Conveyor system and a method of operating same

• US 20020063037A1
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crisplant a/s (BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Crisplant a/s (BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Bruun, Brian, Kibsgaard, Steen
• Granted Patent: US 6,662,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/370.01
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/044 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/02 Flow-sheets for conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/10 Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/52 Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/82 Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453

Abstract

A method for conveying and a conveyor system having a plurality of conveyor sections arranged in series transports articles. The articles can be accelerated on the conveyor system but adjacent conveyor sections have substantially the same speed when the articles are passed between them so as to reduce wear or damage to the articles.

Claims

1. A method of discharging at least one item from a tray, said method comprising the steps of

allowing the tray to slide down an inclined surface,

stopping the tray by letting it collide with an edge projecting substantially vertical from said surface, and

discharging said at least one item from the tray by letting it continue its movement beyond said edge due to its inertia and the force of gravity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tray has an upper surface of a concave shape as viewed in a cross-section perpendicular to the transport direction of the conveyor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said trays are coated with a friction increasing material.

4. A method of discharging a tray from a conveyor, said method comprising the steps of:

engaging the tray with a discharging member;

moving the member when engaging the tray with a speed in a direction transverse to the transport direction of the conveyor, so as to move the tray in a direction substantially transverse to the transport direction of the conveyor in order to discharge the tray from the conveyor; and

changing the speed of the member in a direction transverse to the transport direction of the conveyor with a substantially constant positive rate of change, the rate of change being determined so that an item placed on a tray to be discharged will follow the tray during the discharging operation, so as to obtain a fast discharge of the tray from the conveyor,

said method further comprising the steps of;

allowing the tray to slide down an inclined surface;

stopping the tray by letting the tray collide with an edge projecting substantially vertical from said surface; and

discharging said at least one item from the tray by letting it continue its movement beyond said edge due to its inertia and the force of gravity.