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US 9,725,248 B2Granted
Systems, methods and apparatuses for changing the direction/speed of a workpiece
AssigneeUsnr, LLC
InventorsPetri Saastamo, 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.
Claims20
A system for separating or combining workpieces, the system comprising:
- a first workpiece transport with a transport surface configured to convey the workpieces in a flow direction;
- a first feed roll positioned at one end of the first workpiece transport, the first feed roll having a first axis of rotation oriented generally parallel to the flow direction;
- a second feed roll positioned above the first feed roll, the second feed roll having a second axis of rotation oriented transverse to the first axis of rotation, and the first and second feed rolls defining a first gap therebetween;
- and
- a third feed roll positioned below the first feed roll, the third feed roll having a third axis of rotation oriented transverse to the first axis of rotation, and the first and third feed rolls defining a second gap therebetween,
- wherein each of the feed rolls has a first end and a generally opposite second end of greater diameter than the first end, the first ends of the feed rolls positioned upstream of the second ends, and
- wherein the first feed roll is rotatable in a first rotary direction and the second and third feed rolls are rotatable in an opposite second rotary direction, such that the feed rolls are collectively operable to drive workpieces through the first gap along a first diagonal path and to drive workpieces through the second gap along a second diagonal path that is transverse to the first diagonal path.
4 more elements
A method for separating workpieces, the method comprising:
- providing a first feed roll, a second feed roll, and a third feed roll at one end of a workpiece transport, wherein each of the feed rolls has a first end positioned proximal to the workpiece transport, a second end of greater diameter than the first end, and an axis of rotation, and wherein the second feed roll is positioned above the first feed roll and the third feed roll is positioned below the first feed roll, the axis of rotation of the first feed roll is generally parallel to the flow direction, the second feed roll is spaced apart from the first feed roll by a first gap, and the third feed roll is spaced apart from the second feed roll by a second gap;
- rotating the second feed roll and the third feed roll in a first rotary direction and rotating the first feed roll in a generally opposite second rotary direction;
- and
- feeding a first one of the workpieces on the workpiece transport between the first ends of the first and second feed rolls and feeding a second one of the workpieces on the workpiece between the first ends of the first and third feed rolls, whereby the first and second ones of the workpieces are driven in different directions transverse to the flow direction.
1 more element
A method for combining workpiece flows, the method comprising:
- providing a first feed roll, a second feed roll, and a third feed roll at one end of the workpiece transport, wherein each of the feed rolls has a first end positioned proximal to the workpiece transport, a second end of greater diameter than the first end, and an axis of rotation, and wherein the second feed roll is positioned above the first feed roll and the third feed roll is positioned below the first feed roll, the axis of rotation of the first feed roll is generally parallel to the flow direction, the second feed roll is spaced apart from the first feed roll by a first gap, and the third feed roll is spaced apart from the second feed roll by a second gap;
- rotating the second feed roll and the third feed roll in a first rotary direction and rotating the first feed roll in a generally opposite second rotary direction;
- and
- feeding a first one of the workpieces between the second ends of the first and second feed rolls and feeding a second one of the workpieces between the second ends of the first and third feed rolls, whereby the first and second ones of the workpieces are driven in different directions onto the transport.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.