Plastic conveyor belt system with improved product support

Claim 1

A conveyor system, comprising: an endless conveyor belt assembled of a plurality of belt modules integrally molded of synthetic plastic material, each belt module including: a plurality of longitudinally extending, transversally closely spaced ribs providing a generally flat upwardly facing support surface; transversally extending web means inter-connecting said ribs; said ribs being arranged in two intercalated series, of which one has knuckle portions leading the leading ends of said ribs of the other series, and of which said other series has knuckle portions trailing the trailing ends of said ribs of said one series; means defining a relatively open hinge slot through each said knuckle portion; and means defining at least one downwardly-opening sprocket tooth-reception cavity located midway between the knuckle portions of each of said two series of ribs; said belt modules being arranged in a plurality of rows in an interdigitated manner so that trailing hinge slots of respective landing belt modules are aligned transversally of the belt with leading hinge slots of respective longitudinally neighboring trailing belt modules; the respective longitudinally neighboring belt module rows being pivotally joined by respective connecting rods received through the respective aligned hinge slots; said belt being entrained about a drive roll means and a tracking roll means, and drive roll means including at least one sprocket having a plurality of perimetrically spaced radiating teeth constructed and arranged to drivingly engage said belt in said at least one downwardly opening cavity in respective ones of said belt modules, and central hub means constructed and arranged for mounting said at least one sprocket on a drive shaft for rotation therewith; on each belt module said web means comprising two generally arcuate webs which are convex towards one another so as to be more nearly vertical and more nearly parallel to one another towards the upper extent thereof, and to flare away from one another near the lower extend thereof, said two webs being spaced from one another longitudinally of the conveyor belt in which the belt module is designed to be incorporated; on each belt module said at least one downwardly-opening sprocket tooth-reception cavity comprising a plurality of transversally spaced like ones of such cavities, each defined longitudinally between said webs of that belt module and transversally between a respective at least two said ribs of that module; on each belt module the respective at least two ribs which in part define each said downwardly-opening sprocket tooth-reception cavity being in a first series of said two series of ribs, and each said respective at least two ribs being spaced apart by at least one truncated said rib from a second series of said two series of ribs, each such truncated rib thereby comprising an upper end wall of the respective said downwardly-opening sprocket tooth-reception cavity; on each said belt module all of said respective at least two ribs and said two webs having means defining a flat lower surface in common, so that each of said cavities is perimetrically bounded by a flat lower surface, which flat lower surface extends longitudinally on said knuckle portions of said ribs to sites underlying said hinge slots.