turning now to the drawings , a conveying and support surface 10 for a conveyor belt 11 comprises at least two rigid , elongated conveyor bars 12 arranged in parallel , spaced relation . each bar 12 has ends 13 and opposing side portions 14 extending between ends 13 . each bar 12 further includes a plurality of finger - like , elongated elements 16 . each element 16 has an elongated axis 17 preferably extending perpendicularly from opposing side portions 14 of bar 12 . elements 16 are arranged in spaced relation along side portions 14 of bar 12 , as explained in more detail below . each bar 12 also includes connector means 18 on its ends 13 , such as a bore with an associated rivet . structural equivalents to these connector means 18 would include detachable fasteners such as bolts and nuts , clamps , and receiver sleeves , but more permanent connector means including adhesives , welding , and crimping may be desirable in certain arrangements . it is a significant feature of the conveyor belt 11 , that the elements 16 extending from side portion 14 of a first bar 12 are arranged in interdigitized relation with respect to elements 16 extending from a side portion 14 of a second bar 12 . the outer ends of elements 16 are also spaced from a side portion 14 of an adjacent bar 12 . in this manner , elongated bars 12 and elements 16 define a grid forming the conveying and support surface 10 . the grid has at least one aperture 19 , and preferably a plurality of apertures 19 , with a predetermined first minimum dimension 21 , generally within the range of 5 / 16 ″ to 1½ ″. this first minimum dimension 21 is calculated to be smaller than a second minimum dimension 22 for articles such as comestibles 23 , to be conveyed and supported on the conveyor belt 11 . however , first minimum dimension 21 for apertures 19 is still large enough to allow debris 20 , such as twigs , dirt clods , rocks , and dust , to pass therethrough . besides performing a cleaning function for the product stream , apertures 19 also perform a sizing function , by allowing undersized and unmarketable comestibles 23 to pass through the conveyor belt 11 onto the ground below . in one embodiment of the conveyor belt 11 , elements 16 on opposing side portions 14 are arranged in respective pairs , with the elongated axes 17 of a pair of elements 16 in alignment . this construction is shown in the individual conveyor bars 12 , depicted in fig1 and 2 , and in the assembly of a plurality of such bars 12 illustrated in the conveyor belt 11 , shown in fig7 and 9 . to achieve an interdigitized relation between and among the elements 16 , adjacent bars 12 must be longitudinally offset by shifting the position of the elements 16 on alternating ones of the bars 12 . this is evident in fig7 , and 9 , through a close examination of the differences between adjacent bars 12 . in another embodiment of the conveyor belt 11 , elements 16 on opposing said side portions 14 are arranged in longitudinally offset and alternating relation along opposing side portions 14 of conveyor bars 24 . this construction is shown in the assembly of three such conveyor bars 24 in fig6 , comprising a fragmentary portion of the conveyor belt 11 . it should be noted that in this embodiment , all of the bars 24 are identical in structure , as the offset feature for the elements 16 is provided in the placement of the elements 16 on both side portions 14 of the bars 24 . yet another variation exists in the placement of the elements 16 on the opposing side portions 14 of the conveyor bars 12 and 24 . in fig3 , and 5 , three different placements are shown for elements 16 . the first placement for element 16 is in the middle of the side portions 14 . ( see , fig3 ). in this construction , if the articles being transported are relatively small , they will primarily lie upon the elements 16 , and the bar 12 will act to some extent as a flight to assist conveyance of the articles . if the articles are relatively large , and have a flat bottom , they will rest primarily upon the bars 12 . in the second version of the element placement , shown in fig4 , the upper surfaces of the elements 16 are co - planar with the upper surfaces of the bars 12 ( or bars 24 ). top plan views of elements 16 so arranged , are shown in fig1 and in fig6 . this construction will be most useful for transporting large boxes or packages , which will be stable on the planar conveying and support surface 10 . the third version of element placement locates the elements 16 on the underside of the bars 12 ( or bars 24 ). as shown in fig5 , this construction creates even a greater elevation difference between the upper surfaces of the elements 16 and the bars 12 , enhancing the ability of the bars 12 to act as flights . this may be useful to control the articles being conveyed where the conveyor belt 11 is moving in an inclined fashion . the conveyor belt 11 also includes a pair of opposing and parallel lateral belts 26 , spaced from each other to define a width for the conveyor belt 11 . lateral belts 26 are flexible , preferably being constructed from a reinforced rubber material . however , lateral belts 26 could also be constructed from plastic , wire mesh , or chain material . the plurality of elongated bars 12 transversely span the lateral belts 26 . the bars 12 are also arranged in parallel , spaced relation , as shown in fig9 . the connector means 18 on ends 13 of the elongated bars 12 are connected to the lateral belts 26 , to maintain the proper lateral and parallel relation of bars 12 . this ensures that the elements 16 extending from a side portion 14 of each bar 12 are maintained in interdigitized relation with respect to elements 16 extending from a side portion 14 of an adjacent bar 12 . conveyor belt 11 includes an upper run 27 and a lower run 28 , having a first arcuate end 29 and a second arcuate end 31 therebetween . a first roller 32 is provided within the first arcuate end 29 , and a second roller 33 provided within the second arcuate end 31 ( see , fig1 ). first roller 32 and second roller 33 may be provided with a smooth outer periphery , as shown in fig1 . in that case , lateral belts 26 will be provided with a smooth underside surface for frictional engagement with the outer peripheries of the first roller 32 and the second roller 33 . preferably , at least one of the rollers 32 or 33 is rotationally driven , to impart movement of the conveyor 11 in the desired direction . since elements 16 extending from adjacent bars 12 are interdigitized , but not in contact with each other or with an adjacent bar , a smooth rotational transition of the conveyor belt 11 around first arcuate end 29 and second arcuate end 31 is provided , with no mechanical interference . an inclined input ramp 34 is provided at the incoming end of the upper run 27 of the conveyor 11 , and an inclined output ramp 36 is provided at the outgoing end of the upper run 27 of the conveyor 11 . articles such as boxes 37 slide down the input ramp 34 onto the upper run 27 , are transported along the extent of the upper run 27 , and then slide down the output ramp 36 for further processing and handling . in an alternative roller and belt arrangement , a first roller 38 may be provided with a plurality of peripheral outer teeth 39 , as shown in fig9 . likewise , an identical second roller ( not shown ) is also provided with peripheral outer teeth 39 . for the purpose of providing additional support or drive for the conveyor belt 11 , at least one intermediate roller 41 may also be included between the first roller and the second roller . it may be desirable to provide a plurality of intermediate rollers 41 which are smaller than the first and second rollers , and which only come into contact with the underside of upper run 27 of conveyor belt 11 . intermediate roller 41 is also provided with peripheral outer teeth 39 . making particular reference to fig8 , the undersides of lateral belts 26 include a plurality of spaced recesses 42 , which are located , sized , and configured to be engaged by outer teeth 39 . fig8 also illustrates how the connector means 18 for the bars 12 may be located within recesses 42 . yet another variation of the conveyor belt 11 is illustrated in fig7 . for the purpose of providing a wider conveyor belt , a first plurality of bars 12 , a second plurality of bars 12 , and at least one intermediate belt 43 between lateral belts 26 are provided . in this arrangement , the ends of the first plurality of bars and the second plurality of bars include inner ends 44 and outer ends 46 . the outer ends 46 of the first and second plurality of bars 12 are connected to the upper sides of a respective lateral belt 26 , and the inner ends of the first and second plurality of bars 12 are connected to a respective side portion of the upper side of intermediate belt 43 . additional intermediate belts 43 may be included , along with additional bars 12 , to assemble a conveyor belt 11 of the desired width . first roller 32 and second roller 33 , along with any intermediate roller 41 , are extended appropriately , to accommodate the additional width such a conveyor belt 11 .