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US 8,794,423 B2Granted
Systems, methods and apparatuses for changing the direction/speed of a workpiece
AssigneeUsnr, LLC
InventorsPetri Sasstamo, Christopher W. Blomquist, Mike Dockter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides systems, methods and assemblies comprising one or more tapered feed rolls. Tapered feed rolls may be used to change the rate and direction of workpiece travel along a processing line while retaining the workpieces in sequential order. Routing workpiece flow with tapered feed rolls may allow the workpieces to be tracked along one or more processing lines, and may reduce the operational space required for workpiece processing.
Claims30
A system for transporting workpieces, the system comprising:
- a workpiece transport with a transport surface, the workpiece transport configured to convey workpieces in a first flow direction;
- a first plurality of feed rolls positioned above the transport surface and spaced apart along the flow direction, each of the feed rolls having a first end, a generally opposite second end of greater diameter than the first end, and an axis of rotation that extends at least partially across the transport surface and is skewed relative to the flow direction, the first plurality of feed rolls and the transport surface separated by a gap therebetween;
- and
- a first workpiece support surface disposed proximal to the first end of at least one of the feed rolls,
- wherein the first plurality of feed rolls is operable to contact a first workpiece without contacting a second workpiece, and to drive the first workpiece through the gap in a second flow direction to transfer the second workpiece from the transport surface to the first workpiece support surface or from the first workpiece support surface to the transport surface, and
- wherein the workpiece transport is operable to convey the second workpiece toward and through the gap in the first flow direction.
3 more elements
A method of transporting workpieces, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of feed rolls above a surface of a transport that is operable in a first flow direction, wherein the feed rolls are spaced apart along the flow direction, and each of the feed rolls has a first end, a generally opposite second end of greater diameter than the first end, and an axis of rotation that is skewed relative to the first flow direction, and wherein the plurality of feed rolls and the surface of the transport define a gap therebetween;
- providing a first workpiece support along the transport proximal to the first end of at least one of the feed rolls;
- transporting at least some of the workpieces toward the plurality of feed rolls;
- rotating the feed rolls in a first rotary direction;
- and
- contacting a first one of the workpieces with the feed rolls without contacting a second one of the workpieces with the feed rolls, whereby the first one of the workpieces is driven through the gap in a second flow direction that is perpendicular to said axis of rotation and the second one of the workpieces is conveyed through the gap in the first flow direction.
3 more elements
A system for transporting workpieces, the system comprising:
- a transverse conveyor with a transport surface, the transverse conveyor configured to convey workpieces in a first flow direction;
- a first feed roll positioned above the transport surface, the first feed roll having a first end, a generally opposite second end of greater diameter than the first end, and an axis of rotation, the first end disposed upstream of the second end, wherein the first feed roll and the transport surface are spaced apart by a first gap;
- and
- a first workpiece support surface disposed to one side of the transverse conveyor and proximal to the first feed roll,
- wherein the first feed roll is configured to contact a first workpiece without contacting a second workpiece, and to drive the first workpiece in a second flow direction through the first gap to the first workpiece support surface, and
- wherein the transverse conveyor is operable to convey the second workpiece through the first gap in the first flow direction.
3 more elements
A method of transporting workpieces, the method comprising:
- providing a first feed roll above a transport surface of a transverse conveyor that is operable in a first flow direction, wherein the first feed roll has a first end, a generally opposite second end of greater diameter than the first end, and an axis of rotation, the first end is disposed upstream of the second end, and the first feed roll and the transport surface are spaced apart by a gap therebetween;
- providing a first workpiece support along the transport proximal to the first feed roll;
- conveying the workpieces on the transverse conveyor toward the first feed roll;
- rotating the first feed roll in a first rotary direction;
- and
- contacting a first one of the workpieces with the first feed roll without contacting a second one of the workpieces with the first feed roll to thereby drive the first one of the workpieces through the gap in a second flow direction that is perpendicular to said axis of rotation and convey the second one of the workpieces through the gap in the first flow direction.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.