Accumulating conveyor with pneumatic control system
First Claim
1. A control system for an accumulating conveyor having a plurality of load carrying rollers and being divided into a plurality of zones, drive means for driving said rollers, and a fluid actuating means in each of said zones for affecting driving engagement and disengaement of said drive means with and from said rollers in said zone, said control system comprising a pneumatic logic module in each of said zones including:
- a limit valve having a fluid passing position and a fluid not-passing position, said limit valve being movable to its not-passing position in response to the presence of a conveyed article in the same zone; and
an OR valve having an outlet port and a pair of inlet ports, said OR valve providing fluid pressure from said outlet port to the actuating means of one of the zones of said conveyor in response to fluid pressure at either of said inlet ports, one of said inlet ports being connected to said limit valve in the same zone and the other of said inlet ports being connected to the logic module of the adjacent downstream zone of said conveyor.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for an accumulating conveyor having a plurality of zones wherein each zone has a pneumatic logic module that includes a relay limit valve and one or more OR valves. The output of one OR valve is connected to air actuators which affect driving engagement and disengagement of drive rollers with the load carrying rollers of a zone of the conveyor. A pilot operated relay valve is connected to the discharge zone of the conveyor and employed to release an article thereon. The control system can easily be modified to provide accumulation in either direction, as well as single, sequential or train release in both directions.
37 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A control system for an accumulating conveyor having a plurality of load carrying rollers and being divided into a plurality of zones, drive means for driving said rollers, and a fluid actuating means in each of said zones for affecting driving engagement and disengaement of said drive means with and from said rollers in said zone, said control system comprising a pneumatic logic module in each of said zones including:
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a limit valve having a fluid passing position and a fluid not-passing position, said limit valve being movable to its not-passing position in response to the presence of a conveyed article in the same zone; and an OR valve having an outlet port and a pair of inlet ports, said OR valve providing fluid pressure from said outlet port to the actuating means of one of the zones of said conveyor in response to fluid pressure at either of said inlet ports, one of said inlet ports being connected to said limit valve in the same zone and the other of said inlet ports being connected to the logic module of the adjacent downstream zone of said conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A control system for an accumulating conveyor having a plurality of load carrying rollers and being divided into a plurality of zones, drive means driving said rollers, and a fluid actuating means in each of said zones for affecting driving engagement and disengagement of said drive means with and from said rollers in said zone, said control system comprising a pneumatic logic module in each of said zones including:
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a limit valve having a fluid passing position and a fluid not-passing position, said limit valve being movable to its not-passing position in response to the presence of a conveyed article in the same zone; and an OR valve having an outlet port and a pair of inlet ports, said OR valve providing fluid pressure from said outlet port to the actuating means in the adjacent upstream zone of said conveyor in response to fluid pressure at either of said inlet ports, one of said inlet ports being connected to said limit valve in the same zone and the other of said inlet ports being connected to the outlet port of the OR valve in the logic module of the adjacent downstream zone of said conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A control system for an accumulating conveyor having a plurality of load carrying rollers and being divided into a plurality of zones, drive means for driving said rollers, and a fluid actuating means in each of said zones for affecting driving engagement and disengagement of said drive means with and from said rollers in said zone, said control system comprising a pneumatic logic module in each of said zones including:
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a limit valve having a fluid passing position and a fluid not-passing position, said limit valve being movable to its not-passing position in response to the presence of a conveyed article in the same zone; and an OR valve having an outlet port and a pair of inlet ports, said OR valve providing fluid pressure from said outlet port to the actuating means of the same zone of said conveyor in response to fluid pressure at either of said inlet ports, one of said inlet ports being connected to said limit valve in the same zone and the other of said inlet ports being connected to the limit valve in the logic module of the adjacent downstream zone of said conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A control system for an accumulating conveyor having a plurality of load carrying rollers and being divided into a plurality of zones, drive means for driving said rollers, and a fluid actuating means in each of said zones for affecting driving engagement and disengagement of said drive means with and from said rollers in said zone, said control system comprising a pneumatic logic module in each of said zone including:
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a limit valve having a fluid passing position and a fluid not-passing position, said limit valve being movable to its not-passing position in response to the presence of a conveyed article in the same zone; and an OR valve having an outlet port and a pair of inlet ports, said OR valve providing fluid pressure from said outlet port to the actuating means in the adjacent upstream zone of said conveyor in response to fluid pressure at either of said inlet ports, one of said inlet ports being connected to said limit valve in the same zone, and the other of said inlet ports being connected to the limit valve in the logic module of the adjacent downstream zone of said conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification