Patent ID: 8260574

Claim:
A diagnostic device for evaluating a conveying system adapted to transport articles over an endless web of slats in a direction of conveyance, said endless web of slats adapted to travel in an endless loop adjacent a plurality of stationary surfaces, said diagnostic device comprising: a body having first and second ends; a first force sensor positioned adjacent said first end of said body and adapted to detect a first amount of force exerted by a first portion of said diagnostic device against a first one of said stationary surfaces, said first force oriented in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body extending from said first end to said second end; a second force sensor positioned adjacent said second end of said body and adapted to detect a second amount of force exerted by a second portion of said diagnostic device against a second one of said stationary surfaces, said second force oriented in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis; a reference object sensor attached to said body and adapted to detect a reference object positioned at a known location along said endless loop; and a transmitter attached to said body and adapted to wirelessly transmit data to a remote receiver, said data being related to said first and second amounts of force and a position of said reference object.