Accumulation device
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorDouglas Alan Imes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accumulation device for placement within a stream of articles upstream of an independent article handling device, including an infeed conveyor for receiving articles and an outfeed conveyor for returning articles. A transfer device movable along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor is included. Each of an infeed drive and an outfeed drive drives the conveyors. A speed of the outfeed drive controlled at least in part by the independent article handling device; an infeed sensor for detecting an article flow rate upstream of the infeed conveyor and generating an infeed signal based on the article flow rate. A controller is included for controlling a speed of the infeed drive based at least in part on the infeed signal.
Claims17
An accumulation device for placement within a stream of articles upstream of an independent article handling device, the accumulation device comprising:
- an infeed conveyor for receiving articles from the stream;
- an outfeed conveyor for returning articles to the stream toward the independent article handling device;
- a transfer device movable along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor as a function of a speed of the infeed conveyor and a speed of the outfeed conveyor, the transfer device transferring articles from the infeed conveyor to the outfeed conveyor, wherein the transfer device is movable between an empty position and a full position, the accumulating device further including a position sensor for generating a position signal when the transfer device nears the empty position;
- an infeed drive for driving the infeed conveyor;
- an outfeed drive for driving the outfeed conveyor, a speed of the outfeed drive being controlled at least in part by the independent article handling device;
- an infeed sensor for detecting an article flow rate upstream of the infeed conveyor and generating an infeed signal based on the article flow rate detected, wherein the infeed sensor includes an optical sensor that senses a depth of articles passing along a fixed member;
- a controller for controlling a speed of the infeed drive based at least in part on the infeed signal;
- a differential drive mechanism for moving the transfer device along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor based at least in part on an infeed input related to the speed of the infeed conveyor and an outfeed input related to the speed of the outfeed conveyor;
- and
- a disconnect mechanism, the controller causing the disconnect mechanism to selectively disengage the outfeed input without stopping the outfeed drive upon receipt of the position signal.
An accumulation device for placement within a stream of articles upstream of an independent article handling device, the accumulation device comprising:
- an infeed conveyor for receiving articles from the stream;
- an outfeed conveyor for returning articles to the stream toward the independent article handling device;
- a transfer device for transferring articles from the infeed conveyor to the outfeed conveyor;
- an infeed drive for driving the infeed conveyor;
- an outfeed drive for driving the outfeed conveyor;
- an infeed sensor for detecting an article flow rate upstream of the infeed conveyor and generating an infeed signal based on the article flow rate detected, wherein the infeed sensor includes an optical sensor that senses a depth of articles passing along a fixed member;
- a controller for controlling a speed of the infeed drive based at least in part on the infeed signal;
- a differential drive mechanism for moving the transfer device along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor, the transfer device having an infeed input related to the speed of the infeed conveyor and an outfeed input related to the speed of the outfeed conveyor;
- and
- a disconnect mechanism, the controller causing the disconnect mechanism to selectively disengage the outfeed input without stopping the outfeed drive, wherein the transfer device is movable between an empty position and a full position, the accumulating device further including a position sensor for generating a position signal when the transfer device nears the empty position, the controller causing the disconnect mechanism to selectively disengage the outfeed input upon receipt of the position signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.