Roller for a conveyor roller system
The innovative design of conveyor rollers with single-belt engagement end caps and press-fit bearing cartridges simplifies installation and reduces non-conveying zones, improving conveyor efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DEMATIC CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
Conventional conveyor rollers have difficulty engaging with a single belt, leading to increased non-conveying zones and require complex installation and removal processes.
The rollers are designed with end caps that limit engagement to a single belt, reducing the non-conveying zone and incorporating a press-fit bearing cartridge for easy mounting, allowing closer alignment to conveyor sidewalls.
This design facilitates easier installation and removal of rollers, reduces non-conveying zones, and enhances conveyor efficiency by allowing closer roller alignment to sidewalls.
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Figure IB2025061748_21052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
RAP04 FP-857(WO)ROLLER FOR A CONVEYOR ROLLER SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The disclosure relates generally to conveyor roller systems, and, in particular, to a roller having one or both ends configured to engage with a single belt, including to provide an increased conveying surface.BACKGROUND
[0002] Conveyor roller systems for transporting articles, such as bins, trays, items, boxes, pallets, envelopes, and the like are known and typically include at least one powered or motorized roller, a plurality of idler or freely rotating rollers, and belts wound around the powered and idler rollers to impart motion to the idler rollers from the powered roller or rollers. Conventional rollers typically have two belts connected on an end of the roller at which the roller is unable to convey a payload. Further, installing and removing rollers is difficult and requires strength and coordination to deal with both belts with opposing forces.SUMMARY
[0003] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.
[0004] An aspect of the disclosure relates to a roller that is configured with a conveying surface closer to the outside edge of a conveyor section of a conveying system.
[0005] Another aspect of the disclosure relates to a roller with an end portion that is configured to only allow engagement with a single belt that transfers rotary motion between adjacent rollers, which reduces the non-conveying zone of the roller and hence allows the conveying surface of the rollers to extend more closely to the conveyor section sidewall.
[0006] In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a roller for use with a conveyor section of a conveying system comprises a cylindrical roller housing forming a conveying surface of the roller, and an end cap forming an end portion and a non-conveying zone of the roller, with the end cap having an engagement surface for engaging a belt with the engagement surface being sized to limit engagement with a single belt to form a single belt engagement surface.
[0007] In accordance with particular embodiments, the roller has a central rotational axis and the non-conveying zone of the roller in an axial length along the central rotational axis is in a range of about 8.5 to 14mm.
[0008] In still further embodiments, the end cap comprises a first end cap forming a first end portion of the roller, with the roller further comprising a second end cap forming a second opposed end portion of the roller and a second non-conveying zone of the roller. The second end cap has a second engagement surface for engaging a second belt, with the second engagement surface being sized to limit engagement with a single belt to form a second single belt engagement surface.
[0009] In any of the embodiments, the engagement surface or engagement surfaces are formed by a plurality of grooves or splines.
[0010] In any of the embodiments, the roller includes axle portions extending from each end cap for coupling the roller to a conveyor section. The axle portions may be formed by a shaft extending through the roller with the axle portions being formed by the opposed ends of the axle shaft or the axle portions may be separate, individual axle inserts. Alternatively, rollers in accordance with the present invention may be mounted by way of projections coming from the sidewall frame of the conveyor section.
[0011] In accordance with any of the embodiments, each end cap may have an annular body and a bearing cartridge inserted into a respective annular body of the end cap, with the axle portion being supported in the bearing cartridge. The bearing cartridge may be press fit into the respective annular body of the end cap.
[0012] In particular embodiments, each bearing cartridge may have an annular ring with a plurality of splines, where the splines form a press fit between the bearing cartridge and the annular body of the end cap. Alternatively and / or additionally, the body of the end cap may have a plurality of splines to form a press fit between the annular body of a respective end cap and the outer cylindrical roller housing of the respective roller.
