Apparatus and method for selectively actuating moving conveyor rollers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A conveyor comprising:
- a conveyor belt having an outer surface and an opposite inner drive surface and cavities opening onto the outer surface;
a plurality of rotatably mounted rollers disposed in the conveyor belt between the outer surface and the inner surface in positions to support conveyed articles and advancing with the conveyor in a conveying direction;
at least one motor disposed in the conveyor belt between the outer surface and the inner drive surface and advancing with the rollers and rotating the rollers;
wherein the cavities receive the rollers with a salient portion of the rollers protruding from the cavity past the outer surface of the belt;
wherein the conveyor belt includes a series of rows of one or more belt modules hingedly linked together to form the conveyor belt.
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Abstract
A conveyor having selectively actuated rollers whose only external contact is with conveyed articles and a method for rotating such rollers. In one version, the rollers are driven by motors that are selectively energized by a wireless signal or a sensed conveyor position. In another version, the rollers are geared to a drive wheel that engages a bearing surface underlying the conveyor along the conveying path. The rollers are selectively actuated to push conveyed articles along the conveyor as it advances.
34 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A conveyor comprising:
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a conveyor belt having an outer surface and an opposite inner drive surface and cavities opening onto the outer surface; a plurality of rotatably mounted rollers disposed in the conveyor belt between the outer surface and the inner surface in positions to support conveyed articles and advancing with the conveyor in a conveying direction; at least one motor disposed in the conveyor belt between the outer surface and the inner drive surface and advancing with the rollers and rotating the rollers; wherein the cavities receive the rollers with a salient portion of the rollers protruding from the cavity past the outer surface of the belt; wherein the conveyor belt includes a series of rows of one or more belt modules hingedly linked together to form the conveyor belt. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A conveyor belt comprising:
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a main body having an article-carrying side and an opposite drive side, wherein the main body is formed by a series of rows of one or more belt modules hingedly linked together; a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted in the main body between the two sides with salient peripheral portions outside one side of the main body; a drive mechanism disposed in the main body between the two sides and coupled to a plurality of the rollers; motive means disposed in the main body between the two sides and coupled to the drive mechanism for driving the drive mechanism to rotate the rollers. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for rotating an article-supporting roller in a conveyor belt, the method comprising:
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advancing a plurality of article-supporting rollers disposed between an outer side and an opposite inner side of a conveyor belt formed by a series of rows of one or more belt modules hingedly linked together along a carryway in a conveying direction; selectively energizing a motor disposed in the conveyor belt between the outer and inner sides to advance with the rollers and coupled to at least one of the article-supporting rollers to rotate the rollers. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification