Systems and methods for providing an improved timing conveyor

• US 7,311,192 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: Fourney, Matthew L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell; James R.
• Application Number:
  US11/203,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20070034481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 198/457.02, 198/459.8, 198/461.1, 198/461.2, 198/461.3, 198/779, 198/853, 198/345.3, 193/35.A
• US Class Current: 198/779
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/24 comprising a series of rollers which are moved , e.g. over a supporting surface, by the traction element to effect conveyance of loads or load-carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/28 during transit by a single conveyor

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a conveyor system for evenly spacing conveyed objects are provided. In one embodiment, the conveyor system includes a conveyor belt that includes a conveyor having cavities, rollers in some of cavities, and a positioning component. The conveyor system further includes a conveyor drive coupled to the conveyor system and a roller engagement surface positioned adjacent the conveyor belt and configured to engage the plurality of rollers.

Claims

1. A conveyor comprising:

a conveyor belt including a plurality of cavities, a roller disposed in each cavity and having an axis of rotation perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, and a positioning component provided adjacent the rollers;

a conveyor drive component configured to drive the conveyor belt in the longitudinal direction; and

a cam positioned adjacent the conveyor belt and adapted to engage the rollers;

wherein the rollers comprise first rollers having a first diameter and second rollers having a second diameter and wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter.

2. The conveyor of claim 1, wherein the second rollers are positioned closer to the positioning component along the longitudinal direction than the first rollers.

3. The conveyor of claim 1, wherein the positioning component comprises a friction pad configured to stop the motion of objects relative to the conveyor belt.

4. The conveyor of claim 3, wherein the friction pad is substantially co-planar with the conveyor belt.

5. The conveyor of claim 1, wherein the positioning component comprises a flight configured to stop the motion of objects relative to the conveyor belt.

6. The conveyor of claim 5, wherein the flight comprises a fixed element that extends above the conveyor belt.

7. The conveyor of claim 5, wherein the flight comprises a movable element movable between an extended position in which the flight extends above the rollers and a retracted position in which the flight is positioned below the rollers.

8. The conveyor of claim 1, wherein the cam is positioned underneath the conveyor belt.

9. A conveyor comprising:

a conveyor belt including a plurality of cavities, a roller disposed in each cavity and having an axis of rotation perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, and a positioning component provided adjacent the rollers;

a conveyor drive component configured to drive the conveyor belt in the longitudinal direction; and

a cam positioned adjacent the conveyor belt and adapted to engage the rollers;

wherein the rollers comprise first rollers having a first friction coefficient and second rollers having a second friction coefficient and wherein the first friction coefficient is greater than the second friction coefficient.

10. The conveyor of claim 9, wherein the second rollers are positioned closer to the positioning component along the longitudinal direction than the first rollers.

11. The conveyor of claim 9, wherein the positioning component comprises a friction pad configured to stop the motion of objects relative to the conveyor belt.

12. The conveyor of claim 11, wherein the friction pad is substantially co-planar with the conveyor belt.

13. The conveyor of claim 9, wherein the positioning component comprises a flight configured to stop the motion of objects relative to the conveyor belt.

14. The conveyor of claim 13, wherein the flight comprises a fixed element that extends above the conveyor belt.

15. The conveyor of claim 13, wherein the flight comprises a movable element movable between an extended position in which the flight extends above the rollers and a retracted position in which the flight is positioned below the rollers.

16. The conveyor of claim 9, wherein the cam is positioned underneath the conveyor belt.

17. A method for conveying objects, comprising:

driving a conveyor belt in a direction of belt travel;

rotationally actuating a flight mounted to the conveyor belt from a retracted position in which a stopping surface of the flight is generally parallel to a top surface of the conveyor belt to an extended position in which the stopping surface is generally perpendicular to the top surface; and

halting an object travelling along the conveyor belt with the stopping surface of the flight to control the position of the object along the conveyor belt.

18. A conveyor belt comprising:

a top surface; and

a rotationally-actuable flight adapted to halt forward travel of an object along the conveyor belt, the flight being actuable from a retracted position in which a stopping surface against which the object can abut is generally parallel to the top surface to an extended position in which the stopping surface is generally perpendicular to the top surface, wherein the rotationally-actuable flight comprises a cam engagement surface adapted to engage a cam that actuates the flight.

