Conveying system for use in a manufacturing plant

Abstract

A conveying system including multiple conveying tracks where each track acts as the output track from one operation and the input track to a subsequent operation. When the manufacturing process at a first operational area is completed, the completed product is placed on the area's output track and conveyed to a subsequent operational area. When the processing at the subsequent area is completed, the unit is placed on the subsequent area's output track, which is a physically distinct track from the area's input track. The input and output tracks within an operational area may occupy different levels of a multi-level system in which the various levels share a common floor space footprint to conserve floor space requirements. The tracks may be configured as a pair of tracks to facilitate simultaneous processing of two products or jobs. In addition, one or more of the tracks may have a support surface that is not parallel to the manufacturing floor. A track may comprise a V-shaped rack in which a first surface of the rack is oriented at an angle with respect to the floor and in which a second surface is perpendicular to the first surface. The tilted orientation of the first surface may facilitate insertion and removal of product from totes within a confined space.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.