Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A conveyor apparatus, comprising: conveyor means having wall means defining an air suction chamber having an open wall portion; said conveyor means including movable, endless, flexible drive members and a plurality of slats extending between said drive members with said slats substantially closing said open wall portion of said suction chamber, said slats defining air suction openings extending between the external surface thereof and the interior of said suction chamber; movable, endless, flexible, backup means disposed adjacent said conveyor means for creating a substantially airtight cover over an article disposed on and being conveyed by said slats, said endless backup means including endless flexible drive elements and an airtight, wide, endless flexible membrane extending loosely between said pair of endless elements, the opposite edges of said membrane being maintained in airtight engagement with the edges of said slats throughout the conveying reach of said conveyor means; and air suction means connected to said air suction chamber for creating a suction therein to cause said flexible membrane to create an airtight cover over an article disposed on said slats for holding said article on said slats as it is conveyed by said conveyor means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
A conveyor apparatus, comprising: conveyor means having wall means defining an air suction chamber having an open wall portion; said conveyor means including movable, endless, flexible drive members and a plurality of slats extending between said drive members with said slats substantially closing said open wall portion of said suction chamber, said slats defining air suction openings extending between the external surface thereof and the interior of said suction chamber; movable, endless, flexible, backup means disposed adjacent said conveyor means for creating a substantially airtight cover over an article disposed on and being conveyed by said slats, said endless backup means including endless flexible drive elements and an airtight, wide, endless flexible membrane extending loosely between said pair of endless elements, the opposite edges of said membrane being maintained in airtight engagement with the edges of said slats throughout the conveying reach of said conveyor means; and air suction means connected to said air suction chamber for creating a suction therein to cause said flexible membrane to create an airtight cover over an article disposed on said slats for holding said article on said slats as it is conveyed by said conveyor means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor means includes an elastic plate secured to the external surface of said slats, said air suction openings extending through both said slats and said elastic plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said endless flexible membrane is constructed at least in part of a flexible rubberlike material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor means and said backup means both include elongated inclined portions disposed adjacent one another for enabling articles to be conveyed between different elevations.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said endless flexible drive members and said endless flexible drive elements comprise endless chainlike members disposed in engagement with rotatable toothed wheels for movably supporting said slats and said membrane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
A conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wall means includes an elongated channel-shaped member disposed between and extending longitudinally of said endless drive members, the underside of the conveying reach of said conveyor means being disposed closely adjacent the open side of said channel-shaped member whereby said slats extend across said channel-shaped member and substantially close said open side thereof.