[0013] In accordance with further aspects of the present disclosure, a conveyor section of a conveying system comprises spaced apart first and second sidewalls and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted and extending between the first and second sidewalls about respective axes of rotation. Each roller has an outer cylindrical roller housing and opposed end portions, where at least one of the end portions of each roller is formed by an end cap inserted into the outercylindrical roller housing of the rollers, the end caps defining a non-conveying zone comprising an engagement surface for engaging a belt, and wherein the engagement surfaces are each sized to limit engagement with a single belt to form single belt engagement surfaces.
[0014] In accordance with particular embodiments the engagement surface is formed by a plurality of grooves or splines.
[0015] In accordance with particular embodiments, the end caps each have an annular body and a bearing cartridge inserted into a respective annular body of the end caps. The bearing cartridges may be press fit into the respective annular bodies of the end caps. The bearing cartridges may each have an annular ring with a plurality of splines forming a press fit between the bearing cartridges and the annular bodies of the respective end caps. Alternatively and / or additionally, the bodies of the end caps each have a plurality of splines to form a press fit between the bodies of the end caps and the outer cylindrical roller housings of the respective rollers.
[0016] In accordance with particular embodiments, the non-conveying zones of the rollers are decreased along the axis of rotation in a range of about 8.5 to 14mm for each end cap
[0017] In any of the embodiments an axle portion may extend from the end cap. Alternatively, rollers may be mounted via projections from the side walls of the conveyor section.
[0018] In accordance with particular embodiments, both end portions of each roller are formed by an end cap inserted into the outer cylindrical roller housings of the rollers, and where both end caps define non-conveying zones comprising engagement surfaces forming single belt engagement surfaces.
[0019] In accordance with still further aspects of the present disclosure, a conveying section of a conveying system comprises spaced apart first and second sidewalls and a pair of adjacent rollers rotatably mounted and extending between the first and second sidewalls about respective axes of rotation. Each roller has an outer cylindrical roller housing and opposed end portions, and where at least one of the adjacent end portions of each roller is formed by an end cap inserted into the outer cylindrical roller housing of the rollers, where the end caps define a non-conveying zone comprising an engagement surface for engaging a single belt disposed about the engagement surfaces, and where the engagement surfaces are each sized to limit engagement with the single belt to form single belt engagement surfaces.
[0020] In accordance with particular embodiments, both end portions of each roller are formed by an end cap inserted into the outer cylindrical roller housings of the rollers, and where both endcaps define non-conveying zones comprising engagement surfaces forming single belt engagement surfaces.
[0021] In accordance with further aspects of the present disclosure, a conveying system may comprise one or more conveyor sections as disclosed herein.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] Below, exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail with reference to the figures.
[0023] FIGS. 1A-1C are a partial perspective views of an exemplary conveyor section of a conveying system with rollers in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure;
[0024] FIG. ID is a plan view of an exemplary conveyor section of a conveying system illustrated with guards between some of the rollers;
[0025] FIG. IE is a similar view to FIG. ID with the guards removed for clarity;
[0026] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a roller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure;
[0027] FIG. 2B is a partial fragmentary perspective view of the roller of FIG. 2A;
[0028] FIG. 2C is an enlarged partial fragmentary perspective view the roller of FIG. 2A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure;
[0029] FIG. 2D is a partial top plan view of the roller of FIG. 2C;
[0030] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an end cap of a roller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure;
[0031] FIG. 3B is a partial fragmentary view of the end cap of FIG. 3A;
[0032] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a bearing cartridge of the end cap of FIG. 3 A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure;
[0033] FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the annular spline assembly of the bearing cartridge of FIG. 4A; and
[0034] FIG. 4C is a partial fragmentary view of the bearing cartridge of FIG. 4A.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. It is understood that no limitation to the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. It is further understood that the disclosure includes anyalternations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles of the disclosure as would normally occur to a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, the numeral 100 generally designates a conveyor section of a conveying system in accordance with one or more implementations. While only one conveyor section 100 is illustrated, it should be understood that the conveying system may include multiple conveyor sections 100, including conveyor sections with different functions and different conveying surfaces. Further, not all of the depicted components may be used in all implementations, however, and one or more implementations may include additional or different components than those depicted in the figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims as set forth herein. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be provided.
