Singulating conveyor
First Claim
1. A conveyor suitable for singulating articles conveyed along a carryway, comprising:
- a first conveyor mat extending in a lengthwise direction from a first end to a second end, in a widthwise direction from a first side to a second side, and in thickness from a top surface to a bottom surface;
the first conveyor mat forming a plurality of cavities through the thickness of the first conveyor mat and opening onto the top surface and the bottom surface;
a roller disposed in each of the cavities with salient portions of each roller extending from the cavity past the top surface and the bottom surface;
each roller being arranged to rotate about an axis oriented between the lengthwise and the widthwise direction;
a roller bearing surracc disposed along the bottom surface of the first conveyor mat and in contact with the salient portion of the rollers extending past the bottom surface;
wherein relative motion between the first conveyor mat and the roller bearing surface causes the rollers to rotate and to provide a sidewise component of motion to articles conveyed atop the rollers along the top surface of the first conveyor mat; and
a second conveyor mat adjacent the first conveyor mat arranged to receive articles from the first conveyor mat and to convey the articles at an increased speed in the lengthwise direction to increase the separation between conveyed articles along the carryway.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A singulating conveyor for aligning a mass of conveyed articles into a single file. The conveyor includes a first centering conveying zone in which one or more roller-top conveyor mats direct conveyed articles sidewise toward a side or the center of the zone. The rollers on which the articles ride rotate about axes oblique to the conveying direction to provide a sidewise component of motion to the articles. The articles are received downstream in a second separation zone, in which the articles are sped up in the conveying direction to separate them into a single file. The conveyor mats can be realized as endless conveyor belts in motion or as stationary mats overlying a moving belt contacting and rotating the rollers.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A conveyor suitable for singulating articles conveyed along a carryway, comprising:
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a first conveyor mat extending in a lengthwise direction from a first end to a second end, in a widthwise direction from a first side to a second side, and in thickness from a top surface to a bottom surface;
the first conveyor mat forming a plurality of cavities through the thickness of the first conveyor mat and opening onto the top surface and the bottom surface;
a roller disposed in each of the cavities with salient portions of each roller extending from the cavity past the top surface and the bottom surface;
each roller being arranged to rotate about an axis oriented between the lengthwise and the widthwise direction;
a roller bearing surracc disposed along the bottom surface of the first conveyor mat and in contact with the salient portion of the rollers extending past the bottom surface;
wherein relative motion between the first conveyor mat and the roller bearing surface causes the rollers to rotate and to provide a sidewise component of motion to articles conveyed atop the rollers along the top surface of the first conveyor mat; and
a second conveyor mat adjacent the first conveyor mat arranged to receive articles from the first conveyor mat and to convey the articles at an increased speed in the lengthwise direction to increase the separation between conveyed articles along the carryway. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A conveyor suitable for singulating articles conveyed in a conveying direction along the length of the conveyor, comprising:
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a first conveying zone; and
a second conveying zone positioned downstream of the first conveying zone in the conveying direction to receive conveyed articles from the first conveying zone;
the first conveying zone including a first conveyor mat formed of a series of rows of interconnected modules, the modules including rollers for supporting conveyed articles and arranged to rotate about axes oblique to the conveying direction to provide a sideward component of motion transverse to the conveying direction to the conveyed articles;
the second conveying zone including a second conveyor mat formed of a series of rows of interconnected modules and providing a component of motion in the conveying direction to the conveyed articles received from the first conveying zone greater than the component of motion in the conveying direction in the first conveying zone. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A conveyor as in claim is wherein the first conveyor mat is stationary and the conveyor further includes a moving roller bearing surface in contact with the rollers in the first conveyor mat to rotate the rollers.
