Pressureless infeed conveyor table

A pressureless infeed conveyor table for use with a controller to form a predetermined spacing between articles in a column moving along a conveying line, said pressureless infeed conveyor table comprising:

• an endless supply belt having an upper reach and a lower reach;
• a plurality of supply belt rollers comprising a first supply belt roller positioned at a downstream end of the endless supply belt and forming a first nose on the endless supply belt, a second supply belt roller, a third supply belt roller positioned at an upstream end of the endless supply belt, and a supply belt drive roller, wherein said endless supply belt is trained about said supply belt rollers;
• an endless removal belt having an upper reach and a lower reach;
• a plurality of removal belt rollers comprising a first removal belt roller positioned at an upstream end of the endless removal belt and forming a second nose on the endless supply belt, a second removal belt roller, a third removal belt roller positioned at an upstream end of the endless removal belt, and a removal belt drive roller, wherein said endless supply belt is trained about said removal belt rollers;
• a first motor is connected to the supply belt drive roller for driving the endless supply belt at a first speed;
• a second motor is connected to the removal belt drive roller for driving the endless removal belt at a second speed;
• a first carriage moveably mounted on a first rail;
• a second carriage moveably mounted on a second rail;
• wherein said first supply belt roller and said first removal belt roller are rotatably mounted on said first carriage, and said second supply belt roller and said second removal belt roller are rotatably mounted on said second carriage;
• a transfer location comprising the first nose and the second nose;
• a means for stabilizing oscillations in the endless supply belt and the endless removal belt, wherein said means for stabilizing comprises a sprocket belt, and sprocket wheels;
• a plurality of support blocks, each support block having an attaching end connected to the sprocket belt and an outer surface facing away from the sprocket belt, wherein the outer surface is generally planar;
• wherein said sprocket belt is trained about said sprocket wheels and said outer surface is positioned proximate to the upper reach of the endless supply belt and the upper reach of the endless removal belt;
• carriage drive means for driving said first carriage comprises a plurality of carriage rollers including a carriage drive roller, a carriage drive belt attached to the first carriage, and a reversible servo-motor, wherein said carriage drive belt is trained around said carriage rollers, said servo-motor drives said carriage drive roller which rotates the carriage drive belt, and said carriage drive belt is attached to said first carriage;
• wherein said first carriage reciprocates in a direction that is generally parallel to the upper reach of said endless supply belt and the upper reach of said endless removal belt;
• sensor means comprising at least one primary sensor positioned adjacent the upstream end of the endless supply belt;
• wherein said primary sensor detects passing articles and transmits signals to the controller indicating the distance between the articles;
• wherein the second carriage and sprocket belt move in response to movement of the first carriage.

A pressureless infeed conveyor device for use with a controller to form a uniform column of articles with a predetermined spacing between the articles moving in a conveying line, said device comprising:

• an endless supply belt trained about a plurality of supply belt rollers which include first, second and third supply belt rollers;
• an endless removal belt trained about a plurality of removal belt rollers which include first, second and third removal belt rollers, said endless removal belt positioned at a downstream end of said endless supply belt;
• a first motor connected to the endless supply belt;
• a second motor connected to the endless removal belt;
• a first carriage with said first supply belt roller and said first removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• a second carriage with said second supply belt roller and said second removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• said first supply belt roller positioned at a downstream end of said supply belt and forming a first nose thereon;
• said first removal belt roller positioned at an upstream end of said removal belt and forming a second nose thereon;
• a transfer location comprises the first and second noses on the first carriage where the articles move from the supply belt to the removal belt;
• a sprocket belt connected to the first and second carriages;
• a plurality of sprocket wheels rotatably supporting said sprocket belt;
• said sprocket belt trained about the sprocket wheels;
• a reversible servo-motor which directly drives the first carriage via a belt drive in a reciprocating direction generally parallel to an upper reach of the endless supply belt and an upper reach of the endless removal belt;
• and
• wherein said first motor drives said endless supply belt at a first speed, and said second motor drives said endless removal belt at a second speed.

A pressureless infeed conveyor device for use with a controller to form a uniform column of articles with a predetermined spacing between the articles moving in a conveying line, said device comprising:

• an endless supply belt trained about a plurality of supply belt rollers which include first, second and third supply belt rollers;
• an endless removal belt trained about a plurality of removal belt rollers which include first, second and third removal belt rollers, said endless removal belt positioned at a downstream end of said endless supply belt;
• a first motor connected to the endless supply belt;
• a second motor connected to the endless removal belt;
• a first carriage with said first supply belt roller and said first removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• a second carriage with said second supply belt roller and said second removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• said first supply belt roller positioned at a downstream end of said supply belt and forming a first nose thereon;
• said first removal belt roller positioned at an upstream end of said removal belt and forming a second nose thereon;
• a transfer location comprises the first and second noses on the first carriage where the articles move from the supply belt to the removal belt;
• a sprocket belt connected to the first and second carriages;
• a plurality of sprocket wheels rotatably supporting said sprocket belt;
• said sprocket belt trained about the sprocket wheels;
• a reversible servo-motor which directly drives the first carriage in a reciprocating direction generally parallel to an upper reach of the endless supply belt and an upper reach of the endless removal belt;
• and
• wherein said first motor drives said endless supply belt at a first speed, said second motor drives said endless removal belt at a second speed, and said sprocket belt and said second carriage are driven by said first carriage.

