Conveyor system
AssigneeBuilders FirstSource, Inc.
InventorShane Christopher Dittrich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor system for translating objects is disclosed, each object with vertical protrusions extending upward and/or downward from one or more sides of the object. The conveyor system can accommodate structural members such as roof truss members, on which connector plates are affixed and from which the connector plates protrude vertically up, down, or both. The conveyor system may have a slide or some other support for the objects. The slide or other support may be narrow. The slide or other support can be tall, relative to an object. The conveyor system may have an engagement tool driven by an overhead carriage to translate the objects along the slide or other support. The engagement tool may be narrow. The engagement tool can be tall, relative to an object.
Claims10
A conveyor system comprising:
- a conveyance support including a top surface configured to support standard 2×4 dimensional lumber, wherein the conveyance support has a width that is less than a width of the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber to support a portion of a bottom surface of the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber;
- an engagement tool configured to engage a surface of the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber and translate the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber along a longitudinal axis of the conveyance support;
- and
- a carriage configured to move the engagement tool to one or more positions, wherein the carriage comprises:
- a first actuator to move the engagement tool horizontally along the longitudinal axis of the conveyance support;
- and
- a second actuator to move the engagement tool vertically up and down to engage and disengage the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber.
A method for conveying standard 2×4 dimensional lumber, the method comprising:
- positioning the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber on a top surface of a conveyance support of a conveyance system, the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber having a width that is greater than a width of the top surface along an entire length of the conveyance support;
- engaging a top surface of the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber with an engagement tool configured to engage the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber, wherein the engagement tool is coupled to a carriage that moves the engagement tool along a longitudinal axis of the conveyance support, wherein the carriage comprises:
- a first actuator to move the engagement tool horizontally along the longitudinal axis of the conveyance support;
- and
- a second actuator to move the engagement tool vertically up and down to engage and disengage the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber;
- and
- translating the standard 2×4 dimensional lumber along the longitudinal axis of the conveyance support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.