Conveyor with high speed case turner

A roller conveyor comprising:

• a conveyor frame having opposing side walls and an entrance end and an exit end;
• a conveyor medium mounted between the opposing side walls and defining a conveyor plane for conveying products in a direction of travel from the entrance end to the exit end;
• an opening in the conveyor plane adjacent one of the side walls having an inner edge adjacent the one side wall and an outer edge displaced from the one side wall;
• a conveyor drive mechanism for driving the conveyor medium at a predetermined speed;
• a turning wheel rotatably mounted on a vertical axis within the opening;
• turning wheel drive apparatus linked to the turning wheel and operative to rotate the turning wheel at a selected speed and in a direction of rotation such that a portion of the turning wheel's outer perimeter along the outer edge moves in the direction of travel, the turning wheel operative to displace a portion of a product contacting the wheel in the direction of travel;
• the turning wheel drive apparatus being adjusted such that the selected speed of the turning wheel is less than the predetermined speed, whereby products conveyed on the conveyor medium and engaging the turning wheel are rotated in a direction of rotation opposite the direction of rotation of the turning wheel.

A roller conveyor comprising:

• a conveyor frame having opposing side walls and an entrance end and an exit end;
• a conveyor medium mounted between the opposing side walls and defining a conveyor plane for conveying products in a direction of travel from the entrance end to the exit end;
• an opening in the conveyor plane adjacent one of the side walls having an inner edge adjacent the one side wall and having an outer edge opposite the inner edge and displaced from the one side wall;
• a turning wheel rotatably mounted in the opening adjacent the one side wall and having an outer perimeter;
• a turning wheel drive mechanism linked to the turning wheel and operative to rotate the turning wheel in a direction of rotation such that a portion of the turning wheel's outer perimeter adjacent the outer edge of the opening moves in the direction of travel, the turning wheel operative to displace a portion of a product contacting the wheel in the direction of travel;
• the turning wheel drive mechanism comprising a vertically extending shaft having one end engaging the turning wheel and having an opposite end and a lower disc engaging the vertical shaft adjacent the opposite end, the drive mechanism further comprising a horizontally extending drive shaft and a drive wheel mounted on one end of the drive shaft and engaging an upper surface of the lower disc.

A conveyor comprising:

• a conveyor frame having opposing side walls and an entrance end and an exit end;
• a conveyor medium mounted between the opposing side walls and defining a conveyor plane for conveying products in a direction of travel from the entrance end to the exit end;
• an opening in the conveyor plane adjacent one of the side walls having an inner edge adjacent the one side wall and an outer edge displaced from the one side wall;
• a turning wheel rotatably mounted in the opening adjacent the one side wall and having an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the conveyor plane and comprising a conically-shaped upper surface;
• and
• turning wheel drive apparatus linked to the turning wheel and operative to rotate the turning wheel.

A method of turning a product, traveling along a path of travel on a conveyor having opposite sides, from a first orientation relative to the path of travel to a second orientation relative to the path of travel, the method comprising the steps of:

• advancing the product along the path of travel;
• engaging a part of the product adjacent one of the opposing sides by a turning wheel mounted on a vertical axis and having a conically-shaped upper surface;
• guiding the product onto the upper surface and toward a center portion of the wheel;
• and
• turning the part of the product adjacent the one of the opposite sides by the turning wheel in the direction of travel.

A method of turning a product, traveling along a path of travel on a conveyor having opposite sides, from a first orientation relative to the path of travel to a second orientation relative to the path of travel, the method comprising the steps of:

• advancing the product along the path of travel;
• engaging a part of the product adjacent one of the opposing sides by a turning wheel having a conically-shaped upper surface rotatably mounted on a vertical axis;
• and
• guiding the product onto a sloping surface of the conically shaped upper surface, whereby a portion of the product is elevated.

A method of turning a product, traveling along a path of travel on a conveyor having opposite sides, from a first orientation relative to the path of travel to a second orientation relative to the path of travel, the method comprising the steps of:

• advancing the product along the path of travel;
• engaging a part of the product adjacent one of the opposing sides by a conically shaped turning wheel rotatably mounted on a vertical axis;
• turning the part of the product adjacent the one of the opposite sides by the turning wheel in the direction of travel;
• and
• advancing the product along the path of travel at a predetermined speed and turning the turning wheel at a selected speed such that the part of a product turned by the wheel advances along the path of travel at a speed slower than the predetermined speed.