A pressureless infeed conveyor device for use with a controller to form a uniform column of articles with a predetermined spacing between the articles moving in a conveying line, said device comprising:

• an endless supply belt trained about a plurality of supply belt rollers which include first, second and third supply belt rollers;
• an endless removal belt trained about a plurality of removal belt rollers which include first, second and third removal belt rollers, said endless removal belt positioned at a downstream end of said endless supply belt;
• a first motor connected to the endless supply belt;
• a second motor connected to the endless removal belt;
• a first carriage with said first supply belt roller and said first removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• a second carriage with said second supply belt roller and said second removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• said first supply belt roller positioned at a downstream end of said supply belt and forming a first nose thereon;
• said first removal belt roller positioned at an upstream end of said removal belt and forming a second nose thereon;
• a transfer location comprises the first and second noses on the first carriage where the articles move from the supply belt to the removal belt;
• a sprocket belt connected to the first and second carriages;
• a plurality of sprocket wheels rotatably supporting said sprocket belt;
• said sprocket belt trained about the sprocket wheels;
• a reversible servo-motor which directly drives the first carriage in a reciprocating direction generally parallel to an upper reach of the endless supply belt and an upper reach of the endless removal belt;
• and
• a plurality of carriage rollers including a carriage drive roller and a carriage drive belt trained about said carriage rollers;
• wherein said first motor drives said endless supply belt at a first speed, said second motor drives said endless removal belt at a second speed, and said reversible servo-motor rotates said carriage drive roller and said carriage drive belt.

A pressureless infeed conveyor device for use with a controller to form a uniform column of articles with a predetermined spacing between the articles moving in a conveying line, said device comprising:

• an endless supply belt trained about a plurality of supply belt rollers which include first, second and third supply belt rollers;
• an endless removal belt trained about a plurality of removal belt rollers which include first, second and third removal belt rollers, said endless removal belt positioned at a downstream end of said endless supply belt;
• a first motor connected to the endless supply belt;
• a second motor connected to the endless removal belt;
• a first carriage with said first supply belt roller and said first removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• a second carriage with said second supply belt roller and said second removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• said first supply belt roller positioned at a downstream end of said supply belt and forming a first nose thereon;
• said first removal belt roller positioned at an upstream end of said removal belt and forming a second nose thereon;
• a transfer location comprises the first and second noses on the first carriage where the articles move from the supply belt to the removal belt;
• a sprocket belt connected to the first and second carriages;
• a plurality of sprocket wheels rotatably supporting said sprocket belt;
• wherein said sprocket belt is trained about the sprocket wheels;
• a plurality of support blocks, each support block having an attaching end secured to said sprocket belt and an outer surface facing away from the sprocket belt;
• wherein said outer surface is generally planar;
• a reversible servo-motor which directly drives the first carriage in a reciprocating direction generally parallel to an upper reach of the endless supply belt and an upper reach of the endless removal belt;
• and
• wherein said first motor drives said endless supply belt at a first speed, and said second motor drives said endless removal belt at a second speed.

A pressureless infeed conveyor table comprising:

• an endless supply belt trained about a first supply belt roller positioned at a downstream end of the supply belt, a second supply belt roller, and a third supply belt roller positioned at an upstream end of the supply belt;
• an endless removal belt trained about a first removal belt roller positioned at an upstream end of the removal belt, a second removal belt roller, and a third removal belt roller positioned at a downstream end of the removal belt;
• first means for driving the endless supply belt at a first speed;
• second means for driving the endless removal belt at a second speed;
• a first carriage having said first supply belt roller and said first removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• a second carriage having said second supply belt roller and said second removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• transfer location comprising the first supply belt roller and the first removal belt roller where articles move from the supply belt to the removal belt;
• sprocket assembly for stabilizing the supply and removal belts, said sprocket assembly comprises a sprocket belt and sprocket wheels, wherein said sprocket belt is attached to said first and second carriages, and is trained about said sprocket wheels;
• carriage drive means for directly driving said first carriage in a direction that is generally parallel to a direction in which the articles are conveyed;
• and
• sensor means for detecting articles passing by on the endless supply belt.

A pressureless infeed conveyor table comprising:

• an endless supply belt trained about a first supply belt roller positioned at a downstream end of the supply belt, a second supply belt roller, and a third supply belt roller positioned at an upstream end of the supply belt;
• an endless removal belt trained about a first removal belt roller positioned at an upstream end of the removal belt, a second removal belt roller, and a third removal belt roller positioned at a downstream end of the removal belt;
• first means for driving the endless supply belt at a first speed;
• second means for driving the endless removal belt at a second speed;
• a first carriage having said first supply belt roller and said first removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• a second carriage having said second supply belt roller and said second removal belt roller rotatably mounted thereon;
• transfer location comprising the first supply belt roller and the first removal belt roller where articles move from the supply belt to the removal belt;
• means for stabilizing the supply and removal belts;
• a carriage drive belt;
• a plurality of carriage rollers;
• a reversible servo-motor;
• and
• sensor means for detecting articles passing by on the endless supply belt;
• wherein said carriage drive belt is attached to said first carriage, trained about said carriage rollers, and driven by said reversible servo-motor, such that said carriage drive belt directly drives said first carriage in a direction that is generally parallel to a direction in which the articles are conveyed.