Single file conveyor system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A single filer for forming a mass of articles, the articles having circumferentially extending flanges, into a single file, comprising:
- a conveyor surface for conveying articles in a mass along a conveyor pathway;
means for engaging articles in the mass, and for transporting engaged articles away from the mass in a single file along a single file path aligned at an angle to the conveyor path, at least a portion of said engaging means mounted above and extending across said conveyor surface;
means for shifting articles on aid conveyor surface toward said engaging means to create an accumulation of articles;
a flange guide conveyor, located along the single file path downstream of said engaging, means, for receiving and supporting articles beneath the flanges for transport in a single file from said engaging means;
said engaging means comprising a vacuum take-off belt, said vacuum take-off belt substantially vertically aligned to receive a side surface of articles; and
a vacuum chamber having a perforated surface across which said vacuum take-off belt advances along the single file path, said vacuum chamber including a damper for limiting perforations through which a vacuum is applied by said vacuum chamber to said vacuum take-off belt.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A conveyor is provided for producing a single file from a mass of articles comprising a conveyor surface, an article engager for engaging articles in the mass and transporting a single file of them off of the conveyor surface, and a guide rail mounted along the conveyor surface, the guide rail including a shifting portion for shifting articles toward the article engager, and a pressure relieving portion for relieving some of a back pressure on articles.
39 Citations
45 Claims
-
1. A single filer for forming a mass of articles, the articles having circumferentially extending flanges, into a single file, comprising:
-
a conveyor surface for conveying articles in a mass along a conveyor pathway; means for engaging articles in the mass, and for transporting engaged articles away from the mass in a single file along a single file path aligned at an angle to the conveyor path, at least a portion of said engaging means mounted above and extending across said conveyor surface; means for shifting articles on aid conveyor surface toward said engaging means to create an accumulation of articles; a flange guide conveyor, located along the single file path downstream of said engaging, means, for receiving and supporting articles beneath the flanges for transport in a single file from said engaging means; said engaging means comprising a vacuum take-off belt, said vacuum take-off belt substantially vertically aligned to receive a side surface of articles; and a vacuum chamber having a perforated surface across which said vacuum take-off belt advances along the single file path, said vacuum chamber including a damper for limiting perforations through which a vacuum is applied by said vacuum chamber to said vacuum take-off belt. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A conveyor for providing a single file from a mass of articles, comprising:
-
a conveyor surface for conveying articles along a conveyor path; means for engaging articles in the mass and for transporting a single file of them off of said conveyor surface, at least a portion of said engaging means mounted above said conveyor surface and extending along a single file path across said conveyor surface at an angle to the conveyor path; and a first guide rail mounted along said conveyor surface, said first guide rail comprising a first portion for shifting articles from near a first edge of said conveyor surface toward said engaging means to create an accumulation of articles for transport by said engaging means, said first portion extending across said conveyor surface at an angle to the conveyor path, a second portion, located downstream from said first portion, for aiding to fill voids in the accumulation of articles, said second portion extending across said conveyor surface at an angle to the conveyor path of between about 20 and 40 degrees, a third portion, located further downstream from said second portion, for filling gaps in the single file of articles transported off of the conveyor surface by said engaging means, said third portion extending across said conveyor surface at an angle substantially perpendicular to the single file path, and a fourth portion, located downstream of said first portion, for relieving some of a back pressure on articles in the accumulation, said fourth portion extending across the conveyor surface toward the first edge. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A conveyor for providing a single file from a mass of articles, comprising:
-
a conveyor surface for conveying articles along a conveyor path; means for engaging articles in the mass and for transporting a single file of them off of said conveyor surface, at least a portion of said engaging means mounted along a single file path at an angle to the conveyor path; and a first guide rail mounted along said conveyor surface, said first guide rail comprising a first portion for shifting articles from near a first edge of said conveyor surface toward said engaging means to create an accumulation of articles for transport by said engaging means, said first portion extending across said conveyor surface at an angle to the conveyor path, a second portion, located downstream from said first portion, for filling gaps in the single file of articles transported off of the conveyor surface by said engaging means, said second portion extending across said conveyor surface at an angle substantially perpendicular to the single file path, and a third portion, located between said first and second portions, for relieving some of a back pressure on the articles created by the article accumulation, said third portion extending across the conveyor surface toward the first edge. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A conveyor for providing a single file from a mass of articles, comprising:
-
a conveyor surface for conveying articles along a conveyor path; means for engaging articles in the mass and for transporting a single file of them off of said conveyor surface, at least a portion of said engaging means mounted along a single file path at an angle to the conveyor path; and a first guide rail mounted along said conveyor surface, said first guide rail comprising a first portion for shifting articles from near a first edge of said conveyor surface toward said engaging means to create an accumulation of articles for transport by said engaging means, said first portion extending across said conveyor surface at an angle to the conveyor path, a second portion, located downstream from said first portion, for aiding to fill voids in the accumulation of articles, said second portion extending across said conveyor surface at an angle to the conveyor path of between about 20 and 40 degrees, and a third portion, located between said first and second portions, for relieving some of a back pressure on the articles created by the article accumulation, said third portion extending across the conveyor surface toward the first edge. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A method of providing a single file from a mass of articles, comprising the steps of
conveying a mass of articles along a conveyor path; -
forming an accumulation of articles by guiding some articles from eh mass in a direction converging wit the conveyor path; forming a single file of articles by engaging articles from he mass; conveying the single file of articles away from the mass of articles along a single file path; relieving a back pressure on articles in the accumulation by guiding some articles in he accumulation of articles in a direction diverging with the conveyor path; and filling gaps in the single file of articles by guiding some articles from the accumulation of articles in a direction substantially perpendicular to the single file path. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A contoured guide rail for producing a single file from a mass of articles provided by a conveyor along a conveyor path, comprising:
-
a first guide rail portion for shifting articles substantially across the conveyor to create an accumulation of articles, said first guide rail portion extending across the conveyor at an angle to the conveyor path, a second guide rail portion, located downstream from said first guide rail portion, for aiding to fill voids in the accumulation of articles, said second guide rail portion extending across the conveyor at an angle to the conveyor path of between about 20 and 40 degrees, and a third guide rail portion, located further downstream from said second guide rail portion, for filling gaps in a single file of articles arranged along a single file path aligned at an angle to the conveyor path, said third guide rail portion extending across the conveyor at an angle substantially perpendicular to the single file path. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A method of providing a single file from a mass of articles, comprising the steps of
conveying a mass of articles along a conveyor path; -
forming an accumulation of articles by guiding some articles form the mass in a direction converging with the conveyor path; forming a single file of articles by engaging articles from the mass; conveying the single file of articles away from the mass of articles along a single file path; filling gaps in the single file of articles by guiding some articles from the accumulation of articles in a direction substantially perpendicular to the single file path; and filling voids in the accumulation of articles by arranging at least some of the articles in the accumulation into a nested pattern; and wherein said single file conveying step comprises drawing articles toward a take-off belt with a vacuum and advancing the take-off belt to remove articles from the mass.
-
Specification