Expandable over and under line feed system

• US 20020008000A1
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutz, David W.
• Original Assignee: Lutz, David W.
• Inventors: Lutz, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,769,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/339.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/06 constructed to facilitate rapid assembly or dismantling
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/12 to allow adjustment of position of load-carrier or traction element as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 35/06 comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/643 in a vertical plane

Abstract

An adjustable over and under line feed system having a first end, a second end, a plurality of adjustable first support legs, a plurality of adjustable second support legs, and a plurality of adjustable support cross members connected substantially perpendicular to a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable first support legs and a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable second support legs, and a conveyor assembly positioned substantially perpendicular to the plurality of adjustable support cross members.

Claims

1. An over and under line feed system having a first end and a second end comprising:

a plurality of first support legs;

a plurality of second support legs, each of the plurality of second support legs spaced apart from each of the plurality of first support legs;

a plurality of adjustable support cross members, with each of the plurality of adjustable support cross members connected substantially perpendicular to a corresponding one of the plurality of first support legs and a corresponding one of the plurality of second support legs; and

a conveyor assembly positioned substantially perpendicular to the plurality of adjustable support cross members.

2. The line feed system as claimed in claim 1 further wherein two of the plurality of adjustable support cross members are connected substantially perpendicular to a corresponding one of the plurality of first support legs and a corresponding one of the plurality of second support legs, and each of the plurality of adjustable support cross members lie in substantially the same imaginary plane.

3. The line feed system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conveyor assembly comprises a conveyor track assembly and a plurality of indexing rails.

4. The line feed system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an elevator assembly positioned at the first end.

5. The line feed system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the elevator assembly comprises two substantially parallel elevator supports connected to each other by a support cross member, wherein at least one of the substantially parallel elevator supports is movably connected to the first end of the over and under line feed system.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the elevator assembly further comprises a workstation.

7. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the elevator assembly further comprises an elevator.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the movable elevator comprises an adjustable elevator cross member, a pair of adjustable, spaced-apart, substantially-vertical elevator support members, a pair of adjustable, spaced-apart elevator base members, and an adjustable elevator base cross member, wherein the elevator cross member is positioned between the pair of elevator support members, each one of the pair of elevator base members is positioned adjacent to a corresponding end of one of the pair of elevator support members, and the adjustable elevator base cross member is positioned between each of the pair of elevator base members.

9. A method of converting an over and under line feed system to accommodate a larger or smaller container, the over and under line feed system having a first end, a second end, a plurality of adjustable first support legs, a plurality of adjustable second support legs, a plurality of adjustable support cross members, at least one support cross member connected substantially perpendicular to a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable first support legs, and substantially perpendicular to a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable second support legs, two movable elevator supports connected to each other by a support cross member, and an adjustable elevator positioned adjacent to the elevator supports comprising the step of adjusting at least one of the plurality of adjustable support cross members to a length greater than a width of the container.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the step of moving the two substantially-parallel elevator supports to a position substantially parallel to the plurality of adjustable cross members.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a plurality of inserts having a plurality of desired heights and further comprising the step of inserting at least one of the plurality of inserts into the adjustable first support legs to increase or decrease an overall length of each of the plurality of adjustable first support legs.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the step of adjusting the elevator to fit the larger or smaller container.

13. An over and under line feed system having a first end and a second end comprising:

a plurality of adjustable first support legs, each of the first support legs spaced apart from one another and each of the first support legs positioned in a first imaginary plane;

a plurality of adjustable second support legs, each of the second support legs spaced apart from one another and each of the second support legs positioned in a second imaginary plane oriented substantially parallel to the first imaginary plane; and

a plurality of adjustable support cross members, each support cross member comprising a first member movably connected to a second member section, wherein each of the plurality of support cross members connects a corresponding first support leg to a corresponding second support leg, each of the plurality of support cross members is positioned substantially perpendicular to the corresponding first support leg and substantially perpendicular to the corresponding second support leg; and

a conveyor assembly positioned adjacent to the plurality of support cross members.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13 further comprising an elevator assembly positioned at the first frame end.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the elevator assembly further comprises a movable elevator having an adjustable elevator cross member, a pair of adjustable elevator support members, a pair of adjustable elevator base members, and an adjustable elevator base cross member, wherein the adjustable elevator cross member is positioned between the pair of elevator support members, each one of the pair of adjustable, spaced-apart elevator base members are positioned adjacent to a corresponding end of one of the pair of elevator support members, and the elevator base cross member is positioned between each of the pair of elevator base members.

14. The device as claimed in claimed 13 wherein the conveyor assembly comprises a conveyor track assembly and a plurality of indexing rails.