Article guide for an apparatus for controlling the flow of articles

• US 6,523,669 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hartness International Inc. (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Beesley, Robert C., Steeber, Dorian F., Duterte, Olivier P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIDLEY, RICHARD W L
• Application Number:
  US09/650,183
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 198/594, 198/602, 198/597, 198/598, 198/480.1, 198/481.1, 198/370.01
• US Class Current: 198/370.01
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/02 Articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5131 by relative displacement between conveyors or conveyor parts and bridging means therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/52 Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00

Abstract

An article transfer member including a resiliently mounted guide for aligning articles being transferred onto an outfeed conveyor from an infeed conveyor. The resiliently mounted guide includes an arcuate guide plate that is spring biased so as to flex responsive to variations in the dimensions of the packages being transferred normally as a result of a damaged package and maintaining the packages in alignment on the outfeed conveyor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the flow of articles, comprising:

a first conveyor driven in a first direction to convey articles thereon in said first direction, and a second conveyor driven in a second direction opposite to said first direction to convey articles thereon in said second direction;

said first and second conveyors extending side-by-side and parallel with a space defined therebetween;

a movable transport member disposed generally across and movable along said space, said transport member having a drive member drivingly engaged simultaneously by said first and second conveyors so that said drive member continuously rotates as either of said first and second conveyors move and said transport member travels along said space if a relative speed difference exists between said first and second conveyors;

an article transfer member carried by said transport member and operably disposed relative to said conveyors to contact and transfer articles from said first conveyor to said second conveyor along a transfer path;

said article transfer member including an endless drive belt disposed along said transfer path so as to contact and move articles therealong, said drive belt driven by said drive member and running in an endless path between said drive member and said article transfer member;

an idler wheel, said transfer path defined between said drive belt and a circumferential portion of said idler wheel and having an inlet end and an outlet end; and

a resiliently mounted guide carried by said transport member adjacent said outlet end of said transfer path for engaging said articles and guiding said articles onto said second conveyor as said articles leave said outlet end of said transfer path.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resiliently mounted guide includes an arcuately shaped guide plate that engages said articles as said articles are released from between said idler wheel and said drive belt.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resiliently mounted guide comprises a spring for biasing said arcuately shaped guide plate towards said idler wheel.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an adjustable mounting member supporting said resiliently mounted guide for adjusting the distance between said resiliently mounted guide and said idler wheel for transferring articles of different dimensions.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said arcuately shaped guide plate has an inner end and an outer end, said inner end of said guide plate extending adjacent said endless drive belt for guiding said articles onto said second conveyor as said articles exit from between said drive belt and said idler wheel.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said guide plate has a curvature in the same direction as said circumferential portion of said idler wheel.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive member comprises a belt drive wheel, said drive belt disposed around and driven by said belt drive wheel.