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US 9,573,772 B2Granted
Conveyor system with roller assemblies
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorMatthew L. Fourney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyance device comprises a sorting plate housing a plurality of roller assemblies and a series of narrow conveyor belts for conveying articles towards the sorting plate. In a first mode, the narrow conveyor belts bypass the roller assemblies and convey articles over the sorting plate. In a second mode, the conveyor belts bring an article into contact with the roller assemblies, which then manipulate the trajectory of the article.
Claims16
A conveyance device, comprising:
- a sorting plate having an array of roller assemblies for contacting and directing an article of conveyance along a selected trajectory;
- at least one conveyor belt passing between two roller assemblies;
- and
- an actuator comprising a movable ramp for selectively raising and lowering the conveyor belt relative to the sorting plate.
1 more element
A conveyance device, comprising:
- a sorting plate having a plurality of rows of roller assemblies for contacting and directing an article of conveyance along a selected trajectory;
- a plurality of tracks passing between roller assemblies;
- a plurality of narrow conveyor belts contained in the tracks;
- and
- an actuator comprising a movable ramp for varying the distance between the narrow conveyor belts and the roller assemblies.
2 more elements
A method of sorting articles, comprising the steps of:
- conveying articles towards a sorting plate having a plurality of roller assemblies using a series of narrow conveyor belt connected to movable ramps;
- and
- moving the movable ramps to adjust a distance between the roller assemblies and the narrow conveyor belts depending on an orientation of the roller assemblies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.