Apparatus and method for adjusting the position of guide rails in conveyors
AssigneeFlow Engineering
InventorMichael T. Leonard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for remote adjusting of guide rail positions along a conveyor. The guide rails are adjusted to allow the conveyor to accommodate product packages of various shapes and sizes. A moveable guide rail assembly is positioned along a conveyor and is in mechanical connection with the piston rod of an actuator cylinder. A guide rail control device is fluidly connected with the actuator cylinder and it translates a mechanical input to a fluidic output that is communicated with the piston of the actuator cylinder to thereby move the guide rail assembly into a new adjustment position. The system can provide simultaneous adjustment of numerous guard rail segments from a remote guide rail control device while providing accurate non-drift infinitely-adjustable positioning.
Claims24
An apparatus for remotely adjusting the position of a conveyor guide rail to accommodate product packages of various shapes and sizes, comprising:
- (a) an actuator cylinder having a piston configured for mechanical connection with a guide rail assembly;
- and
- (b) a control device that translates a mechanical input into a fluidic output which is communicated with the piston of the actuator cylinder for moving the guide rail assembly from a first position to a second position.
An apparatus for adjusting the position of a conveyor guide rail to accommodate various product packages, comprising:
- (a) a hydraulic actuator cylinder having a piston configured for mechanical connection with a guide rail assembly;
- and
- (b) a guide rail control device, said guide rail control device comprising
- (i) a housing,
- (ii) a crankshaft rotatably retained within said housing, said crankshaft including a portion having exterior threads,
- (iii) a control plate annularly disposed on the crankshaft which engages the threaded portion of the crankshaft,
- (iv) a plurality of hydraulic cylinders having piston rods connected with the control plate, and
- (v) means for inducing rotation of said crankshaft, said rotation inducing a linear movement of said control plate along a portion of the length of the crankshaft which moves the connected piston rods within the hydraulic cylinders to thereby provide fluid communication with hydraulic actuators whose resultant piston movement causes the guide rail assembly to move from said first position to said second position.
A method of remotely adjusting the position of conveyor guide rails which direct the positioning of product packages as they move along a conveyor, comprising the steps of:
- (a) moving a control member of a guide rail control device which is configured to communicate fluid;
- (b) receiving within an actuator said communicated fluid which thereby causes movement of an output portion of said actuator;
- and
- (c) adjusting the position of a guide rail assembly in response to mechanically coupled movement of the output portion of said actuator.
A hydraulic control for providing simultaneous fluid communication with multiple remote hydraulic actuators, comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) a crankshaft rotatably retained within said housing, said crankshaft including a portion having exterior threads;
- (c) a control plate annularly disposed on the crankshaft which engages the threaded portion of the crankshaft;
- (d) hydraulic cylinders whose piston rods are connected with the control plate;
- and
- (e) means for inducing rotation of said crankshaft, said rotation inducing a linear movement of said control plate along a portion of the length of the crankshaft which moves the connected piston rods within the hydraulic cylinders to thereby provide fluid communication with remote hydraulic actuators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.