Patent ID: 7556144

Claim:
A belt conveyor having opposite sidewalls, said belt conveyor comprising: a driven roller and at least one other roller positioned along and between the opposite sidewalls; a continuous conveying belt reeved around said driven roller and said at least one other roller, said conveying belt defining a conveying surface between the opposite sidewalls of said belt conveyor, said driven roller being drivable to drive said conveying belt to move articles on said conveying belt along said belt conveyor, said driven roller engaging a surface of said conveying belt to drive said conveying belt via rotation of a rotatable portion of said driven roller, said conveying belt having a low modulus characteristic, wherein said conveying belt is initially stretched in a lengthwise direction of said conveying belt at least 0.75 percent when said conveying belt is reeved around said rollers, and wherein said belt has a width which spans substantially the spacing between said sidewalls; an article sensor operable to detect articles on said belt; a control operable to rotatably drive said driven roller in response to said article sensor; and wherein said conveying belt is tracked around said rollers via engagement of a surface of said conveying belt with said rollers and without a take up device, said low modulus characteristic of said conveying belt providing at least partial tracking of said conveying belt around said rollers.