets I0, these latter may be substituted by similar sheets of wire mesh the ends of which may be reinforced by transverse metal bars, angle irons or U-shaped clamping strips, while the selvedge edges of the Wire are supported in a similar manner to that described in reference to the steel sheets. Where the upper surface of the wire is required to be plain from end to end the reinforcing or stiiening transverse members may lie beneath the wire mesh which is secured thereto by any suitable flush fixing means, or the Wire mesh may be bent around and secuned to the transverse element below the plane of the wire.

It will be appreciated that an oven conveyer may be made according to the invention either for impervious metal sheets or sheets or surface elements of wire mesh, although it will be more usual to provide an oven conveyer adapted to receive alternatively either the impervious sheets or the Wire mesh.

It is not essential in every baking plant that the trailing and leading edges of the sheets should overlap or lie in contiguous relationship and such may be positioned with narrow spaces. In this case the panning gear would be adjusted to skip the spaces and lay the dough shapes in batches after the manner in which a fixed pan conveyer oven is supplied with dough shapes. The trailing edges of the sheets may be held in slotted lugs or secured by studs engaging in slots or otherwise secured to preserve their position in the horizontal plane during transit through the oven.

I claim:

1. A composite band conveyer for bake ovens comprising endless power-driven chains, a plurality of longitudinally flexible elongated metal sheets fixed at their leading ends only to said chains to present a continuous oven sole extending through the baking chamber, chain sprockets at the turning points of said chains and a rotatable drum arranged coaxially with the sprockets at each turning point to support the sheets and limit the radius to which they are bent in passing around said turning points, and means secured to the chains intermediate the leading ends of the sheets for slidably supporting the edges of said sheets in the baking and return runs.

2. A composite oven band conveyer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for slidably supporting the sheets comprise horizontal inwardly projecting bracket devices provided with turnbuttons or like means for releasably guiding and holding the edges of the sheets.

3. A composite oven band conveyer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leading margin of each sheet is rebated to receive the rear end of the preceding sheet whereby the upper surfaces of the sheets lie in one plane.

JOHN EDWARD POINTON.

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