Patents Assigned to ThermoDrive LLC
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Patent number: 10053294Abstract: A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: THERMODRIVE LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Publication number: 20150298912Abstract: A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2015Publication date: October 22, 2015Applicant: THERMODRIVE LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Patent number: 9151357Abstract: A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2010Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: Thermodrive, LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Patent number: 8464862Abstract: A conveyor comprises an endless thermoplastic belt having a substantially flat surface on one side of the belt and a plurality of teeth on the other side of the belt. The teeth are adapted to be driven without tension around a drive sprocket and an idler. The conveyor further includes means to cause the belt to form a longitudinal trough between the drive sprocket and the idler to retain conveyed items on the belt. The means can comprise a discontinuity in the teeth, shortened teeth, and/or guides that apply a force to the edges of the belt.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2007Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: THERMODRIVE, LLCInventors: James Honeycutt, Allen Hatfield
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Patent number: 8163214Abstract: A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a sprocket with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a sprocket pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the sprocket can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. The belt is preferred for use in conveyors in food processing industries where the smooth outer surface can transport food items and is easier to clean and keep free of impurities.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2008Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Thermodrive LLCInventor: Edward T. Mol
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Patent number: 8002110Abstract: A toothed belt connector for making an endless belt has two leaves, adapted to be connected to each other by knuckles along one or more teeth. Each knuckle has at least one hole extending through tooth portions so that when the holes are in registry, a pin can be extended through the holes to connect the leaves at the teeth. The leaves can be adjoined to the ends of a belt to make the belt endless. The tip end of each knuckle can be beveled or it can have a stepped finger that fits into a cutout on the opposite leaf to keep the end of the knuckle from protruding as the belt wraps around a sprocket.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2007Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Thermodrive LLCInventors: Michael DeGroot, James Honeycutt, Edward T. Mol
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Patent number: 7967131Abstract: An endless conveyor belt has teeth with drive faces raked away from the direction of travel. The belt can be driven by a drive pulley having sheaves with drive faces raked toward the direction of travel. The drive faces on the sheaves engage the drive faces on the teeth to move the belt and the raked angle tends to pull the belt inwardly. A stationary foot assists removing a driven tooth from its corresponding sheave.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2010Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: Thermodrive LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Publication number: 20110048903Abstract: A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2010Publication date: March 3, 2011Applicant: THERMODRIVE LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Patent number: 7850562Abstract: A thermoplastic endless belt (100) has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth (106) at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a pulley (102) with circumferentially spaced sheaves (104) at a pulley pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the pulley can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. Means (132, 136, 138) are provided to minimize friction between the belt and the drive pulley. Also, a position limiter (200) ensures that the driven tooth stays engaged optimally with the drive sheave.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2006Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Thermodrive LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Patent number: 7841463Abstract: A conveyor includes an endless belt having teeth with drive faces raked away from the direction of travel. The conveyor also includes a drive pulley having sheaves with drive faces raked toward the direction of travel. The drive faces on the sheaves engage the drive faces on the teeth to move the belt and the raked angle tends to pull the belt inwardly. A stationary foot assists removing a driven tooth from its corresponding sheave.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2007Date of Patent: November 30, 2010Assignee: Thermodrive LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Patent number: 7832549Abstract: A curved conveyor comprises a toothed, endless belt and a slider bed that supports a portion of the belt. The slider bed can include at least one guide in the form of a rail extending along the slider bed in the direction of belt travel. Each of the belt teeth are discontinuous and have at least one gap sized to receive the at least one guide; thus, the at least one guide prevents inward radial migration of the belt during movement of the belt. The conveyor can further comprise a center guide wheel or a guide post to prevent belt radial migration.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2007Date of Patent: November 16, 2010Assignee: Thermodrive LLCInventor: James Honeycutt
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Publication number: 20100147656Abstract: A conveyor comprises an endless thermoplastic belt having a substantially flat surface on one side of the belt and a plurality of teeth on the other side of the belt. The teeth are adapted to be driven without tension around a drive sprocket and an idler. The conveyor further includes means to cause the belt to form a longitudinal trough between the drive sprocket and the idler to retain conveyed items on the belt. The means can comprise a discontinuity in the teeth, shortened teeth, and/or guides that apply a force to the edges of the belt.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2007Publication date: June 17, 2010Applicant: THERMODRIVE LLCInventors: James Honeycutt, Allen Hatfield
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Patent number: 7681717Abstract: An endless conveyor belt (10) comprises a flat belt portion (12) with strips (20) of teeth (28) attached to one side of the flat belt, near the side edges (26) of the flat belt. In another embodiment, the side edges of the strips are attached to the side edges of the flat belt. In either embodiment, the strips are first attached to the flat belt, and then machined to form a plurality of teeth on each strip. The strips can be of a different material than the flat belt. The conveyor belt can be employed with conveyors having small radius pulleys (54) and nose bars (58).Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2007Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: Thermodrive LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Publication number: 20090301845Abstract: A toothed belt connector for making an endless belt has two leaves, adapted to be connected to each other by knuckles along one or more teeth. Each knuckle has at least one hole extending through tooth portions so that when the holes are in registry, a pin can be extended through the holes to connect the leaves at the teeth. The leaves can be adjoined to the ends of a belt to make the belt endless. The tip end of each knuckle can be beveled or it can have a stepped finger that fits into a cutout on the opposite leaf to keep the end of the knuckle from protruding as the belt wraps around a sprocket.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2007Publication date: December 10, 2009Applicant: THERMODRIVE LLCInventors: Michael DeGroot, James Honeycutt, Edward T. Mol
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Patent number: 7594574Abstract: A thermoplastic toothed belt connector (10, 50) for making an endless belt (12) has two leaves (20, 22, 58, 60), adapted to be hingedly connected to each other by knuckles (28, 30, 60, 62) along one or more teeth (38, 52, 54). Each knuckle (28, 30, 60, 62) has a hole (42, 72) extending through tooth portions (39) so that when the holes (42, 72) are in the registry, a pin (32, 74) can be extended through the holes (42, 72) to form the hinge at the teeth (38, 52, 54). The leaves (20, 22, 58, 60) can be adjoined to the ends of a thermoplastic belt (12) to make the belt endless.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2005Date of Patent: September 29, 2009Assignee: Thermodrive LLCInventors: Edward T. Mol, James Honeycutt
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Publication number: 20090032376Abstract: An endless conveyor belt (10) comprises a flat belt portion (12) with strips (20) of teeth (28) attached to one side of the flat belt, near the side edges (26) of the flat belt. In another embodiment, the side edges of the strips are attached to the side edges of the flat belt. In either embodiment, the strips are first attached to the flat belt, and then machined to form a plurality of teeth on each strip. The strips can be of a different material than the flat belt. The conveyor belt can be employed with conveyors having small radius pulleys (54) and nose bars (58).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2007Publication date: February 5, 2009Applicant: THERMODRIVE LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Publication number: 20090008224Abstract: A conveyor includes an endless belt having teeth with drive faces raked away from the direction of travel. The conveyor also includes a drive pulley having sheaves with drive faces raked toward the direction of travel. The drive faces on the sheaves engage the drive faces on the teeth to move the belt and the raked angle tends to pull the belt inwardly. A stationary foot assists removing a driven tooth from its corresponding sheave.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2007Publication date: January 8, 2009Applicant: THERMODRIVE LLCInventor: Michael DeGroot
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Publication number: 20090008025Abstract: A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a sprocket with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a sprocket pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the sprocket can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. The belt is preferred for use in conveyors in food processing industries where the smooth outer surface can transport food items and is easier to clean and keep free of impurities.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2008Publication date: January 8, 2009Applicant: THERMODRIVE LLCInventor: Edward T. Mol
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Publication number: 20090000920Abstract: A curved conveyor comprises a toothed, endless belt and a slider bed that supports a portion of the belt. The slider bed can include at least one guide in the form of a rail extending along the slider bed in the direction of belt travel. Each of the belt teeth are discontinuous and have at least one gap sized to receive the at least one guide; thus, the at least one guide prevents inward radial migration of the belt during movement of the belt. The conveyor can further comprise a center guide wheel or a guide post to prevent belt radial migration.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2007Publication date: January 1, 2009Applicant: THERMODRIVE LLCInventor: James Honeycutt
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Patent number: 7424948Abstract: A thermoplastic endless belt has a smooth outer surface substantially free of discontinuities and an inner surface with a plurality of teeth at a given belt pitch. The teeth are adapted to engage a sprocket with circumferentially spaced sheaves at a sprocket pitch greater than the belt pitch. The belt is slightly stretchable so that the sprocket can drive the endless belt when engaging the teeth within a range of load on the belt. The belt is preferred for use in conveyors in food processing industries where the smooth outer surface can transport food items and is easier to clean and keep free of impurities.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2007Date of Patent: September 16, 2008Assignee: ThermoDrive LLCInventor: Edward T. Mol