Conveyor system with transfer belts
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A conveyor comprising:
- a conveyor belt having an outer article-supporting surface and forming an inner belt loop that includes an upper carryway segment along which the conveyor belt advances in the conveying direction;
a plurality of parallel belt strands forming an outer belt loop encircling the inner belt loop;
wherein the plurality of belt strands are recessed below the outer article-supporting surface of the conveyor belt on the upper carryway segment so that articles are conveyed on the article-supporting surface of the conveyor belt on the carryway segment; and
wherein the outer article-supporting surface defines a conveying plane on which conveyed articles sit and a plurality of longitudinal lanes recessed below the conveying plane and wherein the plurality of belt strands are received in the longitudinal lanes.
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Abstract
A conveyor for transferring articles off the end of a conveyor belt onto a discharge conveyor. The conveyor comprises a conveyor belt overlain by belt strands along a carryway. The belt strands are received in recesses below the conveying surface of the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt travels an inner circuit inside an outer circuit encircled by the belt strands. The outer circuit diverges from the inner circuit at an end of the carryway. The belt strands extend the carryway and strip articles from the conveyor belt to transfer them to a downstream discharge conveyor or receive articles from an upstream infeed conveyor.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A conveyor comprising:
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a conveyor belt having an outer article-supporting surface and forming an inner belt loop that includes an upper carryway segment along which the conveyor belt advances in the conveying direction; a plurality of parallel belt strands forming an outer belt loop encircling the inner belt loop; wherein the plurality of belt strands are recessed below the outer article-supporting surface of the conveyor belt on the upper carryway segment so that articles are conveyed on the article-supporting surface of the conveyor belt on the carryway segment; and wherein the outer article-supporting surface defines a conveying plane on which conveyed articles sit and a plurality of longitudinal lanes recessed below the conveying plane and wherein the plurality of belt strands are received in the longitudinal lanes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A conveyor comprising:
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a carryway extending longitudinally in a conveying direction from an upstream end to a downstream end; a conveyor belt advancing in the conveying direction along a portion of the carryway and dropping below the carryway at a belt-diverge position short of the downstream end, the conveyor belt having outer article-supporting structure defining a conveying plane on which conveyed articles sit and a plurality of longitudinal lanes recessed below the conveying plane; a plurality of parallel belt strands received in the longitudinal lanes and advancing in the conveying direction along the carryway to the downstream end; wherein conveyed articles transfer from the conveyor belt to the plurality of belt strands at the belt-diverge position of the carryway. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A conveyor comprising:
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a first reversing element having an outer periphery; a second reversing element spaced apart from the first reversing element and having an outer periphery; a conveyor belt having an outer conveying surface and forming an inner belt loop having; an upper carryway segment extending in a conveying direction from the first reversing element at a first end of the carryway segment to the second reversing element at a second end of the carryway segment; a lower return segment between the second reversing element and the first reversing element; a first transition segment around a portion of the periphery of the first reversing element between the return segment and the carryway segment; a second transition segment around a portion of the periphery of the second reversing element between the carryway segment and the return segment; a third reversing element disposed beyond the second end of the carryway segment in the conveying direction or beyond the first end of the carryway segment in a direction opposite to the conveying direction and having an outer periphery; a plurality of parallel belt strands advancing along the carryway segment in the conveying direction and forming an outer belt loop having a third transition segment around a portion of the periphery of the third reversing element, wherein each of the strands advances along the length of the carryway segment and around the third reversing element on the third transition segment; wherein the reversing distance of the third reversing element is less than the reversing distance of the second reversing element; and wherein the outer conveying surface of the conveyor belt defines a conveying plane on which conveyed articles sit and a plurality of longitudinal lanes recessed below the conveying plane and wherein the plurality of parallel belt strands are received in the longitudinal lanes.
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Specification