Material or article handling – Article supported by air and moved by mechanical or manual...
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-12
2004-10-26
Ridley, Richard (Department: 3651)
Material or article handling
Article supported by air and moved by mechanical or manual...
C198S457040, C198S457040, C198S457040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06808358
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to article or mail-piece conveyor systems, and more particularly to a new and improved product transportation system for conveying articles or mail pieces, wherein the product transportation system comprises a conveyor mechanism, which has a substantially horizontally oriented conveyor or product transportation surface upon which the articles, mail pieces, or products can be conveyed or transported in an upstanding mode as a result of the articles, mail pieces, or products effectively being supported upon lower edge portions thereof, and an inclined surface against which the major or primary surface portions, surface regions, or mass of each article, mail piece, or product is supported so as to permit the articles, mail pieces, or products to be readily and easily conveyed or transported by means of the horizontally oriented conveyor or product transportation surface, and wherein further, the inclined surface has integrally incorporated therein vacuum port or conduit structure through which air is effectively withdrawn from the article, mail piece, or product conveyor or transportation path so as to effectively maintain the articles, mail pieces, or products attracted to or adhered upon the inclined surface of the product transportation system, and in addition, the inclined surface also has integrally incorporated therein pneumatic output ports or conduits through which air is effectively simultaneously supplied to the article, mail piece, or product conveying or transportation path so as to effectively form an air bearing structure for the articles, mail pieces, or products so as to facilitate the smooth and easy conveyance or transportation of such articles, mail pieces, or products along the conveyor or product transportation flow path.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Article conveyor systems conventionally comprise serially arranged pairs of conveyor belts for conveying the particular articles in a predetermined direction. Each one of the conveyor belts comprises a closed or endless loop structure wherein opposite ends of the closed or endless loop are respectively routed around rollers, at least one of which comprises a conveyor belt drive roller. The inner runs or inner portions of each pair of closed or endless looped conveyor belts are disposed immediately adjacent to each other in an opposed, side-by-side, or laterally or transversely spaced, mode with respect to each other along the direction of conveyance. In this manner, the opposed inner runs or inner portions of the conveyor belts cooperate together so as to effectively encounter and operatively engage the articles therebetween whereby the articles are effectively entrained with the opposed conveyor belts so as to be conveyed thereby in the predetermined direction of conveyance. The drive roller operatively associated with each conveyor belt is conventionally driven by means of a drive system which comprises, for example, a high-voltage electric drive motor and a mechanical drive system operatively interconnecting the electric motor output shaft and the rotary drive shaft upon which the drive roller is fixedly mounted. Such mechanical drive systems generate and radiate an inordinate amount of noise. In addition, while the electric drive motors, respectively associated with each one of the conveyor belts comprising each pair of oppositely disposed conveyor belts, can be suitably regulated so as to cause their output shafts to be rotated at a predetermined rotary speed which would, in turn, cause the conveyor belt drive rollers to likewise be rotated at the same rotary speed, due to various factors inherently characteristic of conventional conveyor belt drive systems, it often happens that the opposed conveyor belts are not in fact driven at the same lineal rate of speed.
Accordingly, a speed differential effectively exists between the oppositely disposed inner runs or inner portions of the opposed conveyor belts, and when these oppositely disposed inner runs or inner portions of the opposed conveyor belts, being operated at their different lineal rates of speed, operatively engage the opposite surface portions of the articles being conveyed between and by the oppositely disposed inner runs or inner portions of the opposed conveyor belts, serious operational and environmental problems occur. More particularly, as a result of the engagement of the opposite surface portions of the articles by the oppositely disposed inner runs or inner portions of the opposed conveyor belts conveying the articles along the longitudinal extent of the overall conveyor system, frictional forces are generated between the opposite surface portions of the articles and the oppositely disposed inner runs or inner portions of the opposed conveyor belts as a result of the effective mechanical scrubbing of the opposite surface portions of the articles by the oppositely disposed inner runs or inner portions of the opposed conveyor belts. In light of such mechanical scrubbing of the opposite surface portions of the articles by the oppositely disposed inner runs or inner portions of the opposed conveyor belts, the articles being conveyed by the opposed conveyor belts are subjected to highly erosive forces. These highly erosive forces not only effectively compromise the structural integrity of each article being conveyed by the opposed conveyor belts, but in addition, result in the generation of atmospherically suspended cellulose particulates which not only constitute a human health hazard but, still further, present a potentially explosive atmospheric condition and hazardous work environment.
Continuing still further, it is noted that, as a result of the employment of the aforenoted type of article or product conveyor or transportation system, that is, an article or product conveyor system comprising pairs of oppositely disposed conveyor belts wherein the articles, mail pieces, or products are conveyed as a result of being effectively entrained between the oppositely disposed inner runs or inner portions of the oppositely disposed conveyor belts, the articles, mail pieces, or products that can readily be conveyed or transported by means of such article or product conveyor or transportation systems is limited. More particularly, the articles, mail pieces, or products that can be successfully or viably conveyed or transported by means of such article or product conveyor or transportation systems cannot have thickness dimensions which exceed predetermined values or limits. Accordingly, it is often problematic to utilize such article or product conveyor or transportation systems in order to convey or transport relatively bulky articles or products, such as, for example, literature, greeting card packages, pharmaceutical packages, and the like. In addition, the articles, mail pieces, or products must have a predetermined degree of inherent rigidity. Accordingly, it is likewise often problematic to utilize such article or product conveyor or transportation systems in order to convey or transport, for example, newspapers or magazines which are characterized by means of a low level of inherent rigidity.
Various other types of article or product conveyor or transportation systems are of course well known in the art and industry whereby, for example, typically bulky articles or packages can in fact be conveyed or transported thereby, however, such conveyor or transportation systems usually or often exhibit additional operational drawbacks or disadvantages in connection with, for example, article or product logistics, sorting, or routing. For example, bulky or non-rigid articles or products can be placed upon a horizontally disposed or oriented roller conveyor, but due to various factors inherent to the conveyance or transportation of the articles or products, the articles or products may be jostled, subjected to vibrations, or the like, whereby the predetermined orientation of the articles or products upon the conveyor may become altered. This alteration in the orientation of the articles or produ
Bollinger Joe C.
Mayerberg II Willson L.
Olson Jack E.
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Ridley Richard
Schwartz & Weinrieb
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