Conveying device and process for operating the same

A conveyor system [110] comprising:

• a plurality of conveyor frame sections [118] configured with rollers [118] to support a belt, wherein each conveyor frame section [118] comprises an elongated transmission member [150, 150′, 150″];
• wherein each elongated transmission member [150, 150′, 150″] is configured to operatively engage a toothed or threaded rotating transmission member such as a cogwheel [140], a pinion [440], or a worm [540] provided on a mobile device [100], in order to move the mobile device [100] in relation to the conveyor system [110];
• wherein a gap [159] is be defined between each elongated transmission member [150, 150′, 150″];
• and,
• wherein the at least one rotating transmission member [140, 440, 540] comprises a lead transmission member [140′] and a follow transmission member [140″] which are configured to rotate independently at different angular speeds to facilitate traversing said gap [159].

A method of moving a mobile device [100] along a conveyor system [110] comprising:

• providing a mobile device [100] having a drive system [108], the drive system [108] comprising a controller [108q]having a sensor, a first rotating transmission member [140′] operatively coupled to a first drive motor, and a second rotating transmission member [140″] operatively coupled to a second drive motor and spaced from the first rotating transmission member [140′];
• providing a conveyor system [110] comprising a first conveyor frame section equipped with rollers [180] to support a belt and a second conveyor frame section equipped with rollers [180] to support a belt, the first conveyor frame section further comprising a first elongated transmission member [150′] and the second conveyor frame section further comprising a second elongated transmission member [150″], wherein a gap [159] is defined between the first elongated transmission member [150′] and the second elongated transmission member [150″];
• reducing or stopping a torque applied to at least one of the first [140′] or second [140″] rotating transmission members when said at least one of the first [140′] or second [140″] rotating transmission members is proximate the gap [159], but not engaged with one of the first [150′] or second [150″] elongated transmission members;
• and
• maintaining or increasing a torque applied to the first rotating transmission member [140′] when the first rotating transmission member [140′] is engaged with one of the first [150′] or second [150″] elongated transmission members.

A mobile stacking system comprising:

• a mobile device [100] having a drive system [108], the drive system [108] comprising a controller [108q] having a sensor, a first rotating transmission member [140′] operatively coupled to a first drive motor [108a], and a second rotating transmission member [140″] operatively coupled to a second drive motor [108a] and spaced from the first rotating transmission member;
• a conveyor system [110] comprising a first conveyor frame section [118] equipped with rollers [180] to support a belt and a second conveyor frame section [118] equipped with rollers [180] to support a belt, the first conveyor frame section comprising a first elongated transmission member [150′] and the second conveyor frame section comprising a second elongated transmission member [150″], wherein a gap [159] is defined between the first elongated transmission member [150′] and the second elongated transmission member [150″];
• wherein the drive system [108] is configured to reduce or stop a torque applied to the first rotating transmission member [140′] when the first rotating transmission member [140′] is proximate the gap [159], but not engaged with one of the first [150′] or second [150″] elongated transmission members;
• wherein the drive system [108] is configured to maintain or increase a torque applied to the first rotating transmission member [140′] when the first rotating transmission member [140′] is engaged with one of the first [150′] or second [150″] elongated transmission members;
• wherein the drive system [108] is configured to reduce or stop a torque applied to the second rotating transmission member [140″] when the second rotating transmission member is proximate the gap [159], but not engaged with one of the first [150′] or second [150″] elongated transmission members;
• and
• wherein the drive system [108] is configured to maintain or increase a torque applied to the second rotating transmission member [140″] when the second rotating transmission member is engaged with one of the first [150′] or second [150″] elongated transmission members.