Endless band conveyors

Claim 2

An endless conveyor band comprising spaced rod members extending transversely of the direction of travel of said band, and load-bearing components hingedly connected to and extending between said rod members, said load-bearing components being moulded plastics modules each having at each of two opposite sides at least two alinged connecting portions at which said module is hingedly attached to two of said rod members, said connecting portions having jaw parts which define mouths into said connecting portions by way of which said connecting portions are releasably clipped onto said rod members by movement laterally of said rod members, and said connecting portions at one of said opposite sides of each said module being less widely spaced apart than those of the other one of said opposite sides, said less widely spaced connecting portions of each said module being positioned between and in alignment with said more widely spaced connecting portions of another similar module adjacent thereto in the lengthwise direction of the band.

Claim 3

An endless conveyor band according to claim 1 wherein each said module has a body comprising a pair of parallel side bars, one said side bar being shorter than the other said side bar, end bars which extend transversely between and join said side bars at their ends, and cross bars which extend between and are joined to said side bars at intermediate parts of their lengths, said connecting portions of each said module extending from said side bars adjacent said ends thereof.

Claim 4

An endless conveyor band according to claim 1 wherein between each adjacent pair of said rod members there is a row of said modules clipped onto said rod members side-by-side across the width of said band, and said rod members have lateral protrusions which are positioned between and co-operate with said less widely spaced connecting portions of said modules at the ends of said rows of modules and restrain and modules from movement along said rod members.

Claim 5

An endless conveyor band according to claim 3 wherein said protrusions are presented by wave formations in said rod members.

Claim 6

An endless conveyor band comprising spaced rod members extending transversely of the direction of travel of said band and coupled together at their ends, and load-bearing components hingedly connected to and extending between said rod members, said load-bearing components being moulded plastics modules each having a horizontal load-supporting surface, and at two opposite sides similar connecting portions which are shorter than said sides and at which said module is hingedly attached to two of said rod members which are adjacent to one another, said connecting portions each being of substantially C-shaped cross-section and comprising two opposed resilient jaw parts which together define a flared mouth of said C-shape directed downwards away from said load-supporting surface and having a throat of narrower width than the cross-sections of said rod members, and said connecting portions being releasably clipped, by way of said mouths, onto said rod members by movement of said connecting portions laterally of said rod members, and said connecting portions of each said module intercalating with and being aligned with the connecting portions of similar modules which are adjacent thereto in the lengthwise direction of the band.

Claim 7

An endless conveyor band comprising spaced rod members extending transversely of the direction of travel of said band and coupled together at their ends, and load-bearing components hingedly connected to and extending between said rod members, said load-bearing components being moulded plastics modules each having a horizontal load-supporting surface, and at two opposite sides similar connecting portions which are shorter than said sides and at which said module is hingedly attached to two of said rod members which are adjacent to one another, said connecting portions each being of substantially C-shaped cross-section and comprising two opposed resilient jaw parts which together define a flared mouth of said C-shape directed downwards away from said load-supporting surface and having a throat of narrower width than the cross-sections of said rod members, and said connecting portions being releasably clipped, by way of said mouths, onto said rod members by movement of said connecting portions laterally of said rod members, and said connecting portions of each said module intercalating with and being aligned with the connecting portions of similar modules which are adjacent thereto in the lengthwise direction of the band.

Claim 8

An endless conveyor band according to claim 5 wherein said modules each have at each of said opposite sides integral stem portions which extend from said sides in the lengthwise direction of the band and integral with which are said connecting portions spaced from said sides.

Claim 9

A load-bearing component for an endless conveyor band constructed in part of spaced transverse rod members, comprising a moulded plastics module having at each of two opposite sides thereof at least two aligned connecting portions by which said module is adapted to be hingedly attached to two of the rod members of the conveyor band, said connecting portions having jaw parts which define mouths into said connecting portions by way of which said connecting portions are able to be releasably clipped onto the rod members by movement laterally of the rod members, and said connecting portions at one of said opposite sides being less widely spaced apart than those of the other one of said opposite sides, the arrangement being such that said less widely spaced connecting portions are able to be positioned between and in alignment with the more widely spaced connecting portions of another similar module.

Claim 10

A load-bearing component for an endless conveyor band constructed in part of spaced transverse rod members, comprising a moulded plastics module having at each of two opposite sides thereof at least two aligned connecting portions by which said module is adapted to be hingedly attached to two of the rod members of the conveyor band, said connecting portions having jaw parts which define mouths into said connecting portions by way of which said connecting portions are able to be releasably clipped onto the rod members by movement laterally of the rod members, and said connecting portions at one of said opposite sides being less widely spaced apart than those of the other one of said opposite sides, the arrangement being such that said less widely spaced connecting portions are able to be positioned between and in alignment with the more widely spaced connecting portions of another similar module.

Claim 11

A load-bearing component for an endless conveyor band constructed in part of spaced transverse rod members, comprising a moulded plastics module having a horizontal load-supporting surface, and at two opposite sides connecting portions which are shorter than said sides and by which said module is adapted to be hingedly attached to two of the rod members of the conveyor band, said connecting portions each being of substantially C-shaped cross-section and comprising two opposed resilient jaw parts which together define a flared mouth of said C-shape directed downwards away from said load-supporting surface and having a throat of narrower width than the cross-sections of the rod members, said connecting portions being able to be releasably clipped, by way of said mouths, onto the rod members by movement of said connecting portions laterally of the rod members, and said connecting portions of said two opposite sides being positioned in relation to one another in such manner that they are able to intercalate with and be aligned with the connecting portions of similar modules when said module is attached to the rod members.

Claim 12

A load-bearing component for an endless conveyor band constructed in part of spaced transverse rod members, comprising a moulded plastics module having a horizontal load-supporting surface, and at two opposite sides connecting portions which are shorter than said sides and by which said module is adapted to be hingedly attached to two of the rod members of the conveyor band, said connecting portions each being of substantially C-shaped cross-section and comprising two opposed resilient jaw parts which together define a flared mouth of said C-shape directed downwards away from said load-supporting surface and having a throat of narrower width than the cross-sections of the rod members, said connecting portions being able to be releasably clipped, by way of said mouths, onto the rod members by movement of said connecting portions laterally of the rod members, and said connecting portions of said two opposite sides being positioned in relation to one another in such manner that they are able to intercalate with and be aligned with the connecting portions of similar modules when said module is attached to the rod members.