Conveyor system

A conveyor system comprising:

• endless roller chain means for frictionally supporting and conveying a pallet;
• drive means operatively associated with said roller chain means for driving said roller chain means;
• a pallet driving sprocket having a plurality of teeth, said sprocket being responsive to said drive means;
• a pallet operable to frictionally engage a portion of said roller chain means for moving articles along a path at least partially defined by said roller chain means;
• and
• said pallet including a deformable drive pin for positively engaging in between adjacent teeth of said pallet driving sprocket, said deformable drive pin operating to deform in response to abutting contact with each said tooth of said pallet driving sprocket to thereby facilitate positive engagement in between said adjacent teeth of said pallet driving sprocket.

A conveyor system comprising:

• guide rail means for supporting at least one roller chain assembly;
• drive shaft means spaced apart from said guide rail means and extending transversely of said guide rail means for driving a sprocket;
• a sprocket operatively associated with said drive shaft means;
• endless roller chain means for frictionally transporting a pallet, said roller chain means being entrained about said guide rail means and said sprocket, said sprocket being operable to drive said roller chain means in response to rotational movement of said drive shaft means;
• pallet driving sprocket means responsive to said drive shaft means for positively driving a pallet around a curved end portion of said roller chain means;
• a pallet operable to frictionally engage a portion of said roller chain means as said roller chain means is driven in response to rotational movement of said sprocket, said pallet including an article supporting surface and a drive block depending transversely of said article supporting surface, said drive block including a pair of spaced-apart leg portions operable to partially circumscribe a portion of said second sprocket means when said pallet traverses said curved end portion of said roller chain means, said leg portions further including a pair of coaxially aligned openings in relative vertical alignment with said teeth of pallet driving sprocket means;
• said drive block further including a deformable drive pin extending through said coaxial openings within said leg portions for engaging said teeth of said pallet driving sprocket means to thereby positively propel said pallet around said curved end portion of said roller chain means, said deformable drive pin further being operable to deform in response to abutting engagement with an end portion of a tooth of said pallet driving sprocket to facilitate positive engagement in between adjacent teeth of said pallet as said pallet traverses said curved end portion of said roller chain means.

For a conveyor system having an endless roller chain assembly and a pallet driving sprocket disposed on a drive shaft, wherein said sprocket is operable to positively drive a pallet or like article carrying device around a curved end portion between upper and lower runs of said endless roller chain assembly, a pallet comprising:

• an article supporting surface for carrying an article thereon, said article supporting surface including frictional drive means for frictionally engaging a portion of said endless roller chain assembly;
• and
• drive block means depending transversely of said article supporting surface toward said sprocket, said drive block means including a pair of leg portion operable to at least partially circumscribe a portion of said sprocket;
• a pair of leg portions depending traversely of said article carrying surface, each said leg portion including a pair of coaxially aligned openings and a deformable drive pin disposed therethrough, said deformable drive pin being operable to deform in response to abutting engagement with a tooth of said pallet driving sprocket to thereby facilitate smooth engagement in between adjacent teeth of said sprocket as said pallet traverses said curved end portion between said upper and lower runs of said endless roller chain assembly.

A conveyor system comprising:

• an upper pair of longitudinally disposed, laterally spaced apart guide rails;
• a lower pair of longitudinally disposed, laterally spaced apart guide rails;
• a first pair of roller chain driving sprockets, each one of said first pair of roller chain driving sprockets being disposed in laterally spaced apart alignment with one of said upper guide rails and one of said lower guide rails;
• a pair of endless roller chains, said endless roller chains being entrained about an associated upper and lower guide rail and one each of said first and second pairs of roller chain drive sprockets;
• a pair of pallet driving sprockets disposed at longitudinally opposite ends of said conveyor system, said pallet driving sprockets being operable to facilitate positively driving a pallet around curved end portions of said endless roller chains between upper and lower runs of said endless roller chains;
• and
• a pallet having frictional drive means for frictionally engaging portions of said endless roller chains;
• said pallet further including a drive block depending transversely therefrom, said drive block having a pair of legs for circumscribing a portion of said pallet driving sprockets as said pallet traverses said curved end portions of said endless roller chains, said leg portions further including a pair of coaxially aligned openings and a deformable, cylindrical drive pin disposed therethrough, said drive pin being operable to deform in response to abutting engagement with teeth of said pallet driving sprockets as said pallet approaches said curved end portions of said endless roller chain assembly, whereby deforming of said deformable, cylindrical drive pin facilitates positive engagement of said drive pin inbetween adjacent teeth of said pallet driving sprockets.