Patent ID: 7150352

Claim:
A curved belt conveyor comprising: at least two tapered rollers positioned along and between curved opposite sidewalls, each of said at least two tapered rollers defining an upper roller surface and a lower roller surface, said upper roller surface being generally horizontal and said lower roller surface being at an angle with respect to said upper roller surface, at least one of said at least two tapered rollers comprising a rotatably driven roller; a continuous belt reeved around said rollers and having an upper run and a lower run, said continuous belt being driven via frictional engagement between said continuous belt and said at least one rotatably drive roller; and a tracking roller positioned generally between two of said at least two tapered rollers, said tracking roller having an upper tracking surface that engages said lower run of said belt, said upper tracking surface being oriented at an angle that generally corresponds with said angle of said lower roller surface of said tapered roller, said tracking roller tracking said belt with said at least two rollers while said belt is driven around said at least two rollers, said tracking roller tracking said belt via surface engagement between said tracking roller and said lower run of said belt.