Small-diameter-roller conveyor

• US 9,309,054 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: Scates, Dennis K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/983,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20130299319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 198/781.06, 198/781.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/02 having driven rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/07 having endless driving elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/071 with frictional engagement
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/263 the conveyor drive is taken from a longitudinally extending shaft

Abstract

A small-diameter-roller conveyor converted from a large-diameter-roller conveyor and a method for the conversion. One or more belts are trained around the power-driven rollers of a roller conveyor. A stationary array of smaller-diameter article-supporting rollers is positioned atop the belts. The article-supporting rollers are in frictional contact with the belts. The rotation of the power-driven rollers advances the belts, which rotate the article-supporting rollers and convey articles supported atop the article-supporting rollers.

Claims

1. A small-diameter-roller conveyor comprising:

a roller conveyor including a series of at least three power-driven rollers extending axially across the width of the roller conveyor and supported side by side along the length of the roller conveyor, the power-driven rollers having first diameters;

at least one endless belt trained around and driven by the power-driven rollers;

a stationary array of article-supporting rollers positioned atop the at least one endless belt with the article-supporting rollers extending axially parallel to the power-driven rollers, wherein the article-supporting rollers are rotated by frictional contact with the at least one endless belt;

wherein the number of article-supporting rollers exceeds the number of power-driven rollers; and

wherein the article-supporting rollers have second diameters less than the first diameters.

2. A small-diameter-roller conveyor as in claim 1 wherein the length of the article-supporting rollers is less than the length of the power-driven rollers.

3. A small-diameter-roller conveyor as in claim 1 wherein the article-supporting rollers in the array are arranged in rows, each row including more than one of the article-supporting rollers joined in axial alignment to rotate together.

4. A small-diameter-roller conveyor as in claim 3 comprising a common axle joining the article-supporting rollers in each row and rotating with the article-supporting rollers.

5. A small-diameter-roller conveyor as in claim 4 further comprising links rotatably receiving the axles of adjacent rows and supporting the array of article-supporting rollers.

6. A small-diameter-roller conveyor as in claim 3 comprising axially aligned stubs joining adjacent article-supporting rollers in each row and rotating with the article-supporting rollers.

7. A small-diameter-roller conveyor as in claim 6 further comprising links rotatably receiving the axially aligned stubs of adjacent rows and supporting the array of article-supporting rollers.

8. A small-diameter-roller conveyor as in claim 1 wherein the roller conveyor includes a pair of parallel side walls supporting the power-driven rollers at each end and wherein the article-supporting rollers in the array are arranged in rows of axially aligned article-supporting rollers joined by a live axle in each row rotatably supported at opposite ends in a pair of opposite side frames mounted atop the side walls to rotate all the article-supporting rollers in the row.

9. A method for converting a power-driven roller conveyor from a large-diameter-roller conveyor to a small-diameter-roller conveyor, comprising:

training one or more belts around a series of at least three adjacent power-driven rollers of a power-driven roller conveyor with enough tension for the power-driven rollers to drive the one or more belts;

mounting a stationary array of smaller-diameter article-supporting rollers atop the one or more belts with the article-supporting rollers in frictional contact with the one or more belts so that the one or more belts can rotate the article-supporting rollers, wherein the number of article-supporting rollers exceeds the number of power-driven rollers.

10. A roller conveyor comprising:

a roller conveyor including a series of at least three power-driven rollers extending axially across the width of the roller conveyor and supported side by side along the length of the roller conveyor;

at least one endless belt trained around and driven by the power-driven rollers;

a stationary array of article-supporting rollers positioned atop the at least one endless belt with the article-supporting rollers extending axially parallel to the power-driven rollers, wherein the article-supporting rollers are rotated by frictional contact with the at least one endless belt and the number of article-supporting rollers exceeds the number of power-driven rollers.

11. A roller conveyor as in claim 10 wherein the diameter of the article-supporting rollers is less than the diameter of the power-driven rollers.

12. A roller conveyor as in claim 10 wherein the length of the article-supporting rollers is less than the length of the power-driven rollers.

13. A roller conveyor as in claim 10 wherein the article-supporting rollers in the array are arranged in rows, each row including more than one of the article-supporting rollers joined in axial alignment to rotate together.