Conveyor switch for baked goods
OwnerChi H. Chung, Stephen R. Smith +1inventors
InventorsChi H. Chung, Stephen R. Smith, Geri G. Walker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method of conveying objects. A switching station is operated in coordination with gaps formed in a first product stream carried on an upstream conveyor, to split the first product stream into two or more second product streams carried on downstream conveyors.
Claims20
A conveyor switch comprising:
- a frame defining first and second lateral sides, an inlet end and an outlet end;
- a carriage translationally mounted at the outlet end of the frame for traversing a lateral path between the first and second lateral sides of the frame;
- an actuator for moving the carriage along the lateral path;
- and
- a flexible conveyor belt extending between the inlet end and the outlet end and over the carriage, whereby actuation of the carriage causes a portion of the flexible conveyor belt proximal the outlet end to move laterally from a first position to a second position.
The conveyor switch of claim 19, wherein the take-up mechanism comprises a take-up pulley movably mounted to the frame.
A conveyor system comprising:
- a metering belt for delivering a product flow comprising a plurality of objects;
- a conveyor switch for receiving the product flow from the metering belt, the conveyor switch having at least one inlet and at least two outlets, a flexible conveyor extending between the at least one inlet and the at least two outlets, and an actuator for switching the flexible conveyor between the at least two outlets;
- and
- at least two outlet conveyors, each outlet conveyor associated with a respective one of the at least two outlets of the conveyor switch.
A method of conveying objects from at least one source to at least two destinations, said method comprising receiving the objects from the at least one source into an inlet of a conveyor switch, delivering the objects along a flexible conveyor portion of the conveyor switch, and actuating a laterally translating carriage portion of the conveyor switch to move the flexible conveyor portion from a first state wherein the objects are discharged from the conveyor switch to a first of the at least two destinations to a second state wherein the objects are discharged from the conveyor switch to a second of the at least two destinations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.