Patent ID: 6860381

Claim:
A conveyor system for supporting and moving a plurality of objects, said conveyor system comprising; a plurality of zones each including a top conveying surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top and bottom surfaces define a space therebetween and wherein the top conveying surface is capable of moving in at least a downstream direction end of supporting one of the objects thereon; a plurality of electrical motors wherein each of the electrical motors is positioned external to the space between the top and bottom surfaces of a respective one of the plurality of zones and wherein each electrical motor includes a drive shaft operable to drive the top conveying surface; a control system operably connected to each of the electrical motors and capable of independently supplying power to each of the electrical motors such that the top conveying surface in one zone, and the object supported thereon, can be moved in the downstream direction independently of the other objects supported within the other zones; and a single power source, wherein the control system is configured to distribute electrical power from the single power source to the motor in each of the zones.