Patent ID: 7380654
Filing Date: 2008-06-03
Classification: B25J,B65G,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A conveyor track drive, comprising: a housing having an upper end, a forward upstream end, a rearward downstream end, and opposing transverse sides; a continuous loop track with a first continuous loop conveyor thereon, said first conveyor operably mounted on said housing with a first segment oriented in a generally horizontal drive plane, and a second segment coplanar with the first segment; said first and second segments extending downstream in said drive plane, with a portion of each segment parallel and transversely adjacent one another; a guide on said housing upper end, located above the drive plane, with first guide members oriented to direct an object on the conveyor first segment to the conveyor second segment at the parallel portion of the segments; a drive sprocket operably mounted on the housing and in engagement with a downstream end of the first conveyor first segment to move the conveyor and the track and thereby transport objects on the conveyor; an idler sprocket operably mounted on the housing in engagement with an upstream end of the second segment; said first conveyor extending from the downstream end of the first segment, around a portion of the drive sprocket and thence around a portion of the idler sprocket to the upstream end of the second segment, to thereby form a continuous loop; and a selectively operable motor on the housing in engagement with the drive sprocket for selectively driving the drive sprocket.