Abstract: A conveyor for orienting and registering articles in a preferred orientation and position for accurate downstream processing. The conveyor includes a conveyor belt running in a conveyance direction next to an orientation belt running parallel in an opposite direction or more slowly in the same direction. The orientation belt has upstanding structure, such as flights, or a high-friction surface. The conveyor belt includes article-supporting rollers on a top side. The rollers are arranged to rotate about axes oblique to the conveyance direction. The rollers also extend below the bottom side of the belt and are rotated by dynamic contact with bearing surfaces supporting the belt as it advances in the conveying direction. The rotating rollers direct conveyed articles toward a side rail.

Abstract: An edge module for a modular plastic conveyor belt providing a self-closing retention system for retaining headless hinge rods in modular plastic conveyor belts. The edge module has an opening in an outer edge portion of the module that receives a rod retention member. The rod retention member is movable from a blocking position occluding a hinge rod passageway through interleaved hinges of consecutive rows of belt modules to an unblocking position clear of the passageway. The rod retention member is hook-shaped with a flexible shank extending from a bend at one end to an enlarged head at the other end. The bend serves as a clip for attaching to a post formed in the opening. The head occludes the passageway in the blocking position. By flexing the shank, the head is moved out of the way to admit a rod into the passageway. Once the rod clears the head, the shank springs the head back into the blocking position.

Abstract: A modular plastic conveyor belt having a central beam along each belt row. The beam extends laterally across the width of a belt row and includes a linear portion in a middle region of the belt and a sinuous region near both side edges of the belt. In the linear region, the beam includes a portion of constant thickness with linearly tapering portions toward the side edges of the belt. In this way, the thicker portions of the beam in the middle of the belt provide beam strength to allow less frequent support beneath the belt and the thinner sinuous portions at the edges of the belt give it the flexibility and mobility to collapse at the inside of a turn.

Abstract: A tiltable conveyor for offloading conveyed articles over a side of a conveyor belt. The belt is preferably a modular conveyor belt constructed of a series of belt rows hingedly interlinked to form an article-conveying surface. The belt is supported by a carryway, along which the belt is driven in a direction of belt travel by a drive system. The carryway includes one or more tilt sections at which one side of the belt is elevated relative to the other to offload articles across the lower side. The belt may include rollers or be molded of or coated with an inherently slick material to facilitate offloading.

Abstract: An edge module for a modular plastic conveyor belt providing a self-closing retention system for retaining headless hinge rods in modular plastic conveyor belts. The edge module has a chamber in an outer edge portion of the module that slidably receives a rod retention member, such as a plug. The plug slides along the chamber from a closed position occluding a hinge rod passageway through interleaved hinges of consecutive rows of belt modules to an open, unoccluding position. A spring in the chamber urges the plug back toward the closed position. The plug is moved to the open position in two ways: by the force of a hinge rod against an oblique face during insertion of the rod into a belt; or manually by a tool engaging an easily accessible indentation in the plug.

Abstract: A plastic conveyor belt module with a unitary sideguard. The sideguard extends upward perpendicularly from the top conveying surface of a plastic module body. The sideguard extends longitudinally along the conveying surface with a leading edge laterally offset from a trailing edge. Wedge-shaped indentations formed at the leading and trailing edges allow the sideguards of leading and trailing belt modules in a conveyor belt to mesh and to overlap without interference as the belt backflexes.

Abstract: A modular conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules with a hinge formed in each row and aligned in the direction of belt travel with hinges of adjacent rows. The hinge allows the belt to conform to a non-coplanar carryway support to form, for example, a trough. In some versions, the hinge is a living hinge formed by flexible or thinned-out regions of the belt between rigid regions. In other versions, the hinge is formed by interleaved hinge eyes between modules along each row interconnected by a hinge pin along an axis oriented in the direction of belt travel.

Abstract: A conveying system including individually motorized transport elements or shoes that transport articles laterally across a conveyor. The motorized transport elements ride along tracks across the width of the conveyor. A motor drives each transport element across the conveyor. Local controllers in the transport elements or in the conveyor control the application of power to the motors and, thereby, the lateral positioning of the transport elements and the conveyed articles.

Abstract: A singulating conveyor for aligning a mass of conveyed articles into a single file. The conveyor includes a first centering conveying zone in which one or more roller-top conveyor mats direct conveyed articles sidewise toward a side or the center of the zone. The rollers on which the articles ride rotate about axes oblique to the conveying direction to provide a sidewise component of motion to the articles. The articles are received downstream in a second separation zone, in which the articles are sped up in the conveying direction to separate them into a single file. The conveyor mats can be realized as endless conveyor belts in motion or as stationary mats overlying a moving belt contacting and rotating the rollers.

Abstract: A modular conveyor belt forming a hinge between consecutive belt rows hingedly connected by a two-part hinge pin. Hinge eyes along the forward and rearward ends of each row of belt modules include aligned openings for the hinge pins. The belt rows are arranged end-to-end with the hinge eyes of adjacent rows interleaved. The hinge pins are inserted in the passageway formed by the aligned openings of the interleaved hinge eyes. The hinge pins include first and second hinge pin members, such as flat strips. The openings in the hinge eyes are characterized by a narrow slotted portion for restraining the first hinge pin member against rotation within the slotted portion and a wider sector-shaped portion that allows the second hinge pin member to rotate relative to the first hinge pin member.