19. The conveyor belt of claim 18, further comprising a cavity in which the rotationally-actuable flight is positioned in the retracted position.

20. The conveyor belt of claim 19, wherein the rotationally-actuable flight is recessed below the top surface of the belt when in the retracted position.

21. The conveyor belt of claim 19, wherein the stopping surface is provided on a flight extending member that rests on the top surface when the rotationally-actuable flight is in the retracted position.

22. The conveyor belt of claim 18, wherein the rotationally-actuable flight includes an axle about which the flight pivots during actuation.

23. The conveyor belt of claim 18, wherein the axle of the rotationally-actuable flight includes a pivot pin.

24. The conveyor belt of claim 18, wherein a rotatable cam roller defines the cam engagement surface, the cam roller being rotatable about an axis different from an axis about which the rotationally-actuable flight rotates.

25. The conveyor belt of claim 18, wherein a cam roller defines the cam engagement surface, the cam roller being rotatable about an axis about which the rotationally-actuable flight rotates.

26. The conveyor belt of claim 25, wherein the cam roller includes a flat side.

27. The conveyor belt of claim 26, wherein the flat side is located on the cam roller such that the flat side is positioned proximate the cam when the rotationally-actuable flight is in the extended position.

28. The conveyor belt of claim 18, further comprising a bottom surface and a plurality of rollers mounted within cavities provided in the conveyor belt, the rollers extending beyond the top and bottom surfaces of the belt and being adapted to propel the objects along the belt toward the rotationally-actuable flight.

29. The conveyor belt of claim 28, wherein the rollers are actuable through contact with a cam.

30. The conveyor belt of claim 18, wherein the conveyor belt comprises a mat-top chain including multiple chain segments that are hingeably secured to each other to form a continuous belt.

31. A conveyor belt comprising:

a top surface and a bottom surface;

a plurality of rollers mounted within cavities provided in the conveyor belt, the rollers extending beyond the top and bottom surfaces of the belt and being adapted to propel an object along the belt when the rollers contact a cam; and

a plurality of rotationally-actuable flights adapted to halt travel of the object propelled by the rollers at predetermined positions along the length of the belt, the flights being actuable from a retracted position in which a stopping surface against which the objects abut is generally parallel to the top surface to an extended position in which the stopping surface is generally perpendicular to the top surface, wherein the flights each comprise a cam engagement surface adapted to engage the cam to actuate the flights.

32. The conveyor belt of claim 31, further comprising a plurality of cavities in which the rotationally-actuable flights are positioned in the retracted position.

33. The conveyor belt of claim 31, wherein the rotationally-actuable flights each include a rotatable cam roller that defines a cam engagement surface, the cam roller being rotatable about an axis different from an axis about which the rotationally-actuable flight rotates.

34. The conveyor belt of claim 31, wherein the rotationally-actuable flights each include a cam roller that defines a cam engagement surface, the cam roller being rotatable about an axis about which the rotationally-actuable flight rotates.

35. The conveyor belt of claim 34, wherein the cam roller includes a flat side.

36. The conveyor belt of claim 34, wherein the flat side is located on the cam roller such that the flatside is positioned proximate the cam when the rotationally-actuable flight is in the extended position.

37. A conveyor comprising:

a cam;

a conveyor belt including;

a top surface and a bottom surface,

a plurality of rollers mounted within cavities a extending beyond the top and bottom surfaces of the belt, the rollers being adapted to propel objects along the belt when the rollers contact the cam, and

a plurality of rotationally-actuable flights adapted to halt travel of objects propelled by the rollers at predetermined positions along the length of the belt, the flights being actuable from a retracted position in which a stopping surface against which the objects abut is generally parallel to the top surface to an extended position in which the stopping surface is generally perpendicular to the top surface, wherein the flights each comprise a cam engagement surface adapted to engage the cam to actuate the flights; and

a drive mechanism adapted to drive the conveyor belt.