ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 30 -- United States Patent no. 12,428,235, issued on Sept. 30, was assigned to Laitram LLC (Harahan, La.).
"Conveyor belt edge module" was invented by David W. Bogle (Franklinton, La.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An edge module for a modular conveyor belt. The edge module includes a rod-retention plug that is pivotably mounted in a socket that opens onto the module's bottom. The plug has a bore that receives an axle in the socket on which the plug can be rotated. An arm attached to a main body of the plug by a living hinge allows the arm to flex from a relaxed state occluding a hinge-rod passageway at the belt's hinge joints to a flexed state allowing a hinge rod to b...