US2667262A

US2667262A - Link conveying belt

Info

Publication number: US2667262A
Application number: US97883A
Authority: US
Inventors: Davis Patrick Henry
Original assignee: Champion Dish Washing Machine Co
Current assignee: Champion Dish Washing Machine Co
Priority date: 1949-06-08
Filing date: 1949-06-08
Publication date: 1954-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 1971-01-26

Description

Jan. 26, 1954 P. H. DAVIS LINK CONVEYING BELT Filed June 8, 1949 Gtfomeg 51%, H n Dav/5 fia zow m Fill! Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LINK CONVEYING BELT Patrick Henry Davis, Erie, Pa., assignor to Champion Dish Washing Machine Company, Erie, Pa.-, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 8, 1949, Serial No. 97,883

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to link conveying belts and more particularly to a link conveying belt for a dish washing machine to carry dishes, trays, and the like in an upright position through the washing and rinsing fluid sprays in the machine.

In the operation of the conventional link type of dish washing machine conveyor, the dishes, trays, etc. lie fiat with their major surfaces exposed to the direct impingment of the upper and lower sprays. This affords good efficiency and thoroughness in cleaning but retards the drying of the dishes, trays, etc. after their exit from the machine. It has been found that drying of the dishes, trays, etc. is much more rapid upon their exit from the machine if they are set on edge during their passage through the machine.

Attempts have been made to hold the dishes, trays, etc. on edge as they travel through a dish washing machine by providing a series of vertical pegs mounted in rows on lateral cross bars that are tied closely together onto the traveling chains of the conveyor belt. This type of belt precludes eifective action of any spray from underneath thereof and it is not unusual in machines of this type to eliminate the lower spray entirely because of its inefiective action. For best washing effects on dishes, trays, etc., all surfaces of the articles to be cleaned must be exposed to the direct force of the wash and inse jets disposed above and below the upper side of the belt. The prior belts with lateral cross bars cannot be used effectively to produce this result. These belts are cumbersome and their component parts have a comparatively shorter life.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide a link type belt for a dish washing machine with upwardly extending dish supporting members thereon which is simple in construction, economical in cost, economical in manufacture, and efiicient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide upwardly extending supporting members on a link belt for a dish washing machine which permits spraying of plates or the like thereon from above and below the belt with a minimum of obstruction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel link conveyor belt for a dish washing machine which supports plates, trays, and the like in an upwardly extending tilted position by means of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending, horizontal dowels that permit practically unrestricted access of the upper and lower wash and. rinse sprays to both sides of the utensils supported thereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide an endless dish rack whereby the horizontally disposed, transversely extending dowels and the open bottom afforded by the link belt will hold the dishes, trays, etc. at exactly the same position as in the conventional style of dish rack in a dish washing machine without the disadvantage of the problem of returning empty dish racks repeatedly from the outlet end of the machine to the inlet end of the machine for refilling.

Another object of my invention is to provide upwardly extending rack members on a link conveyor belt for a dish washing machine which may be disposed on present link belts without any change in the basic design of the belt.

7 Another object of my invention is to provide a dish washing machine belt for holding plates, trays, etc. on edge which also permits the use of conventional dish racks for dishes, silverware, etc.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic side elevational view of my novel link conveying belt for a dish washing machine;

Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary top plan view of my novel link conveying belt; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 spaced, transversely extending rods I linked together by apertured, arcuate shaped, comparatively soft dish carrying links 2 and end links Ill. The links 2 are transversely spaced by non-metallic tubular spacing members 3 on the rods I. L-shaped links 5 have apertures 6 for receiving and connecting the rods l. The links 5 are disposed adjacent the ends of the rods I and intermediate thereof. Fastening members 'I hold the links H3 on the rods i. Tubular metallic spacing members 8 are disposed between the end links it] and the outer L-shaped links 5 for engaging sprockets 9. The L-shaped links 5 are all alike and they have vertically spaced apertures II for receiving transversely extending horizontal bars [3, one end of each bar l3'having a head l4 and the opposite end 15 thereof being threaded to receive a nut I6. Comparatively soft, tubular spacing members ll of plastic or the like surround the bars 13 intermediate the links 5 to space thelinks 5 and to prevent chipping of plates and the like. The back bottom edges I8 of the L-shaped links 5 are cut away to minimize contact between a link 5 an t e bottom of a dish or tray. Ordinarily the bottom of a dish or tray engages the comparatively soft spacing members H on the bottom bar I3 carried by the L-shaped links and the upper portion of the dish or tray engages the next succeeding spacing members i! on an upper bar 13.

