Conveyor having serpentine capabilities
AssigneeUnited Parcel Service of America, Inc.
InventorHenri Bonnet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated conveyor sortation and item discharge system for sorting items of varying sizes and weights to designated output destinations along a conveyor. A serpentine configuration is provided by use of a continuous notched conveyor belt layer, which can have no discharge capabilities, or can include
Claims26
A conveying apparatus defining a plurality of conveying surfaces configured for conveying items, said conveying surfaces following a path, said path being variably curved and lying within a horizontal plane, said conveying apparatus comprising:
- a supporting member defining an upwardly-directed horizontal, substantially planar, supporting surface;
- a plurality of conveying segments each defining one of said conveying surfaces, each of said conveying segments defining a substantially planar downwardly-directed undersurface slidably supported atop said planar support surface;
- a driving member for driving said conveyor segments along said variably curved path such that said conveyor segments pivot sidewardly relative to each other while traveling along said variably curved path;
- and
- a plurality of flexible neck portions interconnecting said conveyor segments while accommodating said sideward pivoting, said neck portions likewise each defining a corresponding planar portion configured to be slidably supported by said planar supporting surface.
A conveying apparatus defining a plurality of upwardly-directed conveying surfaces configured for conveying items, said conveying surfaces following a path, said path being variably curved and lying within a horizontal plane, said conveying apparatus comprising:
- a supporting member defining an upwardly-directed horizontal substantially planar, supporting surface;
- a substantially continuous elongate flexible belt portion having a substantially planar downwardly-directed undersurface slidably supported atop said planar support surface, a length and a nominal width, said belt portion itself comprised of the following components "a" and "b":
- a) a plurality of conveyor segments each defining one of said conveying surfaces and having a width being the width of said flexible belt portion, said width being defined by two opposing discrete side edges;
- and
- b) a corresponding plurality of intermediate flexible necked portions intermediate and connecting each of said plurality of conveyor segments, said intermediate necked portions each defining two opposing side notches which reduce the width of said necked portions to accommodate side flexing of said necked portions conveyor segments relative to each other;
- and said conveyor apparatus finally comprising
- means for driving said conveyor segments along said variably curved path such that said conveyor segments pivot sidewardly relative to each other while traveling along said variably curved path due to said side flexing of said necked portions.
A conveying apparatus defining a plurality of conveying surfaces configured for conveying items, said conveying surfaces following a path being variably curved but lying within a horizontal plane, said conveying apparatus comprising:
- a supporting member defining an upwardly-directed horizontal, substantially planar, supporting surface;
- a plurality of conveyor segments each defining one of said conveying surfaces such that a substantially continuous, planar, supporting surface is provided by each of said plurality of conveyor segments, each of said conveyor segments defining opposing discrete side edges, and each of said conveyor segments having a substantially planar, downwardly-directed undersurface;
- a plurality of flexible necked portions intermediate and connecting each of said plurality of conveyor segments, said intermediate necked portions each defining two opposing side notches which reduce the width of said necked portions to accommodate side flexing of said necked portions conveyor segments relative to each other such that said side notches open and close with said flexing;
- and
- edge segment drive means for driving said conveyor along said path by contacting said discrete side edges,
- such that said segmented conveyor is driven along said curved path at least partially under the power of said edge drive means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.