Tipping actuator for a conveyor system
US10011440B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 17, 2016 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 17, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G2201/0211
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The invention relates to a tipping actuator for a conveyor system that comprises a plurality of article carriers moving on an endless conveyor in a conveying direction, each article carrier having a carrier frame for bearing an article, the carrier frame being pivotally mounted on the article carrier and operable to tip to enable discharge of the article borne on the carrier frame. The tipping actuator comprises a trigger member for contacting the article carriers to tip them and is configured such that, when in a non-contact position, the article carriers are able to at least partly tip towards the trigger member such that the contact portion of the trigger member is received by a portion of the article carrier. In another embodiment, a contact portion of the trigger is sloped with two different gradients. An electromagnet may be used to cause actuation of the trigger. The tipping actuator may be able to allow tipping in opposite directions of adjacent carriers, for example in some embodiments the trigger may be formed of upstream and downstream parts.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.