US 4,676,361 AGranted

Troughing conveyors for carton or bag orienting and conveying

OwnerRaymond A. Heislerinventor

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Abstract

This invention pertains to a troughing conveyor for products such as bags, boxes, cartons and the like. It is anticipated that products of like configuration and initial orientation are carried to an orienting conveyor means. This conveyor system has a stop plate that is actuated as and when required to insure that an oriented product has exited the system before entrance of another product to said system. Two plate-like conveyors are arrayed in tandem and are of like size and extent. These conveyors are troughed to provide a shallow included angle and the upper extents are also formed with convex arc so that the product is transported on two points. Each of these conveyors is independently driven by variable-speed gear motors, each with computer programs controlling the speed of each of the conveyor extents. An electric-eye counter device insures that an oriented product has exited the system before another product has been delivered. Orienting of the product may require a speed-up, stop or reverse at times of one or both conveyor movements. The needed actuation is determined and then a program for each conveyor is provided. A new product in size, configuration or initial orientation may require a new program for each conveyor motor.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A troughing conveyor system for receiving a product such as a bag, box, carton and the like, and orienting said received product, one at a time, and delivering said product in a desired oriented condition to an exiting receiving conveyor, said troughing conveyor system including:

(a) an infeed conveyor adapted to receive a product and deliver said product to said troughing conveyor system;
(b) inhibiting means at the end of the infeeding conveyor to prevent unwanted delivery of a product to the troughing conveyor system prior to a discharge of an immediately prior product from said troughing conveyor system, said inhibiting means activated only when unwanted delivery of a product is present;
(c) a support means for said troughing conveyor system;
(d) a pair of substantially like plate-type conveyors arranged in an endless extent and in side-by-side array, these conveyors moved independently of each other by reversible gear motors and an associated drive means;
(e) means for troughing the upper extents of said plate-type conveyors, said troughing resulting in a shollow included angle of substantially like degrees, the troughing formed by tilting each plate-type conveyor from an outer edge of the conveyor so that the pair of conveyors forms a V-shape;
(f) means for providing a convex arc in each upper extent of conveyor so that the product is engaged at a localized point;
(g) means for guarding the drive apparatus and for carrying the return extents of each conveyor;
(h) an electronic control for each gear motor to cause this gear motor to move each plate-type conveyor with a speed-up, stop and, when required, a reverse movement, and terminating with a resulting advancing motion for delivery of the oriented product to the discharge end of the conveyor system;
(i) exiting conveyor means for receiving the oriented product from the troughing conveyor, and
(j) a counting and ascertaining system at the end of the conveyor system insuring that an oriented product has been delivered to said exit conveyor means.

7 more elements

A method of receiving a product such as a bag, box, carton and the like and, one at a time, orienting said received product and delivering said product in this desired oriented condition to an exiting receiving conveyor, said method including the steps of:

(a) arranging and providing an infeed conveyor so as to receive a product and delivering said product in the received position to an orienting conveyor system;
(b) mounting and selectively actuating an inhibiting stop positioned at the discharge end of said infeed conveyor, said actuation preventing unwanted delivery of the product to the orienting conveyor system only when an immediately prior product is in and on the orienting conveyor system;
(c) providing and positioning a pair of substantially alike plate-type conveyors in way of the discharge end of the infeed conveyor, said plate-type conveyors arranged in an endless and in a side-by-side array;
(d) troughing and forming the upper extents of said side-by-side conveyors, this troughing formed by tiliting the upper extent of each plate-like conveyor from an outer edge of the conveyor so that the pair of side-by-side conveyors forms a V-shape, said V-shaped trough angle from two to six degrees, and forming the upper extent in a raised arc, the arc arranged in a convex manner with the elevation at substantially the center of the upper extent, with thid raised portion from about two to less than six inches;
(e) moving each conveyor with its own gear motor and drive apparatus, the gear motors actuated to move the conveyors in response to electronic commands;
(f) sending electronic signals to each gear motor for rotational movement of the gear motor as to speed, direction, and/or stopping when and as required, thus providing the desired orientation of the product and eventually causing both gear motors to move both conveyors at the same speed to deliver the product to an exit conveyor, and
(g) counting the incoming and exiting products so that only one product is carried by the troughed conveyors at any one time.

