Magnetic can laner

• US 4,823,931 A
• Filed: 01/07/1988
• Issued: 04/25/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magnetic Products
• Original Assignee: Magnetic Products
• Inventors: Voorheis, Scott D., Rhodes, Keith J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US07/141,551
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 198/381, 198/445, 198/446, 198/690.1, 198/619
• US Class Current: 198/445
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/2072 Laterial guidance means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/26 arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles

Abstract

A magnetic article laner for use with a conveyor having a conveying surface carrying a plurality of magnetic articles randomly distributed in transverse positions on the conveying surface and moving in a generally horizontal planer path of travel includes magnetic members, disposed in a plane parallel to the path of travel and vertically spaced from the plurality of magnetic articles, for aligning the plurality of magnetic articles into a uniform transverse position defining a lane with a preselected linear path of travel. The magnetic members include north and south magnetic poles defining transverse boundaries of each magnetic lane, and an upstream portion of the magnetic lane has a greater magnetic field strength than a downstream portion of the magnetic lane. The plurality of magnetic articles are urged by divider members and magnetic forces to form an aligned row centered between the north and south magnetic poles of each magnetic lane.

Claims

1. A magnetic article laner for use with a conveyor having a conveying surface carrying a plurality of magnetic articles randomly distributed at transverse positions on said conveying surface and moving along a path of travel comprising:

magnetic means, disposed in a plane parallel to said path of travel and vertically spaced from said conveying surface, for aligning said plurality of magnetic articles into lanes with preselected linear paths of travel, each lane having first and second magnetic poles of opposite polarity disposed respectively adjacent first and second transversely spaced lane boundaries, wherein adjacent magnetic lanes have adjacent magnetic poles of identical polarity disposed adjacent a common lane boundary each of said magnetic lanes further having a magnetic field of diminishing strength downstream from divider means; and

said divider means, disposed adjacent said lane boundaries, for diverting said magnetic articles into aligned rows parallel to said path of travel in cooperation with said magnetic means.

2. A magnetic article laner for use with a conveyor having a conveying surface carrying a plurality of magnetic articles randomly distributed at transverse positions on said conveying surface and moving along a path of travel comprising:

magnetic means, disposed in a plane parallel to said path of travel and vertically spaced from said conveying surface, for aligning said plurality of magnetic articles into lanes with preselected linear paths of travel, each lane having first and second magnetic poles of opposite polarity disposed respectively adjacent first and second transversely spaced lane boundaries;

divider means, disposed adjacent said lane boundaries, for diverting said magnetic articles into aligned rows parallel to said path of travel in cooperation with said magnetic means; and

wherein the magnetic means further comprises a plurality of magnetic members aligned generally parallel to said path of travel forming elongated magnetic lanes, wherein adjacent magnetic lanes have adjacent magnetic poles of identical polarity disposed adjacent a common lane boundary, and each of said magnetic lanes further having a magnetic field of diminishing strength downstream from said divider means.

3. The magnetic article laner of claim 2, wherein said divider means further comprises:

first divider members, disposed on said first boundaries and transversely spaced from one another a distance greater than two times a transverse dimension of the magnetic article and less than three times the transverse dimension of the magnetic article, said first divider members further having an upstream edge and a downstream edge with respect to said path of travel.

4. The magnetic article laner of claim 3, wherein said divider means further comprises:

second divider members, disposed on said second boundaries midway between two adjacent first divider members.

5. The magnetic article laner of claim 4, further comprising:

vibration means for vibrating said first and second divider means to assist said plurality of magnetic articles to move around said first and second divider means.

6. The magnetic article laner of claim 2, wherein said magnetic articles comprise can traveling in an upright position on said conveying surface.

7. A magnetic can laner for use with a conveyor having a conveying surface carrying a plurality of cans randomly distributed at transverse positions on said conveying surface and moving along a path of travel, comprising:

magnetic means, disposed in a plane parallel to said path of travel and vertically spaced from said conveying surface for aligning said plurality of cans into lanes having preselected linear paths of travel, said magnetic means including a plurality of elongated magnetic lanes disposed generally parallel to said path of travel, each of said magnetic lanes including north and south magnetic poles defining transversely spaced boundaries of each magnetic lane, wherein adjacent magnetic lanes have adjacent magnetic poles of identical polarity disposed adjacent a common boundary between said adjacent magnetic lanes, said plurality of magnetic lanes having an upstream portion and a downstream portion with respect to said path of travel, each of said magnetic lanes having a magnetic field of diminishing strength along the path of travel, said plurality of cans urged by magnetic forces to align and form rows centered between said north and south magnetic poles of each magnetic lane; and

divider means, disposed adjacent said upstream portion of said magnetic lanes and on said boundaries between said adjacent lanes, for diverting said plurality of cans into aligned rows in cooperation with said magnetic means.

8. The magnetic can laner of claim 7, wherein said divider means further comprises:

a plurality of first divider members, each having a generally planar shape disposed parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to said conveying surface, said first divider members having an upstream edge and a downstream edge with respect to said path of travel, said first divider members evenly spaced from each other transversely across said conveying surface such that a distance between two adjacent first divider members is greater than two can diameters and less than three can diameters, each of said first divider members disposed on a common boundary between adjacent magnetic lanes having identical magnetic poles of each magnetic lane adjacent the boundary.

9. The magnetic can laner of claim 8, wherein the divider means further comprises:

a plurality of second divider members disposed between two adjacent first divider members to bisect said distance and disposed between said upstream edges and said downstream edges of said two adjacent first divider members, each of said second divider members disposed on a common boundary between adjacent magnetic lanes having identical magnetic poles of each magnetic lane adjacent the boundary.

10. The magnetic can laner of claim 7, further comprising:

vibration means for vibrating said divider means to reduce hesitation of said plurality of cans while moving around said divider means.

11. A magnetic can laner for use with a conveyor having a conveying surface carrying a plurality of cans randomly distributed at transverse positions along said conveying surface moving in a direction of travel comprising:

a frame supported above said conveyor transversing said conveying surface;

a plurality of first divider members supported from said frame, each having a generally planar shape disposed parallel to said direction of travel and perpendicular to said conveying surface, said first divider members having an upstream edge and a downstream edge with respect to said direction of travel said first divider members evenly spaced from each other transversely across said conveying surface such that a distance between two adjacent first divider members is greater than two can diameters and less than three can diameters;

a plurality of second divider members supported from said frame, each second divider member disposed between two adjacent first divider members to bisect said distance and disposed between said upstream edge and said downstream edge of said two adjacent first divider members;

a plurality of magnetic members spaced vertically from said first and second divider members, said magnetic members disposed adjacent said upstream edge on each side of said first divider member having a first magnetic pole surface facing said plurality of cans, said magnetic members disposed adjacent each side of said second divider members having a second magnetic pole surface of opposite polarity from said first magnetic pole surface facing said plurality of cans, said plurality of cans urged by magnetic forces to form aligned rows centered with respect to said first and second magnetic pole surfaces between adjacent first and second divider members and urged by magnetic forces from said adjacent magnetic surfaces of similarly polarity on each side of said first and second divider members to stabilize said plurality of cans against tipping while passing around said first and second divider members, said first and second magnetic pole surfaces spaced from one another adjacent an upstream portion of said magnetic can laner and tapered toward one another until said first and second magnetic pole surfaces are side by side adjacent a downstream portion of said magnetic can laner to reduce magnetic field strength at the downstream portion of said magnetic can laner; and

vibration means connected to said frame for vibrating said first and second divider members to reduce hesitation of said plurality of cans as said plurality of cans pass by said first and second divider members.

12. A method for laning a plurality of magnetic articles from a randomly distributed pattern across a transverse width of a conveying surface into aligned rows comprising the steps of:

moving the conveying surface along a fixed path;

dividing the plurality of magnetic articles with a plurality of divider members evenly spaced from each other transversely across the conveying surface;

magnetically stabilizing the plurality of magnetic articles against tipping while said plurality of magnetic articles pass around said plurality of divider members, wherein a plurality of magnetic members form elongated magnetic lanes generally parallel to the fixed path, the plurality of magnetic members disposed in a plane parallel to the fixed path and vertically spaced from the conveying surface, each lane having first and second magnetic poles of opposite polarity disposed respectively adjacent first and second transversely spaced lane boundaries, wherein adjacent magnetic lanes have adjacent magnetic poles of identical polarity disposed adjacent a common lane boundary, such that adjacent magnetic poles of identical polarity are disposed on opposite sides of said divider members and disposed downstream from an upstream edge of said divider members;

diminishing the strength of a magnetic field formed by each of said magnetic lanes downstream from said divider means; and

magnetically channeling the plurality of magnetic articles between magnetic poles of opposite polarity defining the transverse boundaries of magnetic lanes downstream of the divider members at predetermined transverse positions on the conveying surface.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

dividing the plurality of magnetic articles with a plurality of first divider members evenly spaced from each other transversely across the conveying surface such that a distance between two adjacent first divider members is greater than two times a dimensional width of the magnetic article and less than three times the dimensional width of the magnetic article.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

assisting the magnetic alignment of the plurality of magnetic articles with a plurality of second divider members disposed transversely between adjacent first divider members and spaced downstream from an upstream edge of the first divider members.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

vibrating the first divider members to reduce hesitation of the plurality of magnetic articles passing around the first divider members.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

vibrating the second divider members to reduce hesitation of the plurality of magnetic articles passing around the second divider members.