High efficiency sorting conveyor

• US 9,067,743 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mantissa Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mantissa Corporation
• Inventors: Sotelo, Gonzalo, Erceg, David Patrick, Fortenbery, J. David
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US14/336,811
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/12 comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 23/04 Drums, rollers, or wheels B65G23/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/38 by dumping, tripping, or releasing load carriers by flexing or tilting travelling structures B65G47/94
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/962 tilting about an axis substantially parallel to the conveying direction
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/967 tilting about an axis perpendicular to the conveying direction

Abstract

A sorting conveyor for transporting objects and unloading objects at one or more unloading stations adjacent the conveyor. The sorting conveyor includes a conveyor track, a train of conveyor carts connected end-to-end, and an opposed roller motor assembly. The opposed roller motor assembly may include a motor; a support frame attached to the conveyor track for supporting the motor; and a pair of cantilevered, drive rollers connected to the motor and to one pivot block assembly and another pivot block assembly adapted for positioning the drive roller adjacent to one surface of an extended fin driven member. The pivot block assemblies may be coupled together with a self-tensioning adjustment assembly. In some examples, the self-tensioning adjustment assembly may be adapted so that movement of each pivot block assembly mirrors movement of the other pivot block assembly.

Claims

1. A sorting conveyor for transporting objects and unloading objects at one or more unloading stations adjacent the conveyor, said sorting conveyor comprising:

(a) a conveyor track;

(b) a train of conveyor carts connected end-to-end; and

(c) an opposed roller motor assembly for moving said conveyor carts on said conveyor track, said opposed roller motor assembly including a cantilevered, drive roller connected to one pivot block assembly and another pivot block assembly adapted for positioning said drive roller,

wherein a tension linkage couples said pivot block assemblies together and movement of each pivot block assembly mirrors movement of the other pivot block assembly; and

(d) each of said conveyor carts including;

(i) a trailer frame base, including;

a roller structure for engaging said conveyor track, a driven member responsive to said opposed roller motor assembly, adjacent spaced apart driven members, and a hitch mechanism for connecting each conveyor cart to an adjacent conveyor cart; and

(ii) a carrying surface for holding the objects.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said carrying surface is a carrying tray and each of said conveyor carts includes a tiltable support apparatus for supporting said carrying tray above said trailer frame base and for allowing tilting of said carrying surface towards at least one side of the conveyor to unload objects into unloading stations on at least one side of the conveyor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said tiltable support apparatus includes:

an upper support structure joined to said carrying tray, a lower support structure joined to said trailer frame base, and a pivot structure connecting the upper support structure to the lower support structure along a pivot axis; and

a tilting mechanism for tilting said carrying tray on said tiltable support apparatus to thereby unload objects into one of the unloading stations adjacent the conveyor,

wherein said tilting mechanism includes;

a pair of actuating arms attached to said carrying tray on opposite sides of said tiltable support apparatus; and

a pull-down mechanism associated with each unloading station for selectively pulling down one of said actuating arms so as to pull one side of said carrying tray downwardly into a tilted position;

wherein each of said actuator arms includes a cam follower on a lower end of said actuator arm, and wherein said pull-down mechanism includes a descending ramp adjacent said conveyor track, a laterally pivoting switch for directing the cam follower of a selected actuator arm into said descending ramp and an actuator connected to said laterally pivoting switch for opening said laterally pivoting switch so as to capture a selected cam follower and direct the cam follower into the descending ramp and for closing said laterally pivoting switch after capture of the cam follower and wherein said tilting mechanism further comprises a locking structure for locking said carrying tray in the tilted position upon pulling down of one of said actuating arms, and for locking said carrying tray in the upright position upon pushing up of said actuating arm.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said actuating arms are each pivotally attached to said carrying tray beneath said carrying tray.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pivot axes of said actuating arms are parallel to the pivot axis of said tiltable support apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said actuating arms are pivotally attached to said upper support structure of said tiltable support apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pivot axis of said pivot structure lies in a vertical plane parallel to the conveyor line of travel, and wherein said actuating arms remain substantially parallel to the vertical plane parallel to the conveyor line of travel during pulling down and pushing up of said actuating arms to tilt said carrier tray.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said locking structure includes:

(a) a pair of laterally extending locking flanges on opposite sides of said tiltable support apparatus;

(b) a pair of locking blocks mounted to inner surfaces of said actuating arms, each locking block having locking channels that receive said locking flanges; and

(c) a biasing member attached to both actuating arms for biasing said actuating arms towards each other so as to urge said each of said locking flanges into one of said locking channels.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each locking block includes a locking channel associated with the tilted position of said carrying tray, and wherein each locking block includes a locking channel associated with the upright position of said carrying tray.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each said locking flange includes a roller mounted to an outer edge thereof.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each said locking block includes a cammed section between said locking channels over which said rollers on the outer edges of said locking flanges roll.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor track comprises two parallel rails.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said trailer frame base includes a longitudinal base member that extends between the two parallel rails parallel to the conveyor line of travel.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driven member of said trailer frame base comprises a fin moved in the conveyor line of travel by said opposed roller motor assembly.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said opposed roller motor assembly and said metal fin are both vertically oriented beneath said trailer frame base.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said metal fin is generally parallelogram-shaped with rearwardly angled front and rear edges.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said opposed roller motor assembly comprises at least one drive roller and at least one opposing surface for off-setting the mechanical load of said drive roller.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hitch mechanism comprises a front hitch on a front end of said trailer frame base, a rear hitch on a rear end of said trailer frame base, and a hitch connector for connecting the front hitch of one conveyor cart to the rear hitch of an adjacent conveyor cart.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the front hitch is disposed overtop of the rear hitch.

20. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said trailer frame base comprises an auxiliary cart connector for connecting each conveyor cart to an adjacent conveyor cart to prevent adjacent conveyor carts from separating upon failure of said hitch mechanism.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said auxiliary cart connector comprises an electrically conductive cable connected at one end to said trailer frame base and at another end to a trailer frame base of an adjacent conveyor cart.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sorting conveyor includes at least one single-axis conveyor cart that comprises a tiltable support apparatus having a horizontal pivot axis that is disposed generally parallel to the conveyor line of travel.

23. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said actuator includes:

(a) an actuator arm having a first end and a second end, said pivot switch being connected to said first end of said actuator arm; and

(b) a bi-directional actuator attached to said actuator arm second end, whereby said rotary actuator assembly is operable to rotate said laterally pivoting switch to engage said cam follower and direct said cam follower of a selected actuator arm into said descending ramp.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said bi-directional actuator includes a coil spring attached to said actuator arm second end to rotate said pivot switch to said closed position.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, further including an outer clevis coaxially aligned around said actuator arm to protect said actuator arm.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said actuator arm includes a roll pin extending substantially perpendicular from said actuator arm for connecting said actuator arm to said pivot switch and wherein said outer clevis includes an aperture, said aperture being sized to allow said roll pin to extend outward therefrom into said pivot switch.

27. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said bi-directional actuator is a brushless torque actuator.

28. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spaced apart driven members have vertically overlapping edges.