Patent ID: 7500435

Claim:
A friction drive system for a palletized conveyor, comprising: a pair of opposing drive assemblies residing along opposite sides of both a load and unload end of said palletized conveyor; each drive assembly including at least one drive unit having a drive motor adapted to rotate a drive belt; each drive assembly including at least one take-up unit having a tensioning device adapted to receive a drive belt; each drive assembly including a drive belt coupling said drive unit to said take-up unit; one or more idler units located between said at least one drive unit and said at least one take-up unit; a slide assembly associated with each idler unit and provided to facilitate movement of drive components of each idler unit toward said conveyor; and an actuator associated with each drive unit and each take-up unit for pressing said drive belt against pallets of said palletized conveyor; wherein said drive belts associated with said drive assemblies at said unload end of said palletized conveyor rotate at a slower speed than said drive belts associated with said drive assemblies at said load end of said palletized conveyor.