Horizontal belt conveyor with quick vertical adjustment

• US 6,390,282 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ouellette Machinery Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ouellette Machinery Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Ouellette, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRAMER, DEVON C
• Application Number:
  US09/603,544
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 198/626.5, 198/821.1, 198/502.2
• US Class Current: 198/626.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/14 the load being conveyed between the belts B65G15/18, B65G15/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/10 movable, or having interchangeable or relatively movable parts; Devices for moving framework or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/2054 comprising elements movable in the direction of load-transport
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/02 Articles

Abstract

A conveyor system comprises pairs of vertically spaced and horizontally oriented pulleys and belts that are positioned on opposite sides of a conveyor path. The belts wrap around the pulleys and engage with opposite sides of an object being conveyed by the conveyor, for example an empty plastic blow molded bottle, and convey the object along the conveyor path between the belts. A vertical adjustment mechanism quickly adjusts the vertical positioning of the pairs of pulleys and belts on each side of the conveyor path to quickly adapt the conveyor for conveying different sized objects.

Claims

1. A conveyor for conveying containers, each container having an upper portion and a lower portion, the conveyor comprising:

a first pair of vertical shafts and a second pair of vertical shafts, the first and second pairs of shafts being positioned on opposite sides of a conveyor path of the conveyor;

a first pair of lower pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the first pair of vertical shafts;

a first pair of upper pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the first pair of vertical shafts above the first pair of lower pulleys;

a second pair of lower pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the second pair of vertical shafts;

a second pair of upper pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the second pair of vertical shafts above the second pair of lower pulleys;

a first vertical adjustment mechanism operatively connected between the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys for adjusting a vertical spacing between the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys; and

a second vertical adjustment mechanism operatively connected between the second pair of lower pulleys and the second pair of upper pulleys for adjusting a vertical spacing between the second pair of lower pulleys and the second pair of upper pulleys.

2. The conveyor of claim 1, wherein:

the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys are mounted on the first pair of vertical shafts to rotate with and to slide along the first pair of vertical shafts.

3. The conveyor of claim 2, wherein:

the first pair of vertical shafts have keyways and the first pairs of lower pulleys and upper pulleys are mounted on the first pair of vertical shafts to rotate with the first pair of vertical shafts by keys that engage in the keyways.

4. The conveyor of claim 3, wherein:

the keys are received in the keyways for sliding movement, enabling the first pairs of lower pulleys and upper pulleys to slide along the first pair of vertical shafts.

5. The conveyor of claim 2, wherein:

the second pair of lower pulleys and the second pair of upper pulleys are mounted on the second pair of vertical shafts to rotate with and to slide along the second pair of vertical shafts.

6. The conveyor of claim 5, wherein:

the second pair of vertical shafts have keyways and the second pairs of lower pulleys and upper pulleys are mounted on the second pair of vertical shafts to rotate with the second pair of vertical shafts by keys that engage in the keyways.

7. The conveyor of claim 6, wherein:

the keys are received in the keyways for sliding movement, enabling the second pairs of lower pulleys and upper pulleys to slide along the second pair of vertical shafts.

8. A conveyor for conveying containers, each container having an upper portion and a lower portion, the conveyor comprising:

a first pair of vertical shafts and a second pair of vertical shafts, the first and second pairs of shafts being positioned on opposite sides of a conveyor path of the conveyor;

a first pair of lower pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the first pair of vertical shafts;

a first pair of upper pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the first pair of vertical shafts above the first pair of lower pulleys;

a second pair of lower pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the second pair of vertical shafts;

a second pair of upper pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the second pair of vertical shafts above the second pair of lower pulleys;

a first vertical adjustment mechanism operatively connected between the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys for adjusting a vertical spacing between the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys;

a second vertical adjustment mechanism operatively connected between the second pair of lower pulleys and the second pair of upper pulleys for adjusting a vertical spacing between the second pair of lower pulleys and the second pair of upper pulleys; and

a first pair of lower plates are mounted on the first pair of vertical shafts for sliding movement of the first pair of lower plates along the first pair of vertical shafts, the first pair of lower pulleys are positioned between the first pair of lower plates.

9. The conveyor of claim 8, wherein:

the first vertical adjustment mechanism is operatively connected to the first pair of lower plates to selectively move the first pair of lower plates upwardly and downwardly along the first pair of vertical shafts and thereby slide the first pair of lower pulleys upwardly and downwardly on the first pair of vertical shafts.

