Brett E Devries

6823983, Nov 30, 2004

Oct 15, 2002

10/270813

Brett Edwin DeVries - Grand Rapids MI

Flexible Steel Lacing Company - Downers Grove IL

B65G 4500

198499

A conveyor belt cleaner is provided that is particularly well-suited for high temperature applications. The cleaner includes a blade mount that has a layback arm mounting the cleaning blade and which can simultaneously deflect horizontally and vertically via changes in the radius of curvature of a lower arcuate portion connected thereto so as to minimize stress on the blade mount. The layback arm extends toward the conveyor belt at an acute layback angle relative to the immediately upstream belt surface. Preferably, the blade mount is of a shape retentive metal material so that it retains its bias force applied to cleaner blade even in high temperature and high loading conveyor belt applications. To keep the complexity of the blade mount to a minimum, it is preferably of a one-piece, angled spring plate construction including a base integral with the layback arm interconnected thereto by the arcuate portion.

6874616, Apr 5, 2005

Oct 15, 2003

10/686190

Brett Edwin DeVries - Grand Rapids MI, US
John H. Winkelman - Naperville IL, US
Mark L. Walde - Naperville IL, US

Flexible Steel Lacing Company - Downers Grove IL

B65G045/00

198499

In one form, a conveyor belt cleaner is provided that is particularly well-suited for high temperature applications. The cleaner includes a blade mount that has a layback arm mounting the cleaning blade and which can simultaneously deflect horizontally and vertically via changes in the radius of curvature of a lower arcuate portion connected thereto so as to minimize stress on the blade mount. The layback arm extends toward the conveyor belt at an acute layback angle relative to the immediately upstream belt surface. In another aspect, a belt cleaning system is provided including a plurality of resilient blade mounts that absorb the energy of impacts with the cleaning blade so as to allow for controlled release of the impact energy upon bringing the blade quickly back into scraping engagement with the belt. Preferably, two of these resilient mounts are associated with each blade in the belt scraping area and the others at ends of an elongate support laterally spaced from the scraping area.

6926133, Aug 9, 2005

Mar 27, 2003

10/400906

James M. Kolodziej - Grand Rapids MI, US
Brett Edwin DeVries - Grand Rapids MI, US

Flexible Steel Lacing Company - Downers Grove IL

B65G045/00
B65G045/14
B65G045/12
B65G047/22

198498, 198497, 198493, 198499

A two piece scraper blade is provided that includes a scraper member that is releasably connected to a base member. The scraper member can be of a different material than the base member to provide various advantages including with respect to its wear resistance. Further, a toolless interconnection is provided for ease in attaching the scraper member to the base member. When worn, the scraper member can be replaced with a new scraper member in an easy and quick fashion.

7093706, Aug 22, 2006

Sep 10, 2003

10/661461

Brett Edwin DeVries - Grand Rapids MI, US
John H. Winkelman - Naperville IL, US
Mark L. Walde - Naperville IL, US

Flexible Steel Lacing Company - Downers Grove IL

B65G 45/00

198499, 198498, 198497

A conveyor belt cleaner is provided that is particularly well-suited for high temperature applications. The cleaner includes a blade mount that has a layback arm mounting the cleaning blade and which can simultaneously deflect horizontally and vertically via changes in the radius of curvature of a lower arcuate portion connected thereto so as to minimize stress on the blade mount. The layback arm extends toward the conveyor belt at an acute layback angle relative to the immediately upstream belt surface. In another aspect, a belt cleaning system is provided including a plurality of resilient blade mounts that absorb the energy of impacts with the cleaning blade so as to allow for controlled release of the impact energy upon bringing the blade quickly back into scraping engagement with the belt. Preferably, two of these resilient mounts are associated with each blade in the belt scraping area and the others at ends of an elongate support laterally spaced from the scraping area.

7347315, Mar 25, 2008

Sep 27, 2005

11/235839

James M. Kolodziel - Grand Rapids MI, US
Brett Edwin DeVries - Grand Rapids MI, US

Flexible Steel Lacing Company - Downers Grove IL

B65G 45/00

198493, 198494, 198497, 198499

A two piece scraper blade is provided that includes a scraper member that is releasably connected to a base member. The scraper member can be of a different material than the base member to provide various advantages including with respect to its wear resistance. Further, in one form, a toolless interconnection is provided for ease in attaching the scraper member to the base member. In another form, the scraper member and base member are provided with engaging surfaces with one of the surfaces including teeth for gripping into the other surface when the scraper member is connected to the base member. In this form, the forces for inserting and removing the scraper member from the base member are greater than the form in which a toolless interconnection is provided, and thus a more robust connection between the scraper and base members is provided thereby.

7810788, Oct 12, 2010

Sep 12, 2006

11/531202

Brett Edwin DeVries - Comstock Park MI, US

Flexible Steel Lacing Company - Downers Grove IL

B66F 3/08

254126, 254122

In one form, a belt lifter apparatus provides increased lifting force and belt lift height by a scissors mechanism having crossed lifting arms each having a translatable end and having a translatable pivot axis between the lifting arms. Preferably, other ends of the lifting arms are fixed to an upper belt lifting member and to a lower support base member at locations such that the pivot axis translates to a position located substantially at the center of the lifted belt when the belt is lifted to the highest lift height. Lightweight, aluminum tubular members are used for the lifting member and the base support and each includes a track for supporting the translatable ends of the lifting arms. The span width of the base member is adjusted by sliding telescoping, tubular legs within the base tubular element. Pivoted wing arms are supported by braces extending to the belt lifting member.

7815040, Oct 19, 2010

Jun 5, 2009

12/479421

Daniel J. Kuiper - Alto MI, US
Brett E. DeVries - Comstock Park MI, US
Richard W. Gilman - Sparta MI, US

Flexible Steel Lacing Company - Downers Grove IL

B65G 15/08

198823, 198841

Impact bed assemblies are provided, both static and dynamic, for absorbing impact forces taken by conveyor belts. The static and dynamic bed assemblies generally are constructed to optimize their impact absorption capacities while minimizing their space requirements under the belt.

7950519, May 31, 2011

May 1, 2009

12/434327

Brett E. DeVries - Comstock Park MI, US
Daniel Kuiper - Alto MI, US
George M. Tramper - Pierson MI, US

Flexible Steel Lacing Company - Downers Grove IL

B65G 45/16

198499, 198497

A belt scraper assembly having a blade holder and a scraper blade disposed therein, wherein a stiffener extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the belt is provided in the blade body to resist bending of the blade. A scraper blade having a body with a rigid plate member connected thereto and a stiffener disposed in the body of resilient material above a base portion and below a tip portion of the plate member and extending generally transversely with respect to the length of the scraper body. A scraping assembly for a conveyor belt including a non-linearly contoured blade holder and a scraper blade with a stiffener disposed on the plate members between base and tip portions extending generally transversely with respect to the length of the plate including a force-transmitting interface between the stiffener and an inner surface of the rear wall of the blade holder such that the inner surface of the wall offers support to the stiffener to oppose bending of the scraper blade caused by scraping the belt.