Releasable connection for sortation conveyor pusher

• US 7,198,145 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligrated Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intelligrated Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimmer, Justin, Heit, Martin, Brown, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): DILLON JR, JOSEPH A
• Application Number:
  US11/450,916
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 198/370.02, 198/370.07
• US Class Current: 198/370.02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/02 detecting dangerous physical condition of load carriers, e.g. for interrupting the drive in the event of overheating
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/844 the article-engaging elements being pushers transversally movable on the supporting surface, e.g. pusher-shoes

Abstract

A pusher has a retaining member disposed within an opening in the pusher cap, a fastening member secured to the pusher base and a fuse element interposes between the retaining member and the fastening member, the fuse element failing upon the application of an undesirable level of force to said pusher cap.

Claims

1. A connection for releasably retaining a pusher cap to a pusher base, said connection comprising:

a. a retaining member carried by one of said pusher cap and said pusher base;

b. a fastening member carried by the other of said pusher cap and said pusher base;

c. a fuse element interposed between said retaining member and said fastening member;

d. said retaining member, fastening member and said fuse element being dimensioned such that said fuse element fails upon the application of an undesirable level of force to said pusher cap, such that said connection mechanism ceases to hold said pusher cap to said pusher base.