Belt accumulators
AssigneeRapistan, Incorporated
InventorClyde L. Bowman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A continuously driven belt conveyor transports and accumulates articles supported thereon. Ways are positioned alongside the conveyor belt and are movable to vary the relative vertical position of the ways between an accumulation position wherein the support surface of the ways is above the conveyor belt causing the articles to accumulate and a drive position wherein the support surface of the ways is below the conveyor belt to permit movement of the articles therealong. Preferably, the ways are moved vertically by elongated inflatable tubes which lift the ways together with the articles above the moving conveyor surface.
Claims7
An accumulator conveyor for conveying articles and packages comprising an endless, continuously driven article transport means defining at least one continuous article transporting and support surface moving continuously in one direction, at least one pair of article lifting means arranged adjacent each side of said conveyor for lifting packages and articles from transporting engagement with said continuous supporting surface;
- said lifting means including a plurality of vertically shiftable support means for shifting the conveyed articles or packages between a first position wherein articles on said conveyor above the same are lifted up from transport influence by said transport means and a second position in which articles are supported entirely on said transport means;
- said vertically shiftable support means having high friction surfaces, being elongated and extending at least the length of the packages or articles being conveyed, being stationary lengthwise of said article transporting and support surface, and being arranged adjacent, along and generally parallel to each side of said article transporting and support surface;
- said support surface extending substantially entirely between said pair of vertically shiftable support means to substantially entirely support any packages and articles on said support surface;
- a normally inoperative powered actuator for raising and lowering each of said support means;
- a sensor connected to each of said powered actuators for actuating the same in response to the presence of an article;
- a stop;
- means for moving said stop into the path of any articles or packages on said transport means;
- means interconnecting said stop and said sensor to allow activation of said actuators only when said stop is in the path of any articles or packages on said transport means.
An accumulator conveyor adapted for conveying articles and packages comprising an endless belt driven continuously in one direction defining an article transporting and support surface, a plurality of accumulator sections having a pair of accumulator members, one accumulator member on each side of and paralleling said belt and being arranged laterally opposite a corresponding accumulator member adjacent the opposite side of said belt, said support surface of said belt extending substantially entirely between said pair of accumulator members in each of said sections to substantially entirely support any package or article on said support surface;
- each of said accumulator members having a rigid article engaging portion;
- a powered actuator beneath each of said article engaging portions for shifting said article engaging portion from a normal first lower position beneath said article transporting surface to a raised second position for supporting an article above said belt, the powered actuators of each pair of members being operatively connected for simultaneous operation;
- the actuators for each pair of actuator members being separately operable from those of the other pairs of actuator members;
- an article responsive sensor adjacent each of said sections, each sensor connected to the powered actuators for the pair of accumulator members in one of said sections to actuate said actuators;
- a stop;
- means for moving said stop into the path of any articles or packages on said belt;
- first means interconnecting said stop and said sensors to allow activation of said actuators only when said stop is in the path of any articles or packages on said belt;
- and second means interconnecting the sensor for one section with the sensors of each adjacent section, said second interconnection means restraining the sensor of one section from activating its associated powered actuators unless the sensor of the next downstream section is responding to the presence of an article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.