Patent ID: 8083052

Claim:
A reciprocating slat conveyor comprising: a conveyor frame including a pair of laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending, side beams, a forward frame section comprising forward portions of the side beams and longitudinally spaced apart lateral frame members extending between the side frame beams, a rearward frame section comprising rearward portions of the side beams and longitudinally spaced apart lateral frame beams extending between the side beams, and a window longitudinally between the forward frame section and the rearward frame section, said window providing a space laterally between intermediate portions of the side beams and longitudinally between two longitudinally spaced apart lateral frame members; a plurality of drive units in the window, each having a fixed portion anchored to the frame and movable portions moveable in the window; a plurality of transverse drive beams in the window, each connected to the movable portion of a different one of the drive units; a plurality of laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending, fixed slats connected to the forward and rear sections of the frame and bridging longitudinally over the window and over the transverse drive beams in the window; a plurality of laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending, movable conveyor slats between the fixed slats, said movable slats being divided into sets equal in number to the number of transverse drive beams, and each set of movable slats being connected to a separate one of the transverse drive beams; said fixed slats each having a longitudinally extending center portion and a pair of side wings extending laterally outwardly and upwardly from the center portion; said movable slats each having a longitudinally extending center portion, a pair of longitudinally extending side portions, and a pair of laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending hook portions including a web connected to the movable slat where the center portion meets a side portion, said hook portions each extending first downwardly in the form of a web and then laterally outwardly in the form of a lower flange that is integral with the web, said slat side portions, said webs and said lower flanges together forming laterally outwardly opening channel spaces; fixed bearings on the side wings each having an upper part sitting down on its side wing and a lower part below its side wing, wherein said bearings being mounted on said wings, and said wings and bearings being located in the channel spaces, vertically between the side portions of the slat and the lower flanges; and said side portions of the movable slats having bottom surfaces which rest on the upper parts of the bearings, and said lower flanges being below the lower parts of the bearings.