Conveyor and belt with clutch-driven flights

A conveyor belt comprising:

• upper and lower outer surfaces;
• a flight having a pivot member rotatable over a limited angular range about an axis transverse to a direction of belt travel and a projection that rotates from a retracted position generally parallel to the upper outer surface to an extended position upstanding from the upper outer surface by rotation of the pivot member over the angular range;
• a clutch mechanism mechanically coupled to the flight to induce a moment on the flight about the axis directed to rotate the projection from the retracted position to the extended position as the conveyor belt advances in the direction of belt travel;
• wherein the clutch mechanism includes:
• a clutch wheel disposed coaxially with the pivot member;
• and
• biasing means pushing the clutch wheel into contact with the pivot member.

A conveyor comprising:

• a conveyor belt having upper and lower outer surfaces arranged to advance in a direction of belt travel;
• an engagement surface below the conveyor belt;
• a flight coupled to the conveyor belt, the flight having a pivot member rotatable over a limited angular range about an axis transverse to the direction of belt travel and a projection that rotates from a retracted position generally parallel to the upper outer surface to an extended position upstanding from the upper outer surface by rotation of the pivot member over the angular range;
• a clutch mechanism mechanically coupled to the flight and rotated by contact with the engagement surface as the conveyor belt advances in the direction of belt travel to induce a moment on the flight about the axis directed to rotate the projection from the retracted position to the extended position;
• wherein the clutch mechanism includes:
• a clutch wheel disposed coaxially with the pivot member and arranged to roll on the engagement surface;
• and
• biasing means pushing the clutch wheel into contact with the pivot member.

A modular conveyor belt comprising:

• a series of rows of one or more side-by-side conveyor belt modules linked end to end by hinge rods through interleaved hinge elements of consecutive rows into an endless belt having an outer surface and an opposite inner surface and openings extending from the inner surface to the outer surface;
• one or more flights rotatably attached to the modular conveyor belt in the openings and adapted to be rotated from a retracted position resting atop the outer surface of the belt to an extended position upstanding from the belt;
• one or more wheels rotatably attached to the modular conveyor belt in the opening with a salient portion of the wheel extending from the opening past the inner surface of the belt;
• wherein the flights include pivot members having driven faces and the wheels include driving faces biased against the driven faces to form a clutch that allows the driving faces of the wheels when rotating to apply a moment directed to rotate the flights from the retracted position to the extended position when unencumbered and to slip on the driven faces of the pivot members when the flights are encumbered.