US Patent 11987464 Dual clamshell front end conveyor

A front end conveyor include a lower deck having a plurality of lower sheet supports, an upstream upper deck having an upstream end at the upstream end of the front end conveyor, a downstream end and a plurality of first upper sheet guides and a downstream upper deck having an upstream end, a downstream end at the downstream end of the front end conveyor, and a plurality of second upper sheet guides. The lower sheet supports and the upper sheet guides define a sheet transport path for moving sheets of material though the conveyor. The downstream end of the upstream upper deck and the upstream end of the downstream upper deck are independently pivotably mounted to the frame such that the upstream end of the upstream upper deck and the downstream end of the downstream upper deck shiftable toward and away from the lower deck.