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US 7,063,206 B2Granted
Accumulating conveyor system
AssigneeRapistan Systems Advertising Corp.
InventorsTed W. Haan, Wynn M. Pelak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accumulation conveyor system and method of accumulating articles includes providing an accumulation assembly that is adapted to accumulating a plurality of articles into a slug of articles. Slugs of articles are discharged to a transport line which transports the slugs and accumulates the slugs as required. The accumulation assembly is made up of a slug forming section which forms slug portions and discharges slug portions into slugs. The accumulation assembly accumulates articles in zones and reduces gaps between articles in sequence from upstream gaps to downstream gaps.
Claims39
An accumulation conveyor system, comprising:
- an accumulation assembly adapted to accumulating a plurality of articles into a slug of articles, the slug of articles having a nominal length;
- a transport line comprising a plurality of tandem transport conveyors downstream of said accumulation assembly;
- and
- a control for said accumulation assembly and said transport line, said control discharging individual slugs from said accumulation assembly and transporting the slugs from said accumulation assembly with said transport conveyors, said control monitoring slugs at said transport conveyors and accumulating slugs with said transport conveyors;
- wherein said transport conveyors have lengths that are generally no longer than said nominal length.
2 more elements
An accumulation conveyor apparatus, comprising:
- a conveying surface divided into a plurality of conveying sections, said conveying sections defining tandem accumulation zones;
- a control, said control monitoring articles on said conveying surface and operating said conveying sections to accumulate articles in said zones in an accumulation mode, said control operating said conveying sections after said accumulation mode with articles accumulated in said zones to form a slug by reducing gaps between articles.
An accumulation conveyor apparatus, comprising:
- a conveying surface divided into a plurality of conveying sections, said conveying sections defining tandem accumulation zones;
- a control, said control monitoring articles on said conveying surface and operating said conveying sections to accumulate articles in said zones, said control operating said conveying sections to form a slug by reducing gaps between articles in sequence from upstream gaps to downstream gaps.
An accumulation conveyor apparatus, comprising:
- a conveying surface divided into a plurality of conveying sections, said conveying sections defining tandem accumulation zones;
- article sensors associated with said conveying sections and wherein said article sensors are positioned at interfaces of said conveying sections;
- a control, said control monitoring articles on said conveying surface and operating said conveying sections to accumulate articles in said zones by terminating operation of a conveying section when the associated article sensor senses a trailing portion of an article at that conveying section;
- said control operating said conveying sections with articles accumulated in said zones to form a slug by reducing gaps between articles.
1 more element
A method of accumulating articles, comprising:
- providing an accumulation assembly and accumulating a plurality of articles with said accumulation assembly into a slug of articles, the slug of articles having a nominal length;
- providing a transport line comprising a plurality of tandem transport conveyors downstream of said accumulation assembly wherein said transport conveyors have lengths that are generally no longer than said nominal lengths;
- discharging individual slugs from said accumulation assembly and transporting the slugs from said accumulation assembly with said transport conveyors, including monitoring slugs at said transport conveyors and accumulating slugs with said transport conveyors.
A method of accumulating articles, comprising:
- a) providing a conveying surface divided into a plurality of conveying sections, said conveying sections defining tandem accumulation zones;
- b) operating said conveying sections to accumulate articles in said zones;
- c) operating said conveying sections after step b with articles accumulated in said zones thereby forming a slug by reducing gaps between articles.
A method of accumulating articles, comprising:
- providing a conveying surface divided into a plurality of conveying sections, said conveying sections defining tandem accumulation zones;
- monitoring articles on said conveying surface and operating said conveying sections to accumulate articles in said zones;
- forming a slug by reducing gaps between articles in sequence from upstream gaps to downstream gaps.
A method of accumulating articles, comprising:
- providing a conveying surface divided into a plurality of conveying sections, said conveying sections defining tandem accumulation zones;
- sensing articles at interfaces of said conveying sections;
- operating said conveying sections to accumulate articles in said zones;
- operating said conveying sections with articles accumulated in said zones thereby forming a slug by reducing gaps between articles;
- said operating said conveying sections to accumulate articles comprises terminating operation of a conveying section when a trailing portion of an article is sensed at that conveying section.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.