DIVERTING CONVEYOR USING A DIVERTING BELT WITH ACTUATED ROLLERS
First Claim
1. A conveyor system comprising:
- a main conveyor line having an infeed portion and an outfeed portion and conveying articles in a conveying direction;
a diverting conveyor belt intersecting the main conveyor line between the infeed portion and the outfeed portion and advanceable in a diverting direction transverse to the conveying direction, the diverting conveyor belt including;
an upstream edge adjacent the infeed portion, an opposite downstream edge adjacent the outfeed portion, and an outer side;
a plurality of article-supporting rollers protruding from the outer side and including electrically conductive or magnetic material and arranged to rotate in the conveying direction;
a linear-motor stator disposed under the diverting conveyor belt producing an electromagnetic wave that interacts with the rollers to actuate the rollers to rotate in the conveying direction;
a controller selectively;
(a) advancing the diverting conveyor belt in the diverting direction and unpowering the linear-motor stator to deactuate the rollers to divert articles from the main conveyor line; and
(b) stopping the diverting conveyor belt and powering the linear-motor stator to actuate the rollers to rotate in the conveying direction to transfer articles across the diverting conveyor belt from the infeed portion to the outfeed portion.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A conveyor system with a diverting conveyor belt crossing and intersecting a main conveyor line. The diverting conveyor belt has rollers on its outer side that rotate freely in the main conveying direction of the line. The downstream edge of the diverting conveyor is selectably tilted between a lowered, untilted position level with the main conveyor line and a raised, tilted position above the level of the main conveyor line. When the diverting belt is untilted and stopped, an article passes over the belt'"'"'s rollers without being diverted. When the diverting belt is tilted and running, it diverts articles off the side of the conveyor line. In another version the rollers include an electrically conductive or magnetic material. A linear-motor stator under the diverting belt selectively actuates the conductive or magnetic rollers to draw undiverted articles across the belt.
8 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A conveyor system comprising:
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a main conveyor line having an infeed portion and an outfeed portion and conveying articles in a conveying direction; a diverting conveyor belt intersecting the main conveyor line between the infeed portion and the outfeed portion and advanceable in a diverting direction transverse to the conveying direction, the diverting conveyor belt including; an upstream edge adjacent the infeed portion, an opposite downstream edge adjacent the outfeed portion, and an outer side; a plurality of article-supporting rollers protruding from the outer side and including electrically conductive or magnetic material and arranged to rotate in the conveying direction; a linear-motor stator disposed under the diverting conveyor belt producing an electromagnetic wave that interacts with the rollers to actuate the rollers to rotate in the conveying direction; a controller selectively; (a) advancing the diverting conveyor belt in the diverting direction and unpowering the linear-motor stator to deactuate the rollers to divert articles from the main conveyor line; and (b) stopping the diverting conveyor belt and powering the linear-motor stator to actuate the rollers to rotate in the conveying direction to transfer articles across the diverting conveyor belt from the infeed portion to the outfeed portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification