The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 07, 1989
Filed:
Jun. 27, 1988
Lewis Tyree, Jr, Lexington, VA (US);
Liquid Carbonic Corporation, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A chiller has an insulated enclosure for maintaining the low ambient temperatures therewithin. A conveyor belt carries food products throughout the enclosure, passing through an entrance and an exit in the enclosure. The conveyor belt includes a straight-line path section and a helical path section, and is driven by a suitable drive, such as an internal rotating drum or an endless drive belt contacting a bottom tier of the conveyor helical path section. The belt includes inner and outer links interconnected by transverse rods. Upon entering a helical path section from a straight-line path section, the conveyor belt undergoes expansion only, with the inner ends of the rods undergoing only slight relative angular movement, while the outer ends of the rods are permitted an amount of relative longitudinal movement so as to allow the conveyor belt to assume a curved configuration having the desired radius of curvature for the helical path.