Material processing apparatus (20) includes a housing (22) with a plurality of vertically stacked inverting pan conveyors (42, 44) therein. Each conveyor (42, 44) includes a plurality of conveyor pans (50) traveling between and around aligned front and rear sprocket pairs (90, 92) to define upper and lower conveyor runs (52, 54). Each pan (50) has a perforated base plate (56) presenting a pair of opposed material-supporting surfaces (58, 60). As the pans (50) traverse the sprocket pairs (90, 92), they are inverted, and material (110) carried by the upper run pans (50) is transferred to the lower run pans (50) by passage of the material around and/or between the sprocket pair (90).

An edge module for a modular conveyor belt. The edge module includes a rod-retention plug that is pivotably mounted in a socket that opens onto the module's bottom. The plug has a bore that receives an axle in the socket on which the plug can be rotated. An arm attached to a main body of the plug by a living hinge allows the arm to flex from a relaxed state occluding a hinge-rod passageway at the belt's hinge joints to a flexed state allowing a hinge rod to be inserted into or removed from the passageway. Locking structure on the plug and in the socket engage to lock the plug in place. A sideguard mounted in the edge module is locked in place by locking structure in the edge module. Locking structure on both the sideguard and the plug engage to lock the sideguard and the plug in place.

An edge module for a modular conveyor belt. The edge module includes a rod-retention plug that is pivotably mounted in a socket that opens onto the module's bottom. The plug has a bore that receives an axle in the socket on which the plug can be rotated. An arm attached to a main body of the plug by a living hinge allows the arm to flex from a relaxed state occluding a hinge-rod passageway at the belt's hinge joints to a flexed state allowing a hinge rod to be inserted into or removed from the passageway. Locking structure on the plug and in the socket engage to lock the plug in place. A sideguard mounted in the edge module is locked in place by locking structure in the edge module. Locking structure on both the sideguard and the plug engage to lock the sideguard and the plug in place.

A chain link for a plate link chain of a chain conveyor, having two disk-shaped side walls that are spaced apart from one another in parallel in a transverse direction of the chain link and fixedly connected to one another. The side walls each include a rabbet having a force transmission surface oriented essentially perpendicularly with respect to a longitudinal direction of the chain link, and the force transmission surface is designed and provided for the direct transmission of force to a conveyor plate of the chain conveyor. A kit comprising such a chain link and a conveyor plate, and a chain conveyor having a plurality of such kits are also provided.