Patent ID: 7207434

Claim:
A conveyor suitable for conveying objects along a transport direction, the conveyor comprising: a plurality of connected links, each link having a length extending across the direction of transport and a width extending along the direction of transport, each link having a conveying surface and at least one movable gripping member extending from the conveying surface of the link, each gripping member being movable from a first opened position to a second gripping position, the gripping members each including a gripping arm having a pivot point, a gripping end spaced from the pivot point, and a cam follower extending outward from the gripping arm between the pivot point and the gripping end, the gripping arm being located so as to be able to contact one of the objects via the gripping end when the gripping member is in the second position to hold the object relative to the link during transport, each link including at least one spring member urging the gripping member toward the second position.