GB1581488A

GB1581488A - Belt for screen chain conveyors for potato harvesters

Info

Publication number: GB1581488A
Application number: GB7016/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-12-10
Filing date: 1978-02-22
Publication date: 1980-12-17
Also published as: IT1093210B; FR2410949B1; DE2755100C2; DK149703B; AT365035B; NO780641L; NO142770C; NL7802052A; BE864412A; NL186215C; IT7820894A0; ATA95378A; FR2410949A1; FI61601C; SE434692B; DK149703C; DE2755100A1; DK88778A; NL186215B; FI61601B

Abstract

In a directly drivable belt (1) with groups of rivet holes arranged next to one another for the fastening of chain bars (3) and with profiling (18) on the top side, damage to potatoes on the chain bars (3) is to be avoided. For this purpose, there is formed on the top side of the belt (1), along each group of rivet holes (10), a pair of protective lips (11, 12) projecting upwards over the upper main belt surface (7) above the top side of chain-bar ends (3) and above the heads of the rivets (4), and there are formed respectively on the belt underside (19) transverse bosses (16) arranged in the region between adjacent protective lips and projecting beyond the lower main belt surface (8). <IMAGE>

Description

(54) BELT FOR SCREEN CHAIN CHNVEYORS FOR POTATO HARVESTERS (71) 1, FRANZ HEINRICH GRIMME, a citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany, trading as FRANZ GRIMME LANDMASCHINEN FABRIK, of Thomasstrabe, 2845 Damme, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to belts for screen chain conveyors for potato harvesters and to the screen chain conveyors themselves.

Such screen chain conveyors usually comprise two or three endless belts carrying transverse chain bars fixed to the belts.

Drive may be imparted to the conveyor via the belts or the bars. In the latter case, intermittent loads are applied to the belts which tend to shorten their useful life.

Another difficulty is that the ends of the bars, and particulary the bar fixings, tend to damage potatoes being sorted on the conveyor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of belt for a screen chain conveyor of a potato harvester.

According to the present invention, there is provided a belt for a screen chain conveyor of a potato harvester having transverse chain bar receiving recesses in its outer peripheral surface, each defined between an individual pair of transverse lip formations of the belt, each two adjacent pairs of lip formations defining a transverse channel in the outer peripheral surface of the belt, and transverse drive teeth formed at the inner periphery of the belt, there being just one drive tooth disposed between each adjacent pair of chain bar receiving recesses, adjacent ones of said drive teeth being disposed opposite adjacent ones of said channels.

Preferably, the lips have an outwardly tapering cross-sectional shape in planes taken longitudinally of the belt.

Preferably also, the lips have convexly rounded transverse outer surfaces at their edges.

The present invention includes a screen chain conveyor for a potato harvester comprising a pair of belts in accordance with the present invention as hereinbefore defined, and chain bars carried by the belts, there being one of said individual pairs of transverse lip formations extending outwardly of and embracing each end of each bar.

With such a construction, the ends of the chain bars together with their associated fixings, may be prevented from making contact with potatoes being sorted on the conveyor so that damage to these is effectively eliminated.

As a result of the raised lip formations or protective lips on the one hand and of the transverse drive teeth on the other hand, a conveyor may be formed which has belts with an unweakened cross-section in all regions, to take up tensile stresses, while retaining good flexibility.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example, and not be way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a broken away perspective view of a screen chain conveyor for a potato harvester in accordance with the present invention and having belts also in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic, broken away longitudinal section through one of the belts; and Figure 3 shows a broken away section on the line III-III in Figure 2.

With reference now to the accompanying drawings, the screen chain conveyor illustrated in Figure 1 comprises two belts 1, both of the same construction, but a centre belt could be added in the case of a conveyor of greater width. The screen chain conveyor further comprises a plurality of chain rods or bars 2 which are rigidly connected to the outer peripheral surfaces of the belts by means of groups of two or three rivets 4 in the region of their ends 3 which are pressed flat. At the front end of the screen chain conveyor the belts run around plain guide rollers 5 and at the rear end the belts run around toothed drive rollers (not illustrated).

As can be seen, in particular from Figure 2, the belt 1 has a main portion 6 which comprises the region enclosed between the planes 7 and 8.

The planes 7 and 8 symbolise the main surfaces of the belt. The belt 1 consisting of rubber or the like elastomeric material and of a layer of fabric 9 situated in the mid plane of the main portion 6 of the belt is provided over its whole length with groups of rivet holes 10 which are disposed side by side in the transverse direction with uniform spacing, and through which the rivets 4 engage when the belt 1 is united with the bars 3 of the chain bars which rest on the main surface 7 of the belt can be secured by means of these rivets 4 and are each embraced laterally by an individual pair of protective lips 11, 12 which together define a transverse recess receiving the end of the bar.

