Patent ID: 8464862
Filing Date: 2013-06-18
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
1. In a conveyor comprising a thermoplastic toothed belt having a substantially smooth outside surface free of discontinuities and a plurality of teeth spaced from each other on an inside surface of the belt, wherein the belt is driven by engagement of the teeth with a drive sprocket, with no more than incidental tension and with low friction around the drive sprocket and an idler with an unsupported span extending between the drive sprocket and the idler, the improvement comprising at least one slit or gap in each tooth located equidistant from side edges of the belt to enable the formation of a longitudinal trough in the belt centrally located between the side edges at the unsupported span between the drive sprocket and the idler wherein the longitudinal trough forms in the unsupported span by a force acting on the belt with no more than incidental tension in the belt and provides a channel that tends to hold conveyed items and prevent them from migrating to edges of the belt.