Side push divider
AssigneeEmhart Industries, Inc.
InventorsLloyd Douglas Johnson, Kenneth Ernest Kroeber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Objects moving single file on an infeed conveyor are diverted onto an intermediate conveyor where they are separated, and then sequentially pushed onto a wider take away conveyor having lane defining means for receiving the objects in discrete lanes. A side push conveyor has an upper run which moves at a speed related closely to that of the intermediate conveyor, and has cam operated slats or pushers which cooperate to define pockets for urging the objects off the intermediate conveyor onto the take away conveyor and into the appropriate lanes.
Claims16
In an apparatus for dividing irregularly shaped objects from single file configuration into discrete lanes on a take away conveyor, the improvement comprising
- a. means defining a path for the objects and for feeding them in spaced relationship, at least a portion of said path being oriented longitudinally alongside the take away conveyor,
- b. side push conveyor means on the opposite side of said longitudinal path defining means from the take away conveyor and movable in said longitudinal direction,
- c. transversely oriented tracks on said side push conveyor, and pushers slidably mounted in said tracks for transverse movement in said tracks, said pushers having upwardly projecting cam followers associated therewith,
- d. superstructure above said side push conveyor means, and defining a plurality of cam tracks for moving said cam followers diagonally to cause the ends of said pushers to project over said path defining portion,
- e. fixed side push conveyor support structure including means for yieldably mounting said superstructure thereto and allowing limited transverse movement of said superstructure relative to said fixed support structure, and
- f. switching means operated by said transverse movement of said superstructure, said switching means serving to shut down at least said side push conveyor in response to transverse movement of said superstructure in a direction away from said longitudinal path.
In an apparatus for dividing irregularly shaped objects from single file configuration into discrete lanes on a take away conveyor, the improvement comprising
- a. means defining a path for the objects and for feeding them in spaced relationship, at least a portion of said path being oriented longitudinally alongside the take away conveyor,
- b. side push conveyor means on the opposite side of said longitudinal path defining means from the take away conveyor and movable in said longitudinal direction,
- c. transversely oriented tracks on said side push conveyor, and pushers slidably mounted in said tracks for transverse movement in said tracks, said pushers having upwardly projecting cam followers associated therewith,
- d. superstructure above said side push conveyor means, and defining a plurality of cam tracks for moving said cam followers diagonally to cause the ends of said pushers to project over said path defining portion,
- e. fixed side push conveyor support structure including means for yieldably mounting said superstructure thereto and allowing limited transverse movement of said superstructure relative to said fixed support structure, and
- f. said means defining said path for feeding objects in spaced relationship to one another including an intermediate conveyor alongside said side push conveyor,
- g. said tracks and associated pushers are arranged in groups, and each group having an associated cam track defined in said superstructure for receiving said cam followers associated with said pushers in said each group, and a guide pusher associated with each group, said guide pushers having their associated cam followers entrained in a cam track so defined in said superstructure that said guide pushers project beyond said pushers in said associated group so that one side edge thereof will guide the objects during at least a segment of the path of the objects on said intermediate conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.