[0037] The conveyor section 100 includes side frames or sidewalls 102, a conveying surface 104, such as formed by a plurality of rollers 112, and one or more belts 160 interconnecting adjacent rollers 112. The conveyor section may be one or more components of, for example, a curved conveyor system, a merged conveyor system, a diverted conveyor system, a motorized drive roller conveyor system, a transfer conveyor system, a tape drive conveyor system, a belt conveyor system, a belt-driven conveyor system, a roller-driven conveyor system, a modular conveyor system, a sorter, and / or any other appropriate conveyor systems for conveying articles (not shown) on a conveying surface, such as defined by rollers. In some implementations, the conveying surface may be defined by one or more continuous belts (not shown) routed or reeved around one or more powered or motorized drive rollers as well as idle rollers 112. The articles to be conveyed may include trays, boxes, cases, pallets, bins, products, envelopes, and the like.
[0038] As illustrated, the conveyor section 100 is a motorized drive roller (MDR) conveyor section having one or more motorized or powered drive rollers and idle rollers 112 rotatably mounted to and extended between opposite sidewalls 102 by any suitable method of attachments. Exemplary arrangements of conveyors in which belts are driven by a motorized drive roller about idle rollers are found in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 10,384,879, U.S. Pat. No. 10,112,782, and pending U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 18 / 763,423, filed on July 3, 2024, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and with which the presently disclosed rollers may be used, as well as with other such arrangements. Motorized drive rollers are conventional in the field and includeone or more internal motors for providing a motive drive force to the drive roller 111. Exemplary embodiments of motorized drive rollers that may be utilized are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,248, U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,427, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,784, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
[0039] Each of the rollers 112 includes a cylindrical roller housing or shell 110, shaft ends or axles 112a (FIG. IE) housed within and extending beyond the cylindrical roller housing 110 for mounting the rollers 112 to the sidewall 102 about a central rotational axis 112b (FIG. IE), and end portions 108 for retaining the belt 160, such as an O-ring, poly-V belt, or the like. As would be understood, the motorized roller or rollers each include an internal motor construction for imparting driving rotation to the motorized roller, which motion is then transferred to an idler roller via belt 160. The axles 112a may be formed as part of a continuous shaft extending the length of the roller 112 or may be inserts, such as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No.11 ,891 ,252, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It should be understood that motor driven rollers may be implemented to drive driven rollers 112 in various configurations. For example, with reference to FIGS. ID and IE, either the left most or right most roller there shown may be a motor driven rollers which, due to the interconnected configuration of belts 160, may be used to drive the remaining rollers. Still further, a motor driven roller may be positioned underneath the rollers shown in FIGS. ID and IE and engaged with one of the rollers by a belt (not shown).
[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, end portions 108 (FIG. 1C) are formed by end caps 114 (FIG. IB) that are inserted into the open ends of the cylindrical roller housing 110. End caps 114 may have grooved or splined ends for retaining a corresponding mating feature of a belt, such as an O-ring, poly-V belt, or the like.
[0041] As depicted in FIG. 1A, the sidewall 102 includes a plurality of apertures 106 that are shaped to match or correspond to protruded portion of the shaft, which has a non-circular crosssection. In one implementation, the shaft is a multi-sided axle, such as a hexagonal axle (hex axle). In some implementations, the ends of the shaft may be tapped and / or formed from any shape, such as a D shape, an oval coin shape, a round shape, or the like. As noted above, instead of using a shaft extending the length of the rollers 112, a stub axle may be inserted from the outside of the outer cylindrical roller housing 110 into each of the end portions 108 for mounting the rollers 112 to the sidewall 102. Still further, rather than rollers 112 including outwardlyextending axles, extensions from one or both of the sidewalls 102 may be used to mount rollers, such as bolts or other such as a bolted axle of other such mechanical features that may engage with end portions 108 of end caps 114.
