Patent ID: 8668078

Claim:
A conveyor segment for clean manufacturing applications, the conveyor segment comprising: a pair of mutually parallel side rails; a pair of autonomous belt-drives for transporting at least one work piece from a first end of the belt segment to a second end of the belt segment, each belt-drive being disposed in parallel or substantially in parallel with a respective one of the pair of side rails, each belt-drive comprising plural pairs of upper idler wheels disposed at substantially the same height along the respective side rail, a plurality of lower loop-back wheels, each disposed intermediate two respective pairs of upper idler wheels and disposed lower, along the respective side rail, than the two respective pairs of upper idler wheels, a driving wheel disposed intermediate two respective pairs of upper idler wheels and disposed lower, along the respective side rail, than the two respective pairs of upper idler wheels, a first return idler wheel disposed proximate the first end of the belt segment and a second return idler wheel disposed proximate the second end of the belt segment, the first and second return idler wheels both disposed lower, along the respective side rail, than the plurality of lower loop-back wheels and the driving wheel, and a continuous belt having a substantially planar cross-section, wherein the belt is disposed in contact with, in sequence: an upper surface of a first pair of upper idler wheels; a lower surface of a respective one of the plurality of lower loop-back wheels or the driving wheel; and an upper surface of the next, consecutive one of the plural pairs of upper idler wheels, wherein the belt is disposed in contact with, in sequence: an upper surface of the pair of upper idler wheels most proximate the second end of the belt segment; a lower surface of the second return idler wheel; a lower surface of the first return idler wheel; and an upper surface of the pair of upper idler wheels most proximate the first end of the belt segment, wherein the upper idler wheels, lower loop-back wheels, and return idler wheels all are adapted to rotate in a plane that is substantially parallel to the respective side rail.