Patent US2276901A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3608895A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3608895A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electropneumatic flat product shuffling and packaging system
Assignee: Tarkett AB
•
Filing: 1969-10-02
•
Granted: 1971-09-28
•
Expires: 1989-10-02
Abstract
Abstract As flat products such as floor tiles leave a production conveyor in transverse rows and longitudinal lanes, they are picked up by an accelerator conveyor travelling in the same direction under vacuum conveyors which lift the tiles and carry them over transverse conveyors which the tiles are selectively deposited by the operation of unique air pressure valves which act to positively break the vacuum supporting the tiles over selected ones of the transverse conveyors, so as to mix the tiles from different lanes, for subsequent packaging thereof. The air pressure valves are built into the vacuum housing associated with each vacuum belt, and each is provided with an air pressure inlet for breaking the vacuum supporting the tiles when a selected one is directly over the selected transverse conveyor. A control circuit provides for automatic operation of the air pressure valves in the desired sequence.
Inventors
- 👤 Alex E Kalven
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 09:37
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/26; B65H29/32; B65B; B65B35/00; B65B35/30; B65B35/48
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
230 words
An air pressure valve for critically controlling the drop off point of a flat product being carried by the belt of a vacuum conveyor having an elongated vacuum housing located directly above such belt, comprising: an elongated inverted flat boxlike pan mounted in the bottom of said housing; generally triangular flat plates mounted on said pan; a cover having downturned end flanges mounted on said triangular plates and forming oppositely extending horizontal air expansion passages, said pan top having long transverse slots adjacent the ends of such air expansion passages, and short transverse slots equally spaced from but near the longitudinal center thereof; and said cover having a central air pressure inlet, and short transverse slots near but spaced from such inlet; whereby as long as a vacuum is maintained in the housing, air flows through said slots and air passages, and thus preserves the product supporting vacuum of the belt under said valve, but as soon as air under pressure is supplied to said inlet, the resulting high-velocity airflow and expansion in such air passages first effectively closes the short transverse slots in top of said cover and pan immediately, breaking the vacuum, and then flows into the chamber under the pan, creating a positive pressure there which not only causes the product to be released from the belt but effectively blows the product downwardly away from the belt.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
230 words
An air pressure valve for critically controlling the drop off point of a flat product being carried by the belt of a vacuum conveyor having an elongated vacuum housing located directly above such belt, comprising: an elongated inverted flat boxlike pan mounted in the bottom of said housing; generally triangular flat plates mounted on said pan; a cover having downturned end flanges mounted on said triangular plates and forming oppositely extending horizontal air expansion passages, said pan top having long transverse slots adjacent the ends of such air expansion passages, and short transverse slots equally spaced from but near the longitudinal center thereof; and said cover having a central air pressure inlet, and short transverse slots near but spaced from such inlet; whereby as long as a vacuum is maintained in the housing, air flows through said slots and air passages, and thus preserves the product supporting vacuum of the belt under said valve, but as soon as air under pressure is supplied to said inlet, the resulting high-velocity airflow and expansion in such air passages first effectively closes the short transverse slots in top of said cover and pan immediately, breaking the vacuum, and then flows into the chamber under the pan, creating a positive pressure there which not only causes the product to be released from the belt but effectively blows the product downwardly away from the belt.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention as defined by claim 1, including a source of air under pressure; pipe means comprising a normally closed valve for supplying air under pressure to said air inlet for operating said air pressure valve; and separate means acting to continuously maintain the vacuum in said housing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The invention as claimed by claim 2 in which a plurality of transverse conveyors are located under said belt for receiving the flat products released therefrom by said valve means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
77 words
The invention as claimed by claim 3 in which a plurality of similar vacuum conveyors are provided, each vacuum conveyor including said air pressure valve, and the length of the valves extend above the transverse conveyors such that the flat products carried by and Under each vacuum belt can be selectively released directly above any one of a number of transverse conveyors to drop thereon and thereby be conveyed transversely under and away from the vacuum belts.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-09-27 | 1975-03-29 | 1975-09-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-09-27 | 1979-03-29 | 1979-09-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-09-27 | 1983-03-29 | 1983-09-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |