A spiral conveyor for positively driving a conveyor belt along a helical path. The spiral conveyor includes a rotating cylindrical tower with parallel drive members extending from the bottom to the top of the tower on its periphery. Each drive member includes an outwardly protruding ridge that varies in height from the bottom to the top of the tower. The variations in height facilitate the belt's entry onto and exit from the tower and robust, positive driving engagement with the inside edge of the belt along the majority of its path along the tower.

A spiral conveyor for positively driving a conveyor belt along a helical path. The spiral conveyor includes a rotating cylindrical tower with parallel drive members extending from the bottom to the top of the tower on its periphery. Each drive member includes an outwardly protruding ridge that varies in height from the bottom to the top of the tower. The variations in height facilitate the belt's entry onto and exit from the tower and robust, positive driving engagement with the inside edge of the belt along the majority of its path along the tower.

A method for unloading packages from a container, in particular a roller container. The method requires relatively little space, and the method involves a container guide and a conveyor belt, in which the containers are moved successively along a container path by the container guide. At least in some section or sections, the conveyor belt extends to the side of and at least substantially parallel to the container path. The containers are tipped sideways in the direction of the conveyor belt during the movement along the container guide and along the conveyor belt predetermined by the container path. The packages slide out of the tipped containers onto the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt conveys the packages that have slid out of the container onwards, and the emptied tipped containers are righted again during the movement along the container guide predetermined by the container path.

A method for unloading packages from a container, in particular a roller container. The method requires relatively little space, and the method involves a container guide and a conveyor belt, in which the containers are moved successively along a container path by the container guide. At least in some section or sections, the conveyor belt extends to the side of and at least substantially parallel to the container path. The containers are tipped sideways in the direction of the conveyor belt during the movement along the container guide and along the conveyor belt predetermined by the container path. The packages slide out of the tipped containers onto the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt conveys the packages that have slid out of the container onwards, and the emptied tipped containers are righted again during the movement along the container guide predetermined by the container path.

An active drive spiral conveyor belt system includes a drum configured to rotate about a drum axis, a plurality of modules, a plurality of cross-rods joining together the plurality of modules, and an infeed system. The drum can include a plurality of drive bars, each with a drive member extending therefrom, and spaced an arc length. At least some of the plurality of cross-rods or modules can include a drive end configured to engage with the drive members. The plurality of modules can be configured to be collapsible relative to each other and the plurality of cross-rods. The infeed system can be configured to collapse the spacing between adjacent drive ends prior to transiting into engagement with a cooperating drive member.

An active drive spiral conveyor belt system includes a drum configured to rotate about a drum axis, a plurality of modules, a plurality of cross-rods joining together the plurality of modules, and an infeed system. The drum can include a plurality of drive bars, each with a drive member extending therefrom, and spaced an arc length. At least some of the plurality of cross-rods or modules can include a drive end configured to engage with the drive members. The plurality of modules can be configured to be collapsible relative to each other and the plurality of cross-rods. The infeed system can be configured to collapse the spacing between adjacent drive ends prior to transiting into engagement with a cooperating drive member.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an endless transporting belt stretched over a plurality of rollers and configured to rotate while supporting a medium, by a support face that is a surface on an opposite side from a contact surface with the roller, to transport the medium in a transport direction, and a liquid ejecting unit configured to eject liquid onto the medium supported by the support face, wherein the transporting belt is formed without a coupling portion at which end portions of the transporting belt are coupled to each other along a width direction that intersects with a circumferential direction of the transporting belt.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an endless transporting belt stretched over a plurality of rollers and configured to rotate while supporting a medium, by a support face that is a surface on an opposite side from a contact surface with the roller, to transport the medium in a transport direction, and a liquid ejecting unit configured to eject liquid onto the medium supported by the support face, wherein the transporting belt is formed without a coupling portion at which end portions of the transporting belt are coupled to each other along a width direction that intersects with a circumferential direction of the transporting belt.

A packaging transport device has a support unit (10) including a first support surface (12), which defines a first track section (11), and at least one second support surface (14), which defines a second track section (13) and is tilted relative to the first support surface (12) around a tilt axis (16) running in a transport direction (15), the packaging transport device further including a driving member (17) and drivers (18), which are connected with the driving member (17), and are supported movably around the tilt axis (16), wherein the driving member (17) is implemented by a belt.

A packaging transport device has a support unit (10) including a first support surface (12), which defines a first track section (11), and at least one second support surface (14), which defines a second track section (13) and is tilted relative to the first support surface (12) around a tilt axis (16) running in a transport direction (15), the packaging transport device further including a driving member (17) and drivers (18), which are connected with the driving member (17), and are supported movably around the tilt axis (16), wherein the driving member (17) is implemented by a belt.