Conveyor and air film chute
AssigneeMantissa Corporation
InventorsJ. David Fortenbery, David Patrick Erceg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A package sorting conveyor system including a conveying track, at least one unloading station and an air-film lubricated entrance chute upstream of the unloading station to receive the package. In one of the embodiments, the system further includes a positioner assembly for selectively positioning an outlet of the entrance chute. The air-film lubricated entrance chute includes: a plenum including a plurality of spaced apart apertures and an opening for communicating with an air supply; and a conveying surface in communication with the apertures.
Claims21
A package sorting conveyor system comprising:
- (a) a conveying track;
- (b) at least one unloading station;
- and
- (c) an air-film lubricated entrance chute upstream of said unloading station to receive said package, said entrance chute having a outlet and including:
- (i) a plenum including a plurality of spaced apart apertures and an opening for communicating with an air supply;
- (ii) a conveying surface in communication with said apertures;
- and (iii) a positioner assembly for selectively positioning the outlet of said entrance chute.
An air-film lubricated entrance chute comprising:
- (a) a plenum including a plurality of spaced apart apertures and an opening for communicating with an air supply;
- and
- (b) a curved conveying surface in communication with said apertures, wherein the entrance chute is positioned in a mode of operation selected from the group consisting of actively moving air though said plenum to provide an air-film and stopping the air flow or reversing the air flow to provide a braking effect.
A package sorting conveyor system comprising:
- (a) a conveying track;
- (b) at least one unloading station;
- and
- (c) an air-film lubricated entrance chute upstream of said unloading station to receive said package, said entrance chute including:
- (i) a plenum including a plurality of spaced apart apertures and an opening for communicating with an air supply;
- and (ii) a curved conveying surface in communication with said apertures;
- and
- (d) a positioner assembly for selectively positioning an outlet of said entrance chute.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.