Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Endless conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-08
2001-08-21
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Endless conveyor
C198S842000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276520
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a side-by-side belt conveyor system and its method of use, and in particular, to a compact side-by-side conveyor system which utilizes belt twist assemblies on opposite ends of the system to transport baggage in two different directions simultaneously.
BACKGROUND ART
In the prior art, the use of conveyors to transport cargo, bulk materials and the like are well known. One type of a conveyor system especially adapted for baggage such as that found in airports is an over-under belt conveyor system as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,951 to Mensch. This patent, incorporated in its entirety by reference herein, discloses a conveyor system which has upper and lower vertically spaced, oppositely moving load carrying runs, each having an entrance end and an exit end. The system is especially adapted for two-way conveyance of articles under varying load conditions in the handling of baggage at an airport.
Often times, a number of over-under conveyor systems or a plurality of single conveyors are arranged in tunnels in airports employing one or more intermediate terminals to accommodate increased baggage handling requirements. The over-under conveyor systems are more advantageous in terms of tunnel construction costs than a number of single conveyors since more conveyor runs can be fit into a given tunnel (the tunnel is not as wide as those using multiple single conveyors but has a slightly increased height).
With the need to further reduce construction costs, particularly for tunnel construction and the drawbacks of over-under conveyors (increased tunnel height), a need has developed to provide improved conveyor systems which offer equivalent baggage handling capability while reducing space requirements and tunnel construction costs.
The present invention solves this need by providing a side-by-side conveyor system which provides the same baggage carrying capacity as an over-under conveyor system in less space, thereby reducing tunnel construction costs. The present invention uses twisting roll assemblies to link an endless belt between oppositely moving baggage travel paths of carry and return conveyors while still maintaining the baggage carrying surface of the endless belt in the correct orientation.
The use of roll assemblies to rotate or twist endless belts has been proposed in the bulk material handling arts. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,784,834 and 2,979,187 disclose a conveyor system which gives an endless belt a 180° twist at both the head and tail ends to keep the bottom or clean side of the belt against the return idlers. The 180° twist is attained by supporting the belt at each end of the twist with horizontal terminal rolls. This twisting subjects the belt to catenary deflection, edge elongation from belt sag and formation of a helical pattern at the belt edge. The 180° twist also does not subject the belt to gravity effects that may cause a loss of control of the belt during its travel.
The use of vertical rolls to twist an endless belt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,637,090 to Murphy et al. The belt twisting is done to provide an improved belt storage system which permits rapid adjustment of the length of an active conveyor portion by removal of belt supporting sections mounted on skids from a storage portion to the active conveyor portion, and vice versa. With this adjustment, the length of the respective belt subsystems may be correspondingly adjusted as may be required in the field. The Murphy patent is adapted for use in the handling of bulk materials, e.g., mining operations or earth fill operations. Neither of these patents suggest a dual run conveyor system for baggage handling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a side-by-side belt conveyor system which transports baggage in two different directions simultaneously.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a side-by-side belt conveyor system having twist assemblies at opposite ends thereof to facilitate the different direction baggage transport.
A still further object of the present invention is a method of transporting baggage in two different directions using the inventive side-by-side conveyor system.
One other object of the present invention is to provide conveyor twist assemblies which employ vertical or horizontal rolls for conveyor twisting.
Yet another object of the invention is a conveyor system which transports baggage in two different directions at the same elevation.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as a description thereof proceeds.
In satisfaction of the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides a side-by-side conveyor system comprising an endless belt having a baggage carrying surface and an opposing friction surface. The endless belt rests on a first conveyor support having a first entrance end and a first exit end that form therebetween a first baggage travel path or carry conveyor. The system also includes a second conveyor support for the endless belt having a second entrance end and a second exit end that form therebetween a second baggage travel path or return conveyor. A first conveyor twist assembly is positioned for directing the endless belt at the first exit end to the second entrance end and a second conveyor twist assembly is positioned for directing the endless belt at the second exit end to the first entrance end. Each conveyor twist assembly includes at least two twist rolls positioned to twist the endless belt so that the baggage carrying surface facing upwardly when traveling in one direction along the first baggage travel path remains upward when traveling in an opposite direction along the second baggage travel path. Other means for changing the direction of the endless belt from the first baggage travel path to the second baggage travel path while maintaining the baggage carrying surface in an upward orientation on both conveyors can be employed. For driving the endless belt along each baggage travel path, the system includes at least one conveyor drive assembly.
The side-by-side conveyor can be used as a stand alone system or it can be combined with feed and take away conveyors as part of a more comprehensive conveying system. The side-by-side conveyor system can also be vertically stacked into a plurality of systems to handle large volumes of baggage, for example, volumes found at airports, shipping distribution centers or the like.
The twist assemblies can utilize vertically or horizontally aligned rolls to change the endless belt travel direction and maintain the baggage carrying surface in an upward orientation from the carry conveyor to the return conveyor. When using vertically aligned rolls, it is preferred that the rolls be moveable with respect to the roll axis to help control travel of the belt when its sides are disposed vertically. More preferably, the rolls are tiltable about their roll axes. Vertically disposed bending rolls can be positioned between the two vertically aligned twisting rolls to assist travel of the endless belt during its vertical orientation.
When using horizontal rolls, the rolls are preferably tapered to achieve the belt twisting. Alternatively, hourglass-shaped rolls can be employed for belt twisting. In either case, the horizontal aligned rolls can be moveable in a horizontal plane for adjustment of tension.
The conveyor support can employ a support structure utilizing a series of staggered idler rolls for endless belt support along the travel paths of the carry and return conveyors and for reduction of belt vibration.
The invention also includes a method of transporting articles such as cargo, baggage, luggage or any other conveyable item that employs the inventive side-by-side conveyor by loading articles onto the carry conveyor entrance end and removing them from the exit end. Simultaneously if desired, the return conveyor receives baggage on its entrance end and conveys the articles to their exit end. The method can employ feed and take away conveyors i
Deuble Mark A.
Dickinson Wright PLLC
Ellis Christopher P.
Jervis B. Webb Company
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