Conveyor system for divergence and convergence

• US 5,653,325 A
• Filed: 01/20/1995
• Issued: 08/05/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daifuku Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Daifuku Company Limited
• Inventors: Enomoto, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Keenan, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/375,924
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 198/361, 198/369.4, 198/370.03, 198/370.09, 198/782, 198/787, 193/36
• US Class Current: 198/369.4
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/10 Switching arrangements

Abstract

To provide a conveyor system for divergence and convergence, which is capable of always satisfactorily diverging or converging articles without regard to their size. When the roller axes 19 are orthogonal to the transport path 9, an article 60 to be transported is transported downstream by the rollers 16 without being sorted. When it is desired to sort the article 60, an angle changing device 30 is actuated to individually change the angles of inclination of the rollers 16, such that those rollers which are disposed in the upstream region are given a smaller angle of inclination, the angle of inclination being gradually increased. Diversion of the article can be effected such that it has its direction of orientation gradually changed from a smaller angle to a larger angle while it is gradually moved to one side by a smaller amount to a larger amount. The article 60 can be subjected not to an early (sharp) diverging action but to a sufficient diverging action; thus, it can always be satisfactorily diverged without regard to its size. It can always be satisfactorily converged by the reverse operation.

Claims

1. A conveyor system for divergence and convergence comprising

a main conveyor defining a transport path,

an auxiliary conveyor for divergence and convergence installed laterally outwardly of the main conveyor;

a machine frame,

a plurality of rollers supported in roller flames, said rollers being disposed with respect to the machine frame such that the rollers can be individually shifted in a range between a position where the roller axes are orthogonal to the direction of the transport path and a position where the roller axes are inclined with respect to the direction of the transport path;

said rollers being divided into groups associated with a plurality of zones such that a group of rollers in a central zone adjacent to the auxiliary conveyor are inclined at a given angle in a given direction, while the angles of inclination of the rollers of other groups in zones on the upstream and downstream sides of the central zone are adjusted to be gradually variant in such a manner that the angles are gradually increased in a direction toward the auxiliary conveyor;

an angle adjusting device for adjusting the angle of inclination of each roller of all groups;

a rotation imparting device for rotating each roller in forward and reverse directions disposed on the machine frame, said rotation imparting device including a belt being capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions and arranged in the vicinity of the central portion of each roller to contact therewith from below;

a support member in a plate rail form disposed on the machine frame along the transport path, said support member opposing from below the lower surface of each end portion of the roller frame for each roller,

wherein each roller frame has a bottom plate and from and rear plates,

a downwardly concave portion extending from the bottom plate to both from and rear plates of the roller frame is formed in the vicinity of the central portion of the roller frame,

each roller is supported by the roller frame in a manner that the roller is rotatably pivoted on the roller axis extending in the transverse direction, said roller frame being rotatably attached to the machine frame through a vertical shaft, and

wherein the belt capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions abuts against the lower surface of the roller exposed from the downwardly concave portion.

2. A conveyor system for divergence and convergence as set forth in claim 1, wherein adjacent roller flames are swingably connected relative to each other by means of a connecting member, the connecting position of which can be shifted in the direction of the roller axis, a swing imparting device having a crank link, and at least one roller frame is linked with the crank link of the swing imparting device.

3. A conveyor system for divergence and convergence comprising

a main conveyor defining a transport path,

an auxiliary conveyor for divergence and convergence installed laterally outwardly of the main conveyor;

a machine frame,

a plurality of rollers supported in roller frames, said rollers being disposed with respect to the machine frame such that the rollers can be individually shifted in a range between a position where the roller axes are orthogonal to the direction of the transport path and a position where the roller axes are inclined with respect to the direction of the transport path;

said rollers being divided into groups associated with a plurality of zones such that a group of rollers in a central zone adjacent to the auxiliary conveyor are inclined at a given angle in a given direction, while the angles of inclination of the rollers of other groups in zones on the upstream and downstream sides of the central zone are adjusted to be gradually variant in such a manner that the angles are gradually increased in a direction toward the auxiliary conveyor;

an angle adjusting device for adjusting the angle of inclination of each roller of all groups;

a rotation imparting device for rotating each roller in forward and reverse directions disposed on the machine frame, said rotation imparting device including a belt being capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions and arranged in the vicinity of the central portion of each roller to contact therewith from below;

a support member in a plate rail form disposed on the machine frame along the transport path, said support member opposing from below the lower surface of each end portion of the roller frame for each roller,

wherein adjacent roller flames are swingably connected relative to each other by means of a connecting member, the connecting position of which can be shifted in the direction of the roller axis,

a swing imparting device having a crank link, and

at least one roller frame is linked with the crank link of the swing imparting device.