[0042] Referring again to FIG. IB, as will be more fully described below in reference to FIGS. 2B and 2C, each end cap 114 forms a non-conveying zone of the roller between the conveying surface of the roller and the sidewalls 102. In order to reduce the axial length (length as measured along the central rotation axis of the roller) of the non-conveying zones of each of the rollers, the end caps 114 have a belt engagement surface 116 that is sized so that it is limited to engagement with a single belt to, thereby, form a single belt engagement surface. In this manner, the non-conveying zones of the rollers is reduced over conventional rollers by reducing the engagement surface of the end caps to single belt engagement surface.
[0043] For example, the non-conveying zone 115, which may be referred to as the groove section or belt engagement section, of each end cap 114 of each the roller 112 may be decreased to an axial length (as measured along the central rotational axis of the roller) over conventional end caps by the width of a belt, for example, in one particular embodiment a range of about 14 to 11mm for each end cap. It should be appreciated, however, that alternative arrangements and configurations may be employed. For example, a non-conveying zone 115 may be configured for use with a two rib belt, such as a “J” profile, having a width of approximately 5mm whereby the groove section / non-conveying zone 115 may have a width of approximately 8.5 to 9mm. Still further, end caps 114 may be configured for use with still other alternatively configured belts, such as L and M profile belts. The particular configuration can be based on the torque required to be transmitted and the diameter of the roller 112. That is, the end caps 114 are configured to provide sufficient torque to rollers 112 using a single belt depending on the load carrying requirement for the conveyor section 110 and diameter of the housing 110 of roller 112. This includes the torque requirement based on the intended articles to be conveyed on the conveyor section 110. It should further be appreciated that the rollers 112 may have an end cap 114 at only one end whereby the opposite end of the roller 112 does not include a belt and is able to be adjacent the respective sidewall 102 such that the housing 110 is close thereto. Alternatively, rollers 112 may be configured to include end caps 114 at both ends, such as shown in FIGS. ID and IE.
[0044] The engagement surfaces 116 of end caps 114 may be formed by a plurality of grooves, for example, three grooves, which form two annular ridges to engage belt 160. As noted above, the engagement surface is sized (e.g., two ridges) so that only a single belt can be engaged with the end cap 114. As a result the axial length of the end cap is significantly reduced over conventional end caps, as noted above, which typically accommodate two belts.
[0045] Although illustrated with ridges, end caps 114 may include an engagement surface formed from splines, with the length of each spline being limited to accommodate engagement by only a single belt.
[0046] Referring to FIGS. 2A - 2D, the numeral 212 designates another embodiment of a roller with two end caps 214 defining end portions 208. Similar to end caps 114, end caps 214 are inserted into the ends of cylindrical roller housing 210 of rollers 212 and are configured to reduce the non-conveying zones 215 (FIGS. 2B and 3 A) at each end of the roller 212 over conventional rollers by reducing the engagement surface 216 of each end cap 214 to a single belt engagement surface and thereby accommodate only a single belt. Roller 212 includes axle portions 212a formed by an axle shaft 212b extending beyond the length of roller housing 210 and end caps 214. For further details of the belt engagement surface 216 reference is made to the above description.
[0047] Referring to FIGS. 3 A and 3B, each end cap 214 includes an annular body 220 and a bearing cartridge 224 that supports the axle or axle portions of the roller in the end cap 214, or alternatively receives a support on sidewall 102. Bearing cartridge 224 is supported and may be secured in end cap 214 by a press fit construction or connection, as will be described in reference to FIG. 4A-4C.
[0048] To secure the end cap 214 in each end of the cylindrical roller housing 210, annular body 220 is formed with splines 222, which have a tapered profile to create a press fit connection between the end cap 214 and the interior of cylindrical roller housing 210 of the respective rollers, which can eliminate the need for crimping. End caps 214 include a circumferential shoulder 225 forming a greater diameter than splines 222 with shoulder 225 abutting roller housing 210 when end cap 214 is inserted into housing 210. Shoulder 225 thus forms a portion of the conveying surface 204.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 3B, each bearing cartridge 224 may similarly include an outer annular body 226, which is fixedly coupled to annular body 220 of end cap 214, and an inner annularbody 227 that is affixed to a central flanged body 228. Central flanged body 228 includes a central passageway 228a through which axle portions 112a pass through to couple to sidewalls 102, or which receive axle stubs or projections from sidewalls 102. Passageway 228a may have the same cross-section as the axle portion — for example, a non-circular cross-section, such as a hexagonal shaped cross-section.
[0050] As best understood from FIG. 3B, central flanged body 228 is supported in outer annular body 226 in which outer annular body 226 and inner annular body 227 form a bearing (bearing raceways shown) to allow outer annular body 226, which is fixedly coupled to annular body 220 of end cap 214 to rotate about central flanged body 228 when the roller is rotating. As noted above, outer annular body 226 is fixedly coupled to annular body 220 of end cap 214, for example by splines as described below, which form a press-fit connection, again eliminating the need for crimping. In like manner, inner annular body 227 may be connected to body 228 by a press fit connection. For further optional details of end cap 214 not expressly stated herein, reference is made to the other embodiments described herein.
[0051] Referring to FIG. 4A, in one example, a bearing cartridge 324 for insertion into an end cap, such as end cap 114 or end cap 214, is configured to form a press-fit connection with the annular body of the respective end cap. Similar to cartridge 224, cartridge 324 includes an outer annular body 326 and a central flanged body 328, which forms a bearing interface with outer annular body 326 and, further, forms a central passageway 328a for receiving the shaft (or shaft portion) of the respective roller so that the cartridge’s outer annular body and the end cap annular body may rotate about the central flanged body 328 and the shaft of the roller.
[0052] In the illustrated example, bearing cartridge 324 includes an annular ring 330 mounted about its outer annular body 326 that is configured to fixedly couple the bearing cartridge 324 in the respective end cap. As best seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, annular ring 330 includes a plurality of radial spaced splines 330a, to form a press fit between the bearing cartridge and the annular body of a respective end cap. The spines may be tapered to facilitate insertion. In this manner, the bearing cartridge 324 may be installed in the respective end cap without the need for crimping.
[0053] Referring back to FIGS. ID, the conveyor section 100 may further include guards 120, which are described in copending application number entitled FREE FLOATING GUARD FOR CONVEYOR ROLLER SYSTEM (Attorney docket RAP04 P856), filed on November 15, 2024, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. As described in the referencedapplication, guards 120 are configured to substantially fill the space between two adjacent rollers where the rollers 112 mount to the sidewalls 102, and in particular between the end portions 108 of the rollers, while leaving a sufficient gap to avoid interfering with the operation of the rollers and belts.
[0054] It will be appreciated that numerous various to the above-mentioned approaches are possible. Variations to the above approaches may, for example, include performing the above steps in a different order.
[0055] While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of are not restrictive on the broad disclosure, and that this disclosure is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limited.
Claims
CLAIMSThe embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A roller for use with a conveyor section of a conveying system, the roller comprising:a cylindrical roller housing forming a conveying surface of the roller; and an end cap forming an end portion and a non-conveying zone of the roller, the end cap having an engagement surface for engaging a belt, and the engagement surface being sized to limit engagement with a single belt to form a single belt engagement surface.
2. The roller according to claim 1 , wherein the roller has a central rotational axis, and the nonconveying zone of the roller is in an axial length along the central rotational axis in a range of about 8.5 to 14mm.
3. The roller according to claim 1, wherein the end cap comprises a first end cap forming a first end portion of the roller, and further comprising a second end cap forming a second opposed end portion of the roller and a second non-conveying zone of the roller.
