US 2020/0140198 A1Published application

Method and system for conveying articles and an apparatus for doing the same

AssigneeMultilift, Inc.

InventorsJob Bacon-Maldonado, III, Robert D. Drost, Chris K. Miller, Kenneth B. Drost, Job Maldonado, JR., Kenton C. Ensor

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Abstract

A conveyor for transporting and elevating articles and a method and system for conveying articles up inclines is provided. The conveyor has a conveyor belt and a plurality of support elements extending outward from the article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt advancing upward along the incline. The conveyor may be positioned at an inclined angle relative to the horizontal ground, i.e., between about 5° and 85° or the conveyor can be substantially vertical, i.e., about 90° relative to the horizontal ground. The support elements prevent conveyed articles from sliding down the conveyor belt on the inclined conveyor and carry and hold articles on substantially vertical conveyors. The article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt may provide a low-friction retention surface to articles leaning away from the conveyor belt on the incline.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A conveyor for conveying articles up inclines, the conveyor comprising:

an endless conveyor belt having an outer article-conveying surface and advancing in a direction of belt travel along a conveying path including an inclined portion;
a plurality of support elements extending outwardly from the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt and spaced apart at least a distance between about 1.0 and 2.0 times a length of the article conveyed on said conveyor belt, wherein each support element comprises:
a upright section having an upper portion and an article-supporting face generally positioned in the direction of belt travel;
a block-like bottom section with at least one hole and a curved bottom having a first radius of curvature, wherein the curved bottom engages the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt;
and
a top positioned at the upper portion of the upright section and opposite the bottom, wherein the top has a curved surface having a second radius of curvature, wherein the second radius of curvature is different than the first radius of curvature;
at least one securing mechanism for each support element to secure the support elements on the conveyor belt, wherein a portion of the securing mechanism is positioned in the hole of the block-like bottom section of the support element;
a support frame with a support stand positioned proximate to a floor surface and support bars;
a drive pulley interconnected to the support frame and positioned at the bottom of the support frame, wherein an underside of the conveyor belt engages an outer surface of the drive pulley;
and
a tail pulley interconnected to the support frame and positioned at the top of the support frame, wherein an underside of the conveyor belt engages an outer surface of the tail pulley.

8 more elements

A method for conveying articles up steep inclines, the method comprising:

providing a conveyor for conveying articles up an incline, said conveyor comprising:
an endless conveyor belt having a lateral extent and a longitudinal extent, and an outer article-conveying surface that is designed to advance in a direction of belt travel along a conveying path including an inclined portion;
a plurality of support elements, with each support element having a same width (w), length (l), and height (h), wherein each support element of said plurality of support elements is interconnected to said outer conveying surface by two independent fasteners that penetrate through said outer article-conveying surface, wherein each of said support elements has a front section having an article-supporting face that is oriented in the direction of belt travel, each of said support elements having a conveyor contacting surface that engages the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt, each of said support elements constructed of urethane material that provides strength along the supporting elements, wherein a second support element in the plurality of support elements is spaced apart from a first support element in the plurality of support elements by a predetermined distance;
a support frame with a support stand, said support frame having two, longitudinally extending side bar supports extending parallel to each other and connected to each other by a plurality of support struts;
at least one pulley operably connected to said support frame that engages said conveyor belt;
a motor operably connected to said at least one pulley;
moving said endless conveyor belt in the direction of belt travel using the motor, the drive pulley, and the tail pulley;
conveying articles on the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt;
advancing the conveyed articles in the direction of belt travel along a conveying path including the inclined portion;
blocking conveyed articles from sliding down the conveying surface of the conveyor belt on the inclined portion by using said plurality of support elements;
and
removing the conveyed articles from the conveyor belt.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/675,105Filed 5 Nov 2019
Priority: 11 Jan 2013
Published: 7 May 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B65G 15/44
Having ribs, ridges, or other surface projections: for impelling the loads
B07C 5/3412
Sorting according to other particular properties: according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality…
B07C 5/36
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or…:…
B65G 1/04
Storage devices: mechanical

Family

Application61/751,722Us provisional application · filed 11 Jan 2013
Application14/154,141Continuation in part · filed 13 Jan 2014
Application14/641,126Continuation · filed 6 Mar 2015
Application15/041,668Continuation · filed 11 Feb 2016
Application15/673,014Continuation · filed 9 Aug 2017
Application16/119,804Continuation in part · filed 31 Aug 2018
Application16/675,105Continuation in part
Application16/119,804Continuation
Application14/641,126Continuation in part
US 10,065,801 B2Related patent
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US 2015/0239669 A1Published application
US 2016/0159573 A1Published application
US 2017/0334651 A1Published application
US 2018/0370731 A1Published application
US 9,061,830 B2Related patent
US 9,260,247 B2Related patent
US 9,745,133 B2Related patent
US 2020/0140198 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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