Article transfer assemblies for conveyor belts
First Claim
1. A finger transfer plate, comprising:
- a finger portion having a plurality of parallel fingers for projecting into receptacle channels in the conveying surface of a conveyor belt to receive articles onto the upper surface of the fingers; and
a plate portion forming a generally flat plate having a top article-transfer surface, the plate portion attached to the finger portion and overlying an end of the finger portion opposite the tips of the fingers with the top article-transfer surface abutting the upper surface of the fingers to form a substantially continuous article-transfer surface; and
wherein the finger portion is made of a durable first material to strengthen the fingers and wherein the plate portion is made of a low-friction second material to ease the transfer of articles along the top article-transfer surface.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sectional article transfer assembly for receiving articles stripped from the conveying surface of a moving conveyor belt. The article transfer assembly includes, as a first piece, a transfer edge member having a base portion lying on and supported by a support frame and a belt-abutting portion that extends from the base portion to closely abut the conveying surface of a conveyor belt as it passes around a sprocket. The belt-abutting portion can have fingers or a beveled straight edge, for example. The transfer edge member mates with a second piece, a transfer plate member, which has a recessed portion that overlaps and mates with the base portion of the transfer edge member and a flat top article-transfer plate continuous and coplanar with an upper surface of the transfer edge member to form an extension of the conveying surface of the belt along which articles arc conveyed. In preferred versions, the two pieces can each be made of different materials, such as a durable material for the transfer edge member and a low-friction material for the transfer plate member. Other combinations of materials can be used to adapt the characteristics of the sectional transfer assembly to different operational demands.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A finger transfer plate, comprising:
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a finger portion having a plurality of parallel fingers for projecting into receptacle channels in the conveying surface of a conveyor belt to receive articles onto the upper surface of the fingers; and a plate portion forming a generally flat plate having a top article-transfer surface, the plate portion attached to the finger portion and overlying an end of the finger portion opposite the tips of the fingers with the top article-transfer surface abutting the upper surface of the fingers to form a substantially continuous article-transfer surface; and wherein the finger portion is made of a durable first material to strengthen the fingers and wherein the plate portion is made of a low-friction second material to ease the transfer of articles along the top article-transfer surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A finger transfer plate, comprising:
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a finger portion including a plurality of parallel fingers for projecting into receptacle channels in the conveying surface of a conveyor belt to receive articles onto an upper surface of the fingers; and a plate portion forming a generally flat plate having a top article-transfer surface, the plate portion attached to the finger portion at an end of the finger portion opposite the tips of the fingers with the top article-transfer surface abutting and coplanar with the upper surface of the fingers to form a substantially continuous article-transfer surface; wherein the plate portion includes at one end a recessed region and wherein the finger portion includes a base region opposite the tips of the fingers adapted to mate with the recessed region of the plate portion with the recessed region overlying the base region, said finger portion made a durable first material and said plate portion made of a second low-friction material. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An article transfer assembly for receiving articles transferred from the article-carrying surface of a moving conveyor belt, comprising:
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an assembly support frame; a first transfer edge member made of a durable first material and having a base portion overlying and supported by the assembly support frame and a belt-abutting portion extending from the base portion outwardly from the assembly support frame to closely abut the article-carrying surface of the moving conveyor belt moving around a sprocket to receive articles transferred from the moving conveyor belt onto an upper surface of the first transfer edge member; and a transfer plate member made of a second material having a low-friction characteristic that is at least as low as that of the durable first material, the transfer plate member mating in overlapping engagement with the base portion of the first transfer edge member to overlie the base portion and form a generally flat, low-friction, top article-transfer surface substantially continuous with the upper surface of the first transfer edge member to transfer articles from the moving conveyor belt along the upper surface of the first transfer edge member and the low-friction, top article-transfer surface of the transfer plate member. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A conveyor system for conveying articles along a conveyor carryway path and transferring the articles off an end of the conveyor, comprising:
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a conveyor frame defining a conveyor path along its length; rotating elements supported at each end of the conveyor frame; an endless conveyor belt supported by the conveyor frame and articulating about the rotating elements at each end of the conveyor to form a top carryway supporting the belt transporting articles on an article-conveying surface along the length of the conveyor and a bottom belt returnway; and an article transfer assembly for receiving articles transferred from the article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt at an end of the conveyor carryway, comprising; an assembly support frame confronting an off-loading end of the conveyor frame; a transfer edge member made of a durable first material and having a base portion overlying and supported by the assembly support frame and a belt-abutting portion extending from the base portion outwardly from the assembly support frame to closely abut the article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt articulating about the rotating elements at the off-loading end of the conveyor to receive articles transferred from the article-conveying surface of the belt onto an upper surface of the transfer edge member; and a transfer plate member made of a low-friction second material mating in overlapping engagement with the base portion of the transfer edge member to overlie the base portion and form a generally flat, low-friction, top article-transfer surface substantially continuous with the upper surface of the transfer edge member to transfer articles from the belt along the upper surface of the transfer edge member and the low-friction, top article-transfer surface of the transfer plate member.
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34. An article transfer assembly for receiving articles transferred from the article-carrying surface of a moving conveyor belt, comprising:
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an assembly support frame; a first transfer edge member made of a durable first material and having a base portion overlying and supported by the assembly support frame and a belt-abutting portion extending from the base portion outwardly from the assembly support frame to closely abut the article-carrying surface of the moving conveyor belt moving around a sprocket to receive articles transferred from the moving conveyor belt onto an upper surface of the first transfer edge member; a transfer plate member made of a second material having a low-friction characteristic that is at least as low as tat of the durable first material, the transfer plate member mating in overlapping engagement with the base portion of the first transfer edge member and forming a generally flat, low-friction, top article-transfer surface substantially continuous with the upper surface of the first transfer edge member to transfer articles from the moving conveyor belt along the upper surface of the first transfer edge member and the low-friction, top article-transfer surface of the transfer plate member; and a second transfer edge member mating in overlapping engagement with the transfer plate member and laterally spaced from the first transfer edge member.
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35. A finger transfer plate, comprising:
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a finger portion having a plurality of parallel fingers for projecting into receptacle channels in the conveying surface of a conveyor belt to receive articles onto the upper surface of the fingers; and a plate portion forming a generally flat plate having a top article-transfer surface, the plate portion attached to the finger portion at an end of the finger portion opposite the tips of the fingers with the top article-transfer surface abutting the upper surface of the fingers to form a substantially continuous article-transfer surface; wherein the finger portion is made of a durable first material to strengthen the fingers and wherein the plate portion is made of a low-friction second material to ease the transfer of articles along the top article-transfer surface, the finger portion comprising at least two laterally spaced finger modules attached to the plate portion.
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Specification