Each individual pair of protective lips 11,12 associated with a group of rivet holes 10 forms an integral component with the main portion 6 of the belt and projects from the main surface 7 of the belt to an extent such, that the ends 3 of the chain bars together with the head of the rivets 4 are sunk between the protective lips 11, 12 surmounting them. The lips have convexly rounded transverse outer surfaces 13 at their edges and an outwardly tapering cross-sectional shape as seen in Figure 2, adjacent pairs of lips defining, together with the main surface 7 of the belt, a transverse trough or channel 14 having rounded internal corners. Accordingly, the protective lips 11 and 12 have thickened root portions which merge smoothly into the amin portion 6 of the belt, with rounding, to each side of each bar end receiving recess. The lips which become thinner towards their free edges are sufficiently flexiable in their free end regions projecting above the level of the ends 3 of the chain bars, so that potatoes 15 are prevented from contacting the rivets and are not damaged.

Transverse gear teeth 16, which have a trapezoidal cross-section with inclined flanks 17, merge with the main surface 8 of the belt, with just one tooth being disposed between each adjacent pair of chain bar receiving recesses with its flanks directly opposite the adjacent lips defining the channel 14 between the recesses. The free edges of the protective lips 11, 12 and the faces of the gear teeth 16 lie in planes 18 and 19 respectively, which are equally spaced from the mid plane of the fabric 9.

The belts as described are strengthened in the regions at the roots of the projecting lips whilst the throughs 14 provide for good flexibility to pass the belts around the guide and drive rollers.

The longitudinal offset of the individual pairs of protective lips and of the transverse drive teeth ensures a particularly favourable distribution of tensile forces in each belt and avoids concentrations of stress which might otherwise lead to premature failure of the belts.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A belt for a screen chain conveyor of a potato harvester having transverse chain bar receiving recesses in its outer peripheral surface, each defined between an individual pair of transverse lip formations of the belt, each two adjacent pairs of lip formations defining a transverse channel in the outer peripheral surface of the belt, and transverse drive teeth formed at the inner periphery of the belt, there being just one drive tooth disposed between each adjacent pair of chain bar receiving recesses, adjacent ones of said drive teeth being disposed opposite adjacent ones of said channels.

2. A belt as claimed in claim 1 in which the lips have an outwardly tapering cross-sectional shape in planes taken longitudinally of the belt.

3. A belt as claimed in claim 2 in which the lips have convexly rounded transverse outer surfaces at their edges.

4. A belt as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drive teeth are trapezoidal in crosssection.

5. A belt as claimed in any preceding claim including a fabric reinforcing insert disposed in a mid plane thereof.

6. A screen chain conveyor for a potato harvester comprising a pair of belts as claimed in any preceding claim and chain bars carried by the belts, there being one of said individual pairs of transverse lip formations extending outwardly of and embracing each end of each bar.

7. A belt for a screen chain conveyor of a potato harvester substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

8. A screen chain conveyor for a potato harvester substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. fabric 9 situated in the mid plane of the main portion 6 of the belt is provided over its whole length with groups of rivet holes 10 which are disposed side by side in the transverse direction with uniform spacing, and through which the rivets 4 engage when the belt 1 is united with the bars 3 of the chain bars which rest on the main surface 7 of the belt can be secured by means of these rivets 4 and are each embraced laterally by an individual pair of protective lips 11, 12 which together define a transverse recess receiving the end of the bar. Each individual pair of protective lips 11,12 associated with a group of rivet holes 10 forms an integral component with the main portion 6 of the belt and projects from the main surface 7 of the belt to an extent such, that the ends 3 of the chain bars together with the head of the rivets 4 are sunk between the protective lips 11, 12 surmounting them. The lips have convexly rounded transverse outer surfaces 13 at their edges and an outwardly tapering cross-sectional shape as seen in Figure 2, adjacent pairs of lips defining, together with the main surface 7 of the belt, a transverse trough or channel 14 having rounded internal corners. Accordingly, the protective lips 11 and 12 have thickened root portions which merge smoothly into the amin portion 6 of the belt, with rounding, to each side of each bar end receiving recess. The lips which become thinner towards their free edges are sufficiently flexiable in their free end regions projecting above the level of the ends 3 of the chain bars, so that potatoes 15 are prevented from contacting the rivets and are not damaged. Transverse gear teeth 16, which have a trapezoidal cross-section with inclined flanks 17, merge with the main surface 8 of the belt, with just one tooth being disposed between each adjacent pair of chain bar receiving recesses with its flanks directly opposite the adjacent lips defining the channel 14 between the recesses. The free edges of the protective lips 11, 12 and the faces of the gear teeth 16 lie in planes 18 and 19 respectively, which are equally spaced from the mid plane of the fabric 9. The belts as described are strengthened in the regions at the roots of the projecting lips whilst the throughs 14 provide for good flexibility to pass the belts around the guide and drive rollers. The longitudinal offset of the individual pairs of protective lips and of the transverse drive teeth ensures a particularly favourable distribution of tensile forces in each belt and avoids concentrations of stress which might otherwise lead to premature failure of the belts. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A belt for a screen chain conveyor of a potato harvester having transverse chain bar receiving recesses in its outer peripheral surface, each defined between an individual pair of transverse lip formations of the belt, each two adjacent pairs of lip formations defining a transverse channel in the outer peripheral surface of the belt, and transverse drive teeth formed at the inner periphery of the belt, there being just one drive tooth disposed between each adjacent pair of chain bar receiving recesses, adjacent ones of said drive teeth being disposed opposite adjacent ones of said channels.