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28. A conveyor suitable for singulating articles conveyed in a conveying direction along the length of the conveyor comprising:
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a centering conveyor belt conveying articles as it travels in the conveying direcuon and having a central axis in the conveying, direction dividing the centering conveyor belt into a left portion and a right portion;
the centering conveyor belt including rollers on the left portion arranged to rotate about axes forming first acute angles with the central axis measured counterclockwise from the central axis and rollers on the right portion arranged to rotate about axes forming second acute angles with the central axis measured clockwise from the central axis;
a separation belt arranged downstream of the centering conveyor belt to receive conveyed articles from the centering conveyor belt and operated at a speed to convey articles in the conveying direction faster than the articles are conveyed on the centering conveyor belt. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A conveyor suitable for singulating articles conveyed in a conveying direction along the length of the conveyor, comprising:
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a centering conveyor belt including rollers arranged to rotate about oblique axes as the centering conveyor belt travels in the conveying direction to direct conveyed articles toward a central axis of the centering conveyor belt in the conveying direction;
a separation conveyor belt arranged downstream of the centering belt and operated to speed up tue conveyed articles received from the centering conveyor belt to separate the articles in the conveying direction.
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34. A conveyor suitable for singulating articles conveyed in a conveying direction along the length of the conveyor, comprising:
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a first roller-top conveyor belt disposed on a first side of a conveyor center line and including rollers arranged to rotate about axes parallel to a first oblique axis relative to the conveying direction;
a second roller-top conveyor belt disposed on an opposite second side of the conveyor center line and parallel to the first roller-top conveyor belt, and including rollers arranged to rotate about axes parallel to a second oblique axis relative to the conveying direction;
wherein the rollers on the first roller-top conveyor belt and the rollers on the second roller-top conveyor belt direct conveyed articles toward the center line;
a separation conveyor belt arrangement downstream of the first and second roller-top conveyor belts and operated at a speed to speed up the conveyed articles received from the roller-top conveyor belts to separate the articles in the conveying direction. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A conveyor for conveying articles along a carryway, comprising:
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a stationary conveyor mat extending in a lengthwise direction from a first end to a second end, in a widthwise direction from a first side to a second side, and in thickness from a top surface to a bottom surface;
the conveyor mat forming a plurality of cavities through the thickness of the conveyor mat and opening onto the top surface and the bottom surface;
a roller disposed in each of the cavities with salient portions of each roller extending from the cavity past the top surface and the bottom surface;
each roller being arranged to rotate about an axis oriented between the lengthwise and the widthwise directions;
a roller bearing surface disposed along the bottom surface of the conveyor mat and in contact with the salient portion of tbe rollers extending past the bottom surface;
wherein the motion of the roller bearing surface causes the rollers to rotate and to provide a sidewise component of motion to articles conveyed atop the rollers along the top surface of the conveyor mat. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A conveyor suitable for positioning articles conveyed along a carryway, comprising:
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a first conveyor mat including a series of rows of interconnected modules;
the first conveyor mat extending along the carryway in a lengthwise direction from a first end to a second end, in a widthwise direction from a first side to a second side, and in thickness from a top surface to a bottom surface;
the first conveyor mat forming a plurality of cavities through the thickness of the first conveyor mat and opening onto the top surface and the bottom surface;
a roller disposed in each of the cavities with salient portions of each roller extending from the cavity past the top surface and the bottom surface;
each roller being arranged to rotate about an axis oriented between the lengthwise and the widthwise directions;
a roller bearing surface disposed along the bottom surface of the first conveyor mat and in contact with the salient portion of the rollers extending past the bottom surface;
wherein relative motion between the first conveyor mat and the roller bearing surface causes the rollers to rotate and to provide a sidewise component of motion to articles conveyed atop the rollers along the top surface of the first conveyor mat.
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49. A conveyor suitable for positioning articles conveyed along a carry way, comprising:
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a stationary first conveyor mat including a series of rows of interconnected modules;
the first conveyor mat extending in a lengthwise direction from a first end to a second end, in a widthwise direction from a first side to a second side, and in thickness from atop surface to a bottom surface;
the first conveyor mat forming a plurality of cavities in selected modules and opening onto the top surface;
a roller disposed in each of the cavities with salient positions of each roller extending from the cavity past the top surface;
each roller being arranged to rotate about an axis oriented between the lengthwise and the widthwise directions;
wherein rotation of the rollers provides a sidewise component of motion to articles conveyed atop the rollers along the top surface of the first conveyor mat.
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Specification