Patent ID: 8177049

Claim:
A conveyor including a pan, a conveyor chain and flight assembly that travels over said pan, the conveyor chain defining a chain axis, said conveyor chain and flight assembly including a first link assembly and a second link assembly, each of which includes two spaced apart drive pins, each of which has a first end and a second end, the drive pins being axially spaced apart, two spaced apart side plates, each of which has two spaced apart openings, each opening receiving a different one of said drive pins, and drive pin retaining means for retaining said drive pins in said side plates, and wherein at least one of said first link assembly and said second link assembly also includes a piece extending between and connected to said side plates to prevent movement of said side plates away from each other, the piece being positioned axially between the drive pins, means for connecting said two link assemblies, and a first flight connected to one of said first and said second link assemblies, said flight having a flight head having two spaced apart indentations, each of which receives a different one of said first ends of said drive pins, and first flight securing means for securing said drive pin first ends in said first flight head so that said first flight head is spaced from its respective side plate, and a second flight connected to said one of said first and said second link assemblies, said flight having a flight head having two spaced apart indentations, each of which receives a different one of said second ends of said drive pins, and second flight securing means for securing said drive pin second ends in said second flight head so that said second flight head is spaced from its respective side plate, and a sprocket drive including two spaced apart drive sprockets, with each drive sprocket engaging said drive pins between said side plates and the side plate's respective flight.