Conveyor and method for diverting closely spaced articles
US7344018B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 1, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 18, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G47/682
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A conveyor and associated method for diverting closely spaced articles conveyed along the conveyor. The conveyor includes a conveyor belt with belt rollers oriented to rotate on axes oblique to the direction of belt travel. A series of arrays of bearing surface elements are arranged end to end along the length of the conveyor. The bearing surfaces may be static or rotational. Each array defines a roller-control zone in which the array is selectively activated with its bearing surface elements in contract with the belt rollers or deactivated with its bearing surface elements out of contact with the belt rollers. As the belt advances through an activated roller-control zone, the belt rollers rotate to propel a conveyed article toward a side of the belt. The contiguous roller-control zones are sequentially activated and deactivated to direct articles to the side and off the belt or to let them pass straight through. The length of the entire series of roller-control zones determines the lateral extent of the sidewise diversion. The length of each roller-control zone determines the minimum gap between consecutively conveyed articles. The serial cascade of these roller-control zones perm…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.