Air conveyor

Claim 2

A conveyor for conveying objects having a curved outer surface comprising curved support means for receiving said object, fluid plenum means adjacent said support means and a plurality of spaced fluid directing nozzles communicating between said plenum means and a surface portion of said support means, said nozzles being asymmetrically disposed substantially on one side of the longitudinal axis, obliquely disposed with respect to a tangent at said surface portion of said support means and obliquely disposed forwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis, said obliquities being substantially in the range of 25* to 60* , whereby fluid under pressure in said plenum means is directed by said nozzles to said surface portion to create a support fluid film wedge between said surface portion and said curved outer surface to displace said object away from said support means and to impart longitudinal movement therealong.

Claim 3

A conveyor for conveying objects having a convex outer surface comprising concave support means for receiving said object, fluid plenum means adjacent said support means and a plurality of spaced fluid directing nozzles communicating between said plenum means and an inner surface portion of said support means, said nozzles being asymmetrically disposed substantially on one side of the longitudinal axis, obliquely disposed with respect to a tangent at said inner surface portion of said support means and obliquely disposed forwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis, said obliquities being substantially in the range of 25* to 60* , whereby fluid under pressUre in said plenum means is directed by said nozzles to said inner surface portion to create a support fluid film wedge between said inner surface portion and said convex outer surface to displace said object away from said support means and to impart longitudinal movement therealong.

Claim 4

A conveyor for conveying objects having a convex outer surface comprising concave support means for receiving said object, fluid plenum means adjacent said support means and a plurality of spaced fluid directing nozzles communicating between said plenum means and an inner surface portion of said support means, said nozzles being asymmetrically disposed substantially on one side of the longitudinal axis, obliquely disposed with respect to a tangent at said inner surface portion of said support means and obliquely disposed forwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis, said obliquities being substantially in the range of 25* to 60* , whereby fluid under pressUre in said plenum means is directed by said nozzles to said inner surface portion to create a support fluid film wedge between said inner surface portion and said convex outer surface to displace said object away from said support means and to impart longitudinal movement therealong.

Claim 5

A conveyor according to claim 2 wherein said fluid plenum means is adjacent an outer surface portion of said support means and said nozzles extend through said support means from said plenum means to said inner surface portion.

Claim 6

A conveyor according to claim 3 wherein said nozzles are positioned in adjacent longitudinally directed lines, one of which coincides approximately with the centerline of said inner surface portion, the nozzles of said one line being staggered with respect to the nozzles of the other line.

Claim 7

A conveyor according to claim 3 wherein said inner surface portion has a radius of curvature greater than that of the convex outer surface.

Claim 8

A conveyor according to claim 4 wherein said support means and said plenum means are flexible to facilitate changes in elevation and direction of desired movement.

Claim 9

A conveyor according to claim 4 wherein said nozzles impart a spiral motion to said object.

Claim 10

A conveyor according to claim 4 wherein said plenum means includes separator means thereby providing a pair of plenum chambers therein, each plenum chamber having a plurality of nozzles associated therewith whereby the nozzles of one of said plenum chambers will impart movement to said object in one direction and the nozzles of the other plenum chamber will impart movement in the opposite direction.

Claim 11

A conveyor according to claim 8 wherein the nozzles lying along said approximate centerline are alternately associated with one or the other of said plenum chambers, each of said nozzles being directed in the desired direction of travel.

Claim 12

A conveyor for conveying objects having a convex outer surface comprising a pair of concave support means in side-by-side abutting relationship to each other for receiving said object, each said support means including inner and outer surface portions, fluid plenum means adjacent said outer surface portion and a plurality of spaced fluid directing nozzles extending through said support means from said plenum means to said inner surface portion, said nozzles being positioned in adjacent longitudinally directed lines, one of which coincides approximately with the centerline of said inner surface portion and is obliquely disposed with respect to a tangent at said inner surface portion whereby fluid under pressure in said plenum means is directed by said nozzles to said inner surface portion to create a support fluid film wedge between said inner surface portion and said convex outer surface to displace said object away from said support means; a transfer area providing a smooth transition from one support means to the other and kicker nozzle means in one of said support means opposite said transfer area for imparting movement to said object through said transfer area to said other support means.

