Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Live roll
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-03
2004-11-09
Valenza, Joseph (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Live roll
C198S781090
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814222
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to structures for non-pneumatically actuated accumulation conveyors, as well as methods of using narrow belt accumulation conveyors. Generally, accumulation conveyors include numerous zones of item transporting rollers. Dependent upon predetermined paradigms, any zone of item transporting rollers can be dormant or activated. Engagement of the narrow belt with the underneath side of the zone's item transporting rollers moves goods along the topside of activated zone's item transporting rollers. More specifically, the present accumulator utilizes a non-pneumatically actuated assembly to shift the narrow belt into engagement with the underneath side of the item transporting rollers. In select embodiments, an electric actuator lifts the assembly's rack journaling a plurality of pressure rollers to contact the narrow belt and force the belt into engagement with the underneath side of the item transporting rollers. Certain embodiments can also journal a pivoting tracking roller in the assembly's rack to center the sideways movement of the belt. Other embodiments have flanged pressure rollers to center the narrow belt as it moves about the assembly's rack. And still other embodiments utilize a combination of flanged pressure rollers and a pivoting tracking roller to center sideways movement of the belt as it travels about the accumulation conveyor. Other embodiments incorporate a constant force takeup for the belt.
2. Description of the Previous Art
a) U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,098-Morgan, et. al. enables pneumatic controls for the modular components of an accumulation conveyor. Each modular zone includes a rack or bar (
30
) positioned beneath the movable slide plates (
22
) of the rollers (
20
). The racks (
30
) are mounted on compressed air cylinders (
31
) and (
32
). And the belt (
12
) is centered by alternating the movable ends of rollers (
20
) from zone to zone. The '098 Patent requires pressure rollers
20
to extend across the width of the conveyor.
b) U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,907-Taylor describes a control module for an accumulation conveyor. Each module's casing (
24
) is mounted to the side rail of the Taylor conveyor, and each module has a sensor disposed to one side. The '907 module's logic circuitry may include a microprocessor, and Taylor's sensors can be photoelectric, proximity or ultrasonic. Although a specific driving force is not disclosed, Taylor uses a pneumatically actuated solenoid to engage his driving force.
c) U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,588-Cotter, et. al., enables a contact assembly for accumulation conveyors. Endless drive member (
30
) is positioned proximate to either side rail (
20
) or side rail (
22
), and the drive member (
30
) drives Cotter's conveying rollers. Each zone of the accumulation conveyor (
10
) has as least one contact assembly (
50
) juxtaposed with the upper portion (
31
) of drive belt (
30
) beneath the conveying rollers (
25
). The '588 contact assembly (
50
) includes support member (
60
) that is mounted to rail (
20
). Importantly, contact assembly (
50
) has a pneumatic block (
90
). Thus, compressed air vertically reciprocates platform (
82
).
Cotter's support member (
60
) has a horizontal surface (
70
) extending from back (
64
). The horizontal surface (
70
) is formed to have a cavity (
72
) that is configured to retainably receive the pneumatic diaphragm. Guide members (
75
) support contact member (
79
) enabling its vertical reciprocation with respect to support member (
60
). Significantly, the '588 contact member (
79
) includes a platform (
80
) that has a pair of contact rollers (
84
) and (
86
) for connecting with the upper portion (
31
) of drive belt (
30
). Cotter's arm (
124
) extends from side (
100
) and beyond end (
104
) of platform (
80
) while arm (
134
) extends from side (
102
) and beyond end (
106
) of platform (
80
). Finally, because shafts (
128
) and (
138
) extend in opposite directions, contact rollers (
84
) and (
86
) are jounaled at opposite ends of platform (
80
).
d) U.S. patent application No. 2001/0004959A1-Cotter, et. al. discloses a contact assembly for accumulation conveyors. Cotter utilizes a pivoting platform to support his contact rollers. In one embodiment contact rollers (
84
) and (
86
) are crowned so that when drive member (
30
) becomes misaligned, the crowned surface will attempt to bring endless drive member (
30
) into alignment with contact member (
30
). Since contact member
79
is capable of pivoting about post (
75
′), the force created between endless drive member (
30
) and the contact roller will tend to laterally move contact member (
79
). And when endless drive member (
30
) becomes more extensively misaligned along contact rollers (
84
) and (
86
), endless drive member (
30
) will contact one of the pair of out-turned flanges (
85
) located at opposing ends of first contact roller (
84
).
In another embodiment of the Cotter contact assembly, contact between protrusion (
162
) and contact rollers (
186
a
,
186
b
) rotates platform (
170
) about the vertical axis of guide member (
206
). A widened channel of post (
203
) enables platform (
200
) to maintain the alignment between the first pair of contact rollers (
186
), second pair of contact rollers (
188
), and the endless drive member (
160
.)
e) U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,225-Schiesser, et. al., enables a modular pneumatic accumulation conveyor. More specifically, the '225 actuator is mechanically coupled to the product sensor (
42
). Schiesser's pneumatic actuator (
38
) is activated when his product sensor detects product, and causes the contact member (
78
) to interface with the upper portion (
40
) of drive belt (
36
).
f) U.S. patent application No. 2002/0092736A1-Masuda appears to disclose a device for transmitting motion to the rollers of a conveyor. In part, Paragraphs
32
and
34
of the Application read: “An actuator
17
(referring
FIG. 3
) making the bearing
13
swung, arranged to be located in the right of the lower part of the bearing
13
, is installed on the inner side surface of the right side wall
3
. This structure makes the transmission roller
14
and the driven wheel
15
located in one side of the bearing
13
and also makes the actuator
17
located in the other side of the bearing
13
. By the structure like this, as the transmission roller
14
is contacted with the roller
6
by swinging the transmission roller
14
side upward . . . ”
g) U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,054B1-Henson, et. al., discloses a modular accumulator conveyor system. The Henson actuator assembly (
32
) and its pneumatic motor (
33
) are positioned directly under the drive belt (
20
) while the 054' actuator (
32
) is operated by control valve (
34
). Finally, the upward driving run (
25
) is lifted upward by the pressure roller (
13
) mounted in the cradle (
31
).
h) U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,998-Garzelloni teaches a pneumatic device (
20
) for lifting a plurality of lifting rollers (
16
) that are mounted in the side channels of the frame (
11
) beneath the carrier rollers (
14
).
i) U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,323-Schiesser, et. al., teaches a pneumatic accumulation conveyor. Schiesser's contact member does not contain any rollers for engaging the driving belt. Instead, the '323 pneumatic actuator causes the low-friction slider surface of the contact member to interface with upper portion (
40
) of drive belt (
36
) such that the belt is lifted into engagement with rollers (
30
) adjacent the actuator (
38
). The Schiesser actuator (
38
) is juxtaposed with the upper portion (
40
) of drive belt (
36
), and a product sensor (
42
) is provided for each conveyor zone to control the actuators.
j) U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,267-Heit, et. al., enables a pneumatically actuated zero pressure accumulation conveyor. The '267 Patent discloses that pneumatic pressure expands bladder (
64
) to lift channel (
46
) and the upper run (
24
) relative to the rollers (
18
).
k
Dickman James M.
Halsey James W.
Henson Mark W.
Piazza Michael O.
Shields Bobby A.
FKI Logistex Automation Inc.
Pearce Kenneth F.
Valenza Joseph
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