US3718248A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Accumulation roller conveyor
Assignee: WEBB CO J
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Filing: 1971-10-27
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Granted: 1973-02-27
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Expires: 1991-10-27
Abstract
Abstract A conveyor having article carrying rollers arranged in successive groups and an endless driving belt moving below the rollers. Each roller group is independently driven by a drive transmitting unit consisting of one or more driving wheels carried by a frame mounted on a pivotal axis extending longitudinally of the driving belt. Each drive transmitting unit is movable between a driving position in which each driving wheel thereof is rotated by the moving belt and imparts rotation to a pair of adjacent article carrying rollers peripherally engaged by the the driving wheel; and, a non-driving position in which each driving wheel loses engagement with the carrying rollers and a braking force is applied thereto. Electrical or mechanical arrangements control the positions of the drive transmitting units enabling articles to be stopped and accumulated on the groups of rollers and to resume conveying movement in succession, and the direction of article movement is reversible.
Inventors
- 👤 D Muller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 10:27
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/22; B65G47/26; B65G47/261
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
201 words
An accumulation roller conveyor having structure supporting a series of article carrying rollers arranged in successive groups and providing an article supporting plane, an endless driven member supported on the conveyor structure and having a driving reach spaced below the article carrying rollers, and drive transmitting means for imparting motion from the endless driven member to each group of article carrying rollers, wherein: the drive transmitting means includes a plurality of units, one for each controlled group of article carrying rollers, each unit including a frame, at least one driving wheel rotatably mounted on an axle carried by the frame, and pivot means supporting the frame on the conveyor structure between the article carrying rollers and the driving reach of the endless driven member, said pivot means defining an axis which extends longitudinally of the driving reach of the endless driven member and parallel to the article supporting plane; and control means for each drive transmitting unit are capable of moving such unit on said pivot means between driving and nondriving positions in which the driving wheel is respectively operable and not operable to transmit motion from the endless driven member to at least one article carrying roller of a group.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
201 words
An accumulation roller conveyor having structure supporting a series of article carrying rollers arranged in successive groups and providing an article supporting plane, an endless driven member supported on the conveyor structure and having a driving reach spaced below the article carrying rollers, and drive transmitting means for imparting motion from the endless driven member to each group of article carrying rollers, wherein: the drive transmitting means includes a plurality of units, one for each controlled group of article carrying rollers, each unit including a frame, at least one driving wheel rotatably mounted on an axle carried by the frame, and pivot means supporting the frame on the conveyor structure between the article carrying rollers and the driving reach of the endless driven member, said pivot means defining an axis which extends longitudinally of the driving reach of the endless driven member and parallel to the article supporting plane; and control means for each drive transmitting unit are capable of moving such unit on said pivot means between driving and nondriving positions in which the driving wheel is respectively operable and not operable to transmit motion from the endless driven member to at least one article carrying roller of a group.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 1 wherein at least one driving wheel of a drive transmitting unit is engageable in the driving position with the Peripheries of an adjacent pair of article carrying rollers of a group, and the axle mounting such driving wheel is carried by the frame for limited floating movement longitudinally thereof whereby such driving wheel can move to a centered position relative to said pair of article carrying rollers when the drive transmitting unit is in driving position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 1 wherein drive transmitting unit includes braking means engageable in the non-driving position with the periphery of an article carrying roller.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 3 wherein the control means includes a power actuated device for moving the drive transmitting unit to the non-driving position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the frame of a drive transmitting unit includes a pair of transversely spaced frame members, the driving wheel being positioned between said frame members and being engageable in the driving position with the peripheries of a pair of adjacent article carrying rollers, and the axle on which the driving wheel is mounted is carried by said frame members for limited floating movement in directions transverse to the axes of the pair of article carrying rollers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the frame of a drive transmitting unit includes a pair of transversely spaced frame members, and a plurality of driving wheels positioned between the frame members at longitudinally spaced intervals, each driving wheel in the driving position engaging the peripheries of an adjacent pair of article carrying rollers of a group.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 6 wherein the axle on which each driving wheel is rotatably mounted slidably engages longitudinally slotted apertures in the pair of frame members to permit movement of such driving wheel into a centered position relative to the pair of article carrying rollers engaged thereby.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 6 wherein one of the pair of frame members is provided with braking means engageable with at least some of the article carrying rollers of a group in the non-driving position of the drive transmitting unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
