Air passenger meals conveyor

Claim 1

A TRAY DELIVERY AND RETURN CONVEYOR APPARATUS, COMPRISING AN ENDLESS HORIZONTAL RAIL, SAID RAIL BEINH I-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION WITH UPPER AND LOWER SPACED PLATES HAVING LATERALLY EXTENDING FIRST FLANGES; A CONTINUOUS CHAIN OF TRAY SUPPORTS AND TRAY GUIDES EACH OF SAID TRAY SUPPORTS AND TRAY GUIDES HAVING A VERTICAL BODY PROVIDED WITH SECOND FLANGES AT ITS UPPER END SLIDABLY INTERFITTING BETWEEN THE FIRST FLANGES OF THE SPACED PLATES OF THE RAIL, SO THAT THE RAIL SLIDABLY SUPPORTS THE CHAIN OF TRAY SUPPORTS AND GUIDES, EACH OF THE TRAY SUPPORTS AND GUIDES HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING FLANGE PLATE FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING A TRAY; HINGE MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING ADJACENT ENDS OF THE TRAY SUPPORTS AND TRAY GUIDES, SAID ENDS OF THE TRAY SUPPORTS AND TRAY GUIDES BEING TAPERED IN FORM; AND DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CHAIN SLIDABLY AROUND UNDERNEATH THE RAIL, SAID DRIVE MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF POLYGONAL DRIVE SPROCKETS LOCATED RESPECTIVELY AT OPPOSITE LOOPED ENDS OF THE CHAIN, EACH SPROCKET HAVING STRAIGHT EDGES CONTACTING EDGES OF FLANGE PLATES OF THE TRAY SUPPORTS AND TRAY GUIDES AT A LOOPED END OF THE CHAIN, EACH SPROCKET HAVING CORNER TAPERED COGS ENGAGEABLE BETWEEN ADJACENT TRAY SUPPORTS AND TRAY GUIDES AT A LOOPED END OF THE CHAIN, AND AND ROTATABLY DRIVING THE SAME SO THAT THE CHAIN OF TRAY SUPPORTS AND TRAY GUIDES MOVES CONTINUOUSLY AROUND UNDERNEATH THE RAIL.