Direction change interface conveyor
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorTracy E. Wheeler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multidirectional conveyor section for moving an article in two different directions. The conveyor section has a first roller conveyor mounted on a frame with at least two rollers adapted to move the article in a first direction. A first belt conveyor is mounted between the two rollers of the first roller conveyor and is capable of moving the article in a second direction different from the first direction. A first cylinder is connected to the frame and has a first cylinder rod connected to the first belt conveyor. The first cylinder moves the first belt conveyor vertically between a first position above the first roller conveyor and a second position below the first roller conveyor to facilitate an exchange of the article between the first roller conveyor and the first belt conveyor.
Claims24
A multidirectional conveyor section for moving an article in two different directions comprising:
- a frame;
- a first roller conveyor mounted on the frame and having at least two rollers adapted to move the article in a first direction;
- a first belt conveyor mounted between the two rollers of the first roller conveyor and adapted to move the article in a second direction different from the first direction;
- and
- a first cylinder connected to the frame and having a first cylinder rod connected to the first belt conveyor, the first cylinder being operable to move the first belt conveyor vertically between a first position above the first roller conveyor and a second position below the first roller conveyor to facilitate an exchange of the article between the first roller conveyor and the first belt conveyor.
A multidirectional conveyor section for moving an article in two different directions comprising:
- a frame;
- an upper roller conveyor mounted on the frame and having at least two rollers adapted to move the article in a first direction;
- an upper belt conveyor mounted between the two rollers of the upper roller conveyor and adapted to move the article in a second direction different from the first direction;
- an upper cylinder connected to the frame and having a cylinder rod connected to the upper belt conveyor, the upper cylinder being operable to move the upper belt conveyor vertically between a first position above the upper roller conveyor and a second position below the upper roller conveyor to facilitate an exchange of the article between the upper roller conveyor and the upper belt conveyor;
- a lower roller conveyor mounted on the frame below the upper roller conveyor and having at least two rollers adapted to move the article in the first direction;
- a lower belt conveyor mounted between the two rollers of the lower roller conveyor and adapted to move the article in the second direction;
- and
- a lower cylinder connected to the frame and having a cylinder rod connected to the lower belt conveyor, the lower cylinder being operable to move the lower belt conveyor between a first position above the lower roller conveyor and a second position below the lower roller conveyor to facilitate an exchange of the article between the lower roller conveyor and the lower belt conveyor.
A method of transferring an article between an interface conveyor and an article transporter having a first article conveyor comprising:
- locating the article transporter adjacent one side of the interface conveyor, the interface conveyor having a first belt conveyor disposed between adjacent rollers of a first roller conveyor;
- lifting the first belt conveyor to a first vertical position above the first roller conveyor and aligned with the first article conveyor on the article transporter;
- transferring the article between the first article conveyor on the article transporter and the first belt conveyor on the interface conveyor;
- and
- lowering the first belt conveyor to a second vertical position below the first roller conveyor to transfer the article from the first belt conveyor to the first roller conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.