Low-energy roller-belt accumulator
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A conveyor system comprising:
- an accumulation system extending in length from an upstream end to a downstream end in a conveying direction and including one or more roller belts arranged along the length of the accumulation system, wherein each of the one or more roller belts includes a plurality of article-supporting rollers supporting articles to be conveyed atop the roller belts in the conveying direction;
a plurality of roller-actuating mechanisms arranged along the length of the accumulation system to selectively actuate and deactuate the article-supporting rollers in accumulation zones extending from the upstream end of the accumulation system to the downstream end, wherein actuated article-supporting rollers rotate to propel articles in the conveying direction as the roller belt advances and wherein deactuated article-supporting rollers are freely rotatable;
a controller coupled to the roller-actuating mechanisms and the one or more roller belts to deactuate the article-supporting rollers zone by zone in order opposite to the conveying direction from the accumulation zone at the downstream end to the accumulation zone at the upstream end as articles accumulate on the accumulation system;
wherein the accumulation system includes a plurality of roller belts arranged in series along the length of the accumulation system and wherein the controller stops an individual one of the roller belts from advancing in the conveying direction after the article-supporting rollers in one or more of the accumulation zones of the individual one of the roller belts are deactuated.
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Abstract
A conveyor system and method for cascaded accumulation on a series of in-line roller belts. An accumulation system comprises a series of roller belts that can be actuated in contiguous zones to accelerate conveyed articles forward at twice the belt speed. When articles start to accumulate on the accumulation conveyor, the belt rollers are deactuated downstream to upstream zone by zone. Then the belts are stopped as they fill with accumulated articles. The process is repeated in cascade for the upstream roller belts as articles continue to accumulate.
23 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A conveyor system comprising:
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an accumulation system extending in length from an upstream end to a downstream end in a conveying direction and including one or more roller belts arranged along the length of the accumulation system, wherein each of the one or more roller belts includes a plurality of article-supporting rollers supporting articles to be conveyed atop the roller belts in the conveying direction; a plurality of roller-actuating mechanisms arranged along the length of the accumulation system to selectively actuate and deactuate the article-supporting rollers in accumulation zones extending from the upstream end of the accumulation system to the downstream end, wherein actuated article-supporting rollers rotate to propel articles in the conveying direction as the roller belt advances and wherein deactuated article-supporting rollers are freely rotatable; a controller coupled to the roller-actuating mechanisms and the one or more roller belts to deactuate the article-supporting rollers zone by zone in order opposite to the conveying direction from the accumulation zone at the downstream end to the accumulation zone at the upstream end as articles accumulate on the accumulation system; wherein the accumulation system includes a plurality of roller belts arranged in series along the length of the accumulation system and wherein the controller stops an individual one of the roller belts from advancing in the conveying direction after the article-supporting rollers in one or more of the accumulation zones of the individual one of the roller belts are deactuated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for accumulating articles on an accumulation system comprising one or more roller belts advanceable in a conveying direction through a series of accumulation zones from an upstream end to a downstream end, the method comprising:
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selectively advancing one or more roller belts in a conveying direction through a series of accumulation zones; selectively actuating article-supporting rollers supporting articles atop the one or more roller belts in a series of roller-actuation segments along the length of an accumulation system between an upstream end and a downstream end by contacting the article-supporting rollers from below with a roller carryway in each of the roller-actuation segments to cause the rollers to rotate to propel the articles forward on the roller belts in the conveying direction; supporting the actuated article-supporting rollers and the one or more roller belts in rolling contact with the roller carryway in the actuated roller-actuation segments; selectively deactuating the article-supporting rollers in a roller-actuation segment by supporting the bottoms of the one or more roller belts in contact with a belt carryway so that the roller carryway is out of contact with the article-supporting rollers in the roller-actuation segment so that the deactuated article-supporting rollers are freely rotatable to provide low backline pressure to articles accumulated atop the rollers in the deactuated roller-actuation segment; stopping a roller belt from advancing in the conveying direction when the article-supporting rollers in one or more of the roller-actuation segments encompassing the roller belt are deactuated; supporting the bottoms of the one or more roller belts in sliding or rolling contact with the belt carryway in the deactuated roller-actuation zone. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification