Foamed conveyor belt

Abstract

Abstract This invention relates to the product, a method, and to an apparatus for the production of belts of self-foaming closed cellular, self-skinning elastomeric materials preferably having flexible inextensible reinforcing members such as stranded steel cables extending longitudinally through the body of the belt. In a preferred form the invention comprises a conveyor belt comprising a longitudinally extending polyurethane shaped structure reinforced with longitudinal flexible reinforcing members, said polyurethane structure comprising a body of high density closed-cell polyurethane foam surrounding the reinforcing members and bonded thereto, said foam having a density of at least about 15 lb/cu. ft. and preferably at least about 30 lb/cu.ft. In one aspect the method comprises continuously supplying reinforcing members in laterally spaced relation to each other, to a moulding compartment, continuously supplying a foamable polyurethane composition to the moulding compartment, foaming the polyurethane composition in situ around the reinforcing members to fill the moulding compartment and to set and to hold the reinforcing members in a laterally spaced relation to each other, and continuously withdrawing the foamed shaped belt from the moulding compartment. The moulding compartment preferably includes two opposing walls to form an upper and lower surface of a reinforced belt respectively, each of said opposed walls comprising an endless conveyor exposing a non-adhering face to the interior of the moulding compartment, endless conveyor wall advancing means to advancing the nonadhering face at a rate consistent with the withdrawal of the reinforced belt from the outlet end of the moulding compartment.

Inventors

• 👤 Dieter Albrecht Hofmann

Bibliographic Details