Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Unit load conveying surface means moved about an endless or...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-06
2001-05-01
Hess, Douglas (Department: 3652)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Unit load conveying surface means moved about an endless or...
C198S861200, C198S465400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223890
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to article processing systems and, more particularly, to a conveyor system for moving an article along a conveying path to successive processing stations.
Article processing systems commonly employ an elevator/conveyor system that moves articles to be treated or processed to work stations positioned along a conveyor path. An elevator mechanism is utilized to raise and lower the articles to and from selected work stations, e.g., processing tanks, along the path. In this manner, the articles are successively moved from a loading/unloading station to and through a succession of work stations and returned to the loading/unloading station. These conventional processing systems are well suited for processing a plurality of articles according to a predetermined procedure. However, such conventional processing systems are often expensive to produce and costly to operate and maintain because of the relative complexity of their design.
Another type of system employs a continuous conveyor with fixed successive declined and inclined sections for immersing an object in a processing tank and subsequently removing the object from the tank. The degree of decline and incline necessitates relatively large volume processing tanks and extended conveying paths. Further, the time between processing steps tends to be excessive in some cases.
Accordingly, there is a need for a conveyor system that enables efficient mass production processing and minimizes the costs associated with design, manufacture, operation, and maintenance of the conveyor system.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This need is met by the present invention wherein a conveyor system is provided comprising a plurality of conveyor sections linked via respective hinge assemblies arranged to permit inclination or declination of selected conveyor sections relative to adjacent upstream and downstream conveyor sections. The concepts of the present invention may be applied in a monorail type conveyor system or in what is commonly referred to as a power and free conveyor system.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a conveyor system is provided comprising a plurality of conveyor sections, a plurality of movable load bearing assemblies, a conveyor linkage assembly, a first hinge assembly, and a second hinge assembly. The plurality of conveyor sections define a conveying path extending from an upstream conveyor section, through at least one intermediate conveyor section, to a downstream conveyor section. The plurality of movable load bearing assemblies are secured to at least one of the conveyor sections such that the load bearing assemblies are free to move along the conveying path from an upstream location to a downstream location. The conveyor linkage assembly is arranged to couple the movable load bearing assemblies for collective movement along the conveying path. The first hinge assembly is arranged to couple a first end of a selected intermediate conveyor section to an adjacent upstream conveyor section and is further arranged to permit inclination of the intermediate conveyor section relative to the adjacent upstream conveyor section. The second hinge assembly is arranged to couple a second end of the selected intermediate conveyor section to an adjacent downstream conveyor section and is further arranged to permit declination of the downstream conveyor section relative to the intermediate conveyor section.
The intermediate conveyor section may comprise a plurality of transitional conveyor subsections and a transitional hinge assembly defining a transitional conveying path extending between the upstream conveyor section and the downstream conveyor section. The transitional hinge assembly preferably permits the plurality of transitional conveyor subsections to define a net inclination of the intermediate conveyor section collectively relative to the upstream conveyor section Further the transitional hinge assembly preferably permits one of the transitional conveyor subsections to decline relative to another of the transitional conveyor subsections. The transitional conveyor subsections may be coupled to each other along the transitional conveying path through respective transitional hinge assemblies. At least one of the transitional conveyor subsections may define a curve along the conveying path in the direction of the inclined orientation. One of the transitional conveyor subsections may be arranged to define an ascending curve along the conveying path and another of the transitional conveyor subsections may be arranged to define a descending curve along the conveying path.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the intermediate conveyor section may comprise first, second, and third transitional conveyor subsections. The first transitional conveyor subsection is coupled to the adjacent upstream conveyor section via the first hinge assembly. The second transitional conveyor subsection may be coupled to the first subsection via a first transitional hinge assembly. The third transitional conveyor subsection may be coupled to the second subsection via an additional transitional hinge assembly and may be coupled to the adjacent downstream conveyor section via the second hinge assembly. The first hinge assembly is preferably arranged to permit inclination of the first transitional conveyor subsection relative to the adjacent upstream conveyor section and to permit inclination of the second transitional conveyor subsection relative to the first transitional conveyor subsection. The second transitional hinge assembly is arranged to permit declination of the third transitional conveyor subsection relative to the second transitional conveyor subsection, and to permit declination of the adjacent downstream conveyor section relative to the third transitional conveyor subsection. The first transitional conveyor subsection preferably defines an ascending curve along the conveying path and the third transitional conveyor subsection defines a descending curve along the conveying path. The ascending curve is preferably defined by substantially the entire length of the first transitional conveyor subsection and the descending curve is preferably defined by substantially the entire length of the third transitional conveyor subsection.
The conveyor sections may define respective I-shaped cross sections, the movable load bearing assemblies may comprise respective hangers supported by a lower portion of the I-beam cross section via a pair of wheels secured to respective ones of the hangers, and the pair of wheels may be positioned on opposite sides of a longitudinal portion of the I-shaped cross section.
The conveyor linkage assembly may comprise a series of chain links arranged to couple the plurality of movable load bearing assemblies to each other along the conveying path. Preferably, adjacent ones of the chain links are arranged to incorporate sufficient mechanical play relative to one another to correspond to the recited inclination and declination of the respective conveyor sections.
The first and second hinge assemblies are positioned outside of the conveying path, such that respective ones of the plurality of movable load bearing assemblies and the conveyor linkage assembly may move along the conveying path unobstructed by the first and second hinge assemblies. The first and second hinge assemblies may each include respective hinge subassemblies positioned on opposite sides of the conveying path. Each hinge subassembly includes a pair of outer hinge plates coupled to one of the conveyor sections and an inner hinge plate coupled to an adjacent conveyor section, and wherein the inner hinge plate is positioned between the pair of outer hinge plates and is free to rotate about a hinge pivot relative to the outer hinge plates. Each hinge assembly may include a pair of outer hinge plates coupled to one of the conveyor sections and an inner hinge plate coupled to an adjacent conveyor section. The inner hinge plate may be positioned between the pair of outer hinge pl
Blankemeyer James Cornelius
Bonifas Gregory Francis
Haar Randall Fred
Hess Douglas
Killworth, Gottman Hagan & Schaeff LLP
Metokote Corporation
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