Diverting conveyor with magnetically driven movers
First Claim
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1. A conveyor comprising:
- a conveyor belt including;
a plurality of tracks extending across the conveyor belt transverse to the direction of belt travel;
a plurality of movers retained in the tracks to move along the tracks across the conveyor belt, the movers having metallic elements and contact faces for engaging conveyed articles;
a magnetic field source including a stator providing a magnetic field that interacts with the metallic elements in the movers to propel the movers along the tracks and conveyed articles engaged by the contact faces transversely across the conveyor belt;
wherein the stator forms a linear motor with the metallic elements operating as forcers driven by the stator.
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Abstract
A conveyor and method for moving articles across a conveying surface using electromagnetically operated movers in a conveyor belt. The movers are retained in tracks in the conveyor belt. A magnetic field source produces a magnetic field that varies across the width of the belt. The magnetic field interacts with electrically conductive material, ferromagnetic material, or permanent magnets in the movers to propel the movers and divert articles engaged by the movers across the belt. Movers with retractable pushers fold down at the sides of the belt to allow articles pushed by other movers to pass over and off the side of the belt.
35 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A conveyor comprising:
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a conveyor belt including; a plurality of tracks extending across the conveyor belt transverse to the direction of belt travel; a plurality of movers retained in the tracks to move along the tracks across the conveyor belt, the movers having metallic elements and contact faces for engaging conveyed articles; a magnetic field source including a stator providing a magnetic field that interacts with the metallic elements in the movers to propel the movers along the tracks and conveyed articles engaged by the contact faces transversely across the conveyor belt; wherein the stator forms a linear motor with the metallic elements operating as forcers driven by the stator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A conveyor comprising:
a conveyor belt having a top conveying surface and including; a plurality of tracks extending across the conveyor belt transverse to the direction of belt travel; a plurality of movers retained in the tracks to move along the tracks across the conveyor belt, the movers having contact faces for engaging conveyed articles; wherein the movers include pushers on which the contact faces are formed to push conveyed articles across the top conveying surface in an extended position of the movers and joints allowing the pushers to fold down in a retracted position of the movers to a level at or below the level of the top conveying surface. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for moving articles across the conveying surface of a conveyor, comprising:
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creating a magnetic field that varies spatially or temporally across the width of a conveyor with a linear stator; coupling the magnetic field to metallic elements in movers mounted in the conveyor to propel the movers across the width of the conveyor with the varying magnetic field; engaging articles on a conveying surface of the conveyor with the movers to move the articles across the width of the conveying surface. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification