US3700090A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Conveyor and article for handling apparatus
Assignee: RA Pearson Co
•
Filing: 1971-03-12
•
Granted: 1972-10-24
•
Expires: 1991-03-12
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for longitudinally spacing articles on a conveyor as they are carried along a first conveyor. An adjacent longitudinally aligned conveyor surface receives each article. One of the adjacent ends of the conveyor surfaces is moved elevationally relative to the other. A transverse stop is spaced above the conveyor surfaces adjacent to the rear end of the receiving conveyor surface. Movement of the surface alternately positions the stop for clearance of articles moving beneath it for blocking movement of an oncoming article. A forward stop is provided for collecting articles on the receiving conveyor surface when desired.
Inventors
- 👤 Reinhold A Pearson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 06:37
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/74; B65G47/88; B65G47/8807; B65G47/883; B65G47/8853; B65G2201/00; B65G2201/02; B65G2205/00; B65G2205/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
An apparatus for longitudinally spacing articles along a conveyor, comprising: first and second conveyors including longitudinally aligned conveyor surfaces oriented with the respective ends of the conveyors adjacent to one another; power means operatively connected to said conveyor for moving articles supported upon their respective surfaces in a common forward direction along a longitudinal path leading from said first conveyor to said second conveyor; a transverse stop spaced above the conveyor surfaces adjacent to the rear end of said second conveyor; and elevating means operatively connected to one of said conveyors for effecting relative elevational movement of the respective adjacent ends of the conveyors between a first position at which articles are transferred from said first conveyor to said second conveyor beneath said stop and a second positIon wherein such transfer is prevented by abutment of the stop by articles on said first conveyor.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
144 words
An apparatus for longitudinally spacing articles along a conveyor, comprising: first and second conveyors including longitudinally aligned conveyor surfaces oriented with the respective ends of the conveyors adjacent to one another; power means operatively connected to said conveyor for moving articles supported upon their respective surfaces in a common forward direction along a longitudinal path leading from said first conveyor to said second conveyor; a transverse stop spaced above the conveyor surfaces adjacent to the rear end of said second conveyor; and elevating means operatively connected to one of said conveyors for effecting relative elevational movement of the respective adjacent ends of the conveyors between a first position at which articles are transferred from said first conveyor to said second conveyor beneath said stop and a second positIon wherein such transfer is prevented by abutment of the stop by articles on said first conveyor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus as set out in claim 1 wherein the transverse stop is positioned across the end of said second conveyor adjacent to said first conveyor, said transverse stop being elevationally fixed relative to the surface of said second conveyor at a height sufficient to clear articles supported thereon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
140 words
The apparatus as set out in claim 1 wherein the transverse stop is positioned across the end of said second conveyor adjacent to said first conveyor, said transverse stop being elevationally fixed relative to the surface of said second conveyor at a height sufficient to clear articles supported thereon; said elevating means being operatively connected to said second conveyor, whereby the conveyor surfaces are co-planar when the ends thereof are at said first position and whereby the surface of said second conveyor at its end adjacent the first conveyor is elevationally offset lower than the adjacent surface of the first conveyor when the ends thereof are of said second position, the amount of elevational offset being such as to locate the transverse stop at an elevation relative to the first conveyor surface less than the height of articles supported thereon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
93 words
The apparatus as set out in claim 1 wherein the transverse stop is positioned across the end of said second conveyor adjacent to said first conveyor, said transverse stop being elevationally fixed relative to the surface of said second conveyor at a height sufficient to clear articles supported thereon; and forward stop means interposed in the path of articles on said second conveyor for selectively preventing forward movement of an article unit at a position along said second conveyor wherein the rear end of the article unit is located beneath said transverse stop.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus set out in claim 4 wherein said second conveyor is transversely pivoted about a fixed axis intermediate the ends thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus set out in claim 4 wherein said second conveyor is transversely pivoted about a fixed axis intermediate the ends thereof; and a third conveyor including a conveyor surface longitudinally aligned with the surface of said first and second conveyors, one longitudinal end of said third conveyor being adjacent to the forward end of said second conveyor and being located elevationally above the stationary abutment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
101 words
The apparatus set out in claim 4 wherein said second conveyor is transversely pivoted about a fixed axis intermediate the ends thereof; said forward stop means comprising a stationary abutment located at the forward end of said second conveyor within the path of articles thereon; the upper surface of the abutment being at a fixed elevation with respect to said second conveyor axis such that the articles on the surface of said second conveyor clear the abutment when the adjacent conveyor ends are at said second position and engage the abutment when the adjacent conveyor ends are at said first position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
105 words
The apparatus as set out in claim 4 wherein said second conveyor is transversely pivoted about a fixed axis intermediate the ends thereof; and a third conveyor including a conveyor surface longitudinally aligned with the surfaces of said first and second conveyors, one londitudinal end of said third conveyor being adjacent to the forward end of said second conveyor and being located elevationally above the stationary abutment; said power means being operatively connected to said third conveyor so as to move articles supported thereon in said common forward direction at a speed less than the speed imparted to articles when moved along said second conveyor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus set out in claim 8 wherein the conveyor surface of said first and third conveyors are co-planar; said second conveyor being pivoted about said fixed axis at the longitudinal center of said second conveyor; the elevation of said second conveyor surface above said fIxed axis being lower than the elevation of the conveyor surfaces of said first and third conveyors.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
160 words
An apparatus for grouping and spacing articles, comprising: a first longitudinal conveyor having an article support surface; a second longitudinal conveyor having an article support surface longitudinally aligned with the support surface of said first conveyor; means operatively connected to said first and second conveyors for moving the respective support surfaces thereof in a common direction whereby articles are successively transferred from said first conveyor to said second conveyor; a stop mounted elevationally above the support surface of said second conveyor at the end thereof adjacent to said first conveyor, said stop being clear of the path of articles located on the support surface of said second conveyor; and means for shifting the relative elevations of the first and second conveyors at their respective ends adjacent to one another between a first condition wherein articles are transferred beneath said stop from said first conveyor to said second conveyor and a second condition wherein such transfer is blocked by said stop.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
160 words
An apparatus for grouping and spacing articles, comprising: a first longitudinal conveyor having an article support surface; a second longitudinal conveyor having an article support surface longitudinally aligned with the support surface of said first conveyor; means operatively connected to said first and second conveyors for moving the respective support surfaces thereof in a common direction whereby articles are successively transferred from said first conveyor to said second conveyor; a stop mounted elevationally above the support surface of said second conveyor at the end thereof adjacent to said first conveyor, said stop being clear of the path of articles located on the support surface of said second conveyor; and means for shifting the relative elevations of the first and second conveyors at their respective ends adjacent to one another between a first condition wherein articles are transferred beneath said stop from said first conveyor to said second conveyor and a second condition wherein such transfer is blocked by said stop.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
179 words
An article handling apparatus, comprising: delivery means for movably carrying successive articles along a longitudinal path; article collecting means adjacent the delivery means and aligned along said longitudinal path for receiving thereon a predetermined article unit supplied thereto by said delivery means; and receiving means adjacent to said article collecting means for receiving article units discharged from said article collecting means; means for spatially locating an article unit upon said article collecting means as it is received thereon from said delivery means; article engaging stop means on said article collecting means located upwardly adjacent to an article unit located thereon and positioned immediately inward of that end of an article unit on said article collection means adjacent to said delivery means; and means for shifting the relative elevations of the delivery means and article collecting means at their respective ends adjacent to one another between a first condition wherein an article unit is transferred from said delivery means onto said article collecting means beneath said stop means and a second condition wherein such transfer is blocked by said stop.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
179 words
An article handling apparatus, comprising: delivery means for movably carrying successive articles along a longitudinal path; article collecting means adjacent the delivery means and aligned along said longitudinal path for receiving thereon a predetermined article unit supplied thereto by said delivery means; and receiving means adjacent to said article collecting means for receiving article units discharged from said article collecting means; means for spatially locating an article unit upon said article collecting means as it is received thereon from said delivery means; article engaging stop means on said article collecting means located upwardly adjacent to an article unit located thereon and positioned immediately inward of that end of an article unit on said article collection means adjacent to said delivery means; and means for shifting the relative elevations of the delivery means and article collecting means at their respective ends adjacent to one another between a first condition wherein an article unit is transferred from said delivery means onto said article collecting means beneath said stop means and a second condition wherein such transfer is blocked by said stop.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
187 words
An article grouping and spacing apparatus, comprising: a first longitudinal conveyor having a movable article support surface; a second longitudinal conveyor having a movable article support surface longitudinally aligned with the surface of said first conveyor, said surfaces being longitudinally spaced from one another by a distance substantially equal to the length of an article unit; and a third longitudinal conveyor having a movable article support surface positioned between and longitudinally aligned with the surfaces of said first and second conveyors; means operatively connected to the first, second and third conveyors for moving the respective article support surfaces thereof in a common longitudinal direction; whereby articles can be successively transferred from said first conveyor, to said third conveyor and to said second conveyor; stop means mounted on said third conveyor above the article support surface and adjacent to said first conveyor; and selectively operable means for alternately shifting the longitudinal path of articles being transferred to said third conveyor from said first conveyor between a first elevation clear of said stop means and a second elevation wherein the stop means intersects the path and prevents such transfer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
187 words
An article grouping and spacing apparatus, comprising: a first longitudinal conveyor having a movable article support surface; a second longitudinal conveyor having a movable article support surface longitudinally aligned with the surface of said first conveyor, said surfaces being longitudinally spaced from one another by a distance substantially equal to the length of an article unit; and a third longitudinal conveyor having a movable article support surface positioned between and longitudinally aligned with the surfaces of said first and second conveyors; means operatively connected to the first, second and third conveyors for moving the respective article support surfaces thereof in a common longitudinal direction; whereby articles can be successively transferred from said first conveyor, to said third conveyor and to said second conveyor; stop means mounted on said third conveyor above the article support surface and adjacent to said first conveyor; and selectively operable means for alternately shifting the longitudinal path of articles being transferred to said third conveyor from said first conveyor between a first elevation clear of said stop means and a second elevation wherein the stop means intersects the path and prevents such transfer.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
227 words
An apparatus for grouping and spacing articles, comprising: a first conveyor having an upwardly facing surface along which articles are supported during movement toward an exit end thereof; a second conveyor having an upwardly facing surface along which articles are supported after reception thereon, Said second conveyor being spaced from the exit end of said first conveyor by a distance substantially equal to the length of an article unit; a collecting conveyor interposed between the exit end of said first conveyor and said second conveyor, said collecting conveyor being longitudinally aligned with said first conveyor and being of a length substantially extending along the space separating said first and second conveyors; a first stop located between the collecting conveyor and second conveyor adapted, when operative; to spatially locate an article unit upon the collecting conveyor; a second stop located on the collecting conveyor immediately above and inwardly adjacent to the end of an article unit located therein; and means operatively connected to said collecting conveyor for elevationally repositioning the end of the collecting conveyor adjacent to the exit end of said first conveyor and rendering said first stop inoperative, whereby said second stop is placed in the path of movement of articles at the exit end of the first conveyor as an article unit is discharged from the collecting conveyor onto the surface of said second conveyor.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
227 words
An apparatus for grouping and spacing articles, comprising: a first conveyor having an upwardly facing surface along which articles are supported during movement toward an exit end thereof; a second conveyor having an upwardly facing surface along which articles are supported after reception thereon, Said second conveyor being spaced from the exit end of said first conveyor by a distance substantially equal to the length of an article unit; a collecting conveyor interposed between the exit end of said first conveyor and said second conveyor, said collecting conveyor being longitudinally aligned with said first conveyor and being of a length substantially extending along the space separating said first and second conveyors; a first stop located between the collecting conveyor and second conveyor adapted, when operative; to spatially locate an article unit upon the collecting conveyor; a second stop located on the collecting conveyor immediately above and inwardly adjacent to the end of an article unit located therein; and means operatively connected to said collecting conveyor for elevationally repositioning the end of the collecting conveyor adjacent to the exit end of said first conveyor and rendering said first stop inoperative, whereby said second stop is placed in the path of movement of articles at the exit end of the first conveyor as an article unit is discharged from the collecting conveyor onto the surface of said second conveyor.
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) | 1975-10-24 | 1976-04-24 | 1976-10-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-24 | 1980-04-24 | 1980-10-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-24 | 1984-04-24 | 1984-10-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |