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US 11,142,408 B2Granted
Weighing and sorting roller belt conveyor and associated method
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorLazlo Kleczewski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integral weighing and sorting system that weighs articles on a roller belt and selectively actuates or deactuates belt rollers to divert selected articles. After an article is weighed on the roller belt, its weight is compared to a predetermined weight range. Out-of-range articles are directed to exit the belt via a different route from that of in-range articles by actuating the rollers to rotate in a direction transverse to the travel direction in a roller-actuation zone.
Claims27
A weighing system comprising:
- a conveyor belt arranged to advance in a travel direction along a travel path from an upstream end to a downstream end and having a plurality of article-supporting rollers actuatable to rotate toward a side of the conveyor belt in a transverse direction transverse to the travel direction;
- a weighing zone extending along a first length of the travel path in which one or more weight sensors mounted in the conveyor belt and coupled to the rollers to measure downward forces on the rollers applied by articles atop the rollers and produce weight signals indicative of the weights of the articles proportional to the downward forces;
- a roller-actuation zone extending along a second length of the travel path in which an actuator selectively actuates the article-supporting rollers as they pass through to push articles in the transverse direction;
- a controller:
- receiving the weight signals;
- determining the weights of the articles from the weight signals;
- selectively actuating and deactuating the rollers passing through the roller-actuation zone as a function of the weights of the articles.
4 more elements
A weighing system comprising:
- a conveyor belt arranged to advance in a travel direction along a travel path from an upstream end to a downstream end and having a plurality of article-supporting rollers actuatable to rotate toward a side of the conveyor belt in a transverse direction transverse to the travel direction;
- a weighing zone extending along a first length of the travel path in which one or more weight sensors measure the weights of articles conveyed by the conveyor belt and produce weight signals indicative of the weights of the articles;
- a roller-actuation zone extending along a second length of the travel path in which an actuator selectively actuates the article-supporting rollers as they pass through to push articles in the transverse direction;
- a controller:
- receiving the weight signals;
- determining the weights of the articles from the weight signals;
- selectively actuating and deactuating the article-supporting rollers passing through the roller-actuation zone as a function of the weights of the articles;
- wherein the weight sensor is a checkweigher below the conveyor belt having a weighing surface in contact with the rollers passing through the weighing zone.
5 more elements
A conveyor belt comprising:
- a series of rows of one or more belt modules hingedly linked together;
- a plurality of article-supporting rollers mounted in the belt;
- a plurality of weight sensors coupled to the rollers to measure downward forces on the rollers applied by articles atop the rollers and to produce weight signals proportional to the downward forces.
A method for selectively separating articles by weight, the method comprising:
- conveying articles atop belt rollers in a conveyor belt in a travel direction;
- weighing the articles with one or more weight sensors mounted in the conveyor belt and coupled to the belt rollers to measure the weights of the articles from the downward forces on the belt rollers applied by the articles atop the belt rollers as the articles are conveyed atop the belt rollers through a weighing zone;
- comparing the weights of the articles to a predetermined weight range;
- selectively actuating and deactuating the rollers passing through a roller-actuation zone as a function of the weights of the articles.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.