Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for arranging or rearranging stream of items – By longitudinally respacing successive articles in stream
Utility Patent
1998-08-18
2001-01-02
Olszewski, Robert P. (Department: 3652)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for arranging or rearranging stream of items
By longitudinally respacing successive articles in stream
Utility Patent
active
06168007
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to conveyor systems, and more particularly, to a conveyor system that decouples an article from the portion of the conveyor system that urges the article along a conveyor path, thereby effecting zero accumulator back pressure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Articles that are conveyed along a conveyor path often accumulate, whereby subsequent ones of the articles are urged against stopped prior ones of the articles. Depending upon the friction or slippage in the communication between each subsequent article and the conveying element, which may be a belt, a chain, or the like, an accumulating force is applied to the downstream articles, which force takes the form of a back-line pressure. The downstream articles may experience a sufficient back-line pressure to cause damage to the product. In addition, the exertion of back-line pressure along a curve of the conveyor path may result in articles being urged off of the conveyor. There is a need, therefore, for an arrangement that reduces back-line pressure along a conveyor path.
One prior art approach to the back-line pressure problem is to support the articles being conveyed on side rails while the conveyor element is lowered sufficiently below the article to avoid communication therebetween. An apparatus constructed in accordance with this known approach suffers from expense and mechanical complexity associated with effecting vertical displacement of the horizontally moving conveyor element. In addition to the mechanical complication of such an approach, it is highly likely that an article being conveyed would not be situated on both side rails, and therefore, when the conveyor belt or chain is lowered, the article would have one end on a stationary rail and the other end on the moving conveyor element. In addition to tipping the article, the article could get caught and be rotated, knocked off of the conveyor by other upstream articles, or otherwise be subjected to damage.
There is, therefore, a need for an arrangement that reduces or eliminates back-line pressure in a conveyor, and which operates without displacing the conveyor element and without tipping the article.
Still another approach to the back-line pressure problem involves linking together sections of the side rails in a pivotal manner, and raising the side rail in the vicinity of a pivot joint. This results in the formation of upward and downward inclines for the articles to sit on either side of the raised pivot joint. This known arrangement causes the articles being conveyed to come to rest on an incline. Many articles that are processed using conveyor systems must remain in a horizontal orientation during such processing. There is a need, therefore, for an arrangement that reduces or eliminates back-line pressure without displacing the article angularly with respect to the horizon.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a conveyor arrangement that eliminates back-line pressure without requiring displacement of the conveyor element in a direction transverse to the conveyor path.
It is another object of this invention to provide a conveyor arrangement that effects a zero back-line pressure condition without causing angular reorientation of the article being conveyed relative to the horizon.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a conveyor arrangement that controllably decouples an article being conveyed from the conveyor drive element.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a conveyor arrangement that controls the frictional engagement between the article being conveyed and the conveyor drive element over an elongated portion of the conveyor path.
It is additionally an object of this invention to provide a conveyor arrangement wherein the frictional engagement between the article being conveyed and the conveyor drive element is controlled across the entire length of the surface of the article being presented for engagement to the conveyor drive element.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a conveyor arrangement that facilitates the accumulation of articles being conveyed on a curve of the conveyor arrangement.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a conveyor arrangement that permits individual segments thereof to be lifted horizontally to avoid tipping and to facilitate product lifting over a desired length of the conveyor.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a conveyor arrangement that reduces the overhanging of articles to prevent exposed ends thereof from being damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this invention which provides, in accordance with a first apparatus aspect thereof, a zero back-pressure conveyor arrangement of the type having a continuous transport element for urging articles along a predetermined conveyor path. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the zero back-pressure conveyor arrangement is provided with a frame for supporting the continuous transport element. The frame is provided with first and second sides on opposite sides of the continuous transport element. A first article support member is arranged substantially parallel with the first side of the frame. The article support member is coupled to a first articulated coupling element that is provided with a first support bar coupled to the first article support member, the first support bar having first and second ends. The first articulated coupling element also is provided with a first pair of coupling arms that are pivotally coupled at respective first ends thereof to respective ones of the first and second ends of the first support bar. The coupling arms are coupled at respective second ends thereof to respective ones of first and second pivot coupling locations on the first side of the frame. The first support bar is therefore pivotally articulated with respect to the first side of the frame. There is additionally provided a drive arrangement that is coupled to the first articulated coupling member for displacing the first article support member between first and second positions that are parallel to the predetermined conveyor path, and along a displacement path that is transverse to the predetermined conveyor path. Thus, when the first article support member is in the first position, the articles thereon communicate with the continuous transport element, and when the first article support member is in the second position, the articles are decoupled from the continuous transport element.
In one highly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first article support member is displaceable controllably between the first and second position, whereby the frictional engagement between an article being conveyed and the continues transport element is controllable.
In one embodiment of the invention, a second article support member is arranged to be substantially parallel with the second side of the frame. A second articulated coupling arrangement couples the second article support member to the second side of the frame. The second articulated coupling element has a second support bar coupled to the second article support member, the second support bar having first and second ends. In addition, the second articulated coupling member is provided with a second pair of coupling arms that are pivotally coupled at respective first ends thereof to respective ones of the first and second ends of the second support bar. The second pair of coupling ends are coupled at respective second ends thereof to respective locations on the second side of the frame. In this manner, the second support bar can be pivotally articulated with respect to the second side of the frame. In this embodiment, there is additionally provided a coupling arrangement for coupling the first and second articulated coupling means to each other. By operation of such a coupling arrangement, the first and second articulated coupling arrangements are concurrently displaced between respective
Jaketic Bryan
Nedco Conveyor Company
Olszewski Robert P.
Rohm & Monsanto, P.L.C.
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