Conveyor with a motorized transport element
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorsRobert S. Lapeyre, Christopher G. Greve
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A conveying system including individually motorized transport elements or shoes that transport articles laterally across a conveyor. The motorized transport elements ride along tracks across the width of the conveyor. A motor drives each transport element across the conveyor. Local controllers in the transport elements or in the conveyor control the application of power to the motors and, thereby, the lateral positioning of the transport elements and the conveyed articles.
Claims50
A conveying system comprising:
- a conveyor having an outer conveying side atop which articles are conveyed along a carryway in a direction of travel, the conveyor including:
- a transport element arranged to ride laterally across the outer conveying side of the conveyor transverse to the direction of travel;
- and
- a motor located with the transport element for driving and riding with the transport element across the outer conveying side of the conveyor.
A conveying system comprising:
- a conveyor conveying articles in a direction of travel along a carryway, the conveyor including:
- a plurality of transport elements arranged on the conveyor to ride along parallel lateral tracks transverse to the direction of travel;
- and
- a motor located with each of the transport elements to drive and ride with the transport element along one of the tracks.
A conveying system comprising:
- a modular conveyor belt including a series of rows of belt modules hingedly linked together, at least some of the rows of belt modules including:
- a transport element arranged to ride laterally across the row;
- and
- a motor located with the transport element to drive and ride with the transport element across the row.
A conveyor belt module, comprising:
- a module body extending longitudinally from a forward end to a rearward end, transversely from a left edge to a right edge, and in thickness from a top side to a bottom side and suitable for being interconnected end to end to other module bodies to form a conveyor belt, the module body including a top track extending transversely across the top side of the module between the forward and rearward ends;
- a transport element arranged to ride in the top track;
- and
- a motor located with the transport element to drive and ride with the transport element along the top track.
A modular conveyor belt, comprising:
- a series of rows of hingedly interconnected belt modules extending in width from a left edge to a right edge and in thickness from a top side to a bottom side, wherein at least some of the rows include:
- a slot in the top side of the row and extending along the width of the row;
- a guide disposed in the slot;
- a transport element arranged to translate across the width of the row along the slot;
- and
- a drive mechanism located with the transport element to translate with the transport element, the drive mechanism including:
- a motor;
- and
- a gear wheel rotated by the motor and engaging the guide to translate the transport element along the slot.
A conveying system comprising:
- a conveyor conveying articles in a direction of travel along a carryway, the conveyor including:
- a lateral slot formed in the conveyor in a direction transverse to the direction of travel;
- a guide residing in the slot;
- a transport element arranged to ride along the slot;
- a motor located to ride with the transport element;
- and
- a drive element driven by the motor and engaging the guide to drive the transport element along the slot.
A conveying system comprising:
- a slat conveyor conveying articles in a direction of travel along a carryway, the slat conveyor including:
- a plurality of parallel drag chains driven in the direction of travel;
- a plurality of parallel slats attached to and spanning the drag chains, at least some of the slats including:
- a lateral slot formed in the slat in a direction transverse to the direction of travel;
- a transport element arranged to ride along the slot;
- a motor arranged with the transport element to ride with and drive the transport element along the slot.
A slat conveyor conveying articles in a direction of travel along a carryway, the slat conveyor comprising:
- a plurality of parallel drag chains driven in the direction of travel;
- a plurality of parallel slats attached to and spanning the drag chains, at least some of the slats including:
- a motorized transport element arranged to ride along the slat;
- wherein one of the drag chains is an electrically powered drag chain to provide electric power to drive the transport element along the slot.
A slat conveyor conveying articles in a direction of travel along a carryway, the slat conveyor comprising:
- a plurality of parallel drag chains driven in the direction of travel;
- a plurality of parallel slats attached to and spanning the drag chains;
- and
- an external electric power source having an ungrounded terminal electrically connected to one of the drag chains.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.