The present invention relates to an insert for conveyor belts. More specifically, the invention relates to an insert that is adapted to be mounted on a chain, which enables the sliding of a conveyor belt on a guide for supporting the belt.

As is known, a conveyor belt is generally constituted by a mat that slides by way of inserts mounted on a chain, which is entrained along a support guide. Usually, when the inserts work by sliding on steel guides, they are produced in different manners.

A first type of insert uses an aggregation of a high-technology plastics such as Delrin®. In this case, in which the insert is usually injection molded, it is necessary to reconcile the need to have a good resistance to wear with the cost of the material which must be reasonable in relation to the overall cost of the conveyor belt. The result is that, in order to achieve a high resistance to wear, if the piece is made entirely of very high-technology materials, like Zala® or Turcite®, then the cost of an individual insert would rise to unacceptable levels and the mechanical characteristics of the insert would not necessarily be better as a result (in terms of thermal expansion, elasticity etc.) while, if a material with a more contained cost is used, the long-lasting performance would be sacrificed.

A second type of insert uses metal for its production, a solution that offers medium costs and performance levels.

Finally, the third solution involves making the insert of metal with plates of anti-wear material, for example made of Turcite®. This solution is selected when it is desired to considerably increase the lifetime of the insert, but it is expensive given that it requires a step of adhesive bonding and several other working steps.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an insert for conveyor belts that has characteristics of high mechanical strength, for a cost no higher than for conventional inserts. Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide an insert for conveyor belts that makes it possible to use a material with optimal mechanical characteristics for the structural part of the insert that does not run on guides, while also taking account of the cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an insert for conveyor belts that has an optimal resistance to wear.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an insert for conveyor belts that is highly reliable, easy to implement and at low cost.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by an insert for conveyor belts, characterized in that it comprises a body made of plastics with high mechanical strength, said body being provided with regions made with an anti-wear material.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of the insert according to the present invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the insert according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the use of a plurality of inserts according to the invention in combination with a conveyor belt.

With reference to the figures, the insert, generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , comprises a body 2 of the insert, the structural part of which, i.e. the part that does not slide on the guides of a conveyor belt support, is produced, as will be explained later with reference to Figure 2, with a material having optimal mechanical characteristics (of resistance, rigidity and reduced expansion). Such material can be selected from available materials, while also taking account of the cost.

The peculiarity of the insert according to the invention is due to the fact that the parts of the insert that are intended to slide by friction on the guides of a conveyor belt support are made of special materials, adapted to withstand wear, and to ensure optimal sliding.

The insert according to the invention is made by way of a co-molding method, so as to mold the structural part of the insert, of a material with optimal mechanical characteristics, simultaneously with the part of the insert that is subject to wear, and thus of an anti-wear material.

The insert is therefore made entirely of plastics, and also with injection molding but, as explained above, with the co-molding technique. Such technique thus makes it possible to use two different materials, thus with the possibility of selecting them based on the mechanical characteristics and their cost, and differentiating the material where it is necessary and sufficient to have an anti-wear material, but not necessarily a material with high mechanical characteristics.

In particular, Figure 1 shows in detail the body 2 of the insert made of a material with high mechanical characteristics, while the portions designated by the reference numeral 3 constitute portions that must have high resistance to wear, but not necessarily high mechanical characteristics. Such portions are the portions that are subjected to sliding on steel guides.

In particular, Figure 2 shows, with the reference numeral 4, a support guide for the conveyor belt 5, which is supported by a plurality of inserts 1, according to the invention, mounted on a chain 6, which slides entrained supported by the guide 4. The portions 3 of the inserts are the portions that are designed to come into contact with the steel guides 7 of the guide element 4.

In practice it has been found that the insert according to the present invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, in that it makes it possible for the insert to be made with a co-molding technique, entirely of plastics, thus employing two different materials according to the regions of the body of the insert.

The insert, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In practice the materials employed, and the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No.

MI2011U000095 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.