Laitram, LLC

Kyle J Sedlacek

Andrew A Corley

David C Weiser

Omair Zubair

Christopher G Greve

Robert S Lapeyre

Joseph M DePaso

Gilbert J MacLachlan

Angela Longo Marshall

Mitchell G Pansano, Jr

Gerald M O'Connor

Sandra A Christiana

Ryan M Jones

Gilbert J Maclachlan

Jr Pansano

Apparatus and methods for bulk processing items on a conveyor belt using an angled axial fan that extends obliquely into a processing chamber and includes a curved back wall forming an air flow chamber. The angled axial fan enhances air flow around a product being processed on the conveyor belt. A heater employs shrouds and a series of baffle plates held together using a connecting pin to heat circulated air in a low-pressure area below the conveyor belt. Baffles in an upper chamber mix and direct heated, circulated air over the conveyed product.

Bulk food processor with angled axial flow fan

A modular belt constructed of belt modules having a large open area, making the belt suitable for use as a traveling water screen. The modules include an intermediate portion composed of intersecting sets of link elements and transverse elements that form a gridlike pattern. Openings bounded by the walls of consecutive link elements and transverse elements form channels through the belt for the flow of water. The modules are connected together by hinge rods to form a belt that can be used as a water screen. Detachable flights or scoops for lifting debris or fish out of a stream are attachable to base modules.

Screen belt and modules

A low-friction conveyor () including a conveyor belt () supported on self-contained rollers () riding along a carryway (). The conveyor includes a modular conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules () connected into a loop by hinge joints between adjacent rows (). The belt is supported on a carryway. Drive surfaces are accessible from the interior side () of the belt loop. Drive elements, such as sprockets (), drive on the drive surfaces to move the belt along the carryway. The belt rollers are recessod inward of the outer side () of the belt loop and extend past the interior side of the belt loop. In this way, the rollers engage the carryway in low-friction, rolling contact.

Low-friction conveyor

A traveling water screen comprising an endless foraminous belt with flights. The foraminous belt forms a water screen extending from a lower end in a flowing stream to an upper end above the surface of the stream. The stream flows through openings in the foraminous screen. The flights, which may be scoops, are arranged in spaced apart relation on the outer surface of the water screen. The water screen is driven in a direction so that its upstream portion advances upward and its downstream portion downward. The flights form inclined surfaces across the width of the screen from a point of highest elevation to one or more points of lowest elevation at one or both side edges of the screen. As the screen moves, the flights lift fish toward the surface. As a flight breaks the surface, fish slide down the inclined flights toward one or both side edges of the screen to be diverted safely. A second water screen having larger openings than the fish-removal water screen can be positioned upstream to filter out large debris and to protect the fish-removal water screen from heavy impacts in a two-stage filter.

Water screen

A modular conveyor belt with a self-adjusting edge for bearing against a conveyor side rail. An edge pad, which can be made of a durable material for long wear life, pivotably attaches to the side edge of a belt row. The pivotable attachment allows the pad to adjust itself to maximize its contact area with the side rail.

Conveyor belt and module with a self-adjusting edge

A conveyor comprising an outer roller-top belt loop and an inner drive belt loop inside the outer belt loop for accurate and smooth control of conveyed articles. Rollers on the outer belt loop extend beyond outer and inner sides of the roller-top belt. The inner drive belt has an outer surface that frictionally contacts the rollers beneath the inner side of the outer belt loop along an article-conveying carryway portion of the conveying path. Relative motion between the two belts causes the drive belt to rotate the rollers it contacts. The outer belt loop and the inner belt loop can be driven at different speeds by separate drives. The relative speeds of the two belts determine the direction and speed of rotation of the rollers.

Zero back pressure conveyor

Modular plastic conveyor belts constructed of split belt modules. Each module includes a first piece and a second piece. Side-by-side first pieces mate with side-by-side second pieces to form a row of belt modules. Each row has sets of hinge eyes along opposite ends. Hinge pins extending through the hinge eyes at the ends of each row connect the pieces in the row together to adjacent belt rows. Other components, such as rollers, can be inserted into and removed from the unmated pieces and retained in place by retention structure when the module pieces are mated.

Modular conveyor belts with split belt modules

A modular plastic conveyor belt hingedly interconnected by hinge pins made of a highly oriented polymer material. The hinge pins are preferably extruded from a material including a highly oriented polymer, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or nylon. Alternative materials include highly oriented acetal or polyurethane. Plastic hinge pins made with these polymers having their long molecules oriented along the axis of the shaft of the hinge pin are exceptionally strong and resistant to deformation.

Oriented polymer hinge pins in modular plastic conveyor belts

Split belt modules used to construct modular plastic conveyor belts. Each module includes a first piece and a second piece, each of which has sets of hinge eyes on opposite ends. The module pieces mate to form complete belt modules. Hinge pins extending through the hinge eyes at the ends of each module connect the pieces together. Other components, such as rollers, can be inserted into and removed from the unmated pieces and retained in place by retention structure when the module pieces are mated.

Split belt modules in modular conveyer belts

A two-material hinge pin for hingedly interconnecting consecutive rows of belt modules together into a modular plastic conveyor belt. The hinge pin includes an interior rod surrounded by an outer tube. The interior rod is made of a rigid material, such as acetal, nylon, polypropylene, PVC, or steel. The outer tube is made of urethane, which provides inherent abrasion resistance in contact with the belt modules and is especially effective in abrasive environments.

Abrasion-resistant two-material hinge pin in a modular plastic conveyor belt

A low backline pressure conveyor belt and modules therefor characterized by modules having thin upstanding supports supporting a transverse axle on which article-conveying rollers are rotatably mounted in a closely-spaced relationship.

Growing community of inventors

New Orleans, LA, United States of America

Kyle J Sedlacek