Patent US3958683A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3958683A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Conveyor system including article regrouping apparatus
Assignee: Somerset Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1974-09-27
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Granted: 1976-05-25
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Expires: 1994-09-27
Abstract
Abstract The conveyor system to be disclosed is an apparatus arrangement wherein a procession of beverage cans or like articles enter the system as a single file stream which is redistributed into a multiple-row stream of articles standing on end on a slowly moving wide-belt conveyor. Essential elements of the system are a feed conveyor for progressing the articles in single file order into a transfer region, a wide-belt conveyor for transferring the articles in a lateral direction from the feed conveyor outwardly of the system, and a transfer conveyor capable of picking up groups of single file-articles and depositing them to form multiple rows on the wide-belt conveyor.
Inventors
- 👤 Alex J. Schregenberger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 15:16
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/74; B65G47/90; B65G47/91; B65G47/915; B65G47/52; B65G47/56; B65G47/57
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
316 words
A conveyor system for articles characterized by opposite flat ends in parallel relationship, such as cylindrical containers, comprising: a first belt-like conveyor having a path of movement extending lengthwise of an article transfer region of predetermined length and fixed location into which said conveyor faces; means for placing a single-file succession of said articles to rest with one of the respective ends on said first conveyor outside said transfer region to pass in a procession therethrough; a second relatively wide belt-like conveyor having a path of movement extending transversely away from the path of movement of said first conveyor, and having an article-receiving end portion in spaced laterally opposite relation with that portion of said first conveyor in said transfer region; an elongate transfer conveyor having an article pickup area of length substantially equal to that of said transfer region; reciprocating means for supporting and cyclically moving the transfer conveyor comprising means for guiding the transfer conveyor along a planate napiform path from a position in said transfer region wherein said pickup area faces said first conveyor in generally parallel relation therewith, and said area is spaced perpendicularly to the first conveyor at a desired spacing slightly greater than the dimension of said articles between said flat sides to a position spacing said area over said article-receiving end portion of the second conveyor at approximately said desired spacing; said transfer conveyor comprising article attracting means operable to lift articles from a section of said first conveyor in said transfer region and to adhere them by respective flat ends to said pickup area, and thereafter to release them to said second conveyor by depositing the articles with the opposite of said ends on the second conveyor; control means controlling said attracting means to attract articles while in said transfer region and to release the attracted articles from said area while in said position over said article-receiving section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
316 words
A conveyor system for articles characterized by opposite flat ends in parallel relationship, such as cylindrical containers, comprising: a first belt-like conveyor having a path of movement extending lengthwise of an article transfer region of predetermined length and fixed location into which said conveyor faces; means for placing a single-file succession of said articles to rest with one of the respective ends on said first conveyor outside said transfer region to pass in a procession therethrough; a second relatively wide belt-like conveyor having a path of movement extending transversely away from the path of movement of said first conveyor, and having an article-receiving end portion in spaced laterally opposite relation with that portion of said first conveyor in said transfer region; an elongate transfer conveyor having an article pickup area of length substantially equal to that of said transfer region; reciprocating means for supporting and cyclically moving the transfer conveyor comprising means for guiding the transfer conveyor along a planate napiform path from a position in said transfer region wherein said pickup area faces said first conveyor in generally parallel relation therewith, and said area is spaced perpendicularly to the first conveyor at a desired spacing slightly greater than the dimension of said articles between said flat sides to a position spacing said area over said article-receiving end portion of the second conveyor at approximately said desired spacing; said transfer conveyor comprising article attracting means operable to lift articles from a section of said first conveyor in said transfer region and to adhere them by respective flat ends to said pickup area, and thereafter to release them to said second conveyor by depositing the articles with the opposite of said ends on the second conveyor; control means controlling said attracting means to attract articles while in said transfer region and to release the attracted articles from said area while in said position over said article-receiving section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein: said attracting means is a chamber connected to a vacuum source, and said area is defined by an apertured wall of said chamber, and said system includes a valve in intermediate duct relation with said source and said chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The conveyor system of claim 2 comprising: drive means synchronously connecting said valve and said reciprocating means in an arrangement for opening said valve over said first conveyor and closing said valve over said second conveyor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The conveyor system of claim 3 wherein: said drive means is connected with the first conveyor, said reciprocating means, and said valve for synchronous operation thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein: said first conveyor is apertured intermediately of its width and along its length; and said system comprises a second vacuum chamber in communication with said first conveyor throughout the length of said transfer region.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The conveying system of claim 1 comprising: a third belt-like conveyor comprising article-attracting means and means for controlling said article-attracting means; said third conveyor extending downwardly and then into tangency with a plane parallel to the article-receiving surface of said first conveyor spaced therefrom at least the dimension of said articles between said flat ends.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
194 words
The conveying system of claim 1 comprising: a pin conveyor comprising a multiplicity of article-supporting pins and means for supporting said pins in spaced parallel, laterally projecting relation therealong, said pin conveyor traversing a downward path in which the lengths of said pins project at least horizontally to upwardly from the support means; a third belt-like conveyor facing said pin conveyor along said path and comprising article-attracting means for attaching said articles thereto, and means for controlling the article-attracting means; said third conveyor being located at close proximity with the ends of said pins along an upstream portion of said downward path, said third conveyor and the pin conveyor being shaped to diverge in downward directions to an extent causing articles attached to said third conveyor to effect complete longitudinal displacement from the lengths of the pins; said third conveyor being shaped to carry said articles into a position wherein the lengths of the articles attached thereto are perpendicular to said first conveyor and the ends of said articles facing away from said third conveyor are in close proximity to that portion of the first conveyor in the article-receiving end of said transfer region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
239 words
The conveying system of claim 1 comprising: a pin conveyor comprising means for supporting a moving procession of article-supporting pins which project from the supporting means in a lengthwise direction in lateral relation with the direction of movement of the pin conveyor, said pin conveyor traversing a downward path in which the lengths of said pins are oriented from horizontally to upwardly from its support means; a third belt-like conveyor facing said pin conveyor along said path, said third conveyor having a section open at points intermediately along its width opposite said pins; vacuum means acting through said open section on the side of said third conveyor facing away from the pin conveyor to attract and attach said articles to said third conveyor; said third conveyor being located at close proximity with the ends of said pins along an upstream portion of said downward path, said third conveyor and the pin conveyor being shaped to diverge in downward directions to an extent causing articles attached to said third conveyor to effect complete displacement of the articles relative to the lengths of the pins; said third conveyor being shaped to carry said articles into a position wherein the lengths of the articles attached thereto are perpendicular to said first conveyor and the ends of said articles away from said third conveyor are in close proximity to that portion of the first conveyor in the article-receiving end of said transfer region.
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) | 1979-05-25 | 1979-11-24 | 1980-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-05-25 | 1983-11-24 | 1984-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-05-25 | 1987-11-24 | 1988-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |