Abstract: A conveyor belt for conveying product in a direction of travel having a plurality of pivotal transverse rods extending laterally across the belt, the transverse rods having inner and outer ends along inner and outer edges of the belt; a plurality of connecting links arranged in at least one longitudinal row along the inner and outer edges of the belt and pivotally interconnecting the inner and outer ends of the transverse rods, respectively, with each of the connecting links having a pair of openings extending laterally therethrough such that the transverse rods extend through the openings; and double weld connections between the rods and the connecting links, each of the double weld connections including a first weld connection point between a trailing side of the transverse rod and the connecting link and a second weld connection point between a leading side of the transverse rod and the connecting link.

Abstract: A conveyor belt for conveying product in a direction of travel having a plurality of pivotal transverse rods extending laterally across the belt, the transverse rods having inner and outer ends along inner and outer edges of the belt; a plurality of connecting links arranged in at least one longitudinal row along the inner and outer edges of the belt and pivotally interconnecting the inner and outer ends of the transverse rods, respectively, with each of the connecting links having a pair of openings extending laterally therethrough such that the transverse rods extend through the openings; and a weld connection between the rods and the connecting links, at least one weld connection including only a first weld point between a trailing side of the transverse rod and the connecting link.

Abstract: Drive and related travel tension is decreased at selected locations in special purpose travel paths for woven-wire conveyor belts enabling decrease in tensile strength requirements of metal wire components as assembled into a woven-wire belt. Connector rod configurations with varying depth seats, at selected locations for individual helically-wound loops of interacting spiral wires, provide for expansion of belt length at selected locations where needed to decrease or eliminate metal wire component strain.

Abstract: A roll, along with methods of fabricating and using such roll, for driving a woven-wire conveyor belt, provide substantially-uniform drive across belt width, avoid disruption of belt drive, provide unidirection tracking of such belt, and avoid disruption of conveyed product during treatment of conveyed product at temperatures other than ambient. During conveyance of product for heating or cooling treatment, woven-wire conveyor belts and rolls driving such belts are often at differing temperatures, especially during start-up and shutdown of operations. Such temperature differentials can cause dimensional changes in a belt which change the relative location of belt recesses with respect to the roll surface. Selective shaping and dimensioning of roll protrusions from the widthwise center of a roll toward each lateral end of the roll eliminates mismatching of belt recesses due to changes in belt width during product processing at temperatures other than ambient.

Abstract: A roll, for driving a woven-wire conveyor belt, provides substantially-uniform drive across the belt width, avoids disruption of belt drive, provide unidirection tracking of the belt, and avoids disruption of conveyed products during treatment of conveyed products at temperatures other than ambient. During conveyance of a product for heating or cooling treatment, woven-wire conveyor belts and rolls driving the belts are often at differing temperatures, especially during start-up and shutdown of operations. Such temperature differentials can cause dimensional changes in a belt which change the relative location of belt recesses with respect to the roll surface. Selective shaping and dimensioning of roll protrusions from the widthwise center of a roll toward each lateral end of the roll eliminates mismatching of belt recesses due to changes in belt width during product processing at temperatures other than ambient.

Abstract: Continuous length wire is segmented into predetermined lengths having desired die-coined configurations at severed longitudinal ends in a wire-working machine of the invention. In a single step operation, such wire is simultaneously die-coined and severed to form a longitudinally contiguous pair of wire ends in order to produce such predetermined lengths with desired tapered convex shapes at each longitudinal end ready for use as shaped and severed so as to eliminate subsequent metal-forming steps and certain problems associated with severing practices of the prior art. In a specific embodiment of the fabrication process, coiled wire is straightened and then simultaneously die-coined and severed to form rigid rods with tapered end configurations which facilitate use as a connecting rod during assembly operations, e.g. in the assembly of a metal wire belt.