Servo-controlled distribution conveyor
AssigneeFormax, Inc.
InventorsGlenn Sandberg, Scott A. Lindee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A feed conveyor is operable in a first direction to deposit a stream of articles across a width of a downstream conveyor operating along a second direction, the second direction being at an angle to the first direction. The feed conveyor is an extendable conveyor that is accurately controlled for circulating speed, extension speed and retraction speed, to deposit articles transversely onto the downstream conveyor in a tightly spaced, grid pattern. The extension and retraction speed are controlled by a first servomotor and the conveying speed of the feed conveyor is controlled by a second servomotor.
Claims22
A feed conveyor for depositing articles onto a downstream conveyor, comprising:
- an endless circulating belt having an upper conveying surface;
- a roller controlling a belt accumulation region of said endless circulating belt, said conveying surface having an upstream region adapted to receive a stream of articles in rows across a lateral direction of said belt, said belt circulated to move said rows in said longitudinal direction to an end of said conveying surface, wherein said endless belt is turned over at said end, wherein circulation of said belt passes said rows off of said conveying surface to be deposited onto said downstream conveyor, and said longitudinal position of said end is movable between an extended position and a retracted position passing across at least a portion of a transverse dimension of said downstream conveyor by longitudinal positioning of said roller;
- a first electric motor and a traction system, said traction system engaged to be translated by said second electric motor, said roller mechanically connected to said traction system to be moved longitudinally thereby;
- a second electric motor, wherein said conveying surface is circulated by mechanical communication from said second electric motor;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to said first and second electric motors to precisely control the position of said end and the conveying speed of said conveying surface.
A system for depositing patties onto a downstream conveyor, comprising:
- a patty-forming machine having a reciprocating mold plate and a mechanism to eject patties from the reciprocating mold plate;
- a feed conveyor having an endless circulating belt with an upper conveying surface and a roller controlling a belt accumulation region of said endless circulating belt, said conveying surface having an upstream region adapted to receive a stream of patties from said patty-forming machine in rows across a lateral direction of said belt, said belt circulated to move said rows in said longitudinal direction to an end of said conveying surface, wherein said endless belt is turned over at said end, wherein circulation of said belt passes said rows off of said conveying surface to be deposited onto said downstream conveyor, and said longitudinal position of said end is movable between an extended position and a retracted position passing across at least a portion of a transverse dimension of said downstream conveyor by longitudinal positioning of said roller;
- a first electric motor and a traction system, said traction system engaged to be translated by said first electric motor, said roller mechanically connected to said traction system to be moved longitudinally thereby;
- a second electric motor, wherein said conveying surface is circulated by mechanical communication from said second electric motor;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to said first and second electric motors to precisely control the position of said end and the conveying speed of said conveying surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.