Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Unit load conveying surface means moved about an endless or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-04
2001-08-28
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Unit load conveying surface means moved about an endless or...
C198S797000, C198S800000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279732
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to carousel apparatus, and more particularly, to a carousel apparatus that moves products in a recirculating pattern without affecting the orientation of those products. Even more particularly, this invention relates to a programmable presentation system which recirculatively presents items in a fixed orientation for assembly line operation.
2. Description of Related Art
In many industries, products are assembled by workers who remove items from bins or holders and then install those particular items on or into the products. If a worker reaches for an item from the wrong bin or container, the item has a high risk of being improperly placed. Also, in many industries, the parts and bins used by the workers can be spread out over a large area requiring extended reaching of the workers to retrieve the parts.
Programmable vertical carousel systems have been used for bulk storage of items. However, these systems often use gravity and swivel bearings, so that the bins or containers remain horizontal in an equilibrium state only because gravity holds the bins or containers below the swivel bearings as they circulate around the carousel. Thus, although the items in the vertical carousel may remain horizontal sometimes, the items may be subject to tipping back and forth or rotating. This tipping and rotational motion may cause the items to spill from the container and may prevent the presentation of heavy objects within the carousel, for the rotational motion may be too great. In sum, these swivel bearing systems lack a mechanism to compensate for rotation or tilting of the bins caused by uneven distribution of items in the bins. Additionally, these systems lack a mechanism to compensate for rotation or tilting caused by an operator pushing on one side of the bin or container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one respect, the invention is an apparatus including a track plate, two or more tracks, and an alignment block. The two or more tracks are configured in operative relationship with the track plate and are arranged in a spaced relationship. The tracks define a closed circuit. The alignment block is configured to engage the two or more tracks to constrain rotational motion of the alignment block and to travel about the closed circuit while maintaining a fixed orientation.
In other aspects, the alignment block may engage the two or more tracks with two or more bearings. At least one of the two or more tracks may include a groove defined in the track plate. At least one of the two or more tracks may include a T slot. The closed circuit may include a polygon shape. The track plate may be oriented horizontally. The tract plate may include a horizontal support structure. The apparatus may also include a driving mechanism coupled to the alignment block and configured to drive the alignment block about the closed circuit. The driving mechanism may include a motor and an attachment chain coupled to the motor. The track plate may include an inner plate in spaced relationship with an outer plate, and the drive chain may be disposed generally between the inner and outer plates. The motor may be outwardly adjacent the outer plate, and the alignment block may be inwardly adjacent the inner plate. The apparatus may also include a pusher coupled to the driving mechanism and rotatably coupled to the alignment block. The pusher may be configured to direct the alignment block along the two or more tracks and to rotate about the alignment block to affect a change in direction of the alignment block. The apparatus may include a bracket coupled to the pusher. The bracket may be configured to support a container or device. Such devices may include a paste applicator, a glue applicator, a solder gun, a welding head, a laser cutter, a rotary cutting tool, or any combination thereof.
In another respect, the invention is a carousel, including a track plate, a set of tracks, an alignment block, a driving mechanism, and a pusher. The set of tracks is configured in operative relation to the track plate and defines a closed circuit. The alignment block is configured to engage the set of tracks to constrain rotational motion of the alignment block. The driving mechanism is configured to drive the alignment block about the closed circuit. The pusher is coupled to the driving mechanism and rotatably coupled to the alignment block to affect a change in direction of the alignment block as the alignment block travels about the closed circuit. The alignment block is adapted to at least partially support or guide a load and to travel about the closed circuit while maintaining a fixed orientation so that the load may be transported.
In other aspects, the driving mechanism may include a motor, an attachment chain coupled to the pusher, and a drive shaft coupling the attachment chain to the motor. The track plate may be arranged vertically or horizontally. The carousel may also include a bracket coupled to the pusher. The carousel may also include an arm coupled to the alignment block and a supporting member coupled to the arm. The arm may be configured to cooperatively support the supporting member and may be adapted to travel about the closed circuit with the supporting member remaining in a fixed orientation. The set of tracks may include a set of T slots. The alignment block may engage the set of tracks by two or more cam-following bearings. The set of tracks may include a first portion including a first number of tracks and a second portion including a second number of tracks. That first number may be two and the second number may be three. The carousel may also include a programmable location indicator system configured in operative relation to the carousel. The programmable location indicator system may include a light pointer and a pointer motor coupled to the pointer. The pointer motor may be configured to direct light from the light pointer in a programmable manner.
In another respect, the invention is a carousel for presenting a product to an operator, including a first and second track plate, a first and second plurality of tracks, a first and second alignment block, two or more cam following bearings coupled to the first alignment block, two or more cam following bearings coupled to the second alignment block, a driving mechanism, and a first and second pusher. The first plurality of tracks define a first closed circuit. The second plurality of tracks define a second closed circuit. The first alignment block is configured to engage the first plurality of tracks. The two or more cam-following bearings coupled to the first alignment block are configured to constrain rotational motion of the first alignment block upon engagement of the first plurality of tracks. The second alignment block is configured to engage the second plurality of tracks. The two or more cam-following bearings coupled to the second alignment block are configured to constrain rotational motion of the second alignment block upon engagement of the second plurality of tracks. The first pusher is coupled to the driving mechanism and rotatably coupled to the first alignment block. The first pusher is configured to direct the first alignment block about the first closed circuit and to rotate about the first alignment block to affect a change in direction of the first alignment block. The second pusher is coupled to the driving mechanism and rotatably coupled to the second alignment block. The second pusher is configured to direct the second alignment block about the second closed circuit and to rotate about the second alignment block to affect a change in direction of the second alignment block. The first and second alignment blocks are adapted to cooperatively support a load and to travel about the first and second closed circuits in tandem, maintaining a constant relative position and a fixed orientation so that the load may be recirculatively transported.
In other aspects, the first plurality of tracks may include a first plurality of T-slots defined along an inter
Bidwell James R.
Finkelstein Ira D.
Howrey Simon Arnold & White , LLP
Texonics, Inc.
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