Carrier conveyor system
First Claim
1. A carrier conveyor system comprising a main conveyor,a plurality of carriers positioned in closely spaced relation on said main conveyor,said main conveyor having means in closely spaced relation for engaging and moving said carriers along a travel path,a work station at which a carrier is to be stoped to perform a work function,said main conveyor having a first portion in advance of the work station and a second portion beyond the work station,means defining a first track associated with the first portion of the main conveyor along which the carriers are movable along the travel path,means defining a second track associated with the second portion of the main conveyor along which the carriers are movable along the travel path,means associated with the first track and first portion of the conveyor for successively disengaging the carriers from the first portion at the end of the first portion and disengaging the carriers relative to the first track,means associated with the second track and the second portion for successively re-engaging the carriers with the second portion and the second track,and a transfer conveyor between the end of said first track and said second track for transferring the carriers along the travel path to the work station, removing the carriers from the work station and returning the carriers along the travel path to the second track,said transfer conveyor comprising a plurality transfer assemblies in a closely spaced tandem array, each of said transfer assemblies comprising a pair of carrier transport modules arranged one on each side of the travel path of the carriers from the first track through the work station to the second track, at least a first one of said transfer assemblies being provided at a first station between the first track and the work station, a second one of said transfer assemblies being provided at the work station, and at least a third one of said transfer assembly being provided at a third station between the work station and the second track,each of said transfer assembly modules comprising an endless flexible belt trained longitudinally of said assembly module and having an upper run operable to move parallel to the travel path of the carriers and adapted to engage the underside of a carrier adjacent an associated one of the longitudinal sides of the carrier,said modules being constructed and arranged as mirror-images of one another with said belts running parallel and facing one another therebetween and with the space between said belts of one of said modules on one side of the travel path of a carrier and said belts of said other module of said assembly on the other side of said path of a carrier being substantially unobstructed,motor means individual to each said transfer assembly module for individually driving each of said belts thereof,each motor means for driving said belts of each said transfer assembly being operable independently of said motor means of the other of said assemblies and of the main conveyor to accelerate a carrier on the associated transfer assembly to a speed higher than the speed of the main conveyor, and thereafter to decelerate the carrier and to cause braking of the carrier on each transfer assembly,each of said motor means of said modules of each transfer assembly being operably mechanically coupled in direct driving and driven relationship with the other of said motor means within each said transfer assembly,said first track being positioned such that the first portion of the conveyor delivers a carrier to said belts of said first transfer assembly adjacent to the first track so that the motor means of said first transfer assembly can be operated to accelerate the carrier and rapidly move the carrier onto said first transfer assembly,said second track being positioned such that said belts of said third transfer assembly adjacent the second track deliver a carrier to the second track,the number of said plurality of said transfer assemblies of said transfer conveyor being such that a carrier will be returned to the main conveyor so that there are no vacant spaces between the closely spaced carriers on the main conveyor while providing the necessary work and safety time at the work station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A carrier conveyor system wherein carriers are disengaged from a main conveyor in advance of a work station and re-engaged beyond the work station. A transfer conveyor is positioned such that it receives the carriers as they are disengaged from the main conveyor, transfers them as required to the work station, removes them from the work station after the work is performed, and returns them to the main conveyor. The transfer conveyor comprises a plurality of transfer assemblies arranged in succession along the carrier travel path, and each include right and left hand mirror-imaged belt modules that are mechanically drivingly cross-connected to each other.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A carrier conveyor system comprising a main conveyor,
a plurality of carriers positioned in closely spaced relation on said main conveyor, said main conveyor having means in closely spaced relation for engaging and moving said carriers along a travel path, a work station at which a carrier is to be stoped to perform a work function, said main conveyor having a first portion in advance of the work station and a second portion beyond the work station, means defining a first track associated with the first portion of the main conveyor along which the carriers are movable along the travel path, means defining a second track associated with the second portion of the main conveyor along which the carriers are movable along the travel path, means associated with the first track and first portion of the conveyor for successively disengaging the carriers from the first portion at the end of the first portion and disengaging the carriers relative to the first track, means associated with the second track and the second portion for successively re-engaging the carriers with the second portion and the second track, and a transfer conveyor between the end of said first track and said second track for transferring the carriers along the travel path to the work station, removing the carriers from the work station and returning the carriers along the travel path to the second track, said transfer conveyor comprising a plurality transfer assemblies in a closely spaced tandem array, each of said transfer assemblies comprising a pair of carrier transport modules arranged one on each side of the travel path of the carriers from the first track through the work station to the second track, at least a first one of said transfer assemblies being provided at a first station between the first track and the work station, a second one of said transfer assemblies being provided at the work station, and at least a third one of said transfer assembly being provided at a third station between the work station and the second track, each of said transfer assembly modules comprising an endless flexible belt trained longitudinally of said assembly module and having an upper run operable to move parallel to the travel path of the carriers and adapted to engage the underside of a carrier adjacent an associated one of the longitudinal sides of the carrier, said modules being constructed and arranged as mirror-images of one another with said belts running parallel and facing one another therebetween and with the space between said belts of one of said modules on one side of the travel path of a carrier and said belts of said other module of said assembly on the other side of said path of a carrier being substantially unobstructed, motor means individual to each said transfer assembly module for individually driving each of said belts thereof, each motor means for driving said belts of each said transfer assembly being operable independently of said motor means of the other of said assemblies and of the main conveyor to accelerate a carrier on the associated transfer assembly to a speed higher than the speed of the main conveyor, and thereafter to decelerate the carrier and to cause braking of the carrier on each transfer assembly, each of said motor means of said modules of each transfer assembly being operably mechanically coupled in direct driving and driven relationship with the other of said motor means within each said transfer assembly, said first track being positioned such that the first portion of the conveyor delivers a carrier to said belts of said first transfer assembly adjacent to the first track so that the motor means of said first transfer assembly can be operated to accelerate the carrier and rapidly move the carrier onto said first transfer assembly, said second track being positioned such that said belts of said third transfer assembly adjacent the second track deliver a carrier to the second track, the number of said plurality of said transfer assemblies of said transfer conveyor being such that a carrier will be returned to the main conveyor so that there are no vacant spaces between the closely spaced carriers on the main conveyor while providing the necessary work and safety time at the work station.
