Back to results
US 10,589,937 B1Granted
Ball-belt conveyor with side discharge capability
AssigneeA.G. Stacker Inc.
InventorsClarence C. Allen, Jr., Eric Stempihar, Randy Senger, Dalton Hege, Joe Wunder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor system includes an external ball-belt and an internal driver belt for driving balls in the ball-belt. A first drive drives the ball-belt in the longitudinal direction, and a second drive drives the driver belt in a transverse direction. The second drive is located outside the ball-belt and located such that a return portion of the ball-belt runs between the second drive and the driver belt.
Claims20
A conveyor system comprising:
- an external conveyor including:
- a frame,
- at least one ball-belt supported by the frame, the at least one ball-belt having a transport portion configured to move in a longitudinal running direction relative to the frame and a return portion configured to move in a direction opposite the longitudinal running direction and an internal surface defining a ball-belt interior and an external surface,
- a plurality of balls mounted in the at least one ball-belt such that a first portion of each ball in the at least one ball-belt extends beyond the external surface of the at least one ball-belt and such that a second portion of each ball in the at least one ball-belt extends beyond the internal surface of the at least one ball-belt, and
- a first drive configured to drive the at least one ball-belt in the longitudinal direction;
- an internal conveyor located at least partially in the interior of the at least one ball-belt and including:
- a first end roller,
- a second end roller,
- a driver belt supported by the first and second end rollers and having a top surface in contact with the second portions of a subset of the plurality of balls and extending in a transverse direction relative to the frame,
- a second drive configured to move the driver belt in the transverse direction, the second drive being located outside the interior of the at least one ball-belt, and
- a power transmission means connecting the second drive to the driver belt,
- wherein the return portion of the at least one ball-belt runs between the second drive and the driver belt.
9 more elements
A conveyor system comprising:
- a frame comprising a first longitudinal support having a first end and a second end and a second longitudinal support having a first end and a second end and a first transverse support connecting the first end of the first longitudinal support to the first end of the second longitudinal support and a second transverse support connecting the second end of the first longitudinal support to the second end of the second longitudinal support and a center longitudinal support connecting a midpoint of the first transverse support to a midpoint of the second transverse support;
- an external conveyor comprising a first support shaft extending between the first end of the first longitudinal support and the first end of the second longitudinal support and a second support shaft extending between the second end of the first longitudinal support shaft and the second end of the second longitudinal support shaft and a first ball-belt mounted on the first and second support shafts along the first longitudinal support and a second ball-belt mounted on the first and second support shafts along the second longitudinal support, each of the first and second ball-belts having an internal surface defining a ball-belt interior and having an external surface, a plurality of balls mounted in the ball-belts such that a first portion of each ball in the first and second ball-belts extends beyond the respective external surfaces of the first and second ball-belts and such that a second portion of each ball in the first and second ball-belts extends beyond the internal surface of the respective first and second ball-belts,
- a first drive operatively connected to the first support shaft for driving the first and second ball-belts in the longitudinal direction;
- an internal conveyor comprising a driver belt supported by a first end roller and a second end roller and having a top surface in contact with the second portions of a subset of the plurality of balls and extending in the transverse direction, the internal conveyor having a first portion in the interior of the first ball-belt and a second portion in the interior of the second ball-belt, and
- a second drive mounted to the center longitudinal support and operatively connected to the driver belt for driving the driver belt in the transverse direction.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.