Product transport conveyor system

Claim 1

A conveyor system for transport of a product over a long travel path within a relatively small volume and comprising: a bi-directionally movable conveyor belt having a plurality of identical interconnected modular links and capable of movement through turns in horizontal and vertical planes, and capable of being driven by a sprocket rotatable about a vertical axis; said plurality of modular links each having: a first section terminating in first and second linking ends disposed along a conveyor axis; a second section terminating in third and fourth linking ends disposed along said conveyor axis; said second linking end of said first section being pivotally coupled to said third linking end of said second section for pivotal movement of said first and second section about a horizontal axis transverse to the conveyor axis; said first linking end of each of said links being pivotally coupled to said fourth linking end of an adjacent link for pivotal movement about a vertical axis orthogonal to said conveyor axis and said horizontal axis; a spaced array of upstanding ribs on said links in meshed interdigitated relationship to provide an effectively continuous conveying surface; a sprocket plate integral with each of said links disposed intermediate a pair of horizontal pivots and operative to mesh with a vertical sprocket; a sprocket tooth integral with each of said links disposed intermediate a pair of vertical points and operative to mesh with a horizontal sprocket; means for disposing said conveyor belt in a closed multiple loop path having a plurality of upwardly inclined courses, a plurality of downwardly inclined courses, a product supply section and a product removal section; at least one vertically disposed drive shaft having a plurality of drive sprockets rotatable in horizontal planes, each sprocket in driving engagement with the sprocket teeth of the links of a respective horizontally disposed loop of the conveyor belt; means coupled to said at least one drive shaft to cause rotation thereof and of said drive sprockets; at least one vertically disposed idler shaft having a plurality of idler sprockets rotatable in horizontal planes, each in engagement with the sprocket teeth of the links of a respective horizontally disposed loop of the conveyor belt; the inclined courses of said conveyor belt extending between said at least one drive shaft and said at least one idler shaft; and at least two vertical sprockets rotatable in vertical planes and each in engagement with the sprocket plates of the links of a respective vertically disposed loop of the conveyor belt.