Screw feed belt

Abstract

A screw feed belt includes an elongated strap and a plurality of positioning rings. The strap is formed with openings that are spaced apart from and aligned with each other. Each of the openings is defined by an annular confining wall, and has a depth measured from top to bottom strap surfaces. Each of the positioning rings is disposed in a respective opening, and has an outer periphery that is integrally connected to the confining wall of the respective opening, and a thickness that is less than the depth of the respective one of the openings so as to form a recess adapted to permit extension of the head portion of a respective screw therein.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A screw feed belt for holding a plurality of screws, each of the screws having a shank portion and a head portion on one end of the shank portion, said screw feed belt comprising: 
 an elongated strap made of a flexible material and having opposite top and bottom strap surfaces, said strap extending in a longitudinal direction and being formed with a plurality of openings that extend through said top and bottom strap surfaces, that are spaced apart from each other and that are aligned with each other in the longitudinal direction, each of said openings being defined by an annular confining wall and having a depth measured from said top strap surface to said bottom strap surface; and    a plurality of positioning rings disposed respectively in said openings, each of said positioning rings having an inner periphery formed with a positioning hole that is adapted to permit extension of the shank portion of a respective one of the screws and that is adapted to be in frictional contact with the shank portion of the respective one of the screws, and an outer periphery that is integrally connected to said confining wall of the respective one of said openings, each of said positioning rings having opposite top and bottom ring surfaces and a thickness measured from said top ring surface to said bottom ring surface, the thickness of each of said positioning rings being less than the depth of the respective one of said openings so as to form a recess between said top ring surface and said top strap surface that is adapted to permit extension of the head portion of the respective one of the screws therein.    
     
     
         2 . The screw feed belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said positioning rings is formed with a plurality of radial slits that extend radially and outwardly from said inner periphery.  
     
     
         3 . The screw feed belt as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said radial slits gradually diverge in radial outward directions.  
     
     
         4 . The screw feed belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said outer periphery of each of said positioning rings is formed with a plurality of angularly spaced apart perforations.  
     
     
         5 . The screw feed belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bottom ring surface of each of said positioning rings is flush with said bottom strap surface.