Dryer conveyor belt tracking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939198-B2
Application number	US-201615194035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides a conveyor belt tracking system for a dryer having a web of a mesh material having a protrusion extending along the length proximal one lateral edge and above a flat surface and a first generally cylindrical roller having a three-tiered slot for receiving the protrusion and two flanking shallow tracks for receiving base flanges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dryer comprising:
a housing defining a drying chamber;
a conveyor of an endless web of a mesh material inside the housing and having opposed lateral edges, a length, and a generally flat surface, a protrusion extending along the length proximal one lateral edge and above the flat surface, the protrusion having a central peak and flanking base flanges; and
a pair of generally cylindrical rollers within the housing and spaced from one another and the endless web mounted on the rollers for movement with the rollers, each of the rollers having a circumference, opposed lateral edges and a generally smooth surface, a three-tiered slot extends about the circumference spaced axially inwardly from a lateral edge and extends radially inwardly of the smooth surface and having a central deep track for receiving the protrusion and two flanking shallow tracks for receiving the base flanges.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a support extending between the opposed lateral edges and having a surface for contacting the web and a notch in the surface to accommodate the protrusion.

3. The dryer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the pair of rollers is driven by a heavy-duty, variable-speed DC motor.

4. The dryer of claim 1 wherein the web is made of heat-resistant, polytetrafluoroethylene coated fiberglass mesh.

5. The dryer of claim 4 wherein the rollers are anodized aluminum rollers.

6. The dryer of claim 1 wherein the protrusion is spaced from an outer edge of the web and the protrusion is continuous along the length of the web.

7. The dryer of claim 6 wherein both rollers have at least one guiding groove therein for cooperating with the protrusion.

8. The dryer of claim 7 wherein the web has at least two longitudinal protrusions and the rollers have at least two guiding grooves therein for cooperating with the protrusions.

9. The dryer of claim 7 further comprising a second conveyor adjacent the conveyor and cooperating therewith.

10. The dryer of claim 9 wherein each conveyor includes a plurality of rollers.

11. The dryer of claim 1 wherein the web supports discrete textiles.

12. The dryer of claim 1 further comprising a heating element selected from the group consisting of a gas heater, electric heater, and an infrared radiant heating element.

Assignees

• M & R Printing Equip Inc

Inventors

• Hoffman Jr Richard C
• Switalski Mariusz
• Podstawka Jerzy
• Tkacz Dariusz

Classifications

• F26B15/18

  the objects or batches of materials being carried by endless belts · CPC title

• F26B15/12 Primary

  the lines being all horizontal or slightly inclined · CPC title