Abstract: A sprocket drive system for a modular conveyor belt that compensates for drive-shaft twist under load. The drive system includes a plurality of belt drive surfaces spaced apart across the width of the underside of each row of a modular conveyor belt. A drive shaft supports a group of sprockets at spaced-apart locations. Sprocket drive surfaces are spaced apart circumferentially around the peripheries of the sprockets and arranged in rows across the sprocket to engage corresponding belt drive surfaces in the belt rows. The belt is wrapped around the sprockets on the drive shaft. The engagement of the sprocket drive surfaces with the belt drive surfaces drives the belt. Either the sprocket drive surfaces or the belt drive surfaces, or both, in each row are arranged in an out-of-phase relationship with each other when the conveyor belt is at no load. Once the conveyor belt is operating at load and the shaft twists, the drive surfaces assume an in-phase relationship for improved belt driving and tracking.

Abstract: An article-diverting conveyor belt and modules for constructing such a belt. The conveyor belt includes a series of modules interconnected end to end to other like modules. At least some of the modules include a module body with a positioning belt arranged to move transversely on the module body. A cam follower, attached to the positioning belt, extends below the bottom side of the module. A transport element, also attached to the positioning belt, extends above the top side of the module. The transport element may be a separate piece attached to the positioning belt or an integral outer surface of the positioning belt. The cam follower is guided along a track in the bottom side of the module by a network of guides in a supporting conveyor frame beneath the conveyor belt along the carryway. Because the transport element is attached to the positioning belt on the top side of the module, movement of the cam follower causes the transport element to move by means of the positioning belt.

Abstract: Modular plastic conveyor belt modules with flexible flights. The belt modules are molded out of a hard thermoplastic material. Upstanding structure made out of a resilient rubber-like material is bonded to a base portion of the belt module to form a flexible flight that can yield to obstructions and blows that might otherwise damage flights made of less resilient materials.

Abstract: Split belt modules used to construct modular plastic conveyor belts. Each module includes a first piece and a second piece, each of which has sets of hinge eyes on opposite ends. The module pieces mate to form complete belt modules. Hinge pins extending through the hinge eyes at the ends of each module connect the pieces together. Other components, such as rollers, can be inserted into and removed from the unmated pieces and retained in place by retention structure when the module pieces are mated.

Abstract: A two-material hinge pin for hingedly interconnecting consecutive rows of belt modules together into a modular plastic conveyor belt. The hinge pin includes an interior rod surrounded by an outer tube. The interior rod is made of a rigid material, such as acetal, nylon, polypropylene, PVC, or steel. The outer tube is made of urethane, which provides inherent abrasion resistance in contact with the belt modules and is especially effective in abrasive environments.

Abstract: A platform-top modular radius belt capable of conveying articles along a conveying path that includes straight and curved segments. The belt is constructed of a series of rows of belt modules hingedly interconnected by hinge pins received in aligned apertures formed in interleaved hinge elements of adjacent belt rows. A product support platform is attached to intermediate belt module structure to form a generally continuous article-conveying surface. An overhang forms an extension of the conveying surface and extends over hinge elements along one end of the row to form a gap between the overhang and the hinge elements. An edge portion of the product support platform extends from and is recessed below the level of the conveying surface. The recessed edge of a belt row is received in the gap of an adjacent row below the overlying overhang without interference to allow the inside edge of the modular platform-top belt to collapse at the inside of a turn.

Abstract: Structure and method for maintaining side-by-side belt modules aligned in a belt row of a modular conveyor belt in the absence of a hinge pin along at least a portion of one end of the belt row. Mating engagement structure on confronting sides of side-by-side modules maintains the modules in alignment. One version of mating engagement structure includes a protrusion, such as a rectangular pad, extending from a side of a belt module and a mating receptacle formed at the confronting side of an adjacent side-by-side module. The receptacle is defined by discontinuous wall structure forming a gap opening toward the top or bottom surface of the module. The modules are put together by sliding the protrusion into the receptacle through the gap in the wall structure. When modules with the mating engagement structure are interconnected side by side by a hinge pin through the hinge eyes along one end, the modules remain aligned despite the absence of a hinge pin interconnecting the hinge eyes on the opposite end.

Abstract: A belt conveyor with a surface layer transferred onto its article-carrying or other surface to impart certain effective properties to the surface. The belt conveyor comprises a conveyor belt driven by a belt drive along a belt-conveying path. A transfer element transfers a coating material to a belt surface along a section of the belt-conveying path. Metallic bearing surfaces in contact with the belt surface act as transfer elements from which an oxidizable metal is rubbed by the relative motion of the belt to form a high-friction metallic oxide layer on the belt surface. Another transfer element is realized by an applicator with a reservoir for storing a coating material. The applicator is positioned close to the belt surface to dispense a layer of coating material with properties that mask the inherent surface properties of the belt. In yet another version, the conveyed articles themselves serve as transfer elements.

Abstract: A spiral conveyor with a belt having rollers at the inside edge. The spiral conveyor includes a rotating tower with a conveyor belt following a helical path around the tower. Rollers extending outward from the inner side edge of the belt have an axis of rotation generally parallel to the helical path. The rollers engage the outer surface of the tower in high-friction rubbing contact in the circumferential direction, but in low friction rolling contact in the vertical direction to provide a low-tension spiral conveyor system. The belt is preferably a modular conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules connected together at hinge joints.

Abstract: A switch conveyor including a modular conveyor belt or mat divided into longitudinal lanes of rollers. All the rollers in a lane are arranged to rotate about axes oriented in a common direction. The rollers in an adjacent lane are arranged to rotate about axes oriented in a different direction. A switch mechanism underlying the conveyor belt along a carryway selectably contacts the bottom side of the belt or mat with bearing surfaces that rotate the rollers in selected lanes along the carryway to propel conveyed articles in one direction or another.