Transfer apparatus

A conveyor system, comprising:

• a belt driven live roller main conveyor having a plurality of rollers extending across a width of the main conveyor for supporting articles on the main conveyor, and having a main conveyor drive belt extending parallel to a length of the main conveyor and engaging the rollers from below to drive the rollers;
• and
• a transfer apparatus attached to the main conveyor and including:
• a transfer drive belt oriented parallel to the width of the main conveyor;
• and
• a lifting mechanism connected between the main conveyor and the transfer drive belt, and having a retracted position wherein the transfer drive belt is located below an upper surface of the rollers, and a raised position wherein the transfer drive belt is located above the rollers to engage an article on the main conveyor and transfer the article laterally off of the main conveyor.

A method of installing a lateral transfer mechanism on a belt driven live roller main conveyor having a plurality of rollers and a main conveyor drive belt extending parallel to a length of the main conveyor and drivingly engaging the rollers, comprising:

• (a) assembling a lateral transfer assembly, including a support frame, a transfer frame carrying a plurality of serpentine transfer drive belts, and a lifting mechanism connected between the support frame and the transfer frame;
• (b) after step (a), inserting the lateral transfer assembly from below the main conveyor, so that each of the serpentine transfer drive belts is received between two adjacent rollers of the main conveyor, without having to disconnect either the main conveyor drive belt or the transfer drive belts;
• and
• (c) fixedly attaching the support frame of lateral transfer assembly to the main conveyor.

A method of transferring an article laterally off of a belt driven live roller main conveyor having a central main conveyor drive belt extending parallel to a length of the main conveyor, comprising:

• (a) engaging the article from below in at least two locations on opposite sides of the main conveyor drive belt;
• (b) raising the article above the rollers of the main conveyor;
• and
• (c) transporting the raised article laterally off of the main conveyor.

A transfer apparatus for transferring articles laterally off of a main roller conveyor, comprising:

• a support frame adopted to be attached to the main conveyor;
• a transfer frame;
• a lifting mechanism, connected between the support frame and the transfer frame;
• first and second toothed transfer drive belts mounted on the transfer frame;
• a transfer drive motor mounted on the transfer frame;
• and
• a transfer drive train connecting the drive motor to the first and second toothed transfer belts, the transfer drive train including first and second toothed driving sprockets engaging the first and second toothed transfer drive belts, respectively.

A transfer apparatus for transferring articles laterally off of a main roller conveyor, comprising:

• a support frame;
• a transfer frame;
• a lifting mechanism connected between the support frame and the transfer frame;
• first and second transfer drive belts mounted on the transfer frame;
• and
• a stop abutment attached to the transfer frame and extending upwardly on an upstream side of the transfer apparatus, so that when the lifting mechanism is in a raised position the stop abutment extends above the main roller conveyor.

A transfer apparatus for transferring articles laterally off of a main roller conveyor, comprising:

• a support frame having a width and a length;
• a transfer frame;
• first and second transfer drive belts mounted on the transfer frame and extending parallel to the width of the support frame;
• and
• a lifting mechanism, connected between the support frame and the transfer frame, the lifting mechanism including an actuating ram extending perpendicular to the length of the support frame.