Conveyor

Claim 2

In a conveying mechanism, a pair of vertical walls disposed in end-to-end relation to provide a joint therebetween, each wall having at least one longitudinally extending surface deviation with a surface deviation of one wall being in longitudinal alignment with a surface deviation of the other wall, each surface deviation being bordered by a pair of flat inclined converging surfaces, a connecting member disposed across said joint and having at least one longitudinally extending surface deviation bordered by a pair of flat inclined converging surfaces complementing and mating with the first named inclined surfaces to thereby provide precise alignment of said walls relative to each other, each surface deviation in said walls includes a connecting surface connecting the inclined surfaces of that surface deviation, each surface deviation in said connecting member includes a connecting surface joining the inclined surfaces of that surface deviation and spaced out of contact with the respective connecting surfaces of the walls, means for securing the connecting member to said walls, a conveying member, and an upper ledge connected to the upper portion of each wall above the surface deviation therein to support the conveying member in travel.

Claim 3

The mechanism of claim 1, and including a lower ledge disposed in parallel spaceD relation to said upper ledge and connected to said walls to support the endless member in travel in the opposite direction.

Claim 4

The mechanism of claim 2, wherein said walls are side walls members and said upper ledge and lower ledge extend laterally inward of said side walls.

Claim 5

The mechanism of claim 2, and including a flexible wear strip connected to the upper surface of both said upper ledge and said lower ledge, said conveying member adapted to be supported on said wear strips.

Claim 6

The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the surface deviation in said wall is a groove and the surface deviation in said connecting member is a ridge.

Claim 7

The mechanism of claim 5, wherein said groove extends laterally inward of said wall and the outer surface of said connecting means is flat and substantially flush with the outer surface of said wall.

Claim 8

In a conveying mechanism, a pair of first side walls disposed in end-to-end relation, each of said first side walls having a pair of longitudinally extending spaced grooves, a pair of second side walls parallel to said first side walls and disposed in end-to-end relation, each second side wall having a pair of longitudinally extending spaced grooves, a pair of first central walls disposed in end-to-end relation and located between said first side walls and said second side walls and located parallel thereto, said first central walls having a pair of longitudinally extending spaced grooves, a pair of second central walls disposed in end-to-end relation and located between said first side walls and said second side walls, each of second central walls having a pair of longitudinally extending spaced grooves, a first connecting member disposed across the joint between said first side walls and having a pair of generally parallel lands complementing and received within the grooves of said first side walls to thereby align said first side walls relative to each other, a second connecting member disposed across the joint between the second side walls and having a pair of generally parallel lands complementing and received within the grooves of said second side walls to thereby align said second side walls relative to each other, a third connecting member disposed across the joint between the first central walls and disposed across the joint between said second central walls, said third connecting member having a pair of generally parallel lands on each side surface thereof complementing and received within the grooves in the respective first central walls and the second central walls to thereby provide alignment of said first and second central walls relative to each other, and means connected to each of said side walls and central walls to support a conveying member in movement.

Claim 9

In a conveying mechanism, a pair of first side walls disposed in end-to-end relation, each of said first side walls having a pair of longitudinally extending spaced grooves, a pair of second side walls parallel to said first side walls and disposed in end-to-end relation, each second side wall having a pair of longitudinally extending spaced grooves, a pair of first central walls disposed in end-to-end relation and located between said first side walls and said second side walls and located parallel thereto, said first central walls having a pair of longitudinally extending spaced grooves, a pair of second central walls disposed in end-to-end relation and located between said first side walls and said second side walls, each of second central walls having a pair of longitudinally extending spaced grooves, a first connecting member disposed across the joint between said first side walls and having a pair of generally parallel lands complementing and received within the grooves of said first side walls to thereby align said first side walls relative to each other, a second connecting member disposed across the joint between the second side walls and having a pair of generally parallel lands complementing and received within the grooves of said second side walls to thereby align said second side walls relative to each other, a third connecting member disposed across the joint between the first central walls and disposed across the joint between said second central walls, said third connecting member having a pair of generally parallel lands on each side surface thereof complementing and received within the grooves in the respective first central walls and the second central walls to thereby provide alignment of said first and second central walls relative to each other, and means connected to each of said side walls and central walls to support a conveying member in movement.

Claim 10

The conveying mechanism of claim 7, wherein said first central walls and said second central walls are disposed parallel to each other with the grooves in the first central walls facing the grooves in the second central walls.

Claim 11

The conveying apparatus of claim 7, wherein the portion of each wall located between each pair of longitudinal grooves is offset laterally from the remainder of the wall, and each connecting member includes a thin wall section extending between the lands and disposed flatwise with respect to said offset portion of the wall.

Claim 12

The conveying mechanism of claim 7, and including a series of connecting elements extending laterally of the conveying member and connecting the side walls and central walls together.

Claim 13

The conveying mechanism of claim 10, and including spacing means associated with said connecting elements for spacing the central walls from the respective side walls.

Claim 14

A conveying mechanism, a pair of walls disposed in end-to-end relation to provide a joint therebetween, each wall having a generally vertical main wall section and having a pair of spaced longitudinally extending surface deviations with the surface deviations of one wall being disposed in longitudinal alignment with corresponding surface deviatioNs of the other wall, each wall also including an offset wall section connecting said surface deviations and being offset laterally from said main wall section, each surface deviation being defined by a pair of spaced flat inclined converging surfaces, a connecting member disposed across said joint and having a pair of longitudinally extending surface deviations with each of the surface deviations of the connecting member being defined by a pair of flat inclined converging surfaces disposed to complement and mate with the inclined surfaces in said walls to thereby provide alignment of said walls relative to each other, said connecting member includes a central section connecting the surface deviations therein together, said central section being disposed flat-wise against the offset wall sections of the walls, means for securing the connecting member to said walls, an endless conveying member, and means connected to the upper portion of each main wall section for supporting the conveying member for endless travel in one direction.

Claim 15

A conveying mechanism, a pair of walls disposed in end-to-end relation to provide a joint therebetween, each wall having a generally vertical main wall section and having a pair of spaced longitudinally extending surface deviations with the surface deviations of one wall being disposed in longitudinal alignment with corresponding surface deviatioNs of the other wall, each wall also including an offset wall section connecting said surface deviations and being offset laterally from said main wall section, each surface deviation being defined by a pair of spaced flat inclined converging surfaces, a connecting member disposed across said joint and having a pair of longitudinally extending surface deviations with each of the surface deviations of the connecting member being defined by a pair of flat inclined converging surfaces disposed to complement and mate with the inclined surfaces in said walls to thereby provide alignment of said walls relative to each other, said connecting member includes a central section connecting the surface deviations therein together, said central section being disposed flat-wise against the offset wall sections of the walls, means for securing the connecting member to said walls, an endless conveying member, and means connected to the upper portion of each main wall section for supporting the conveying member for endless travel in one direction.

Claim 16

The conveying mechanism of claim 12, wherein each surface deviation in said walls includes a connecting surface connecting the inclined surfaces of that surface deviation, each surface deviation in said connecting member includes a connecting surface joining the inclined surfaces of that surface deviation and spaced out of contact with the respective connecting surfaces of the walls.