Conveyors – chutes – skids – guides – and ways – Rollerways – Submerging and rising
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-03
2002-08-20
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors, chutes, skids, guides, and ways
Rollerways
Submerging and rising
C193S0350SS
Reexamination Certificate
active
06435328
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a conveyor for a storage and advancing system for loads, particularly palletized loads, and more specifically relates to an improved activating and controlling arrangement for effecting controlled movement and stopping of palletized loads by utilizing deflection of the pallet to assist in controlling the movement and stoppage thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conveying and storing arrangements are extensively utilized in warehouses, factories and the like for permitting storage and advancing of loads, particularly palletized loads, to a discharge or load-removal station. Gravity-type arrangements are particularly desirable in that they eliminate the need for complex powered driving or advancing mechanisms for the loads, and such gravity systems typically provide a horizontally elongate support track which extends at a slight incline relative to the horizontal to provide for controlled advancing movement of the loads downwardly along the track. Such systems permit storage of significant numbers of palletized loads in a “first in—first out” system, that is, the loads are positioned on the conveyor system at the upper input end thereof, and are then advanced by gravity downwardly along the slight incline for removal at the other or output end, whereby the oldest load on the conveyor system is the first to be removed.
Systems of the above type have been widely adopted and used for many years, and one example of a system which has met with significant acceptance is illustrated in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4 205 740 and 4 304 521.
My earlier system is frequently utilized as a first in—first out storage rack and, as diagrammatically illustrated in
FIGS. 1-2
, includes a generally upright framework
11
which typically defines a plurality of horizontally elongate bays disposed vertically one above another within a column, with a plurality of such columns being typically disposed in side-by-side relation. A storing and gravity-type conveying system
12
is associated with and extends lengthwise along each bay.
The system
12
is independently controlled, and one end
13
thereof defines an input end for accommodating loads, typically palletized loads, and the other end
14
functions as the output or discharge end. A conventional stop device
15
is provided at the output end for engaging the lead load so that removal of the lead load from the storage rack is normally accomplished utilizing a lift device such as a fork lift or other conventional mechanism.
The storage and conveying system
12
includes a substantially identical pair of elongate and generally parallel storing and conveying assemblies
21
which are disposed in sidewardly spaced relationship, and extend lengthwise from the input end
13
so as to terminate at the output end
14
. The assemblies
21
extend at a slight decline as they project from the input to the output end, which decline is a small acute angle relative to the horizontal, typically 15° or less.
Each storing and conveying assembly includes an elongate track
22
which is rigidly mounted on the frame and extends lengthwise of the bay. The track in the illustrated and preferred construction is formed as an upwardly-opening channel member defined by a bottom wall
23
which extends between and rigidly joins to upwardly projecting and generally parallel side walls
24
, whereby the channel member defines therein an upwardly opening channel
25
which extends lengthwise along the track
22
. At least one of the track side walls
24
has a support flange
26
fixed to the upper edge thereof and projecting transversely, preferably perpendicularly, outwardly away from the channel
25
. In the preferred arrangement a similar said support flange
26
is associated with and projects outwardly from the upper edge of each track side wall
24
. The support flanges
26
define thereon generally flat and planar upper surfaces
27
which function as storage and braking surfaces, as explained below. At least one of the support flanges
26
, namely the flange which is outermost or remote from the other track
22
, is also provided with a further flange
28
which angles upwardly from the outer edge of the respective support flange
26
and hence defines thereon an upper surface
29
which is inclined relative to both the horizontal and vertical, and functions as a load centering surface, as explained hereinafter.
The track
22
associated with each storing and conveying system
21
also has an elongate roller assembly
31
which is disposed and extends lengthwise of the track and is vertically movable relative to the track. This roller assembly
31
includes an elongate support channel
32
which is sized so as to be disposed horizontally between and vertically movable relative to the side walls
24
of the respective track
22
. This support channel
32
opens upwardly and has a plurality of support wheels or rollers
33
positioned therein in closely spaced relationship longitudinally throughout the length of the support channel. The rollers or wheels
33
are each disposed for rotation about a respective horizontal axis which extends perpendicularly between the side walls of the support channel
32
, whereby the rollers
33
are supported for rotation about axes which are perpendicular to the elongated direction of the respective conveying arrangement and bay. The wheels or rollers
33
are disposed with their upper portions positioned at an elevation slightly above the upper edge of the support channel
32
.
The roller assembly
31
is in turn supported on a lifting mechanism
35
which is disposed within the bottom of the main track
22
so as to be confined between the bottom walls of the track
22
and the support channel
32
. The lifting device
35
typically comprises an elongate pneumatically-inflatable hose
36
, commonly referred to as a fire hose, which extends lengthwise of the track
22
and, when at least partially inflated causes upward lifting of the roller assembly
33
, and when at least partially deflated causes lowering of the roller assembly
33
. The lifting and lowering of the roller assembly
33
by inflation/deflation of hose
36
is such as to cause the upper profiles of the rollers
33
to be moved between a raised load-engagement position wherein the upper roller profiles are at least slightly above the plane of the brake surfaces
27
, and a lowered position wherein the upper profile of the rollers
33
is at or slightly below the plane of the brake surfaces
27
. The inflation and deflation of the hose
36
is by a suitable pressure and control arrangement
37
which is well known, one example being described in my earlier '740 patent, so as to cause the hose
36
to be inflated and deflated in a cyclic or pulsing manner to hence provide for desired control over the gravity-urged movement of loads downwardly along the storing and conveying system.
The loads stored on and moved along the storing and conveying apparatus are typically palletized loads
41
, each of which includes a plurality of individual articles disposed on and secured to a pallet
42
, such as by a shrink-wrap securement. The pallet typically has edge and center skids or runners projecting downwardly therefrom, which runners are frequently secured to a bottom deck or platform. The edge runners (or the bottom deck if present) are typically disposed for direct supportive engagement with either the rollers
33
or the support surfaces
27
.
In operation, when the roller assembly
31
is in its lowered position due to a deflated state of the hose
36
, the edge runners bear directly on the support surfaces
27
to maintain the load
41
stationary. Upon inflation of the hose
36
, the roller assemblies
31
are moved upwardly so that the rollers
33
engage the pallet runners (or bottom deck) and lift them slightly upwardly from the support surfaces
27
, whereupon the gravity-induced force on the pallet downwardly along the conveying system causes the palletized load to advance forwardly due to rotation of the rollers
33
. The
Bidwell James R.
Flynn ,Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
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