275,410. Baker Perkins, Ltd., and Baker, G. R. July 30. 1926. Driving-gear for endless belt and chain conveyers.-An endless conveyer is divided into a plurality of sections capable of operating temporarily at different speeds by disposing that portion of the conveyer which lies between the portions to which differential speeds are to be given in oppositely directed bights the effective length of one of which may be increased while that of the other is reduced without affecting, the length of the conveyer as a whole. When the bight in the advance run is extended to itsfull extent, it will contain a maximum number of the articles carried which form a reserve that may be drawn upon by reducing the length of the bight to maintain a.uniform rate of delivery when the articles are fed irregularly to the .conveyer. The conveyer is intended particularly for use in the manufacture and baking of bread, biscuits, &c. and is shown in Fig. 2 carrying pans c which remain horizontal at all times. Cut out or moulded portions of unbaked dough are deposited by a feed belt a of known type on the pans c carried by the portion b<1> of the conveyer b. The pans are carried through the oven by the portion b' of the conveyer between which and the portion b<1> bights b<2>, b<3> are formed in the belt, &c. by means of drums or sprockets d<2>, d<3>. The driving sprocket d of the part b<1> carries a ratchet f<11> which is engaged by a pawl mounted on a gear f<9> driven by a gear f<8>. On the same shaft as the gear <f8> is mounted one of a pair of intermeshing spur wheels f, f<1>, each of which has portions of different radii and one of which is driven by the dough cutting machine. The sprocket d<4> driving the part b is driven by bevel gears f<5>, f<6> from a shaft f<7> driven independently. When a difference of speed occurs between the parts b', b<4>, the carriage e supporting the drums, &c. d<2>, d<3> will be traversed. This carriage is provided with rollers and runs on tracks e<2>. A weight h<7> tends to draw the carriage e towards a stop h<6> and to keep the pawls f<10> in engagement until the carriage is arrested by contact with the stop. A recess e<4> in the carriage e receives a roller g<3> mounted on one end of a lever g<2> which is pivoted at g<1> and connected by a link g<4> to a lever g<5> which serves as striking gear for clutches g<6>, g<7>. These clutches engage bevel gears g<8>, g<9> which mesh with a bevel gear g<10> on a threaded shaft g<12>, Fig. 3. Levers g<15>, g<16> pivoted at g", g<18>, respectively, engage oppositely threaded parts of' the shaft g<12> and actuate two pairs of expanding and contracting pulleys g<13>, g<14> when the shaft g<12> is rotated. The pulleys g<13>, g<14> are connected by a belt and are incorporated in the drive to the cutting machine, and consequently cause an acceleration or retardation of the part b' of the conveyer. The drive is transmitted to the bevel wheel g<8> or g<9> from the shaft g<11> of the pulley g<13> through bevel gears g<19>, g<20> and a shaft g<21> on which the clutch members g<6>, g<7> are keyed to slide. A pulley h loose on the shaft g<22> of pulley g<14> can be connected to the shaft by a clutch h<1> which is actuated by a hand-lever h<2> and by a slidable rod h<3>, one end of which lies in the path of the carriage e. When the carriage reaches one end of its travel, it abuts against the end of the rod h<3> and declutches the pulley h, so that the cutting machine and part b<1> are no longer driven positively by their separate drive, and the part b<1> is only moved by the drive from the gears f<5>, f<6>. In a modification the carriage carries a differential mechanism integral with the independent driving mechanisms and means are provided. whereby when a difference in speed occurs between the independent driving mechanisms, the differential mechanism causes a positive movement of the carriage.