Pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor

A conveyor for moving objects comprising:

• a housing;
• a driven member movably mounted relative to said housing;
• a first sealess pneumatic assembly and a second sealess pneumatic assembly each operatively connected to said driven member and mounted in said housing, said first sealess pneumatic assembly and said second sealess pneumatic assembly each having an air inlet, wherein one of said first sealess pneumatic assembly and said second sealess pneumatic assembly acts to drive said driven member in one direction and the other of said first sealess pneumatic assembly and said second sealess pneumatic assembly acts to drive said driven member in a second direction opposite to said first direction;
• and
• a control valve that is operatively connected to a source of pressurized air and in fluid communication with said air inlet of said first sealess pneumatic assembly and said second sealess pneumatic assembly, wherein said control valve operates to sequentially cycle pressurized air to alternating ones of said first sealess pneumatic assembly and said second sealess pneumatic assembly so as to induce repeated, rectilinear movement of said driven member.

A method for moving objects comprising:

• providing a conveyor including a conveyor member and a sealess conveyor drive operatively connected to the conveyor member, said sealess conveyor drive having a driven member, a pair of opposed pneumatic assemblies operatively connected to the driven member, each of the pneumatic assemblies having an air inlet, and a control valve in fluid communication with the air inlet of each of the pneumatic assemblies:
• providing a fluid source;
• connecting the fluid source to the control valve;
• activating the control valve such that the fluid flows from the fluid source into the inlet of one of the pneumatic assemblies to drive the driven member in one direction to advance objects supported on the conveyor member;
• activating the control valve such that the fluid flows from the fluid source into the inlet of the other of the pneumatic assemblies to drive the driven member in a second direction opposite to the first direction such that the conveyor member moves relative to the objects supported thereon;
• and
• placing the objects on the conveyor member and repeating said steps of activating so as to induce repeated, rectilinear movement of the conveyor member for moving the objects along the conveyor member.