10. The conveyor of claim 8, wherein:

the first vertical adjustment mechanism includes a vertical rack and a gear mounted for rotation on one of the first pair of lower plates and meshing with the vertical rack, whereby selective rotation of the gear in opposite directions moves the gear upwardly and downwardly along the rack and thereby moves the first pair of lower plates and the first pair of lower pulleys therebetween upwardly and downwardly along the rack and along the first pair of vertical shafts.

11. The conveyor of claim 8, wherein:

the first pair of lower plates are parallel plates that both extend between and are mounted on the first pair of vertical shafts for sliding movement of the first pair of lower plates on the first pair of vertical shafts.

12. The conveyor of claim 8, wherein:

a first pair of upper plates are mounted on the first pair of vertical shafts for sliding movement of the first pair of upper plates along the first pair of vertical shafts, the first pair of upper pulleys are positioned between the first pair of upper plates.

13. The conveyor of claim 12, wherein:

the first vertical adjustment mechanism is operatively connected to the first pair of upper plates to selectively move the first pair of upper plates upwardly and downwardly along the first pair of vertical shafts and thereby slide the first pair of upper pulleys upwardly and downwardly on the first pair of vertical shafts.

14. The conveyor of claim 12, wherein:

the first vertical adjustment mechanism includes a gear mounted for rotation on one of the first pair of upper plates and meshing with the vertical rack, whereby selective rotation of the gear in opposite directions moves the gear upwardly and downwardly along the rack and thereby moves the first pair of upper plates and the first pair of upper pulleys therebetween upwardly and downwardly along the rack and along the first pair of vertical shafts.

15. The conveyor of claim 12, wherein:

the first pair of upper plates are parallel plates that both extend between and are mounted on the first pair of vertical shafts for sliding movement of the first pair of upper plates on the first pair of vertical shafts.

16. The conveyor of claim 12, wherein:

the first vertical adjustment mechanism is operatively connected to the first pair of lower plates and the first pair of upper plates to selectively move the first pair of lower plates and the first pair of upper plates upwardly and downwardly along the first pair of vertical shafts independently of each other and thereby slide the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys upwardly and downwardly on the first pair of vertical shafts independently of each other.

17. The conveyor of claim 12 wherein:

the first vertical adjustment mechanism includes a pair of vertical racks, a pair of lower gears mounted for rotation on one of the first pair of lower plates and meshing with the pair of racks and a pair of upper gears mounted for rotation on one of the first pair of upper plates and meshing with the pair of racks, whereby selective rotation of the pair of lower gears in opposite directions moves the pair of lower gears upwardly and downwardly along the pair of racks and thereby moves the first pair of lower plates and the first pair of lower pulleys therebetween upwardly and downwardly along the pair of racks and along the first pair of vertical shafts and selective rotation of the pair of upper gears in opposite directions moves the pair of upper gears upwardly and downwardly along the pair of racks and thereby moves the first pair of upper plates and the first pair of upper pulleys therebetween upwardly and downwardly along the pair of racks and along the first pair of vertical shafts.

18. A conveyor for conveying containers, each container having an upper portion and a lower portion, the conveyor comprising:

a first pair of vertical shafts and a second pair of vertical shafts, the first and second pairs of shafts being positioned on opposite sides of a conveyor path of the conveyor;

a first pair of lower pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the first pair of vertical shafts;

a first pair of upper pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the first pair of vertical shafts above the first pair of lower pulleys;

a second pair of lower pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the second pair of vertical shafts;

a second pair of upper pulleys, each adjustably mounted on one of the second pair of vertical shafts above the second pair of lower pulleys;

a first vertical adjustment mechanism operatively connected between the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys for adjusting a vertical spacing between the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys;

a second vertical adjustment mechanism operatively connected between the second pair of lower pulleys and the second pair of upper pulleys for adjusting a vertical spacing between the second pair of lower pulleys and the second pair of upper pulleys; and

a first vertical scale is positioned adjacent one of the first pair of vertical shafts and a second vertical scale is positioned adjacent one of the second pair of vertical shafts, and the first vertical scale and the second vertical scale have markings indicative of a vertical spacing between the first pair of lower pulleys and the first pair of upper pulleys and indicative of a vertical spacing between the second pair of lower pulleys and the second pair of upper pulleys, respectively.

19. The conveyor of claim 18, wherein:

the first scale is moveable away from the first pair of upper pulleys to enable a belt to be passed therebetween and the second scale is moveable away from the second pair of upper pulleys to enable a belt to be passed therebetween.

20. The conveyor of claim 18, wherein:

the first scale is pivotable away from the first pair of upper pulleys to enable a belt to be passed therebetween and the second scale is pivotable away from the second pair of upper pulleys to enable a belt to be passed therebetween.