Ashworth Bros., Inc.

Automated Merchandising Systems, Inc.

D Joseph Neely

Jonathan R Lasecki

Willem Van Faassen

Richard A Pollock

Aaron Brantly Neely

Jonathan Lasecki

A conveyor belt including a plurality of link elements, and a pivot rod with a button head at one end. The button head is sized to pass through an outer opening and be received in a first edge extension when in a particular orientation. The pivot rod is retained with the button head received in the first edge extension by rotating the button head so that the button head is misaligned with respect to the first dimension of the outer opening. A method for assembling a conveyor belt is also provided.

Conveyor belt

A conveyor belt and method for assembling a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt including a plurality of link elements and a plurality of pivot rods. Each link element includes a plurality of intermeshing extensions and at least one edge extension at a peripheral edge thereof. The plurality of intermeshing extensions form receiving compartments adapted to receive intermeshing extensions of an adjacent link element, and include transverse rod openings. The plurality of pivot rods are received in the transverse rod openings of the plurality of intermeshing extensions thereby interlinking adjacent link elements together. The edge extensions include an entry aperture sized to allow insertion of a pivot rod, and a rod receiving compartment to retain an end of the pivot rod.

Conveyor belt and method of assembly

The invention is a snack style clear front merchandiser having a horizontal product column with a front opening leading into a vend space. A product mover pushes a product through the front opening and into the vend space. A retaining device, mounted to the merchandiser near the front opening and positioned in a manner such that a top of the product being vended hits the retaining device during vending, prevents the product top from moving or pitching forward during a vending process. Consequently, the vended product falls freely into the delivery hopper without bridging the vending space. A single retaining device may be used for several columns in a single tray or individual retaining devices may be used for each column. The height of the retaining device can be adjusted as required for the type of product being vended in the columns. The retaining device may be rigidly or rotationally mounted to the merchandiser. Where a U-shaped retaining device is rotationally mounted to the merchandiser, the retaining device rotates forward when a product comes in contact with the retaining device before causing the product to rotate. The retaining device then rotates back into a vertical standby position so that the free fall of products from trays above the retaining device is not obstructed. A method for vending products is also disclosed.

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Winchester, VA, United States of America

D Joseph Neely