US 11,970,337 B2
Positive-drive spiral conveyor belt
Casper Fedde Talsma, Valencia (ES); and David W. Bogle, Round Rock, TX (US)
Assigned to Laitram, L.L.C., Harahan, LA (US)
Filed by Laitram, L.L.C., Harahan, LA (US)
Filed on May 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/737,185.
Application 15/337,147 is a division of application No. 13/805,608, granted, now 9,481,523, issued on Nov. 1, 2016, previously published as PCT/US2011/043352, filed on Jul. 8, 2011.
Application 17/737,185 is a continuation of application No. 17/012,197, filed on Sep. 4, 2020, granted, now 11,383,932.
Application 17/012,197 is a continuation of application No. 16/559,757, filed on Sep. 4, 2019, granted, now 10,766,705, issued on Sep. 8, 2020.
Application 16/559,757 is a continuation of application No. 16/259,577, filed on Jan. 28, 2019, granted, now 10,501,265, issued on Dec. 10, 2019.
Application 16/259,577 is a continuation of application No. 16/011,031, filed on Jun. 18, 2018, granted, now 10,189,645, issued on Jan. 29, 2019.
Application 16/011,031 is a continuation of application No. 15/337,147, filed on Oct. 28, 2016, granted, now 10,023,388, issued on Jul. 7, 2018.
Application 13/805,608 is a continuation in part of application No. 12/834,314, filed on Jul. 12, 2010, granted, now 8,181,771, issued on May 22, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/479,620, filed on Apr. 27, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2022/0258981 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 17/08 (2006.01); B65G 15/30 (2006.01); B65G 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 17/086 (2013.01) [B65G 15/30 (2013.01); B65G 21/18 (2013.01)] 56 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A conveyor belt comprising:
a series of rows of belt modules having a top side and a bottom side and hingedly linked together between consecutive rows along hinge joints defining hinge axes extending perpendicular to a conveying direction from a first side edge of the rows to an opposite second side edge of the rows, wherein the hinge joints have play in the conveying direction to allow the rows to collapse together at the first side edge when the first side edge is at the inside of a turn in a conveying path;
a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion projecting outward at the first side edge of one of the rows to a flat distal end and having at least one drive face perpendicular to the conveying direction and a constant cross section in planes perpendicular to one of the hinge axes of the row;
wherein the constant cross section has a minor axis in the conveying direction and a longer major axis perpendicular to the conveying direction and to the hinge joints;
wherein the at least one drive face is contacted by an external drive member to drive the conveyor belt in the conveying direction.