Conveyor accumulator for controlling the flow of articles being conveyed
US9415947B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 5, 2015 |
| Grant date | Aug 16, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 5, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G47/5127
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A buffer assembly is configured to buffer a stream of articles moving along a conveyor. The buffer assembly is interposed in said conveyor. The buffer assembly has a horizontal in-feed accumulator that is configured to receive the stream of articles from said conveyor, and a horizontal mass storage accumulator connected to an output of the horizontal in-feed accumulator for receiving said stream of articles therefrom. Each of the horizontal in-feed accumulator and the horizontal mass storage accumulator are configured to buffer said stream of articles. The buffer assembly also has a horizontal out-feed accumulator connected to the output of the horizontal mass storage accumulator that is configured to buffer the stream of articles. The in-feed buffering of the articles prevents product compression and the buffering of the out-feed articles prevents the formation of gaps between product articles.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.