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US 2026/0176084 A1Published application
Conveyor system with tip prevention
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorBryant G. Ragan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A conveyor system for conveying lightweight electrically conductive containers, such as empty aluminum cans. Magnetic fields to prevent the cans from tipping over as they are conveyed on a conveying surface. Coil sets on opposite sides of the conveying surface produce the magnetic fields in response to tip-sensor detections of tipping cans. The magnetic fields interact with the electrically conductive cans to right them.
Claims20
A conveyor system comprising:
- a conveyor having a conveying surface that extends in width from a left side to a right side and in length from an entrance end to an exit end and is suitable for conveying electrically conductive containers atop the conveying surface in a conveying direction;
- a series of right-side coil sets extending along the length of the conveyor on the right side;
- a series of left-side coil sets extending along the length of the conveyor on the left side;
- a controller selectively sending drive signals to the left- and right-side coil sets to adjust the magnitudes of magnetic fields between the left and right sides produced by the left- and right-side coil sets;
- a series of tip sensors spaced apart along the length of the conveyor at sensor positions to detect tipped electrically conductive containers passing the sensor positions and send sensor signals to the controller indicating tipped electrically conductive containers;
- wherein the controller sends drive signals to the left- and right-side coil sets in the vicinity of the tip sensors that indicate a tipped electrically conductive container to produce magnetic fields between the left and right sides that induce forces acting to untip the tipped electrically conductive containers.
3 more elements
A conveyor system for conveying electrically conductive containers having tops and bottoms and centers of mass, the conveyor system comprising:
- a conveyor having a conveying surface that extends in width from a left side to a right side and in length from an entrance end to an exit end and is suitable for conveying electrically conductive containers atop the conveying surface in a conveying direction;
- a series of right-side coil sets extending along the length of the conveyor on the right side and producing a magnetic field having a maximum field strength above the conveying surface at a maximum-field-strength level;
- a series of left-side coil sets extending along the length of the conveyor on the left side and producing a magnetic field having a maximum field strength above the conveying surface at the maximum-field-strength level;
- wherein the left- and right-side coil sets are configured so that the maximum-field-strength level is above the centers of mass of the electrically conductive containers or is closer to the top than to the bottom of the electrically conductive containers to interact with fields induced in the electrically conductive containers to produce a force acting in the conveying direction on the electrically conductive containers above their centers of mass.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.