US 5,361,891 AGranted

Tape conveyor system

AssigneeComco Systems

InventorsHarold R. Greene, Michael J. Foreman

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A tape conveyor system for moving a carriage along a path having at least one vertical curve and at least one horizontal curve comprises a carriage track, a tape guide, and a carriage. A block on the tape is movably positioned between two elements on the carriage to effect movement of the carriage along the carriage track. The tape guide orients the tape width horizontally during each vertical curve and vertically during each horizontal curve. The carriage track has two opposing channels, and the carriage has wheels in each channel so that the carriage can move along both horizontal and vertical track portions in a stable manner. A container can be mounted to the carriage via a leveling mechanism which cooperates with cam guide surfaces on the carriage track to control the orientation of the container. Two cam followers are mounted on opposite ends of a leveler arm such that one of the cam followers can be actuated by contact with a cam guide surface to effect the rotation of the transport container with respect to the carriage as the carriage negotiates a vertical curve. A tape drive comprises two smooth rolls and a toothed cog wheel positioned between the rolls such that the tape passes around one roll, then the cog wheel and then the other roll, with the passage from the cog wheel to the second roll being substantially immediately to provide a reverse curvature of the tape.

Claims53

Dependent claims

A tape drive system comprising a flexible plastic drive tape and a drive mechanism for driving said flexible plastic drive tape, said flexible plastic drive tape having a plurality of apertures spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the flexible plastic drive tape, said drive mechanism comprising:

first and second idler rolls, each of said first and second idler rolls having an at least substantially cylindrical periphery, said first idler roll being rotatably mounted on a first shaft, said second idler roll being rotatably mounted on a second shaft;
and
a cog wheel having an at least substantially cylindrical periphery, said cog wheel being rotatably mounted on a third shaft;
said cog wheel being positioned adjacent to and between said first and second idler rolls such that the flexible plastic drive tape passes in contact with the at least substantially cylindrical periphery of one of said first and second idler rolls, then passes in contact with the at least substantially cylindrical periphery of said cog wheel, and then passes in contact with the at least substantially cylindrical periphery of the other of said first and second idler rolls without forming a significant straight section between said cog wheel and said other of said first and second idler rolls;
said cog wheel being provided with a plurality of teeth spaced about its at least substantial cylindrical periphery so that teeth of the cog wheel enter apertures of the flexible plastic drive tape as the flexible plastic drive tape passes in contact with the cog wheel and the resulting curved path of the flexible plastic drive tape around a portion of said cog wheel creates compression of the flexible plastic drive tape along its inner surface and stretching of the flexible plastic drive tape along its outer surface.

2 more elements

A tape conveyor system for moving a carriage along a path in response to the movement of a drive tape, said system comprising:

a carriage track having first and second carriage channels, each of said first and second carriage channels having confronting side walls joined by an end wall to form a channel opening, said first and second carriage channels being spaced apart from each other with the channel openings facing each other;
a tape guide for orienting the width of the drive tape and guiding the drive tape during movement of the drive tape along the longitudinal axis of the drive tape, said tape guide being positioned adjacent to and extending along said carriage track;
and
a carriage positioned in said carriage track, said carriage having a body, at least one first wheel positioned in said first carriage channel, and at least one second wheel positioned in said second carriage channel, at least one third wheel positioned in said first carriage channel, at least one fourth wheel positioned in said second carriage channel, each said at least one first wheel being rotatably mounted on said body for rotation about an axis which provides for rotation of each first wheel along and in contact with at least one of the side walls of said first carriage channel, each said at least one second wheel being rotatably mounted on said body for rotation about an axis which provides for rotation of each second wheel along and in contact with at least one of the side walls of said second carriage channel, each said at least one third wheel being rotatably mounted on said body for rotation about an axis which provides for rotation of each third wheel along the end wall of said first carriage channel, each said at least one fourth wheel being rotatably mounted on said body for rotation about an axis which provides for rotation of each fourth wheel along the end wall of said second carriage channel;
said carriage having at least one carriage drive element which is engaged by the drive tape during movement of the drive tape along said tape guide.

2 more elements

A tape conveyor system for moving a carriage along a path in response to the movement of a drive tape, said drive tape having a width and a longitudinal axis, said system comprising:

a carriage track having a length;
a tape guide for orienting the width of the drive tape and guiding the drive tape during movement of the drive tape along the longitudinal axis of the drive tape, said tape guide being positioned adjacent to and extending along the length of said carriage track;
and
a carriage movably positioned in said carriage track for movement along the length of said carriage track, said carriage having at least one carriage drive element which is engaged by the drive tape during movement of the drive tape along said tape guide;
wherein said carriage track comprises at least one first track section forming a vertical-to-horizontal transition curve and at least one second track section forming a horizontal-to-horizontal transition curve;
wherein said tape guide orients the width of the drive tape in an at least generally horizontal direction during each vertical-to-horizontal transition curve and orients the width of the drive tape in an at least generally vertical direction during each horizontal-to-horizontal transition curve.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.