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13. For use in a carrier conveyor system comprising a main conveyor, a plurality of carriers positioned in closely spaced relation on said main conveyor, said main conveyor having means in closely spaced relation for engaging and moving said carriers along a travel path, a work station at which a carrier is to be stopped to perform a work function, said main conveyor having a first portion in advance of the work station and a second portion beyond the work station, the improvement comprising means defining a first track associated with the first portion of the main conveyor along which the carriers are movable along the travel path,
means defining a second track associated with the second portion of the main conveyor along which the carriers are movable, means associated with the first track and first portion for successively disengaging the carriers from the first portion at the end of the first portion and disengaging the carriers relative to the first track, means associated with the second portion and the second track for successive re-engaging the carriers with the second portion and second track, and a transfer conveyor between the end of said first track and said second track for transferring the carriers along the travel path to the work station, removing the carriers from the work station and returning the carriers along the travel path to the second track, said transfer conveyor comprising a plurality of transfer assemblies in a closely spaced tandem array along the travel path, each of said transfer assemblies comprising a pair of carrier transport modules arranged one on each side of the travel path of the carriers through the work station, at least a first one of said transfer assemblies being provided at a first station between the first track and the work station, a second one of said transfer assemblies being provided at the work station, and at least a third one of said transfer assemblies being provided at a third station between the work station and the second track, each of said transfer assembly modules comprising an endless flexible belt trained longitudinally of said assembly module and having an upper run operable to move parallel to the travel path of the carriers and adapted to engage the underside of a carrier adjacent an associated one of the longitudinal sides of the carrier, said modules being constructed and arranged as mirror-images of one another with said belts running parallel and facing one another therebetween and with the space between said belts of one of said modules on one side of the travel path of a carrier and said belts of said other module of said assembly on the other side of said path of a carrier being substantially unobstructed, motor means individual to each said transfer assembly module for individually driving each of said belts thereof, each motor means for driving said belts of each said transfer assembly being operable independently of said motor means of the other of said assemblies and of the main conveyor to accelerate a carrier on the associated transfer assembly to a speed higher than the speed of the main conveyor, and thereafter to decelerate the carrier and to cause braking of the carrier on each transfer assembly, each of said motor means of said modules of each transfer assembly being operably mechanically coupled in direct driving and driven relationship with the other of said motor means within each said transfer assembly, said first track being positioned such that the first portion of the conveyor delivers a carrier to said belts of said first transfer assembly adjacent to the first track so that said motor means of said first transfer assembly can be operated to accelerate the carrier and rapidly move the carrier onto said first transfer assembly, said second track being positioned such that said belts of said third transfer assembly adjacent the second track deliver a carrier to the second track, the number of said plurality of said transfer assemblies of said transfer conveyor being such that a carrier will be returned to the main conveyor so that there are no vacant spaces between the closely spaced carriers on the main conveyor while providing necessary work and safety time at the work station.
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23. A transfer assembly comprising first and second carrier transport modules arranged one on each side of the travel path of a carrier to be transported on said transfer assembly,
each of said transfer assembly modules comprising an endless flexible transport belt trained longitudinally of said assembly module and having an upper run operable to move parallel to the travel path of the carrier and adapted to engage the underside of the carrier adjacent an associated one of the longitudinal sides of the carrier, said modules being constructed and arranged as mirror-images of one another facing one another and defining a space between said belts with said belts running parallel, said belt of said first module being disposed on one side of the travel path of the carrier and said belt of said second module being disposed on the other side of said path of the carrier with the space therebetween being substantially unobstructed, and first and second motor means individually operably coupled respectively to said first and second modules for individually driving said belts thereof, said first and second motor means being operable independently of one another and capable of accelerating the carrier on said transfer assembly to a speed higher than the entrance speed of the carrier entering thereon, decelerating the carrier and braking the carrier on said transfer assembly, said first and second motor means being operably mechanically coupled in direct driving and driven relationship with one another within said transfer assembly.
Specification