Conveyors – chutes – skids – guides – and ways – Rollerways – Submerging and rising
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-15
2001-09-11
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors, chutes, skids, guides, and ways
Rollerways
Submerging and rising
C198S861100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286652
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention refers to a roller conveyor track, in particular for a track with small-diameter rollers for work piece carriers, as well as a roller chain for a roller conveyor track.
A skate wheel conveyor, i.e. a roller conveyor track for low-weight loads is known from the German company publication of the Mannesmann Dematic AG, Wetter, bearing the title “Demag—Modular Concept Transfer System (DTS [MCTS]) (see edition of 01/1997, page 17). Essentially, this conveyor track with small-diameter rollers consists of two parallel, spatially separated support elements that extend in the conveying direction, and from which the goods units—preferably work piece carriers for the assembly operation—can be conveyed and supported at their respective lateral lower surfaces. For that purpose, the extruded aluminum sections are provided—seen in cross section—with an upper and lower hollow space, both extending in the conveying direction. The upper hollow space is provided with a slot-like, longitudinal aperture in the conveying direction, inside and along which extend the support rollers of the skate wheel conveyor track, that are placed in the hollow space in direction of the goods units. In order to simplify the assembly, the support rollers are not individually installed in the support elements, but are components of a so called roller accumulator chain, which—seen in the conveying direction—shows multiple support rollers that are consecutively but separately arranged, such as are normally utilized in roller accumulation chain conveyors. In order to mount the support rollers, the roller chain is inserted into the upper hollow space and, in order to prevent it from slipping inside the support element, it is fixed—pointing upstream viewed in the conveying direction—at the beginning of the support element via a bolt. Thereby, the support rollers of the chain and, thus, the support rollers of the conveyor track rest on the bolts of the roller accumulator chain as well as between its side bars. Since a roller accumulator chain is used for the conveyor track that is described here, same clearly shows extended bolts that jut out laterally from the chain's side bar upon which the respective track rollers rest. The track rollers are supported by the lower part of the upper hollow space in this manner to achieve free tunability of the track rollers. In one special design, one of the two support elements can be provided with a small-diameter roller track with inserted roller accumulator chain, and the other support element can be provided with a driven, continuous flat belt, which allows the transported goods to be moved on the conveyor track.
Especially in the case of conveyors of this design it may happen that—due to the headroom of the roller accumulator chain—the flat belt will have to be lifted by additional means in order to be able to convey the transported goods horizontally. For this purpose, for instance plastic, ledge-shaped sections are attached to the upper surface of the support elements on which the conveyor belt then proceeds.
The previously described roller accumulator chains that are utilized for this type of roller conveyors are described as components of conveyors with roller accumulator chain, such as referred to, for instance, in the German disclosure publication DE 34 32 042 A1, showing support rollers that serve to accept the transported goods, and which rest both on the chain's bolts as well as between the side bars. The chain pitch is selected to let the rollers turn freely. In the case of conveyors with roller accumulator chains, the continuous chains are arranged and supported by the support elements via track rollers. The track rollers rest on the respective bolts of the chain, which—for this purpose—have been lengthened in order to jut out from the side bars on both sides.
In connection with the previously described roller conveyor tracks that use continuously cast aluminum sections with upper and lower hollow spaces, these sections can also be utilized as support elements for conveyors with roller accumulator chains (see page 16 of the previously mentioned German company publication of the Mannesmann Dematic AG), and serve to return the lower strand of the roller accumulator chain to the lower hollow part of the support element.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to create a conveyor track with rollers for goods transport, particularly a small-diameter roller track for workpiece carriers, as well as a roller chain for being used especially in roller conveyor tracks, which—basically—will allow a constructural simplification of the roller placement in the conveyor track and of the roller chain.
Regarding a roller conveyor track, this end is achieved by means of characteristics, such as providing a pair of support elements extending in a conveying direction and a bolt equipped roller chain having a plurality of side bars and a plurality of bolts extending outwardly through the side bars, with each of the bolts supporting a support roller for supporting workpiece carriers. The bolts are supported by respective support elements of the pair of support elements, with the support rollers projecting above the side bars and the respective support element toward the workpiece carriers. The bolts are supported by intermediate elements on the respective support element.
In one aspect, each of the support elements includes a hollow space extending in the conveying direction along a longitudinal direction of the support elements. The hollow space includes a side facing the transport goods. The side includes a slot-shaped opening that also extends in the conveying direction. The intermediate elements are ledge-shaped and are inserted in recesses which extend into a lower side of the hollow space in a conveying direction.
In a further aspect, two recesses are arranged in a lower of the hollow space for intermediate elements whose distance from each other is chosen in such a way that the intermediate elements support the bolts that jut out on both sides of the side bars. Optionally, an additional groove between the recesses may be provided and into which the support rollers plunge while maintaining a clearance. In addition, the intermediate elements may comprise polyethylene.
In another aspect, one roller chain is coupled to one end of the support element by means of an adapter sleeve which is placed at right angles to the conveying direction.
According to yet another aspect, the conveyor track has two parallel running support elements, which extend in the conveying direction and are spatially separated by transverse supports. The support elements lend lateral support to the transport goods.
According to another aspect, another support element of the support elements supports a continuous flat belt whose transports goods carrying strand proceeds on a ledge-shaped part. The part is mounted on another support element and covers an aperture in the other support element. The lower strand of the flat belt is guided back into a hollow space of the other support element.
In yet another aspect, the side bars are interconnected by bolts. The support rollers jut out from the side bars, with the bolts for directly supporting the roller chain via the bolt on a respective support element and being laterally extended on both sides of the side bars.
In another form of the invention, a roller conveyor track includes a pair of support elements extending in a conveying direction and a bolt equipped roller chain. The bolt equipped roller chain has a plurality of side bars and a plurality of bolts extending outwardly through the side bars, with each of the bolts supporting a support roller for supporting workpiece carriers. The bolts are supported by a respective support element of the pair of support elements, with the support rollers projecting above the side bars in the respective support element toward the work piece carriers. The bolts are supported by the respective support element.
In one aspect, each o
Bidwell James R.
Mannesmann A.G.
Van Dyke Gardner, Linn & Burkhart, LLP
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