Article transfer assemblies for conveyor belts

• US 6,138,819 A
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: Hicks, Timothy J., Sofranec, Richard J., Bogle, David W., Greve, Christopher G., Horton, Paul L., Christiana, Sandra A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DILLON JR, JOSEPH A
• Application Number:
  US09/093,894
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 198/635, 198/325, 198/599
• US Class Current: 198/635
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/66 Fixed platforms or combs, e.g. bridges between conveyors

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.

Claims

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.

2. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1, wherein the finger portion comprises at least two laterally spaced finger modules attached to the plate portion.

3. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1 wherein the finger portion and the plate portion are permanently attached to each other to avoid a step at the interface between the upper surface of the finger portion and the top article-transfer surface of the plate portion that could trip transferred articles.

4. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1 wherein the low-friction second material has a coefficient of friction relative to transferred articles of less than about 0.25.

5. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1, wherein the finger portion comprises a first set of shorter fingers alternating side by side with a second set of longer fingers.

6. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1 wherein the durable first material is a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, nylons, polyphthalamides, polyetherimides, peeks, steels, ceramics, thermosets, and liquid crystal polymers.

7. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1 wherein the low-friction second material is a material selected from the group consisting of acetals, ultra-high molecular weight polymers, TEFLON resin polymers, polybutylene terephathalates, and surface-treated metals.

8. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1 wherein the second material is an acetal material and the first material is a polyurethane material.

9. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1, wherein the plate portion includes at one end a recessed region interrupted by a boss projecting downward from the recessed region, the boss defining an opening extending therethrough from the top article-transfer surface to admit a fastener for attaching the transfer plate to a mounting bracket.

10. A finger transfer plate as in claim 9, 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, the base region forming an aperture therethrough dimensioned to receive the boss in the plate portion to register the finger portion to the plate portion when the transfer plate is attached to the mounting bracket.

11. A finger transfer plate as in claim 1 wherein the durable first material is a polyurethane material filled with glass fibers.

12. A finger transfer plate as in claim 11 wherein the glass fibers constitute between about 30% and 50% of the volume of the finger portions.

13. A finger transfer plate as in claim 12 wherein the glass fibers constitute about 40% of the volume of the finger portions.

14. A finger transfer plate, comprising:

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.

15. A finger transfer plate as in claim 14 wherein the finger portion is made of a durable material to strengthen the fingers and the plate portion is made of a low-friction material to case transfer of articles along the article-transfer surface.

16. A finger transfer plate as in claim 14 wherein the plate portion further comprises a boss projecting downward from the recessed region, the boss defining an opening extending therethrough from the top article-transfer surface to admit a fastener for attaching the transfer plate to a mounting bracket and wherein the base region of the finger portion forms an aperture therethrough dimensioned to receive the boss in the plate portion to register the finger portion to the plate portion when the transfer plate is attached to the mounting bracket.

17. A finger transfer plate as in claim 14 wherein the plate portion further comprises a retention tab extending downwardly and outwardly from an edge of the recessed portion and wherein the finger portion further forms a slot to receive the retention tab to be retained by the underside of the finger portion to prevent the plate portion from rising vertically relative to the finger portion.

18. A finger transfer plate as in claim 14, wherein the finger portion comprises a first set of shorter fingers alternating side by side with a second set of longer fingers.

19. An article transfer assembly for receiving articles transferred from the article-carrying surface of a moving conveyor belt, comprising:

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.

20. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19 wherein the second material having a low-friction characteristic has a coefficient of friction relative to transferred articles of less than about 0.25.

21. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19 wherein the durable first material is a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, nylons, polyphthalamides, polyetherimides, peeks, steels, ceramics, thermosets, and liquid crystal polymers.

22. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19 wherein the second material is a material selected from the group consisting of acetals, ultra-high molecular weight polymers, TEFLON resin polymers, polybutylene terephathalates, and surface-treated metals.

23. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19 wherein the second material is an acetal material and the first material is a polyurethane material.

24. An article-transfer assembly as in claim 19 wherein the transfer plate member comprises a thin sheet having attachments along an edge to attach to the transfer edge member so as to cover the base portion of the transfer edge member.

25. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19 wherein the transfer plate member and the first transfer edge member are permanently attached to each other to avoid a step at the interface between the upper surface of the first transfer edge member and the top article-transfer surface of the transfer plate member that could trip transferred articles.

26. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19 wherein the top article-transfer surface of the transfer plate member is grooved in the direction of article transfer to further reduce friction between the article-transfer surface and the transferred articles.

27. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19, further comprising fastener hardware and wherein the transfer plate member further includes fastener-receiving structure mating with the base portion of the transfer edge member, the fastener hardware cooperating with the fastener-receiving structure to affix the transfer plate member to the assembly support frame and to retain the mating overlapped base portion of the transfer edge member in fixed relation to the transfer plate member and the article-carrying surface of the conveyor belt.

28. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19 further comprising a second transfer edge member mating in overlapping engagement with the transfer plate member and laterally spaced from the first transfer edge member.

29. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19, wherein the belt-abutting portion comprises a first set of shorter fingers alternating side by side with a second set of longer fingers.

30. An article transfer assembly as in claim 19 wherein the first material is a polyurethane material filled with glass fibers.

31. An article transfer assembly as in claim 30 wherein the glass fibers constitute between about 30% and 50% of the volume of the transfer edge member.

32. An article transfer assembly as in claim 31 wherein the glass fibers constitute about 40% of the volume of the transfer edge member.

33. A conveyor system for conveying articles along a conveyor carryway path and transferring the articles off an end of the conveyor, comprising:

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.

34. An article transfer assembly for receiving articles transferred from the article-carrying surface of a moving conveyor belt, comprising:

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.

35. 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 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.