Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-26
2001-10-23
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305528
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to industrial conveyor systems, and more particularly to an adjustable guide rail system for use with industrial conveyor systems.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conveyors are used in numerous industrial plants for moving product packages from one processing station to the next. For example, a conveyor system may be used to move a liquid container through a packaging line where it is cleaned, filled, capped, labeled, coded, weighed, and packed. To make efficient use of expensive investments in machinery and resources, industrial plants generally run batches of different products. Because these products may be of different sizes and shapes, the guide rails of the conveyor system often needs to be adjusted between product batches.
Currently, guide rail adjustment is a time consuming process. On conveyor lines where manually adjustable brackets are used, each bracket along the conveyor line must be individually adjusted for a new batch of items being moved. In general, adjusting one of these manually adjustable brackets involves loosening a locking device, moving the guide rail to the desired position, and tightening the locking device. This adjustment process is repeated for every guide rail support on each side of the conveyor along its length. When working with multi-lane conveyors, it is often difficult for plant personnel to access the manually adjustable bracket for inner lane guide rails. Manufacturers have looked for various solutions to overcome the time wasted on these adjustments; however a simple, economical, and low-complexity solution that allows for rail adjustment across a range of package sizes has been elusive. Manufacturers have therefore largely retained the use of manual guide rails.
As can be seen therefore, the development of an inexpensive, fully adjustable, guide rail would reduce the setup time required between product batches within many industrial plants in which products are moved along a conveyor system. The adjustable guide rail in accordance with the present invention satisfies that need, as well as others, and overcomes deficiencies in previously known guide rail adjustment methods.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an adjustable guide rail system which provides a simple and inexpensive means of simultaneously and remotely adjusting the position of numerous guide rails. By way of example, and not of limitation, the guide rail system of the present invention comprises a multiple cylinder hydraulic control device coupled with a set of guide rail actuators. The hydraulic control device has a crank handle that, when turned, moves the plungers on a series of pistons to simultaneously displace fluid which is communicated to induce movement within a series of actuators coupled to the guide rail sections which thereby move to a new position.
An object of the invention is to provide a low cost device for adjusting the position of a conveyor guide rail.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustment device which retains its position without additional locking devices.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustment device in which a series of guide rails are controlled from a single location.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustment device wherein the guide rail may be adjusted to intermediate positions between a minimum and maximum setting.
Another object of the invention is to provide accurate guide rail positioning.
Another object of the invention is to provide for a self-contained adjustable guide rail system.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustment device that is reliable and easy to maintain.
Another object of the invention is to provide a guide rail adjustment system that can be adapted for use in multi-lane conveyors.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following portions of the specification, wherein the detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the invention without placing limitations thereon.
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Bidwell James R.
Flow Engineering
O'Banion John P.
LandOfFree
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