4 more elements

(a) an infeed conveyor adapted to received a product and deliver said product to said troughing conveyor system;
(b) inhibiting means at the end of the infeeding conveyor to prevent unwanted delivery of a product to the troughing conveyor system prior to a discharge of an immediately prior product from said troughing conveyor system, said inhibiting means activated only when unwanted delivery is present;
(c) a support means for said troughing conveyor system;
(d) a pair of substantially like plate-type conveyors arranged in an endless extent and in side-by-side array, these conveyors moved independently of each other by reversible gear motors and an associated drive means;
(e) means for troughing the upper extents of said plate-type conveyors, said troughing resulting in a shallow included angle of substantially like degrees, the troughing forming by tilting each plate-type conveyor from an outer edge of the conveyor so that the pair of conveyors forms a V-shape;
(f) a convex arc formed in each upper extent of said plate-type conveyor so that the product is engaged at a localized point, said convex arc produced by a plurality of screw jacks on the inner and outer edge portions of each conveyor extent, each screw jack having a top end attached to a longitudinal support plate and a lower portion with a screw thread enabling selective adjustment of each screw jack carried in and movable in holes formed in a longitudinal rail member;
(g) means for guarding the drive apparatus and for carrying the return extents of each conveyor;
(h) an electronic control for each gear motor to cause this gear motor to move each plate-type conveyor with a speed-up, stop and, when required, a reverse movement, and terminating with a resulting advancing motion for delivery of the oriented product to the discharge end of the conveyor system;
(i) exiting conveyor means for receiving the oriented product from the troughing conveyor, and
(j) a counting and ascertaining system at the end of the conveyor system insuring that an oriented product has been delivered to said exit conveyor means.

7 more elements

A method df receiving a product such as a bag, box, carton and the like and, one at a time, orienting said received product and delivering said product in this desired oriented condition to an exiting receiving conveyor, said method including the steps of:

(a) arranging and providing an infeed conveyor so as to receive a product and delivering said product in the received position to an orienting conveyor system;
(b) mounting and selectively actuating an inhibiting stop positioned at the discharge end of said infeed conveyor, said actuation preventing unwanted delivery of the product to the orienting conveyor system only when an immediately prior product is in and on the orienting conveyor system;
(c) providing and positioning a pair of substantially alike plate-type conveyors in way of the discharge end of the infeed conveyor, said plate-type conveyors arranged in an endless and in a side-by-side array, each plate-type conveyor flight of a rigid plastic and with each outer-end portion of said conveyor flights having support surfaces adapted for sliding, and providing support plates disposed to engage each outer end of the flight, said support plates carried by screw jacks having threaded shanks adapted for mounting and adjustment to bow said support plates to a desired arc;
(d) troughing and forming the upper extents of said side-by-side conveyors, this troughing formed by tilting the upper extent of each plate-like conveyor from an outer edge of the conveyor so that the pair of side-by-side conveyors forms a V-shape, said V-shaped trough angle from two to six degrees, and forming the upper extent in a raised arc, the arc arranged in a convex manner with the elevation at substantially the center of the upper extent, with this raised portion from about two to less than six inches;
(e) moving each conveyor with its own gear motor and drive apparatus, the gear motors actuated to move the conveyors in response to electronic commands;
(f) sending electronic signals to each gear motor for rotational movement of the gear motor as to speed, direction, and/or stopping when and as required, thus providing the desired orientation of the product and eventually causing both gear motors to move both conveyors at the same speed to deliver the product to an exit conveyor, and
(g) counting the incoming and exiting products so that only one product is carried by the troughed conveyors at any one time.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.