CAN-SPREADING CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND METHODS

• US 20170334663A1
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: Ragan, Bryant G., Lagneaux, Jason, Cronvich, James T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,301,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/44 by endless belts or chains B65B35/405 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/24 Cleaning of, or removing dust from, containers, wrappers, or packaging ; Preventing of fouling
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/2018 for retaining the load on the load-carrying surface, retaining loads by magnetic load-carriers, e.g. belts B65G15/58, chains B65G17/46; individual magnetic grippers B65G17/323
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0252 Cans
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2811/0605 by arranging articles in groups or arranging grouped articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2811/0668 Magnetic or electrostatic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/22 Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors during feeding B65G47/14
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/66 Fixed platforms or combs, e.g. bridges between conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/715 to a broader conveyor lane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic

Abstract

A conveyor system and method for spreading a mass of electrically conductive articles, such as aluminum cans, being transferred from an infeed conveyor to a wider discharge conveyor. A transfer device between the infeed and discharge conveyors uses linear induction to propel and spread electrically conductive articles across a continuous transfer surface with or without the aid of backpressure or mechanical spreading means.

Claims

1. A conveyor system comprising:

a first conveyor for conveying a mass of electrically conductive articles confined to a first width;

a continuous conveying surface extending from the first conveyor in a conveying direction to receive the mass of electrically conductive articles from the first conveyor;

means for spreading the mass of electrically conductive articles from the first width to a wider second width on the continuous conveying surface;

a second conveyor for receiving the mass of electrically conductive articles spread to the second width from the continuous conveying surface;

wherein the means for spreading comprises a linear-motor stator arranged to generate an electromagnetic flux wave traveling along the continuous conveying surface between an upstream end near the first conveyor and a downstream end nearer the second conveyor; and

wherein the electromagnetic flux wave induces eddy currents creating fields in the electrically conductive articles that interact with the electromagnetic flux wave to produce a force against the electrically conductive articles to push the electrically conductive articles along the continuous conveying surface as the mass of electrically conductive articles spreads across the width of the continuous conveying surface and advances toward the second conveyor.

4. A conveyor system as in claim 1 wherein the means for spreading further comprises:

a pair of side rails spaced apart across the width of the continuous conveying surface and diverging from the first width near the first conveyor to the second width nearer the second conveyor.

5. A conveyor system as in claim 1 wherein the means for spreading further comprises:

a rotary drive coupled to the linear-motor stator to vary the orientation of the stator and the electromagnetic flux wave back and forth across the width of the continuous conveying surfaced.

6. A conveyor system as in claim 5 further comprising a pair of side rails spaced apart across the width of the continuous conveying surface and extending from a upstream end near the first conveyor to a downstream end nearer the second conveyor, wherein the orientation of the pair of side rails varies with the orientation of the linear-motor stator.

7. A conveyor system as in claim 6 wherein the pair of side rails are mechanically coupled to the rotary drive.

8. A conveyor system as in claim 6 wherein the pair of side rails are magnetically coupled to the rotary drive and have rollers that ride on the continuous conveying surface as the orientation is varied.

9. A conveyor system as in claim 1 wherein the means for spreading further comprises:

a drive translating the continuous conveying surface back and forth in a direction transverse to the conveying direction to spread the mass of electrically conductive articles across the width of the continuous conveying surface as the mass of electrically conductive articles is being spread across the width of the continuous conveying surface.

10. A conveyor system as in claim 9 wherein the continuous conveying surface is provided on a deadplate.

11. A conveyor system as in claim 9 wherein the continuous conveying surface is provided on a conveyor belt translatable back and forth in a direction transverse to the conveying direction.

12. A conveyor system as in claim 1 wherein:

the linear-motor stator has a plurality of non-linear poles arranged to generate an electromagnetic flux pattern having flux lines whose directions diverge along the continuous conveying surface from an upstream end near the first conveyor to a downstream end nearer the second conveyor; and

the electromagnetic flux pattern induces eddy currents creating fields in the electrically conductive articles that interact with the electromagnetic flux pattern to produce a force against the electrically conductive articles in the directions of the flux lines to spread the electrically conductive articles across the width of the continuous conveying surface while advancing the electrically conductive articles toward the downstream conveyor.

17. A conveyor system as in claim 1 further comprising a pair of curved side rails each disposed along an opposite side of the continuous conveying surface and an actuator coupled to the pair of side rails to selectively translate the side rails toward the second conveyor to push stranded electrically conductive articles off the continuous conveying surface and onto the second conveyor.

19. A conveyor system as in claim 1 further comprising a pair of diverging side rails each disposed along an opposite side of the continuous conveying surface wherein the continuous conveying surface fans out from a narrow end nearer the first conveyor to a wider end nearer the second conveyor.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

20. A transfer device for transferring electrically conductive articles to or from a conveyor, comprising:

a deadplate having an upper surface extending longitudinally in a conveying direction from a first end to a second end and laterally in width from a first side to a second side;

a linear-motor stator disposed under the upper surface of the deadplate to generate an electromagnetic flux wave passing through the upper surface and inducing eddy currents in electrically conductive articles supported on the upper surface;

wherein the eddy currents create fields in the electrically conductive articles that interact with the electromagnetic flux wave to produce forces directing the electrically conductive articles across the upper surface of the deadplate.

23. A transfer device as in claim 20 further comprising a drive coupled to the linear-motor stator or to the deadplate to change the orientation of the stator relative to the deadplate.

26. A transfer device as in claim 20 wherein the linear-motor stator has a plurality of non-linear poles arranged to generate an electromagnetic flux pattern having flux lines whose directions diverge from the first end to the second end of the deadplate.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

27. A method for spreading cans comprising:

conveying a mass of aluminum cans confined to a first width on a first conveyor;

feeding the mass of aluminum cans from the first conveyor onto a continuous conveying surface;

receiving the mass of aluminum cans from the continuous conveying surface on a second conveyor having a wider second width;

subjecting the mass of aluminum cans on the continuous conveying surface to electromagnetic flux waves to spread the aluminum cans from the first width to the second width as the mass of aluminum cans advances toward the second conveyor.

28. The method of claim 27 comprising conveying the aluminum cans open at one end with the open end down.

30. The method of claim 27 comprising subjecting the mass of aluminum cans on the continuous conveying surface to the electromagnetic flux waves by linear induction from a stator to the mass of aluminum cans on the continuous conveying surface.

31. The method of claim 30 comprising oscillating the stator back and forth to produce diverging electromagnetic fields and spread out the mass of aluminum cans.

32. The method of claim 30 comprising arranging a plurality of stators in diverging directions to produce diverging electromagnetic flux waves and spread out the mass of aluminum cans.

34. The method of claim 27 further comprising receiving the spread-out mass of aluminum cans from the continuous conveying surface on a second conveyor having a third width greater than the first width.

35. The method of claim 27 further comprising spreading the mass of aluminum cans between a pair of diverging side rails by the backpressure from aluminum cans on the first conveyor.

29. (canceled)

33. (canceled)