Patent ID: 6536585
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A conveyor for transporting articles over a track, comprising:a frame; an endless conveyor belt supported by said frame and to be driven by a driving device, said endless conveyor belt including transversely elongated substantially rigid supporting elements that define a transport portion and a return portion of said endless conveyor belt, said transversely elongated substantially rigid supporting elements being directly or indirectly interconnected with one another and pivotable relative to one another about an axis that is parallel to a plane of transport of said endless conveyor belt and perpendicular to a direction of transport of said endless conveyor belt, with adjacent ones of said transversely elongated substantially rigid supporting elements defining a gap therebetween; and movable cover flaps attached to and projecting from at least some of said transversely elongated substantially rigid supporting elements in a longitudinal direction of said endless conveyor belt, said movable cover flaps each being of a length sufficient to cover a corresponding one of the gaps defined between said adjacent ones of said transversely elongated substantially rigid supporting elements, wherein said movable cover flaps each comprise rigid parts that are pivotally connected to one another about a pivot axis which is substantially parallel to an axis of a corresponding one of said transversely elongated substantially rigid supporting elements.