# US 2019/0375601 A1 · Chain buffer

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- Number: US 2019/0375601 A1
- Document ID: US20190375601A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/488,550
- Filed: 2018-02-22
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-23
- Assignees: Rotzinger AG
- Applicants: Rotzinger AG
- Inventors: Kurt Philipp
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190375601A1

## CPC

- B65G 47/268: {by means of belt or chain conveyor}
- B65G 47/5122: {by displacement of the conveyor-guiding means, e.g. of the loose pulley-type (B65G47/5127 takes precedence)}
- B65G 15/06: with oppositely-moving parts of the endless surface located in the same plane and parallel to one another
- B65G 21/14: to allow adjustment of length or configuration of load-carrier or traction element (varying speed of conveyance by adjusting configuration of load-carrier B65G23/00; {tensioning arrangements for belt or chain B65G23/44})
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

The buffering device serves to temporarily accept products from a product flow in the event of a downstream disruption obstructing the product flow and to deliver the accepted products after the disruption has been eliminated. As conveyor it uses an endless flat top chain, which passes through several loops formed by horizontal deflections in an upper and a lower level. The deflections are arranged in an alternately fixed and horizontally displaceable manner, such that the lengths of the loops are variable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Buffering device for temporarily accepting products from a product flow in the event of a downstream disruption in product flow and for delivering the temporarily accepted products after the disruption has been eliminated, with an endless fiat top chain that passes through a plurality of loops formed in an upper and a lower plane by horizontal deflections, wherein the deflections are arranged in an alternately fixed and horizontally displaceable manner, such that the lengths of the loops are variable.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Buffering device according to claim 1, characterized in that the chain loops that run in the upper level serve for product conveyance and the chain loops in the lower level serve as chain supply.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Buffering device according to claim 1, characterized in that the chain portion running in the upper plane is connected to the chain portion in the lower level by vertically driven deflections.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

Buffering device according to claim 3, characterized in that there is a product inflow and a product outflow, and that the vertical deflections are located near the same.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

Buffering device according to claim 1, characterized in that the displaceable horizontal deflections in the upper and lower levels are arranged on a respective horizontally displaceable slide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

Buffering device according to claim 5, characterized in that the two slides are coupled together such that the horizontal displacements are in opposite directions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

Buffering device according to claim 6, characterized in that on both sides there are deflected pulling actions arranged in parallel and on the side of the buffer facing away from the inflow and outflow sides for the coupling of the slide.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

Buffer device according to claim 7, characterized by tensioning means acting on the deflection of the pulling actions for tensioning the flat top chain.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

Buffer device according to claim 7, characterized by a deflection drive to support the extension or shortening of the chain loops.