Conveyor for removing an article conveyed abreast of another article

• US 5,701,989 A
• Filed: 05/28/1996
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sandvik Sorting Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sandvik Sorting Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Hillerich, Thomas Anthony Jr., Grispart, Gerald Robert, Boone, Joseph T., Ydoate, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R.
• Application Number:
  US08/654,193
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 198/443, 198/447, 198/448, 198/453, 198/786
• US Class Current: 198/448
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/682 from a single conveyor lane consisting of one conveyor or several adjacent conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/684 with recirculation of articles forming a buffer

Abstract

An article removal conveyor includes first and second conveying lanes disposed in parallel alongside one another and driven in a manner imparting mutually divergent conveying forces. The first conveying lane has a conveying surface with a higher coefficient of friction than that of the second conveying lane so that any articles contacting the first conveying lane will be controlled by that lane.

Claims

1. A conveyor mechanism for conveying single-file articles in a forward direction while removing articles traveling laterally adjacent the single-file articles, the conveyor mechanism comprising first and second driven conveyor structures respectively forming first and second conveying lanes disposed in parallel as viewed in plan and situated immediately adjacent one another;

the first and second conveying lanes applying first and second conveying forces, respectively, which are divergent relative to one another;

the first conveying force including a forward directional component;

the second conveying force including a lateral directional component extending away from the first lane to move articles away from the first lane that are out of contact with the first lane.

2. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first and second conveyor structures have first and second conveying surfaces, respectively, the first conveying surface having a substantially higher coefficient of friction than the second conveying surface.

3. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the first conveying force has no lateral directional component.

4. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the second conveying force includes a forward directional component in addition to the lateral directional component.

5. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 4 further including a third conveyor mechanism forming a third conveying lane disposed immediately laterally adjacent the second lane and disposed parallel thereto as viewed in plan, the third lane applying a third conveying force having a forward directional component.

6. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the second conveying force includes a forward directional component in addition to the lateral directional component.

7. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 6, wherein a speed of articles conveyed by the first lane has a forward directional component equal to a forward directional component of a speed of articles conveyed by the second lane.

8. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the second lane is disposed at a lower elevation than the first lane.

9. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the second lane is inclined downwardly toward the first lane.

10. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the second lane is inclined downwardly toward the first lane.

11. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second lane is inclined downwardly toward the first lane.

12. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 8, further including a third driven conveyor structure forming a third conveying lane disposed immediately laterally adjacent the second lane and extending parallel thereto as viewed in plan, the third lane arranged to apply a third conveying force having a forward directional component.

13. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, further including a third driven conveyor structure forming a third conveying lane disposed immediately laterally adjacent the second lane and disposed parallel thereto as viewed in plan, the third lane arranged to apply a third conveying force having a forward directional component.

14. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the first conveyor mechanism includes a driven belt;

the second conveyor mechanism including driven rollers.

15. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, wherein a width of the first lane is less than a width of a narrowest article being conveyed by the conveyor mechanism.

16. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, wherein there are two of the second conveying lanes disposed on opposite sides of the first lane.

17. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 16, further including an infeed conveyor for feeding articles to a longitudinal center line of the first conveyor.

18. The conveyor mechanism according to claim 2, further including an upright side wall disposed along a lateral side of the first lane opposite the second lane, the second conveying force including a lateral directional component, in addition to the forward component such that the first conveying force urges articles toward the wall.

19. A conveyor mechanism for conveying single-file articles in a forward direction while removing articles traveling laterally adjacent the single-file articles, the conveyor mechanism comprising a driven conveyor forming a conveying lane applying a conveying force having a forward directional component;

the conveying lane including first and second lateral edges and being inclined downwardly at a first angle from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge; and

a chute having a first lateral edge disposed immediately laterally adjacent the second lateral edge of the conveying lane, the surface having a smaller coefficient of friction than the conveying lane and being downwardly inclined from the first lateral edge of the surface at a second angle substantially equal to the first angle to enable articles disposed out of contact with the conveying lane to gravitate away from the conveying lane.

20. A conveyor mechanism comprising inner, middle, and outer parallel conveying lanes and an upright side wall disposed adjacent an inner edge of said inner lane;

each of said conveying lanes arranged to advance articles longitudinally forwardly, and furthermore said inner lane arranged to range articles laterally inwardly toward said side wall;

said middle lane arranged to urge articles laterally outwardly away from said side wall.

21. A method of conveying articles, the method utilizing a conveyor mechanism comprised of first and second conveyors forming first and second conveying lanes, respectively, disposed in parallel as viewed in plan and situated immediately adjacent one another, the first and second conveying lanes applying first and second conveying forces, respectively, which are divergent relative to one another;

the first conveying lane including a conveying surface having a higher coefficient of friction than a conveying surface of the second conveying lane, the method comprising the steps of;

A) conveying in a forward direction;

articles contacting only the first conveying lane, and articles contacting both the first and second conveying lanes; and

B) moving, laterally away from the first conveying lane, articles contacting the second conveying lane and being out of contact with the first conveying lane.