Pop-up conveyor transfer system
First Claim
1. A transfer assembly for transferring articles off the end of a conveyor, the transfer assembly comprising:
- a first side rail and a second side rail, wherein each side rail includes;
a pivot portion having a bore;
a finger extending from the pivot portion to a distal tip;
wherein the bores through the first and second side rails are aligned along a pivot axis;
a shaft received in the aligned bores about which the first and second side rails are freely pivotable over an angular pivot range;
a connecting member connected between the first and second side rails so that the first and second side rails pivot together about the pivot axis;
wherein the connecting member comprises at least one connecting pin connected between the fingers of the first and second side rails parallel to the pivot axis and wherein the transfer assembly further comprises at least one first roller mounted for free rotation on the at least one connecting pin.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A conveyor system with a pop-up transfer assembly for transferring articles off the end of conveyor belt having protrusions extending above the belt'"'"'s outer conveying surface. The transfer assembly is cantilevered over the reversing path of the conveyor belt from a pivot. When a protrusion from the belt hits the transfer assembly, the transfer assembly pivots away from the belt about the pivot. When the protrusion is clear, the transfer assembly drops, by gravity, back to its home position proximate the belt. A bilateral transfer assembly is cantilevered in opposite directions to transfer articles off the end of one conveyor belt onto another conveyor belt that may or may not have protrusions.
45 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A transfer assembly for transferring articles off the end of a conveyor, the transfer assembly comprising:
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a first side rail and a second side rail, wherein each side rail includes; a pivot portion having a bore; a finger extending from the pivot portion to a distal tip; wherein the bores through the first and second side rails are aligned along a pivot axis; a shaft received in the aligned bores about which the first and second side rails are freely pivotable over an angular pivot range; a connecting member connected between the first and second side rails so that the first and second side rails pivot together about the pivot axis; wherein the connecting member comprises at least one connecting pin connected between the fingers of the first and second side rails parallel to the pivot axis and wherein the transfer assembly further comprises at least one first roller mounted for free rotation on the at least one connecting pin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A transfer assembly for transferring articles off the end of a conveyor, the transfer assembly comprising:
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a first pivot portion having a bore; a first cantilevered portion extending from the first pivot portion to a distal tip; a shaft extending through the bore and having a diameter less than the diameter of the bore and defining a pivot axis about which the first pivot portion and the first cantilevered portion are freely pivotable away from a home position when the tip is subjected to an upward force and back to the home position by gravity when the tip is not subjected to an upward force; first and second stop faces limiting an angular pivot range of the transfer assembly about the pivot axis. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A conveyor system comprising:
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an endless first conveyor belt advancing in a conveying direction along an upper carryway and rounding a reversing element along a reversing path at an exit end of the first conveyor belt into a lower return path, wherein the first conveyor belt has an outer conveying side with protrusions extending outward of the outer conveying side; a transfer assembly disposed at the exit end of the first conveyor belt to receive articles exiting the conveyor belt, the transfer assembly including; a pivot portion having a bore; a cantilevered portion extending from the pivot portion over the reversing element to a distal tip; a shaft extending through the bore and defining a pivot axis perpendicular to the conveying direction about which the pivot portion and the cantilevered portion are pivotable away from the first conveyor belt by contact with the protrusions on the reversing path and back toward the first conveyor belt by gravity when not in contact with the protrusions; first and second stop faces limiting the angular pivot range of the transfer assembly about the pivot axis. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification