A conveyor for transporting a product, the product being preferably in the form of respective articles, in particular articles of the tissue industry, including a means for supporting and guiding an endless conveyor belt, especially one of the type with articulated links, the belt including at least one respective positive stretch, in particular for transporting the product, and preferably a return stretch, if necessary positioned under the respective longitudinal transporting stretch; and means for driving the conveyor belt and including a means for engaging the respective link of the conveyor belt and, more specifically, means which are adapted to engage a rear-facing surface of the respective conveyor belt link, the means for engaging and driving the conveyor belt being adapted to engage a respective longitudinal stretch, preferably rectilinear, of the conveyor belt itself.

A conveying appliance with a conveying member that is movable along a conveying stretch and forms a conveying surface for an item that is to be conveyed, wherein the conveying surface of the conveying member includes openings. An active device has at least one active element that is movable along a closed circulating path, wherein in an active section of the conveying stretch, the circulating path forms an actively effective path section that runs parallel to the conveying member. The active device interacts with the conveying member in the active section in a manner such that the at least one active element along the actively effective path section projects through an opening through the conveying member and projects beyond the conveying surface, in a manner such that the at least one active element is capable of mechanically acting upon a conveyed item which lies on the conveying surface.

A flexible element for conveying goods in a conveyor system is provided. The flexible element includes a base configured to form a top surface, a bottom surface and an intermediate surface; a conveying means detachably mounted on the top surface and; a toothed projection detachably mounted on the bottom surface; and at least one pair of wheels mounted on the intermediate surface. A conveyor system for conveying the flexible element is also provided.

A flexible element for conveying goods in a conveyor system is provided. The flexible element includes a base configured to form a top surface, a bottom surface and an intermediate surface; a conveying means detachably mounted on the top surface and; a toothed projection detachably mounted on the bottom surface; and at least one pair of wheels mounted on the intermediate surface. A conveyor system for conveying the flexible element is also provided.

A conveyor system, at least a portion of which may traverse a continuous slope sufficiently steep such that tensile forces associated with overcoming the effects of the slope are several times larger per unit length of run than tensile forces per unit length of run due to main frictional resistance of the conveyor system, may include a belt-on-belt drive. The belt-on-belt drive may include at least one internal belt configured to operably engage the carry belt of the conveyor system so as to frictionally drive the carry belt over at least a one-third length of the sloped run. At the portion of the external belt driven by the at least one internal belt, the rate of tension change in the external belt may be configured to be approximately zero or a modest rise. In some embodiments, the longitudinal stiffness of the at least one internal belt may be substantially greater than the external belt's longitudinal stiffness.

A conveyor system, at least a portion of which may traverse a continuous slope sufficiently steep such that tensile forces associated with overcoming the effects of the slope are several times larger per unit length of run than tensile forces per unit length of run due to main frictional resistance of the conveyor system, may include a belt-on-belt drive. The belt-on-belt drive may include at least one internal belt configured to operably engage the carry belt of the conveyor system so as to frictionally drive the carry belt over at least a one-third length of the sloped run. At the portion of the external belt driven by the at least one internal belt, the rate of tension change in the external belt may be configured to be approximately zero or a modest rise. In some embodiments, the longitudinal stiffness of the at least one internal belt may be substantially greater than the external belt's longitudinal stiffness.

Disclosed herein is a circulation conveyor transport wheel that includes a framework at which the circulation conveyor transport wheel can be rotatably mounted and a multiplicity of coupling devices which are arranged at an outer circumference of the framework, wherein each coupling device has at least one form-fit contour for form-fitting coupling to a substrate carrier. The substrate carrier includes multiple members which are connected to one another by a rotary connection, two carriages which are arranged on mutually opposite sides of the substrate carrier to guide the substrate carrier along a transport path, and multiple coupling devices (as counterparts to the coupling device on the transport wheel), each of which comprises at least one form-fit contour arranged between the two carriages, wherein two form-fit contours are offset with respect to one another along the transport path of the substrate carrier.

Disclosed herein is a circulation conveyor transport wheel that includes a framework at which the circulation conveyor transport wheel can be rotatably mounted and a multiplicity of coupling devices which are arranged at an outer circumference of the framework, wherein each coupling device has at least one form-fit contour for form-fitting coupling to a substrate carrier. The substrate carrier includes multiple members which are connected to one another by a rotary connection, two carriages which are arranged on mutually opposite sides of the substrate carrier to guide the substrate carrier along a transport path, and multiple coupling devices (as counterparts to the coupling device on the transport wheel), each of which comprises at least one form-fit contour arranged between the two carriages, wherein two form-fit contours are offset with respect to one another along the transport path of the substrate carrier.

An edge-drive system for a conveyor is provided. The system comprises a drive motor and a first drive belt operably connected to the drive motor. The first drive belt includes a plurality of mating portions configured to interdigitate with corresponding mating portions of a first edge of a conveyor belt. In this way, advancing the drive belt using the drive motor will propel the conveyor belt by way of engagement of the mating portions at the edge of the conveyor belt. The mating portions of the first drive belt may be, for example, teeth affixed to the first drive belt. The system may include a second drive belt to engage the conveyor belt from a second edge, which is opposite the first edge.

An edge-drive system for a conveyor is provided. The system comprises a drive motor and a first drive belt operably connected to the drive motor. The first drive belt includes a plurality of mating portions configured to interdigitate with corresponding mating portions of a first edge of a conveyor belt. In this way, advancing the drive belt using the drive motor will propel the conveyor belt by way of engagement of the mating portions at the edge of the conveyor belt. The mating portions of the first drive belt may be, for example, teeth affixed to the first drive belt. The system may include a second drive belt to engage the conveyor belt from a second edge, which is opposite the first edge.