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US 10,322,882 B1Granted
Pneumatic impulse conveyor with radial motion bellows drive
OwnerDennis A. Trestaininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumatic impulse conveyor motor using opposed pairs of linear-activated bellows to reciprocate a drive plate. The drive plate is rotatably connected to an array of conveyor trays through a plurality of parallel spaced shafts to convert the linear motion of the bellows to a radial motion useful for reciprocating the array of conveyor trays.
Claims12
A motor for a pneumatic impulse conveyor, the motor comprising:
- a housing;
- a pair of opposed pneumatic bellows in the housing configured to be alternately inflated and deflated in a linear direction;
- a drive plate trapped between the opposed pneumatic bellows with a flexible fit, the drive plate configured to be reciprocated back and forth in the housing between the opposed pneumatic bellows as they alternately inflate and deflate;
- a drive shaft rotatably connected to the drive plate and movable with the drive plate in the housing along a reciprocating path with a radial motion;
- a pivot shaft rotatably connected to the housing on a fixed rotational axis spaced from and parallel to the drive shaft, the pivot shaft connected to the drive shaft by one or more drive links non-rotatably connected to the pivot shaft;
- and,
- a tray shaft configured to be connected to move one or more conveyor trays, the tray shaft spaced from and parallel to the pivot shaft oppositely of the drive shaft, the tray shaft connected to the pivot shaft by a plurality of spaced connectors non-rotatably connected to the pivot shaft.
4 more elements
A pneumatic impulse conveyor comprising:
- a pneumatic motor with a housing;
- a pair of opposed pneumatic bellows in the housing configured to be alternately inflated and deflated in a linear direction;
- a drive plate trapped between the opposed pneumatic bellows with a flexible fit, the drive plate configured to be reciprocated back and forth in the housing between the opposed pneumatic bellows as they alternately inflate and deflate;
- a drive shaft rotatably connected to the drive plate and movable with the drive plate in the housing along a reciprocating path with a radial motion;
- a pivot shaft rotatably secured to the housing on a fixed rotational axis spaced from and parallel to the drive shaft, the pivot shaft connected to the drive shaft by one or more drive links secured in non-rotating fashion to the pivot shaft;
- and,
- a tray shaft connected to move a conveyor tray, the tray shaft spaced from and parallel to the pivot shaft oppositely of the drive shaft, the tray shaft connected to the pivot shaft by a plurality of spaced connectors non-rotatably connected to the pivot shaft, the tray shaft further rotatably connected to the conveyor tray.
4 more elements
A motor for a pneumatic impulse conveyor, the motor comprising:
- an opposed pair of linear-activated pneumatic bellows configured to be alternately inflated and deflated in a linear direction;
- a substantially vertical drive plate trapped between the bellows with a flexible fit to be reciprocated by the bellows in the linear direction with freedom of movement for a radial motion component while remaining substantially vertical, the drive plate rotatably connected to an array of conveyor trays through a first one of a plurality of connected parallel spaced horizontal shafts rotating about a common pivot axis to convert the linear direction inflation and deflation of the bellows to a radial motion to reciprocate the array of conveyor trays in a substantially linear manner through a second one of the plurality of connected parallel spaced horizontal shafts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.