Case flow system with adjustable lane dividers

• US 7,815,060 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frazier Industrial Company
• Original Assignee: Frazier Industrial Company
• Inventors: Iellimo, Domenick
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne; Darnell M
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODDEN, JOSHUA E
• Application Number:
  US11/649,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20080164116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 211/11, 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/74, 211/90.01, 211/126.15, 211/151, 211/153, 211/184, 312/35, 312/42, 312/45, 312/61, 312/71, 414/276, 414/286, 108/60, 108/61, 193/35.R, 406/66, 406/58, 406/611.1
• US Class Current: 211/151
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/023 Arrangements of article supporting rollers on racks

Abstract

A case flow bed for the handling of merchandise. The case flow bed including (a) a loading end and, opposite thereto, an unloading end; (b) a roller bed positioned between the loading end and unloading end for supporting and permitting sliding movement of merchandise from the loading end to the unloading end; and (c) apertures associated with at least the loading end for removably receiving at least one lane divider in any of a plurality of laterally extending positions for delimiting lanes of travel for the sliding movement of the merchandise.

Claims

1. A case flow bed having a longitudinal extension and a lateral extension, comprising:

a) a loading end and, longitudinally opposite thereto, an unloading end,

b) a plurality of inclined bed sections, each bed section including a plurality of rollers, said bed sections being positioned between said loading end and unloading end for supporting and permitting longitudinal sliding movement of articles from the loading end to the unloading end;

c) lane adjustment means associated with at least said loading end for removably receiving at least one lane divider in any of a plurality of laterally spaced positions for delimiting lanes of travel for the sliding movement of the articles, said at least one lane divider having at least a portion with a non-circular cross-section

wherein each of said loading end and unloading end comprises a laterally extending end frame having a top portion and a bottom portion and said lane adjustment means comprises a laterally extending first row of a plurality of non-circular apertures in at least the top portion of the end frame, said apertures for removably and non-rotatingly engaging one or more lane dividers at the portion with the non-circular cross-section,

wherein the lane adjustment means further comprises a laterally extending second row of a plurality of non-circular apertures in the bottom portion of the end frame, each of said apertures in said second row being vertically aligned with a corresponding aperture in the first row,

the case flow bed further comprising at least two lane dividers, each lane divider comprising a single piece member having a vertical first end portion, an angled middle portion connected to the vertical first end portion at a first bend, and a horizontal second end portion connected to the angled middle portion at a second bend, wherein the vertical first end portion of each of the lane dividers can be removably and non-rotatingly disposed through any of the apertures in the first row of apertures and the corresponding aperture in the second row of apertures,

wherein at least a first lane divider is engaged in the end frame of the loading end of the case flow bed and a second lane divider is engaged in the end frame at the unloading end of the case flow bed, wherein the horizontal second end portions of each of said first and second lane dividers are respectively connected to opposite ends of a tubular guide rail extending therebetween.

2. The case flow bed of claim 1 wherein a third lane divider is configured to be engaged in the end frame of the loading end of the case flow bed or the unloading end of the case flow bed in a position laterally spaced from said corresponding first or second lane divider.

3. The case flow bed of claim 1 wherein the bed sections each include a plurality of laterally extending axles longitudinally spaced apart from each other, and the plurality of rollers are rotatably mounted to and disposed in a spaced-apart pattern along said axles.

4. The case flow bed of claim 3 wherein the bed sections further include a plurality of support members oriented longitudinally and laterally spaced apart from each other, the axles being disposed through, and at least partially supported by, the support members.

5. The case flow bed of claim 1 wherein the apertures are configured in a shape selected from quadrangular, triangular and hemispherical.

6. The case flow bed of claim 1 further comprising a label holder having a post removably received in any of the apertures in the first row of apertures, and having a surface for mounting a label.

7. The case flow bed of claim 6 wherein the label includes machine readable indicia.

8. The case flow bed of claim 7 wherein the machine readable indicia comprises a bar code.

11. The case flow system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the lane dividers has a uniform non-circular cross section.

12. The case flow system of claim 1 wherein the tubular guide rail has a quadrangular cross-section.

13. The case flow system of claim 1 wherein the inclination of the bed sections is about one inch per foot of length.

14. The case flow system of claim 6 wherein the surface for mounting the label is parallel to the end frame.

9. A case flow system comprising at least one inclined case flow bed mounted to a support frame, said case flow bed having a longitudinal extension and a lateral extension and further comprising:

a) a loading end and, longitudinally opposite thereto, an unloading end,

b) a plurality of inclined bed sections, each bed section including a plurality of rollers, said bed sections being positioned between said loading end and unloading end for supporting and permitting sliding movement of articles from the loading end to the unloading end;

c) lane adjustment means associated with at least said loading end for removably receiving at least one lane divider having at least a portion with a non-circular cross section in any of a plurality of laterally spaced positions for delimiting lanes of travel for the sliding movement of the articles

wherein each of said loading end and unloading end comprises a laterally extending end frame having a top portion and a bottom portion and said lane adjustment means comprises a laterally extending first row of a plurality of non-circular apertures in at least the top portion of the end frame, said aperatures for removably and non-rotatingly engaging one or more lane dividers at the portion with the non-circular cross-section

wherein the lane adjustment means further comprises a laterally extending second row of a plurality of non-circular apertures in the bottom portion of the end frame, each of said apertures in said second row being vertically aligned with a corresponding aperture in the first row,

the case flow bed further comprising at least two lane dividers, each lane divider comprising a single piece member having a vertical first end portion, an angled middle portion connected to the vertical first end portion at a first bend, and a horizontal second end portion connected to the angled middle portion at a second bend, wherein the vertical first end portion of each of the lane dividers can be removably and non-rotatingly disposed through any of the apertures in the first row of apertures and the corresponding aperture in the second row of apertures,

wherein at least a first lane divider is engaged in the end frame of the loading end of the case flow bed and a second lane divider is engaged in the end frame at the unloading end of the case flow bed, wherein the horizontal second end portions of each of said first and second lane dividers are respectively connected to opposite ends of a tubular guide rail extending therebetween; and

d) at least one label holder removably receivable into any of the laterally extending first row of apertures for identifying the lanes of travel for selected articles.

10. The case flow system of claim 9 comprising at least two case flow beds in stacked spaced apart vertical arrangement.