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US 10,589,953 B2Granted
Reconfigurable diverter conveyor
AssigneeA.G. Stacker Inc.
InventorsClarence C. Allen, Jr., Micah C. Sundstrom, Eric H. Crowe, Samantha L. J. Armstrong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor includes a plurality of belt support assemblies each having a drive wheel assembly at one end and an idler wheel assembly at the other end. Each of the drive and idler wheel assemblies includes a motion converter for converting the rotational movement of a shaft into linear motion along the shaft and an actuator for selectively engaging the motion converter and the shaft. A controller controls the operation of the shafts and the actuators to selectively and individually control the location of each end of each belt assembly relative to one another and to a centerline of the conveyor.
Claims17
A conveyor having an entry end and a discharge end configured to carry sheets of material from the entry end to the discharge end, the conveyor comprising:
- a conveyor frame comprising first and second spaced frame portions;
- a drive shaft extending between the first and second spaced frame portions and having an axis of rotation;
- a conveyor drive operably connected to the drive shaft for rotating the drive shaft;
- a first drive wheel assembly axially slidably mounted on the drive shaft, the first drive wheel assembly including a first drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the drive shaft and a first drive wheel bracket;
- a second drive wheel assembly axially slidably mounted on the drive shaft, the second drive wheel assembly including a second drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the driveshaft and a second drive wheel bracket;
- a first arm extending from the first drive wheel bracket and having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first arm being connected to the first drive wheel bracket, the second end of the first arm including a first idler wheel assembly comprising a first idler wheel bracket supporting a first idler wheel;
- a second arm extending from the second drive wheel bracket and having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second arm being connected to the second drive wheel bracket, the second end of the second arm including a second idler wheel assembly comprising a second idler wheel bracket supporting a second idler wheel;
- a first belt extending from the first drive wheel to the first idler wheel;
- a second belt extending from the second drive wheel to the second idler wheel;
- a first motion converter shaft extending between the first and second frame portions and having an axis of rotation;
- a motion converter drive operably connected to the first motion converter shaft for rotating the first motion converter shaft;
- a first motion converter mounted on the first motion converter shaft and connected to the first drive wheel bracket or connected to the first idler wheel bracket, the first motion converter being configured to convert rotary motion of the first motion converter shaft into linear motion of the first drive wheel bracket if the first motion converter is connected to the first drive wheel bracket or into linear motion of the first idler wheel bracket if the first motion converter is connected to the first idler wheel bracket;
- and
- a second motion converter mounted on the first motion converter shaft and connected to the second drive wheel bracket or connected to the second idler wheel bracket,
- wherein the first motion converter is shiftable between an engaged configuration in which the first motion converter is engaged with the first motion converter shaft and moves in the axial direction of the first motion converter shaft when the first motion converter shaft rotates and a disengaged configuration in which the first motion converter is disengaged from the first motion converter shaft and does not move in the axial direction of the first motion converter shaft when the first motion converter shaft rotates.
12 more elements
A conveyor having an entry end and a discharge end configured to carry sheets of material from the entry end to the discharge end, the conveyor comprising:
- a conveyor frame comprising first and second spaced frame portions;
- a drive shaft extending between the first and second spaced frame portions and having an axis of rotation;
- a conveyor drive operably connected to the drive shaft for rotating the drive shaft;
- a first drive wheel assembly axially slidably mounted on the drive shaft, the first drive wheel assembly including a first drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the drive shaft and a first drive wheel bracket;
- a second drive wheel assembly axially slidably mounted on the drive shaft, the second drive wheel assembly including a second drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the driveshaft and a second drive wheel bracket;
- a first arm extending from the first drive wheel bracket and having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first arm being connected to the first drive wheel bracket, the second end of the first arm including a first idler wheel assembly comprising a first idler wheel bracket supporting a first idler wheel;
- a second arm extending from the second drive wheel bracket and having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second arm being connected to the second drive wheel bracket, the second end of the second arm including a second idler wheel assembly comprising a second idler wheel bracket supporting a second idler wheel;
- a first belt extending from the first drive wheel to the first idler wheel;
- a second belt extending from the second drive wheel to the second idler wheel;
- a first motion converter shaft extending between the first and second frame portions and having an axis of rotation;
- a motion converter drive operably connected to the first motion converter shaft for rotating the first motion converter shaft;
- a first motion converter mounted on the first motion converter shaft and connected to the first drive wheel bracket or connected to the first idler wheel bracket, the first motion converter being configured to convert rotary motion of the first motion converter shaft into linear motion of the first drive wheel bracket if the first motion converter is connected to the first drive wheel bracket or into linear motion of the first idler wheel bracket if the first motion converter is connected to the first idler wheel bracket;
- a second motion converter mounted on the first motion converter shaft and connected to the second drive wheel bracket or connected to the second idler wheel bracket, and
- a first linear encoder configured to output a signal indicative of an axial location of the first drive wheel on the drive shaft.
11 more elements
A conveyor having an entry end and a discharge end and configured to carry sheets of material from the entry end to the discharge end, the conveyor comprising:
- a conveyor frame comprising first and second spaced frame portions;
- a drive shaft extending between the first and second spaced frame portions and having an axis of rotation;
- a conveyor drive operably connected to the drive shaft for rotating the drive shaft;
- a first drive wheel assembly axially slidably mounted on the drive shaft, the first drive wheel assembly including a first drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the driveshaft and a first drive wheel bracket;
- a second drive wheel assembly axially slidably mounted on the drive shaft, the second drive wheel assembly including a second drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the driveshaft and a second drive wheel bracket;
- a first arm extending from the first drive wheel bracket and having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first arm being connected to the first drive wheel bracket, the second end of the first arm including a first idler wheel assembly comprising a first idler wheel bracket supporting a first idler wheel;
- a second arm extending from the second drive wheel bracket and having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second arm being connected to the second drive wheel bracket, the second end of the second arm including a second idler wheel assembly comprising a second idler wheel bracket supporting a second idler wheel;
- a first belt extending from the first drive wheel to the first idler wheel;
- a second belt extending from the second drive wheel to the second idler wheel;
- means for positioning the first drive wheel assembly independently of the second drive wheel assembly and means for positioning the second drive wheel assembly independently of the first drive wheel assembly, and/or
- means for positioning the first idler wheel assembly independently of the second idler wheel assembly and means for positioning the second idler wheel assembly independently of the first idler wheel assembly.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.