4. The roller according to claim 3, where the second end cap has a second engagement surface for engaging a second belt, and the second engagement surface being sized to limit engagement with a single belt to form a second single belt engagement surface.
5. The roller according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the engagement surface or engagement surfaces are formed by a plurality of grooves or splines.
6. The roller according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the roller includes axle portions extending from each said end cap for coupling the roller to a conveyor section.
7. The roller according to claim 6, wherein each said end cap has an annular body and a bearing cartridge inserted into a respective annular body of the end cap, and wherein the axle portion is supported in the bearing cartridge.
8. The roller according to claim 7, wherein the bearing cartridge is press fit into the respective annular body of the end cap.
9. The roller according to claim 8, wherein each bearing cartridge has an annular ring with a plurality of splines, and wherein the splines form a press fit between the bearing cartridge and the annular body of the end cap.
10. The roller according to claim 7, wherein the body of the end cap has a plurality of splines to form a press fit between the annular body of a respective end cap and the outer cylindrical roller housing of the respective roller.
11. The roller according to claim 7, wherein the axle portions of the roller are formed by an axle shaft extending along a central axis of the roller, with the axle portions being formed by the opposed ends of the axle shaft.
12. A conveyor section of a conveying system, said conveyor section comprising:spaced apart first and second sidewalls; anda plurality of rollers rotatably mounted and extending between the first and second sidewalls about respective axes of rotation, each roller having an outer cylindrical roller housing and opposed end portions,;wherein at least one of the end portions of each roller is formed by an end cap inserted into the outer cylindrical roller housings of the rollers, the end caps defining a non-conveying zone comprising an engagement surface for engaging a belt, and wherein the engagement surfaces are each sized to limit engagement with a single belt to form single belt engagement surfaces.
13. The conveyor section according to claim 12, wherein the engagement surface is formed by a plurality of grooves or splines.
14. The conveyor section according to claim 13, wherein the end caps each have an annular body and a bearing cartridge inserted into a respective annular body of the end caps.
15. The conveyor section according to claim 14, wherein the bearing cartridges are press fit into the respective annular bodies of the end caps.
16. The conveyor section according to claim 14, wherein the bearing cartridges each have an annular ring with a plurality of splines, the splines forming a press fit between the bearing cartridges and the annular bodies of the respective end caps.
17. The conveyor section according to claim 14, wherein the bodies of the end caps each have a plurality of splines to form a press fit between the bodies of the end caps and the outer cylindrical roller housings of the respective rollers.
18. The conveying section according to claim 12, wherein the non-conveying zones of the rollers are decreased along the axis of rotation in a range of about 8.5 to 14mm for each end cap.
19. The conveying section of any of claims 12 to 18, wherein an axle portion extends from the end cap.
20. The conveying section of any of claims 12 to 18, wherein both end portions of each roller are formed by an end cap inserted into the outer cylindrical roller housings of the rollers, and wherein both end caps define non-conveying zones comprising engagement surfaces forming single belt engagement surfaces.
21. A conveying system comprising:one or more conveyor sections of any of claims 12-18.
22. A conveying section of a conveying system, said conveyor section comprising:spaced apart first and second sidewalls; anda pair of adjacent rollers rotatably mounted and extending between the first and second sidewalls about respective axes of rotation, each roller having an outer cylindrical roller housing and opposed end portions,;wherein at least one of adjacent end portions of each roller is formed by an end cap inserted into the outer cylindrical roller housings of the rollers, the end caps defining a non-conveying zone comprising an engagement surface for engaging a single belt disposed about the engagement surfaces, and wherein the engagement surfaces are each sized to limit engagement with the single belt to form single belt engagement surfaces.
23. The conveying section of claim 22, wherein both end portions of each roller are formed by an end cap inserted into the outer cylindrical roller housings of the rollers, and wherein both end caps define non-conveying zones comprising engagement surfaces forming single belt engagement surfaces.