# US 6,793,139 B2 · Library article transport system with inclined conveyor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,793,139 B2 - Document ID: US6793139B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/391,345 - Filed: 2003-03-18 - Published: 2003-10-02 - Granted: 2004-09-21 - Earliest claimed: 2000-06-15 - Assignees: Tech Logic Corporation - Inventors: Mark R. Frich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6793139B2 ## CPC - B65G 15/14: the load being conveyed between the belts {(B65G15/18, B65G15/20 take precedence)} - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A conveyor apparatus transports materials along an incline. The apparatus includes an endless base conveyor belt that is tensioned between lower and upper end rollers and is aligned with the incline. A drive means drives the base belt at a selected speed and in a selected direction along the incline. An endless hanging overhead conveyor belt is provided above the base belt, and has a substantially flat conveyance surface for covering materials placed on the base belt. A drive roller of the hanging overhead belt is coupled to the upper end roller of the base belt so as to drive the hanging overhead belt at a speed and direction similar to that of the base belt. The hanging overhead belt extending toward and in proximity to an input transport conveyor for transporting articles at a speed slower than the speed of the hanging belt. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of receiving library materials being returned to a library, wherein said materials are transported substantially along an incline reference plane at a selected angle relative to a substantially horizontal ground reference plane, said method comprising: providing a materials depository for receiving said materials, wherein said materials depository is in proximity to a driven endless conveyor belt; placing said materials received at said depository on said driven endless conveyor belt, wherein said driven endless conveyor belt is provided above said ground reference plane and substantially aligned with said incline reference plane with said driven endless conveyor belt having a first selected length and a first substantially flat conveyance surface material for conveyance of said materials placed thereon, and wherein said driven endless conveyor belt is tensioned between first head and first tall ends thereof; covering said materials with a portion of a tension-less endless conveyor belt hanging from a second head end thereof in proximity to said first head end of said driven endless conveyor belt and provided above said driven endless conveyor belt, said tension-less endless conveyor belt having a second selected length and a second substantially flat conveyance surface for said coverings, wherein said tension-less endless belt further extends from the second head end to a lower freely hanging end in proximity to said driven endless conveyor belt tail end, said tension-less endless belt having a selected peripheral length sufficiently long so as to be capable of freely resting on an upward facing side of said driven endless conveyor belt so as to conform over and rest on any articles lying on said upward facing side of said driven endless conveyor belt, and between said downward facing side of said tension-less endless belt and said upward facing side of said driven endless conveyor belt; driving said driven endless conveyor belt and said tension-less endless conveyor belt at a selected speed and in a selected direction along said incline reference plane, whereby said materials are held substantially in place upon said driven endless conveyor belt by way of said tension-less endless conveyor belt covering said materials, with said driven and tension-less endless conveyor belts being driven at said selected speed and in said selected direction; and conveying said materials by way of said driven and tension-less endless conveyor belts substantially along said incline reference plane to an identification means for providing cataloging identification of said materials. ### Claim 2 The method of receiving library materials of clam 1, wherein (i) said materials depository includes a slide chute and (ii) a storage container receives said materials from said identification means. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of receiving library materials of claim 1, wherein said identification means is selected from a group comprising a bar code reader and a radio frequency identification system. ### Claim 4 A library article transport system comprising: a first transport conveyor for transporting sold library articles, placed thereon, from an input end toward a tail end at a first speed; an inclined transport conveyor assembly including, a driven second transport conveyor capable of transporting, at a second speed, said library articles from a lower receiving end toward an output end, and exiting therefrom, a tension-less endless belt extending from a tractor drive thereof in proximity to said second transport conveyor output end to a lower freely hanging end in proximity to both said first transport conveyor tail end and said second transport conveyor lower receiving end, said tension-less endless belt having a selected peripheral length sufficiently long so as to be capable of freely resting on an upward facing side of said second transport conveyor so as to conform over and rest on any articles lying on said upward facing side of said second transport conveyor and between said downward facing side of said tension-less endless belt and said upward facing side of said second transport conveyor, and a drive mechanism for driving said tension-less endless belt so as to cause said downward facing side thereof to move in said first direction at substantially said second selected speed, where said second speed is faster than said first speed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The library article transport system of claim 4 wherein said inclined second transport conveyor is an endless belt conveyor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The library article transport system of claim 4 further comprising a third transport conveyor for transporting, at a third speed, said library articles exiting from said inclined second transport conveyor to pass in proximity to an Identification means for providing cataloging identification of said materials. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The library article transport system of claim 6, wherein said identification means is selected from a group comprising a bar code reader and a radio frequency identification system. ### Claim 8 A library article transport system comprising: a receiving transport conveyor for transporting said library articles, placed thereon, from an input end toward a tail end at a first speed; an inclined transport conveyor assembly including, an inclined transport conveyor capable of transporting, at a second speed, said library articles from a lower receiving end toward an output end, and exiting therefrom, a tension-less endless belt extending from a tractor drive thereof in proximity to said inclined transport conveyor output end to a lower freely hanging end in proximity to both said receiving transport conveyor tail end and said inclined transport conveyor lower receiving end, said tension-less endless belt having a selected peripheral length sufficiently long so as to be capable of freely resting on an upward facing side of said inclined transport conveyor so as to conform over and rest on any articles lying on said upward facing side of said driven inclined transport conveyor and between said downward facing side of said tension-less endless belt and said upward facing side of said inclined transport conveyor, and a drive mechanism for driving said tension-less endless belt so as to cause said downward facing side thereof to move in said first direction at substantially said second selected speed, where said second speed is faster than said first speed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The library article transport system of claim 8 wherein said inclined transport conveyor is an endless belt conveyor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The library article transport system of claim 8 further comprising an output transport conveyor for transporting, at a third speed, said library articles exiting from said inclined transport conveyor to pass in proximity to an identification means for providing cataloging identification of said materials. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The library article transport system of claim 10, wherein said identification means is selected from a group comprising a bar code reader and a radio frequency identification system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The library article transport system of claim 8 further comprising an identification means in proximity to said library materials selectively positioned along a path traveled by said library materials defined, at least in part, by said receiving transport conveyor and said inclined transport conveyor, so that information thereabout may be provided for cataloging received library materials. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The library article transport system of claim 12, wherein said identification means is selected from a group comprising a bar code reader and a radio frequency identification system. ### Claim 14 A method of handling library materials comprising the steps of: placing said library materials on a receiving transport conveyor for transporting said library materials from an input end toward a tail end at a first speed; receiving said library materials from said tail end using an inclined transport conveyor assembly including, an inclined transport conveyor capable of transporting, at a second speed, said library articles from a lower receiving end toward an output end, and exiting therefrom, a tension-less endless belt extending from a tractor drive thereof in proximity to said inclined transport conveyor output end to a lower freely hanging end in proximity to both said receiving transport conveyor tail end and said inclined transport conveyor lower receiving end, said tension-less endless belt having a selected peripheral length sufficiently long so as to be capable of freely resting on an upward facing side of said inclined transport conveyor so as to conform over and rest on any articles lying on said upward facing side of said driven inclined transport conveyor and in between said downward facing side of said tension-less endless belt and said upward facing side of said inclined transport conveyor, and driving said tension-less endless belt so as to cause said downward facing side thereof to move in said first direction at substantially said second selected speed, where said second speed is faster than said first speed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of handling library materials of claim 14 wherein said inclined transport conveyor is an endless belt conveyor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of handling library materials of claim 14 further comprising the step of transporting, at a third speed, said library articles exiting from said inclined transport conveyor to pass in proximity to an identification means for providing cataloging identification of said materials. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of handling library materials of claim 16, wherein said identification means is selected from a group comprising a bar code reader and a radio frequency identification system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of handling library materials of claim 14, further including the step of identifying said library materials by way of an identification means in proximity to said library materials selectively positioned along a path defined by said receiving transport conveyor and said inclined transport conveyor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of handling library materials of claim 18, wherein said identification means is selected from a group comprising a bar code reader and a radio frequency identification system.