Caterpillar device for chain type conveyor systems

Claim 1

A CONVEYOR INCLUDING A CATERPILLER DRIVE COMPRISING, A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A PAIR OF C OPLANAR CHAIN SPROCKETS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR ROTATION ABOUT SPACED PARALLEL AXES, AN ENDLESS DRIVE CHAIN TRAINED ABOUT SAID SPROCKETS AND INCLUDING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING DRIVE DOGS, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID DRIVE CHAIN IN ONE DIRECTION ABOUT SAID CHAIN SPROCKETS, SAID DRIVE DOGS HAVING OUTER DRIVING END PORTIONS DISPOSED IN A PLANE NORMAL TO SAID AXES AND DRIVE SURFACES ON SAID DRIVING END PORTIONS FACING IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVE CHAIN ABOUT SAID CHAIN SPROCKETS, SAID DRIVE CHAIN BEING MOVABLE ALONG A CLOSED DRIVING PATH INCLUDING A RECTILINEAR DRIVING RUN EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SPROCKETS AND A CURVED RUN EXTENDING FROM AND BEYOND THE DOWNSTREAM END OF THE RECTILINEAR DRIVING RUN ABOUT ONE OF SAID SPROCKETS, A CONVEYOR CHAIN INCLUDING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED LINKS HAVING A CONVEXLY CURVED THRUST SURFACES ALIGNED LONGITUDINALLY OF AND UNIFORMLY SPACED ALONG AND FACING IN SIMILAR DIRECTIONS, LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CONVEYOR CHAIN, A CONVEYOR TRACK SUPPORTING SAID CONVEYOR CHAIN FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH INCLUDING A RECTILINEAR DRIVEN RUN LOCATED PARALLEL TO SAID RECTILINEAR DRIVING RUN OF THE DRIVE CHAIN, SAID RECTILINEAR DRIVEN RUN TERMINATING SHORT OF THE RECTILINEAR DRIVING RUN AND BEING OVERLAPPED BY THE RECTILINEAR DRIVING RUN AT THE DOWNSTREAM END OF THE LATTER, AND A CURVED RUN AT THE DOWNSTREAM END OF AND EXTENDING FROM AND BEYOND THE RECTILINEAR DRIVEN RUN AND CURVING AWAY