Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-30
2002-06-18
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Endless conveyor
C198S836300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405856
ABSTRACT:
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §§119 and/or 365 to Appln. No. 0001189-0 filed in Sweden on Apr. 3, 2000; the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method of fixedly locking support railings along a conveyor path, the support railings being of the type which have a circular cross section and which, in one or more rows, are mounted in brackets.
BACKGROUND ART
Many manufacturing industries employ conveyors for conveying small or medium-sized objects or parts between production stations or from production to packing of the finished objects. Usually, the conveyors consist of driven, endless chains or belts on which the objects are advanced. Support railings often occur, disposed along the conveyor paths. The support railings are above all necessary when the objects being conveyed have a high point of gravity. The purpose of the support railings is to prevent the objects from falling off the conveyor, at the same time as the support rails must not in any way impede or risk damaging the objects.
Such conveyors also occur to a considerable extent within industries that manufacture single-use disposable packages for liquid foods. Single-use disposable packages for liquid foods are often manufactured from a packaging laminate containing paperboard with different plastic layers. For example, the single-use packages may have a parallelepipedic configuration, or alternatively they may be of the gable-top package type. A feature common to all single-use packages of this type is that they often have a high point of gravity and it is, therefore, necessary that the conveyors be provided with support railings which are properly fixedly mounted in place.
The support railings which occur most commonly today are of circular cross section, consisting of a slim tube piece. The support railings occur on both sides of the conveyor path and are disposed in one or two rows horizontally placed above each other. Each support railing is held in position by a bracket and these are normally designed for two parallel support railings. In their turn, the brackets are secured in the conveyor.
It is important that the support railing is properly fixedly secured in the bracket, and today this anchoring normally takes place with small plastic blocks which are axially slid in between the bracket and the support railing. During the fixing operation, which takes place with a tool, a piece of the plastic block is sheared off, which implies that the mounting operation must take place with the operator wearing protective goggles in order not to run the risk of being injured by flying plastic debris. However, an excessively large plastic piece is quite often sheared off, with the result that an insufficient anchorage of the support railing is obtained. Despite the fact that the plastic is specifically adapted for its purpose, it is affected by water and detergents and cracks or softens with the passage of time. Vibrations in the conveyor may result in the plastic block being laterally displaced and finally falling out of the bracket.
In particular where two parts of a support railing are joined together in a bracket, it is important that the support railings are securely in place. If a support railing comes loose, there is the risk of scratch marks on the packages which pass by the broken railing. There is also a risk that the support railing which has come loose takes hold of and tears off drinking straws or the like which are applied on the packages.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to realise a simple and reliable method of locking the support railings fixedly in place along a conveyor.
A further object of the present invention is that the locking arrangement must be able to withstand the environment in which the support railings are mounted, and that the method, after dismounting of support railings, is re-usable.
SOLUTION
These and other objects have been attained according to the present invention, in that the method of the type described by way of introduction has been given the characterising feature that the method includes a locking pin which is moved peripherally along the support railing in towards the bracket to a locking position.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention have further been given the characterising features as set forth in the appended subclaims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3410201 (1968-11-01), Swede
patent: 3788457 (1974-01-01), Valentino, Jr.
patent: 4932517 (1990-06-01), Johnson
patent: 4958725 (1990-09-01), Meade et al.
patent: 5803687 (1998-09-01), Ledingham
patent: 0842876 (1998-05-01), None
patent: 0953523 (1999-03-01), None
patent: 2285318 (1976-04-01), None
patent: 9400697 (1994-01-01), None
Bidwell James R.
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
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