Egg escalator belt assembly

Claim 1

An escalator band for use in transferring eggs or like objects to different elevational levels comprising an inner endless transmission member with a radially outer surface to which outer endless conveying means are secured, said outer conveying means being of substantial lateral width and constituted by an array of resilient sponge-like members for deformably contacting, carrying and transferring eggs or like object from one elevational level to another, said outer conveying means also including inner backing means to which the sponge-like members are fixedly attached, said inner backing means being attached to the radially outer surface of said inner endless transmission member with at least a part of said outer conveying means being detachable from the band and replaceable, said inner endless transmission member being relatively narrow in lateral width and disposed generaLly along a plane normal to said outer conveying means and passing midway between opposite edges of said conveying means, said inner endless transmission member being in the form of a V-belt, and said inner backing means of said outer endless conveying means is in the form of a flat belt member detachably secured to said V-belt by a single screw extending through said flat belt and into said V-belt whereby a free floating relationship is effected between said outer endless conveying means and said inner endless transmission member which allows a degree of tracking therebetween to prevent constant gathering and stretching of said outer endless conveying means normally attendant with changing atmospheric conditions, and an array of foam material is secured on the outer surface of said flat belt member to constitute said sponge-like member.