Patent ID: 8215478

Claim:
A multi-operating-mode reciprocating slat conveyor, comprising: (a) a plurality of slats arranged in groups, said slats movable in a load-conveying direction and a load-retracting direction; (b) at least one power source, one slat of each group attached to said at least one power source; (c) a plurality of operating modes, each operating mode having a predetermined number of steps for moving a predetermined number of slats in each group of slats in said load-retracting direction; (d) at least one of said plurality of operating modes being an initial operating mode; (e) means for switching to a new operating mode, said means for switching responsive to at least one operating mode changing event; (f) said multi-operating-mode reciprocating slat conveyor positionable in a load-holding compartment having a front end and a rear end; (g) said plurality of operating modes including a first operating mode and a second operating mode comprising; (h) said first operating mode comprising: (i) a “loading” state in which slats move simultaneously in the load-conveying direction toward the front end of the load-holding compartment and retract separately in the load-retracting direction toward the rear end of the load-holding compartment; (ii) an “unloading” state in which slats move simultaneously in the load-conveying direction toward the rear end of the load-holding compartment and retract separately in the load-retracting direction toward the front end of the load-holding compartment; and (iii) said first operating mode being characterized by a first predetermined number of steps for retracting in either the “loading” state or the “unloading” state; and (i) said second operating mode comprising: (i) a “loading” state in which slats move simultaneously in the load-conveying direction toward the front end of the load-holding compartment and retract separately in the load-retracting direction toward the rear end of the load-holding compartment; (ii) an “unloading” state in which slats move simultaneously in the load-conveying direction toward the rear end of the load-holding compartment and retract separately in the load-retracting direction toward the front end of the load-holding compartment; and (iii) said second operating mode being characterized by a second predetermined number of steps for retracting in either the “loading” state or the “unloading” state.