Braking system for air conveyors
AssigneeOuellette Machinery Systems, Inc.
InventorJoseph F. Ouellette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A braking system is provided along one of a pair of guide rails of an air conveyor that transports plastic bottles along a pathway between the pair of guide rails. The braking system is selectively actuated to move into the pathway defined by the guide rails decreasing its width and positioning a stop of the braking system in the pathway where it will engage with bottles conveyed by the air conveyor slowing and eventually stopping the bottles.
Claims24
A braking apparatus for a conveyor that conveys articles having width dimensions along a conveyor path, the braking apparatus comprising:
- a guide rail and at least one stop positioned adjacent each other with a spacing between the guide rail and the stop, the spacing defining the pathway between the guide rail and stop for the conveyance of the articles therethrough;
- an actuator connected to the one stop, the actuator having means to move the one stop toward the guide rail to a first position of the stop relative to the guide rail where the spacing between the guide rail and the stop is smaller than the width dimensions of the articles thereby preventing the conveyance of articles in the pathway, and to retract the one stop away from the guide rail to a second position of the stop relative to the guide rail where the spacing between the guide rail and stop is larger than the width dimensions of the articles thereby permitting the conveyance of articles along the pathway;
- and
- the stop is comprised of a pair of elongated bars.
A braking apparatus for a conveyor that conveys articles having width dimensions along a conveyor path, the braking apparatus comprising:
- a guide rail and at least one stop positioned adjacent each other with a spacing between the guide rail and the stop, the spacing defining the pathway between the guide rail and stop for the conveyance of the articles therethrough;
- an actuator connected to the one stop, the actuator having means to move the one stop toward the guide rail to a first position of the stop relative to the guide rail where the spacing between the guide rail and the stop is smaller than the width dimensions of the articles thereby preventing the conveyance of articles in the pathway, and to retract the one stop away from the guide rail to a second position of the stop relative to the guide rail where the spacing between the guide rail and stop is larger than the width dimensions of the articles thereby permitting the conveyance of articles along the pathway;
- and
- the one stop is comprised of first and second articulated sections.
A braking apparatus for a conveyor, the braking apparatus comprising:
- a guide rail and at least one stop positioned adjacent each other with a spacing between the guide rail and the stop, the spacing defining a pathway between the guide rail and stop for the conveyance of articles therethrough;
- and
- an actuator connected to the one stop, the actuator being selectively actuated to move the one stop toward the guide rail decreasing the spacing between the guide rail and the stop, and to retract the one stop from the guide rail reestablishing the spacing between the guide rail and the stop, the one stop having opposite first and second ends, the first end having a hole therethrough and a first pin passing through the hole and the second end having and oblong slot therethrough and a second pin passing through the oblong slot.
A braking apparatus for a conveyer that conveys articles having width dimensions along a conveyor path, the braking apparatus comprising:
- a guide rail and at least one stop positioned adjacent each other with a spacing between the guide rail and the stop, the spacing defining the pathway between the guide rail and stop for the conveyance of the articles therethrough;
- an actuator connected to the one stop, the actuator having means to move the one stop towards the guide rail to a first position of the stop relative to the guide rail where the spacing between the guide rail and the stop is smaller than the width dimensions of the articles thereby preventing the conveyance of the articles in the pathway, and to retract the one stop away from the guide rail to a second position of the stop relative to the guide rail where the spacing between the guide rail and stop is larger than the width dimensions of the articles thereby permitting the conveyance of the articles along the pathway;
- a frame for supporting the one stop and the guide rail;
- the actuator is connected between the one stop and the frame;
- and
- the frame includes a bracket and the bracket suspends the guide rail and the stop beneath the conveyor.
A braking apparatus for a conveyor, the apparatus comprising:
- a pair of rails positioned on opposite sides of the conveyor and extending along the conveyor;
- an actuator connected to at least one of the rails, the actuator being selectively actuated to move the one rail toward and away from the other rail;
- a frame for supporting the pair of rails;
- the one rail having opposite first and second ends, a hole passing through the first end and an oblong slot passing through the second end;
- and
- a first pin on the frame passing through the hole and a second pin on the frame passing through the oblong slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.