Passively-operated accumulation module for use with a powered conveyor system
AssigneeIntegrated Packaging Machinery, LLC
InventorsGavin Patrick McDonald, Johnathan David Burkhard, Kyle Jason Bohmier, Anthony Kammeraad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to one aspect of the present invention, an accumulation module for a product delivery system includes an input shaft configured to receive an external drive force. A transfer shaft reverses an operation of the external drive force to define a reversing drive force. An output shaft receives the reversing drive force. An accumulation belt is operated by the reversing drive force. The accumulation belt operates in opposition to the external drive force.
Claims20
An accumulation module for a product delivery system, the accumulation module comprising:
- an input shaft configured to receive an external drive force;
- a transfer shaft that receives the external drive force from the input shaft, the transfer shaft engaging a transmitting member that reverses an operation of the external drive force to define a reversing drive force;
- an output shaft that receives the reversing drive force from the transfer shaft via the transmitting member;
- and
- an accumulation belt that is operated by the reversing drive force, wherein the accumulation belt operates in opposition to the external drive force.
A passively-operated accumulation module for a product delivery system, the passively-operated accumulation module comprising:
- an input shaft configured to receive an external drive force from a motor that drives a primary conveyor belt;
- a transfer shaft that reverses operation of the external drive force to define a reversing drive force, wherein a first belt extends around the input shaft and the transfer shaft;
- an output shaft that receives the reversing drive force, wherein a second belt extends around the transfer shaft and the output shaft to define a transmitting member that modifies the external drive force into the reversing drive force;
- and
- an accumulation belt that is operated by the reversing drive force of the output shaft, wherein the accumulation belt operates in opposition to the external drive force.
A method for attaching a passively-operated accumulation module to a product delivery system, the method comprising steps of:
- positioning the accumulation module relative to a conveyor system;
- disengaging a primary conveyor belt of the conveyor system;
- attaching the primary conveyor belt to an input shaft of an accumulation module;
- tensioning the primary conveyor belt to achieve the desired wrapping of the primary conveyor belt with a power take-off sprocket of the accumulation module;
- and
- activating a motor of the primary conveyor belt to move the primary conveyor belt according to an external drive force, wherein an accumulation belt operates in a direction opposite to the primary conveyor belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.