REPLACEABLE SNAP-ON MODULAR OVERLAY FOR ROD AND LINK TURN-CURVE CONVEYOR BELTS

摘要

An overlay for use in a conveyor system having atleast one ware transport section and made up of asuccession of overlays for transporting articles, wherein eachoverlay is supported and moved along by a belt of spacedrod members extending transversely of the direction oftravel of the belt. Each overlay includes a plurality oflaterally spaced substantially longitudinally disposedlongitudinal members and a plurality of transversely disposedconnecting means each connecting adjacent ones of thelongitudinal members. Adjacent ones of the connecting meansconnect opposite end portions of the longitudinal membersforming a plurality of alternating oppositely openingnestable segments, giving the overlay a zig-zag shape,which allow nesting thereof with overlays immediately aheadand behind it on the belt. Each of the longitudinalmembers have a first and second support means which areopposed and longitudinally spaced from each other. Eachsupport means include a rod member engaging means operableto receive a rod member when the overlay is moved relativelytoward the respective rod member in a direction normalto the plane of the belt. The first and/or second supportmeans each have a downwardly directed opening extendinglongitudinally of the longitudinal member and parallelto the plane of the belt allowing the belt to expand orcollapse while the belt travels through an arcuate pathabout an axis parallel to the plane of the belt. Theoverlay is releasably clipped onto the rod members with aplurality of rod member retaining means.