Inclined conveyor

• US 6,557,696 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tech Logic Corp. (The Library Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tech Logic Corp. (The Library Corp.)
• Inventors: Frich, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/594,268
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 198/626.4, 198/626.6, 198/626.1, 198/626.2, 198/626.3, 198/626.5, 198/835
• US Class Current: 198/626.6
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/14 the load being conveyed between the belts B65G15/18, B65G15/20 take precedence

Abstract

A conveyor apparatus transports materials along an incline. The apparatus includes an endless base conveyor belt that is tensioned between lower and upper end rollers and is aligned with the incline. A drive means drives the base belt at a selected speed and in a selected direction along the incline. An endless and freely hanging tension-less overhead conveyor belt is provided above the base belt, and has a substantially flat conveyance surface for conforming to and covering materials placed on the base belt. A drive roller of the tension-less overhead belt is coupled to the upper end roller of the base belt so as to drive the tension-less overhead belt at a speed and direction similar to that of the base belt.

Claims

1. An inclined sandwich conveyor system for transporting library articles and materials from a lower receiving end to an upper delivery end comprising:

a lower endless belt conveyor assembly for transporting materials from a lower receiving end thereof to an upper delivery end thereof including,

an endless transport belt extending upward from said lower receiving end to said upper delivery end, said endless transport belt including an upward facing side for transporting materials placed thereon from said lower receiving end to said delivery end, and

a lower conveyor assembly drive mechanism for driving said endless transport belt so as to cause said upward facing side to move in a first direction at a first selected speed; and

an upper endless belt conveyor assembly,

said upper endless belt conveyor assembly including an endless material holding belt extending from an upper conveyor assembly drive mechanism in proximity to said delivery end, freely and tension-less toward said lower receiving end, and

said endless material holding belt having a downward facing side facing, and having a selected peripheral length sufficiently long so as to be capable of freely resting, in part, on said upward facing side of said endless transport belt and any materials lying on said upward facing side of said endless transport belt, and

where said upper endless belt conveyor assembly drive mechanism is directly coupled to said holding belt for driving said downward facing side of said endless material holding belt to move in said first direction at a second selected speed, and said drive mechanism is a tractor drive mechanism including a pair of tension rollers on opposite sides of a central drive roller, where said material holding belt is serpentinely threaded through said combination of the central drive roller and said tension rollers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said lower endless belt conveyor assembly includes a drive roller for causing movement of said first endless transport belt in said first direction, and

said drive roller of said upper endless belt conveyor assembly is motively coupled to said drive roller of said lower endless belt conveyor assembly for causing movement of said endless material holding belt in said first direction.

3. The incline sandwich conveyor system of claim 2 wherein said lower conveyor assembly drive mechanism includes a motorized drive drum coupled to said drive roller of said lower endless belt conveyor assembly.

4. The incline sandwich conveyor system of claim 1 wherein said upper endless belt conveyor assembly includes a belt guide for supporting said endless material holding belt, said belt guide generally extending substantially between first and second ends thereof, where said first end is in proximity to said delivery end of said lower endless belt conveyor assembly, and where said endless material holding belt freely hangs from said belt guide.

5. The incline sandwich conveyor system of claim 1 wherein said upper endless conveyor belt assembly includes

a belt guide for supporting an upward facing side of said endless material holding belt, said belt guide generally extending substantially between first and second ends thereof, where said first end is in proximity to said delivery end of said lower endless belt conveyor assembly;

a drive roller for causing movement of said endless material holding belt in said first direction, wherein said downward facing side of said endless material holding belt freely hangs from said upper conveyor assembly drive mechanism at one end, and from said second end of said belt guide.

6. The incline sandwich conveyor system of claim 5 wherein said selected peripheral length of said endless material holding belt is sufficient to form an outward loop extending beyond and away from said second end of said belt guide.

7. The incline sandwich conveyor system of claim 1 further comprising:

belt support means extending along a at least a portion of a path between said receiving end and said delivery end, and having an upward facing member for supporting an upper portion of said endless material holding belt; and

a plurality of resilient pressure exerting fingers extending from a downward facing member of said belt support belt means toward an inside surface of said endless material holding belt facing downward toward said upward facing endless transport belt so as to enhance conformity of said endless material holding belt upon any materials on said endless transport belt and avoiding slippage thereon.

8. The incline sandwich conveyor system of claim 7 wherein said resilient pressure exerting fingers comprise:

an arm member having a pressure end member coupled to a first end of said arm member configured to apply pressure to said inside of said endless material holding belt, and a second end secured to said downward facing member of said belt support means; and

said arm member including a spring like member between said first and second ends of said arm-like member.

9. The incline sandwich conveyor system of claim 8 wherein said pressure end member is a bogey wheel.

10. A method for transporting materials at an incline from a lower receiving end to an upper delivery end comprising the steps of:

placing materials on an endless transport belt of a lower endless belt conveyor assembly where said endless transport belt extends upward from said lower receiving end to said upper delivery end, said endless transport belt including an upward facing side for transporting materials placed thereon from said lower receiving end to said delivery end; and

covering said materials with a portion of an endless material holding belt of an upper endless belt conveyor assembly extending from an upper conveyor assembly drive mechanism, in proximity to said delivery end, freely and tension-less toward said lower receiving end, and where said endless material holding belt has a selected peripheral length sufficiently long so as to be capable of freely resting, in part, on said upward facing side of said endless transport belt and any materials lying on said upward facing side of said endless transport belt;

driving said endless transport belt by a lower conveyor assembly drive mechanism so as to cause said upward facing side of said endless transport belt to move in a first direction at a first selected speed; and

driving said endless material holding belt by an upper conveyor assembly drive mechanism such that said downward facing side of said endless material holding belt moves in said first direction at a second selected speed, such that any materials lying on said upward facing side of said endless transport belt move in said first direction and held fast against said upward facing side of said endless transport belt as it moves in said first direction, where said upper endless belt conveyor assembly drive mechanism is directly coupled to said holding belt for driving said downward facing side of said endless materials holding belt to move in said first direction at a second selected speed, and said drive mechanism is a tractor drive mechanism including a pair of tension rollers on opposite sides of a central drive roller, where said holding belt is serpentinely threaded through said combination of the central drive roller and said tension rollers.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

supporting said endless material holding belt along at least a portion of a path between said receiving end and said delivery end, and having an upward facing member for supporting an upper portion of said endless material holding belt; and

applying resilient pressure toward an inside surface of said endless material holding belt facing downward toward said upward facing endless transport belt so as to enhance conformity of said endless material holding belt upon any materials on said endless transport belt and substantially avoiding slippage thereon.