Twisted flat belt drive for line shaft conveyors

A roller conveyor system comprising:

• (a) a main conveyor frame;
• (b) a branch conveyor frame intersecting said main conveyor frame;
• (c) a main line shaft extending along said main conveyor frame and drivingly connected to a plurality of main conveyor rollers journaled along said main conveyor frame to rotate said main conveyor rollers;
• said main line shaft rotating about a first axis of rotation;
• (d) a branch line shaft extending along said branch conveyor frame and drivingly connected to a plurality of branch conveyor rollers journaled along said branch conveyor frame to rotate said branch conveyor rollers;
• said branch shaft supported to rotate about a second shaft axis of rotation;
• said branch shaft being oriented nonparallel to said main line shaft;
• (e) motor means drivingly connected to said main line shaft to rotate same;
• (f) a pair of idler rollers supported by one of said main and branch shaft frames;
• generally between said main line and branch line shafts so as to rotate about a common idler axis of rotation;
• (g) an endless flat belt forming opposite end loops connected by opposite runs of said belt, said end loops drivingly engaging said main line and branch line shafts respectively to transfer rotation from said main line shaft to said branch line shaft, and said runs of said belt engaging respective ones of said idler rollers intermediate said end loops to change the direction of said belt in passing from said main line shaft to said branch line shaft;
• and wherein:
• (h) said flat belt has an inner surface and an opposite outer surface;
• and
• (i) said runs of said belt are twisted as said runs approach said idler rollers such that only said outer surfaces engages both of said idler rollers.

A twisted flat belt drive mechanism in combination with a roller conveyor system including a main conveyor frame, a branch conveyor frame, a main line shaft and a branch line shaft to transfer rotation from said main line shaft to said branch line shaft aligned to be non-parallel to said main line shaft, said mechanism wherein:

• (a) said main line shaft is elongated and rotatably supported along said main conveyor frame to rotate about a main shaft axis of rotation and drivingly connected to plurality of main conveyor rollers journaled along said main conveyor frame to rotate said main rollers;
• and including:
• (b) a main gear affixed to said main shaft and having gear teeth on a cylindrical surface of said main gear;
• and wherein:
• (c) said branch line shaft is elongated and rotatably supported along said branch conveyor frame intersecting said main conveyor frame to rotate about a branch shaft axis of rotation and drivingly connected to a plurality of branch rollers journalled along said branch conveyor frame to rotate said branch rollers, said branch shaft being oriented nonparallel to said main shaft;
• and further including:
• (d) a branch gear affixed to said branch shaft and having gear teeth on a cylindrical surface of said branch gear;
• (e) motor means drivingly connected to said main shaft to rotate same;
• (f) a pair of idler rollers supported by one of said main and branch conveyor frames generally between said main and branch shafts to rotate about an idler axis of rotation;
• (g) an endless flat belt having an inner surface and an opposite outer surface and having gear teeth formed on said inner surface, said belt forming opposite end loops connected by opposite runs of said belt;
• (h) said end loops of said belt engaging said main and branch gears such that the teeth on said belt mesh with the teeth on said gears to transfer rotation from said main shaft to said branch shaft;
• (i) said runs of said belt engaging respective ones of said idler rollers intermediate said end loops to change the direction of said belt in passing from said main shaft to said branch shaft;
• and
• (j) said runs of said belts being twisted as said runs approach said idler rollers such that said outer surface of said belt engages both of said idler rollers.

A diverter drive arrangement to transfer rotation from a shaft on a conveyor frame to a roller of a diverter mechanism, said arrangement comprising:

• (a) a diverter mechanism supported on a main conveyor frame, including a diverter roller, and being selectively actuated to deploy said diverter roller in such a manner as to engage an article traveling on a main conveyor and transfer same to a branch conveyor;
• (b) a diverter roller drive shaft rotatably supported across said main conveyor frame and drivingly engaging said diverter roller to rotate same upon the rotation of said diverter shaft;
• (c) main conveyor motor means including a motor means member rotating about a motor means axis nonparallel to said diverter shaft;
• (d) a pair of idler rollers supported on said main conveyor frame generally between said motor means member and said diverter shaft to rotate about a common idler axis;
• (e) an endless, flat diverter roller drive belt forming opposite end loops connected by opposite runs of said belt, said end loops drivingly engaging said motor means member and said diverter shaft respectively to transfer rotation from said motor means member to said diverter shaft, and said runs of said belt engaging respective ones of said idler rollers intermediate said end loops to change the direction of said belt in passing from said motor means member to said diverter shaft;
• and wherein
• (f) said runs of said belt are twisted as said runs approach said idler rollers such that said outer surface of said belt engages both of said idler rollers.

A diverter drive arrangement to transfer rotation from a shaft on a conveyor frame to a roller of a diverter mechanism, said arrangement comprising:

• (a) a diverter mechanism supported on a main conveyor frame, including a diverter roller, and being selectively actuated to deploy said diverter roller in such a manner as to engage an article traveling on a main conveyor and transfer same to a branch conveyor;
• (b) a diverter roller drive shaft rotatably supported across said main conveyor frame and drivingly engaging said diverter roller to rotate same upon the rotation of said diverter shaft;
• (c) main conveyor motor means including a motor means member rotating about a motor means axis nonparallel to said diverter shaft;
• (d) an idler roller shaft cantilever supported on said main conveyor frame and positioned generally between said motor means member and said diverter shaft;
• (e) a pair of idler rollers supported on said idler roller shaft to rotate independently on said idler roller shaft about a common axis of rotation;
• (f) an endless diverter roller drive belt forming opposite end loops connected by opposite runs of said belt, said end loops drivingly engaging said motor means member and said diverter shaft respectively to transfer rotation from said motor means member to said diverter shaft, and said runs of belt engaging respective ones of said idler rollers intermediate said end loops to change the direction of said belt in passing from said motor means member to said diverter shaft;
• and wherein:
• (g) said runs of said belt being twisted as said runs approach said idler rollers such that said outer surface of said belt engages both of said idler rollers.

A conveyor system comprising:

• (a) an elongated main conveyor including a main conveyor frame and a main conveyor element positioned on said main conveyor frame to move articles along said main conveyor;
• (b) main conveyor motor means including a motor means member rotating about a motor means axis and operatively engaged with said main conveyor element to cause the movement of articles thereby;
• (c) an elongated branch conveyor intersecting said main conveyor;
• (d) a diverter mechanism supported on said main conveyor frame, including at least one diverter roller rotatably supported on said diverter mechanism, and being selectively actuated to deploy said diverter roller in such a manner as to engage an article traveling on said main conveyor and transfer same to said branch conveyor;
• and
• (e) diverter roller drive means including:
• (1) a diverter roller drive shaft rotatably supported across said main conveyor frame nonparallel to said motor means axis and drivingly engaging said diverter roller to rotate same upon the rotation of said diverter shaft;
• (2) a pair of idler rollers supported on said main conveyor frame generally between said motor means member and said diverter shaft to rotate about a common idler axis;
• (3) an endless, flat diverter roller drive belt forming opposite end loops connected by opposite runs of said belt, said end loops drivingly engaging said motor means member and said diverter shaft respectively to transfer rotation from said motor means member to said diverter shaft, and said runs of said belt engaging respective ones of said idler rollers intermediate said end loops to change the direction of said belt in passing from said motor means member to said diverter shaft and wherein:
• (4) said runs of said belt being twisted as said runs approach said idler rollers such that said outer surface of said belt engages both of said idler rollers.