Claim 13

A conveyor for conveying objects having a convex outer surface comprising a pair of concave support means in side-by-side abutting relationship to each other for receiving said object, each said support means including inner and outer surface portions, fluid plenum means adjacent said outer surface portion and a plurality of spaced fluid directing nozzles extending through said support means from said plenum means to said inner surface portion, said nozzles being positioned in adjacent longitudinally directed lines, one of which coincides approximately with the centerline of said inner surface portion and is obliquely disposed with respect to a tangent at said inner surface portion whereby fluid under pressure in said plenum means is directed by said nozzles to said inner surface portion to create a support fluid film wedge between said inner surface portion and said convex outer surface to displace said object away from said support means; a transfer area providing a smooth transition from one support means to the other and kicker nozzle means in one of said support means opposite said transfer area for imparting movement to said object through said transfer area to said other support means.

Claim 14

A conveyor system for accumulating a plurality of objects having a convex outer surface comprising an input conveyor, an output conveyor and a plurality of adjacent, interconnected accumulation conveyors, said input conveyor being adapted to feed said objects into said accumulation conveyors, said output conveyor being adapted to receive said objects from said accumulation conveyors, each of said input, output and accumulation conveyors comprising concave support means, fluid plenum means adjacent said support means and a plurality of spaced fluid directing nozzles asymmetrically disposed substantially on one side of the longitudinal axis of the support means and communicating between said plenum means and an inner surface portion of said support means for directing fluid under pressure to said inner surface portion at an angle oblique to a tangent at said inner surface and at an angle forwardly oblique to said longituDinal axis, said oblique angles being substantially in the range of 25* to 60* , to support said object upon a wedge of said fluid and to impart longitudinal movement to said object.

Claim 15

A conveyor system for accumulating a plurality of objects having a convex outer surface comprising an input conveyor, an output conveyor and a plurality of adjacent, interconnected accumulation conveyors, said input conveyor being adapted to feed said objects into said accumulation conveyors, said output conveyor being adapted to receive said objects from said accumulation conveyors, each of said input, output and accumulation conveyors comprising concave support means, fluid plenum means adjacent said support means and a plurality of spaced fluid directing nozzles asymmetrically disposed substantially on one side of the longitudinal axis of the support means and communicating between said plenum means and an inner surface portion of said support means for directing fluid under pressure to said inner surface portion at an angle oblique to a tangent at said inner surface and at an angle forwardly oblique to said longituDinal axis, said oblique angles being substantially in the range of 25* to 60* , to support said object upon a wedge of said fluid and to impart longitudinal movement to said object.

Claim 16

A conveyor system according to claim 11 wherein said accumulation conveyors are circumferentially spaced about and parallel to a central axis parallel to said input and output conveyors, each of said accumulation conveyors being selectively alignable with said input or output conveyor.

Claim 17

A conveyor system according to claim 12 and including hub means on said axis, spoke means between each of said accumulation conveyors and said hub means, gimbal means connecting each spoke to its associated accumulation conveyor and valving means in said hub for selectively providing fluid under pressure through said spoke means to an accumulation conveyor aligned with said input or output conveyor.

Claim 18

A conveyor system according to claim 11 wherein said input, output and accumulation conveyors are longitudinally enclosed in a pipe to protect the conveying surface and supported objects, said pipe being provided with a plurality of exhaust ports for removal of fluid from the confines of said pipe.

Claim 19

In a system for supporting a first body above a second body wherein one of said bodies has a generally concave surface and the other has a generally convex surface, means asymmetrically positioned substantially on one side of the centerline of said concave surface for projecting fluid from said concave surface at an angle oblique with respect to a tangent at said concave surface and forwardly oblique with respect to said centerline, said obliquities being substantially in the range of 25* to 60* to form a wedge of fluid thickness diminishing in the direction of projection between said surfaces to support said first body above said second body and to impart longitudinal movement therealong.

Claim 20

In a system for supporting a first body above a second body wherein one of said bodies has a generally concave surface and the other has a generally convex surface, means asymmetrically positioned substantially on one side of the centerline of said concave surface for projecting fluid from said concave surface at an angle oblique with respect to a tangent at said concave surface and forwardly oblique with respect to said centerline, said obliquities being substantially in the range of 25* to 60* to form a wedge of fluid thickness diminishing in the direction of projection between said surfaces to support said first body above said second body and to impart longitudinal movement therealong.

Claim 21

A system according to claim 15 wherein said one body is provided with plenum means and said projecting means comprises a plurality of spaced nozzles communicating between said plenum and said concave surface.

Claim 22

A system according to claim 16 wherein at least said one body is elongate and has a longitudinal axis, the angle of said nozzles being oblique with respect to said axis and with the tangent at said concave surface whereby said fluid will impart relative longitudinal movement between said supported first body and said second body.

Claim 23

A system according to claim 16 wherein said concave surface has a degree of curvature at least as great as that of said convex surface.