Belt conveyor including freewheeling support rollers and driving portions

A belt conveyor configured to generate a predetermined transport distance between a first conveying item and a second conveying item along a transport direction of the belt conveyor;

• wherein the belt conveyor comprises a conveyor belt configured for endless circulation and formed of links connected to each other in an articulated manner;
• wherein the links comprise a plurality of first links each of which comprises at least one freewheeling roller having a first coefficient of friction for the conveying items;
• wherein contact areas between the freewheeling rollers and the conveying items define a transport surface on which the conveying items to be transported rest during transport on the belt conveyor;
• wherein the links further comprise at least one second link having a driving portion arranged in the transport surface and having a second coefficient of friction greater than the first coefficient of friction;
• wherein each of the second links is positioned in relation to the conveyor belt such that the first and second conveying items are driven by the respective driving portion in the predetermined transport distance while the conveyor belt is moved under the first and second conveying items and while bottom sides of the first and second conveying items are in contact at least partially with the moving conveyor belt, and
• wherein the links are all formed identically, and wherein the driving portion of the at least one second link is realized by a separate driving element covering the at least one freewheeling roller of the respective second link such that the corresponding driving element, instead of the at least one freewheeling roller of the respective second link, is in contact with the first and second conveying items during the transport.

A conveyor system including:

• a feeding conveyor
• a discharging conveyor;
• and
• a belt conveyor arranged in a transport direction between the feeding conveyor and the discharging conveyor;
• the feeding conveyor and the discharging conveyor each being directly adjacent to the belt conveyor in the transport direction;
• and
• the belt conveyor comprising a conveyor belt configured for endless circulation and formed of links connected to each other in an articulated manner;
• wherein the links comprise a plurality of first links each of which comprises at least one freewheeling roller having a first coefficient of friction for the conveying items;
• wherein contact areas between the freewheeling rollers and the conveying items define a transport surface on which the conveying items to be transported rest during transport on the belt conveyor;
• wherein the links further comprise at least one second link having a driving portion arranged in the transport surface and having a second coefficient of friction greater than the first coefficient of friction;
• wherein each of the second links is positioned in relation to the conveyor belt such that the first and second conveying items are driven by the respective driving portion in the predetermined transport distance while the conveyor belt is moved under the first and second conveying items and while bottom sides of the first and second conveying items are in contact at least partially with the moving conveyor belt, and
• wherein each of the links has the at least one freewheeling roller, and wherein the driving portion of the at least one second link is realized by the respectively one freewheeling roller, the freewheeling of which can be inhibited or locked.

A conveyor system including:

• a feeding conveyor;
• a discharging conveyor;
• and
• a belt conveyor arranged in a transport direction between the feeding conveyor and the discharging conveyor;
• the feeding conveyor and the discharging conveyor each being directly adjacent to the belt conveyor in the transport direction;
• and
• the belt conveyor comprising a conveyor belt configured for endless circulation and formed of links connected to each other in an articulated manner;
• wherein the links comprise a plurality of first links each of which comprises at least one freewheeling roller having a first coefficient of friction for the conveying items;
• wherein contact areas between the freewheeling rollers and the conveying items define a transport surface on which the conveying items to be transported rest during transport on the belt conveyor;
• wherein the links further comprise at least one second link having a driving portion arranged in the transport surface and having a second coefficient of friction greater than the first coefficient of friction;
• wherein each of the second links are positioned in relation to the conveyor belt such that the first and second conveying items are driven by the respective driving portion in the predetermined transport distance while the conveyor belt is moved under the first and second conveying items and while bottom sides of the first and second conveying items are in contact at least partially with the moving conveyor belt;
• and
• wherein the links are all formed identically, and wherein the driving portion of the at least one second link is realized by a separate driving element covering the at least one freewheeling roller of the respective second link such that the corresponding driving element, instead of the at least one freewheeling roller of the respective second link, is in contact with the first and second conveying items during the transport.