My link conveying belt is in the form of an endless belt and takes on the appearance and.

form of an endless dish rack on the top side thereof. No change in the basic structureof the present link conveying belt isnecessary in that the lower portion of my L-shaped links 5 is substantially the same shape and construction as the other links 2 in the belt, The horizontal support bars 13 are very strongand rigid in construction and no breakage thereof results under ordinary operating conditions. of the vertical peg type of dowel which is usually made of wood or plastic and it is easily frayed and damaged. I obtain a comparatively rigid con-- struction by pulling up the ends of the steel bars l3 passing through the apertures ii in the i..- shaped'l'inks 5 with the links 5' firmly engaging the ends of the spacingmembers ll.

The comparatively soft spacing members H on my horizontal supporting bars It; minimize the marking of dishes from contact with metal inasmuch as the only probable contact will be with the center L-shaped link 5, the only other contact being with the horizontal, comparatively soft tubular members I7 and the'comparatively soft links 2. It will be evident that water-may readily be sprayed from thebottom of the belt in that obstruction to the flow of water is minimized. The carryover of wash water'to the rinse tank This is not true 4 embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A traveling link belt comprising a series of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending rods, spaced apertured links for connecting said rods together, L-shaped links on the ends of said rods and intermediate thereof having vertically spaced apertures in the upwardly extending portions thereoi, vertically spaced, horizontal supis likewise minimized because of, the upright position of the trays, plates, and the like on the belt passing through the machine. Maximum drainage of water from the plates, trays, etc; with the use of my novel conveyor in a minimum of time greatly accelerates the time of drying of the plates, trays, etc.

In operating my novel combined conveying and dish supporting link conveying belt, it is merely necessary to place the dishes or trays in a vertical position on the belt with the bottoms thereof engaging the bottom spacing members i! on a bottom bar It and the upper part of the tray or dish engaging the next succeeding top spacing members l'i on an upper support bar it. The dishes or trays move along with the belt through the machine where they are subjected to a washing action from above and below and a rinsing action from above and below after which they are removed from the belt on an extension of it beyond the exit end of the machine. A conventional dish rack 26 as shown in Fig.1 for small dishes or for silverware and the like may be utilized with my novel belt by merely resting the rack on the top bars l3.

It will be evident frornthe foregoing description that I have provided a novel conveyor belt of the link type for supporting dishes, trays, and the like on edge in a vertical position while they are subjected to the washing and rinsing action of a dish washing machine which has novel dish and tray supporting members which are rigid in construction and cause a minimum amount of damage and breakage, which will accommodate a conventional dish rack, which. has a minimum exposed area of metal to contact trays or dishes or the like, and one in which all of the basic design and construction of previous link type belts may be utilized. V I 7 v Various changes may be made in the specific longitudinally portingbars extending through the apertures in the upwardly extending portions of said L-shaped links, comparatively soft tubular spacing membersdisposed around said bars and between said upper. portions of said links, and means for connecting said L-shaped links to said rods and bars, saidhorizontalbars being adaptedtoconvey flat ware. in a substantially verticalor' in a fiat position, the lower portion of the ware engaging the lower of said bars and the upperxportion thereofengaging the upper bar oi" the next succeeding set of' bars when. vertically disposed.

2. A traveling link belt comprising a series of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending rods, laterally spaced links connecting said rods, L-shaped links having the lower leg thereof connecting said rods at the ends and at a point intermediate thereof, transversely extending, vertically spaced supporting, bars spaced upwardly from said rods connecting the upper legs of said L-shaped' links, and means for connecting said bars, rods, and links together, said horizontal bars being spaced longitudinallya predetermined distance whereby flat ware is carried thereby ina substantially vertical position with the lower side portion of the ware engaging the lower bar a of one set of bars and the upper. opposite: side portion of the, wareengagingthe upper bar of the next succeeding set of bars, said upper bars also being adapted to carry a conventional dish rack or fiat ware in a horizontal position.

3. In combination with a traveling link belt, spaced, transversely extending rods,. link members connecting said rods together, tubular spacing members on said rods ,for spacing said link members laterally, longitudinally and transversely spaced L-shaped links connecting said rods having a portion thereof extending upwardly substantially vertically from said belt, and transversely extending, horizontal supporting bars spaced abovesaid link members connecting the upper portion of said L-shaped links for carrying dish racks and for supporting plates, trays, and the like, in a substantially vertical position, said. plates, trays,v and the like having the bottom portions thereof engaging the lower portions of said horizontal supporting bars and the upper portions thereof engaging the upperportion of the immediately adjacent horizontal bar.

PATRICK HENRY DAVIS.