An accumulation conveyor according to claim 8 wherein the braking means includes a brake pad having a braking surface engageable with the periphery of an article carrying roller.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 9 wherein the control means includes a power actuated device for moving the drive transmitting unit to the non-driving position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
An accumulation roller conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the endless driven member is a chain, a sprocket is connected to each driving wheel and engages the driving reach of the chain, and the axis defined by the pivot means supporting a drive unit frame is substantially coincident with the longitudinal centerline of the chain on the driving reach thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
An accumulation conveyor according to claim 11 wherein said pivot means includes a cylindrical tubular member through which the driving reach of the chain passes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
An accumulation conveyor according to claim 12 wherein said cylindrical tubular member is fixed to the conveyor structure and a chain guide mounted within the tubular member positions the longitudinal centerline of the chain substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical tubular member which defines the axis of the pivot means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
136 words
An accumulation conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the control means includes a control circuit having a power source, an actuating device for the drive transmitting unit of each controlled group of article carrying rollers, a separate connection from the power source to each actuating device, said connection including a contact element operable in response to the presence of an article on the group of article carrying rollers controlled by such actuating device, said connection to The actuating device for each controlled group of article carrying rollers other than a controlled group at the downstream end of the conveyor including a second contact element operable in response to the presence of a second article on the next downstream group of article carrying rollers, said second contact element being arranged in series with the first contact element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
87 words
An accumulation conveyor according to claim 14 wherein the control circuit includes an alternate separate connection from the power source to each actuating device, said alternate connection including a third contact element operable in response to the presence of an article on the next upstream group of rollers, said third contact element being arranged in series with the first contact element, and means for operating each actuating device through said alternate connection in response to a reversal of the direction of movement of the endless driven member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
119 words
An accumulation conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the control means for each drive transmitting unit other than the drive transmitting unit for a controlled group of article carrying rollers at the downstream end of the conveyor includes a pair of article sensing devices one of which is operable in response to the presence of an article on the group of article carrying rollers driven by such drive transmitting unit and the second of which is operable in response to the presence of a second article on the next downstream group of article carrying rollers, the pair of sensing devices for each drive transmitting unit being separate from the pair of sensing devices for each other drive transmitting unit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
127 words
An accumulation conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the control means for each drive transmitting unit other than the drive transmitting unit for a controlled group of article carrying rollers at the downstream end of the conveyor includes a control member secured to the drive transmitting unit frame, an article sensing member movable in response to the presence of an article on the group of article carrying rollers driven by such drive transmitting unit, a second article sensing member movable in response to the presence of a second article on the next downstream group of article carrying rollers, and linkage means for causing the control member to move the drive transmitting unit to non-driving position in response to movement of the first and second article sensing members.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
114 words
An accumulation conveyor according to claim 17 wherein the control means for a drive transmitting unit for a controlled group of article carrying rollers at the downstream end of the conveyor includes a control member secured to the drive transmitting unit frame of such group, a downstream group article sensing member movable in response to the presence of an article on such group, an accumulation control movably carried by the conveyor structure and having accumulating and non-accumulating positions, and means operable in the accumulating position of the accumulation control for causing the control member to move the drive transmitting unit to non-driving position in response to movement of the downstream group article sensing member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3323636A
Cited
US3285391A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-02-27 | 1976-08-28 | 1977-02-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-02-27 | 1980-08-28 | 1981-02-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-02-27 | 1984-08-28 | 1985-02-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |