The present disclosure provides a modular belt having two or more longitudinal belt sections. Each belt section includes a traction element having a cord and a plurality of drive elements attached to the cord. The drive elements are spaced apart along a length of the cord. The belt section further includes a plurality of belt plates. Each belt plate is removably attached to a corresponding drive element of the traction element. The belt section may comprise at least one additional traction element to which each belt plate is attached. In this way, each belt plate may be attached to two or more traction elements. The modular belt includes two or more connectors, wherein each connector is configured to longitudinally couple two belt sections in order to form the modular belt as an endless belt.

Provided is a transport device that can transport two or more types of articles without necessarily requiring a change of parts. The transport device includes a guide extending in a transport direction of an article, and a holding unit configured to hold the article between the holding unit and the guide and to move in the transport direction. The holding unit includes two or more roller units. In each roller unit, two or more rollers, including a first roller and a second roller with a diameter larger than a diameter of the first roller, are aligned along an axial direction. The holding unit is movable in the axial direction. The holding unit is moved in the axial direction to thereby switch the rollers abutting the article among the two or more rollers.

An endless conveyor belt for a conveyor baking oven has a conveyor run with a plurality of belt links configured in one piece, the belt links extending transversely to a conveying direction and being mounted between lateral guides. Seen in projection in a plane perpendicular to a conveying plane, each of the belt links has gas passage openings. These gas passage openings have a total opening surface area, which amounts to at least 30% of a total surface area of the projection of the belt link. The result is an endless conveyor belt, which allows a baking space of a conveyor baking oven equipped with an endless conveyor belt of this type to be heated more efficiently and flexibly.

An apparatus for loading live turkeys from a barn floor to cages on a transport trailer. A continuous motorized drive chain moves attached, solid sheets that are loaded with turkeys from the barn floor into the cage, and then back to the loading position. The drive chain is looped around first and second sprockets. Each rectangular sheet is rotationally connected at two of its corners to the drive chain forming a fixed end and a loose end. When the drive chain rounds the barn end, the loose end of the sheet slides upwards on a guide flap to keep the top of the sheet facing up. The sheets are driven forward to the cages, round the end at the cage end, pulled backwards from the cages toward the barn end, and then driven forward again, all without stopping the motion of the drive chain.

An inventory management system can include a tray, a tine, and an actuator. The tray can have a body defining a slot extending along a length of the tray and through a front and a rear of the tray. The tine can be sized to fit through the slot. The actuator can move the tine into a deployed position in which the tine is arranged to pass through the slot and contact an item in the tray to cause the item to fall out of the rear of the tray as tray moves by the tine. The actuator may also be capable of moving the tine into a stowed position in which the tine is arranged to avoid extending through the slot as the tray moves by the tine.

A conveyor belt system provides a continuous flat support surface for a food item that moves the food item through a food preparation device. The conveyor belt system includes a conveyor belt having a plurality of spaced apart rods and a plurality of slats that are removably attached to the conveyor belt with a rod connection mechanism. The slats also include a lateral connection mechanism for lateral removable attachment to an adjacent slat. The slats are easily assembled and provide enhanced field service and/or replacement capability.

In a maceration conveyor assembly (10) a juice deflector (50) deflects juice around a return run of a conveyor into a trough (51). Preferably the juice deflector and trough are configured as opposed axially extending V-shaped stainless steel plates. The assembly (10) feeds into a first mill (11) of a milling tandem, and output from the mill (11) is delivered onto another conveyor and carried to the next mill in the tandem. Low pol maceration liquid is returned to the conveyor via return lines to respective distribution weirs (16) and (17). The conveyor assembly (10) includes an inlet end (20) and an outlet end (21) all supported on a supporting framework (22) so that the assembly is inclined from the inlet end (20) to the outlet end (22). An endless plate conveyor (25) comprises interconnected perforated plates (26) adapted to pivot relative to each other in chain like fashion.

A Support device (14) for storing or transporting single sheets or stacks of a packaging material is described. It comprises a multitude of slats (32) being arranged on a basic component (34), wherein the slats (32) are in an upright position and spaced from each other in a generally parallel manner such that respective side contour contact sections (36) of the slats (32) form a substantially flat support surface configured to support the single sheets or stacks . Each slat (32) is mounted on the basic component (34) via two connection tongues (52) being arranged on opposite ends of the slat (32), the connection tongues (52) engaging corresponding connection slots (54) being provided on the basic component (34)), wherein two types of slots (54) are provided on the basic component (34), wherein a first type of slots (54) is arranged closer to a basic surface of the basic component (34) than a second type of slots (54), and wherein two types of slats (32) are provided, wherein a first type of slats (32) is engageable with connection slots (54) of the first type, but not with connection slots (54) of the second type, and a second type of slats (32) is engageable with connection slots (54) of the second type, but not with connection slots (54) of the first type.

A hybrid module has a bridge section with a first transverse end and a second transverse end. Each end module has a body with an inner end and an outer end. The inner ends of each module are configured to be attached to a corresponding end of the bridge section. The inner ends may be removably attached to the corresponding ends of the bridge section using a coupler on the inner end and, in some cases, a mating coupler on the corresponding end of the bridge section.

A towable conveyor for transporting and elevating articles and a method and system for towing a conveyor and conveying articles up inclines is provided. The conveyor system has an elevating carriage and a plurality of support elements for conveying articles up the conveyor. Specifically, the towable conveyor system comprises a conveyor having a support frame, a plurality of support elements, a drive end with a motor, and an idle end; an elevating carriage having a first end interconnected to the support frame of the conveyor, a second with two or more wheels, and a support member extending upwardly from the elevating carriage; a cable system for raising the conveyor into a position of use and for lowering the conveyor into a towing position; one or more locking mechanisms; and a hitch for connecting the conveyor to a rear end of a towing vehicle.