Product transport system

A product transport system which comprises a chamber, a pair of parallel, spaced-apart conveyor chains located within the chamber and arranged to convey a plurality of transversely extending product support trays through the chamber, a pair of transversely spaced carriers arranged to carry respective ones of the trays, chain sprockets located within the chamber in alignment with the respective conveyor chains and arranged to direct the respective conveyor chains through changes in direction (including through forward-and-return horizontal passes) within the chamber, rotable guide members in the form of toothed wheels positioned laterally adjacent to but out of alignment with respective ones of the chain sprockets, means for driving each guide member in synchronism with an adjancent one of the chain sprockets, each carrier having an off-center first spigot that is connected to an associated one of the conveyor chains and an off-center second spigot that is positioned and arranged to engage with a said guide member when a portion of the conveyor chain to which the first spigot is connected is being directed around an adjacent one of the chain sprockets, horizontally extending rails located within opposite side walls of the chamber, the rails being positioned and arranged to support the forward-and-return horizontal passes of the respective conveyor chains and to support the first and second spigots of the respective carriers whereby the carriers are maintained in horizontal dispositions when moving through the forward-and-return horizontal passes within the chamber, each rotatable guide member comprises a toothed wheel which is arranged to be engaged by the second spigot of a said carrier at the same time as the first spigot of the carrier is aligned with an adjacent said chain sprocket, whereby the first and second spigots are carried through parallel paths when the conveyor chain imparts rotary motion to the conveyor chain sprockets and synchronized drive is transmitted to the toothed wheel, and a first spigot roller mounted to the first spigot of each carrier at a location between the carrier and the adjacent conveyor chain, the first spigot roller being arranged to travel along the horizontally extending rails during movement of the conveyor chains through the forward-and-return horizontal passes within the chamber.