Abstract: A conveyor using a roller belt with rollers arranged to rotate on oblique axes to urge articles toward a side guide. The conveyor includes an oblique-roller belt supported on a carryway for running in a direction of belt travel. Rollers extend above an outer conveying surface of the belt without contact with the carryway. Each roller rotates on an axis oblique to the direction of belt travel and intersects the side guide downstream of the roller's position. A retractable stop is movable to and from a blocking position along the carryway. In the blocking position, the stop blocks the conveyed articles from advancing in the direction of belt travel. The rollers underlying the blocked articles rotate as the belt runs by contact with the articles. The rotating rollers provide a component of force to the blocked articles directed toward the side guide to push the articles against the side guide or other articles as they accumulate under low pressure upstream of the stop.

Abstract: A conveyor using a roller belt with rollers arranged to rotate on oblique axes to urge articles toward a side guide. The conveyor includes an oblique-roller belt supported on a carryway for running in a direction of belt travel. Rollers extend above an outer conveying surface of the belt without contact with the carryway. Each roller rotates on an axis oblique to the direction of belt travel and intersects the side guide downstream of the roller's position. A retractable stop is movable to and from a blocking position along the carryway. In the blocking position, the stop blocks the conveyed articles from advancing in the direction of belt travel. The rollers underlying the blocked articles rotate as the belt runs by contact with the articles. The rotating rollers provide a component of force to the blocked articles directed toward the side guide to push the articles against the side guide or other articles as they accumulate under low pressure upstream of the stop.

Abstract: A modular gravity-advance roller conveyor for conveying articles down an inclined path. The conveyor comprises an easy-to-configure modular conveyor mat supported in a conveyor frame with an inclined base. The conveyor mat is constructed of a series of rows of roller-top modules with rollers that extend above the top surface of the mat. Connecting elements along the ends of each row are connected to the connecting elements of adjacent rows to form the mat. The rollers on a roller-top module rotate about an axis of rotation. Modules with rollers that rotate about a given axis of rotation can be combined with modules with rollers that rotate about a different axis of rotation in a variety of patterns to meet common or special conveying requirements.