Conveyor with laterally adjustable flights

A conveyor system comprising:

• endless flexible conveyor means movable along a conveyor path;
• multiple flight means spaced apart along said path and connected to said conveyor means for movement therewith, each said flight means including a base portion and a load-engaging portion, the load-engaging portion being movable relative to the base portion transversely between a centered position in said path and a position laterally offset from said centered position;
• holding means for retaining said load-engaging portion in a selected lateral position until urged to a new lateral position;
• and
• a pair of laterally opposed line bars, one along each of the opposite sides of said conveyor means;
• said line bars having mutually opposing faces between which said flight means move on said conveyor path;
• said opposing faces being slidingly engagable with opposite side faces of said load-engaging portions to override said holding means to laterally reposition said load-engaging portions.

A conveyor system comprising:

• endless flexible conveyor means movable along a conveyor path;
• multiple flight means spaced apart along said path and connected to said conveyor means for movement therewith, each said flight means including a base portion and a load-engaging portion, the load-engaging portion being movable relative to the base portion transversely between a centered position in said path and a position laterally offset from said centered position;
• holding means for retaining said load-engaging portion in a selected lateral position until urged to a new lateral position;
• and
• a pair of laterally opposed line bars, one along each of the opposite sides of said conveyor means;
• and
• powered means operable to laterally move each set of ends of said line bars a selectable distance, to move any of said load-engaging portions engaged by said line bars and override said holding means to laterally reposition said load-engaging portions.

A conveyor system comprising:

• endless flexible conveyor means movable along a conveyor path;
• multiple flight means spaced apart along said path and connected to said conveyor means for movement therewith, each said flight means including a base portion and a load-engaging portion, the load-engaging portion being movable relative to the base portion transversely between a centered position in said path and a position laterally offset from said centered position;
• holding means for retaining said load-engaging portion in a selected lateral position until urged to a new lateral position;
• a pair of laterally opposed line bars, one along each of the opposite sides of said conveyor means;
• and
• powered means operable to move said line bars into engagement with multiple load-engaging portions of the said flights to override said holding means and to simultaneously move said portions to different lateral positions with respect to said conveyor path.

A conveyor system comprising:

• endless flexible conveyor means movable along a conveyor path;
• multiple flight means spaced apart along said path;
• and
• a stationary bearing surface means along said path;
• said flight means including a base portion connected to said conveyor means and a load-engaging portion movable relative to said conveyor means transversely of said path;
• the load-engaging portion including bearing means for supporting the load-engaging portion on said surface means for movement both along and transversely of said conveyor path.

A conveyor flight for a flighted conveyor having endless flexible conveyor means movable along a path, comprising:

• a base portion including two transverse members joined at their opposite ends by spacer means to define a space therebetween, said members having inwardly-opposed transversely-extending parallel sides bounding said space;
• a load-engaging portion contained between said members and transversely movable within said space between said spacer means;
• and
• friction block means carried by said load-engaging portion and urged against said transverse member by a spring to interengage said portions to frictionally hold the load-engaging portion in a selected lateral position within said space.

A conveyor flight for a flighted conveyor having endless flexible conveyor means movable along a path, comprising:

• a base portion connected to said conveyor means;
• and
• a load-engaging portion movable relative to said base portion transversely of said path;
• the load-engaging portion including low-friction bearing means for supporting said portion on a stationary bearing surface means extending along said path.

A conveyor system comprising:

• endless flexible conveyor means movable along a conveyor path,
• multiple flight means spaced apart along said path, each flight means including a base portion connected to the conveyor means, a laterally movable load-engaging portion and a friction block yieldably interengaging said portions to hold the load-engaging portion in a selected lateral position until urged to a different lateral position;
• a stationary bearing surface extending along said path slidingly supporting said load-engaging portions;
• and
• a pair of line bars extending along opposite sides of the conveyor path and operable to engage a lateral side of at least one of said load-engaging portions to override the friction block and urge said load-engaging portion to a different lateral position.