US5515668A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Laning conveyor with changeover system
Assignee: Barry Wehmiller Container Systems Inc
•
Filing: 1993-09-03
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Granted: 1996-05-14
•
Expires: 2013-09-03
Abstract
Abstract A laning conveyor is provided which may be used as an infeed for a packer. The laning conveyor comprises a central lane guide and a movable lane guide unit including at least two lane guides connected thereto spaced apart a first lane width. The unit is mounted adjacent the central lane guide to form a lane therebetween having the first lane width. The unit is movable to provide the lane with a second lane width. A method of laning articles is also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary D. Hunt
- 👤 Dave Cooley
- 👤 John M. Connor
- 👤 Keith B. Weisenstein
- 👤 Roger K. Calabrese
- 👤 Gregory S. Gulik
- 👤 Archie Koster
- 👤 David A. Foskett
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:00
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G21/00; B65G21/20; B65G21/2045; B65G21/2063; B65G21/2072; B65G47/00; B65G47/52; B65G47/68; B65G47/71; B65G47/715
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A device for preparing a packed case of articles comprising: a packing section for packing the articles into a case; and an infeed section including a conveying surface for conveying articles to said packing section, a first lane guide extending along said conveying surface, a lane guide unit mounted adjacent said first lane guide, said lane guide unit having at least two second lane guides connected thereto spaced apart from each other a fixed first distance to form a first single file article lane, a second single file article lane formed between said first lane guide and one of said second lane guides of said lane guide unit, said second single file article lane having a first width substantially equal to the first distance with said lane guide unit in a first position, and means for moving said lane guide unit from said first position to a second position to provide said second single file article lane with a second width greater than the first distance while maintaining the fixed first distance between the two second lane guides of the lane guide unit.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
183 words
A device for preparing a packed case of articles comprising: a packing section for packing the articles into a case; and an infeed section including a conveying surface for conveying articles to said packing section, a first lane guide extending along said conveying surface, a lane guide unit mounted adjacent said first lane guide, said lane guide unit having at least two second lane guides connected thereto spaced apart from each other a fixed first distance to form a first single file article lane, a second single file article lane formed between said first lane guide and one of said second lane guides of said lane guide unit, said second single file article lane having a first width substantially equal to the first distance with said lane guide unit in a first position, and means for moving said lane guide unit from said first position to a second position to provide said second single file article lane with a second width greater than the first distance while maintaining the fixed first distance between the two second lane guides of the lane guide unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said first lane guide is substantially fixedly mounted above the conveying surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said second lane guides are substantially fixedly mounted to said lane guide unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said infeed section includes a track mounted to the conveyor by a support member, the track aligned above the conveyor transversely of the conveying surface, and wherein said second lane guides are mounted to cars adapted to be slid along the track by said moving means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device of claim 4 wherein said infeed section includes racks connected to said cars, and wherein said moving means comprises a pinion shaft and an actuator for rotating said pinion to move said cars.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said infeed section includes, at the upstream end, a lane loading guide for guiding individual ones of the articles into the lanes, said lane loading guide movable between a first position for guiding articles having the lesser width, and to a second position for guiding articles having the greater width.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device of claim 6 wherein the articles having the lesser width are individual cans and wherein the articles having the greater width are prepackaged units of multiple cans.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device of claim 6 wherein said lane loading guides are rotatable between a first orientation for preventing the articles from forming a nested pattern and a second orientation for substantially smoothly guiding the articles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device of claim 8 wherein said lane loading guide includes a reciprocal agitator for jostling the articles when said lane loading guide is in the first orientation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said infeed section includes, at the downstream end, tapered thickness lane guide extensions mountable in alignment with said second lane guides for reducing the spacing between the single files of articles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device of claim 10 wherein said lane guide extensions taper toward said first lane guide to bring the single files closer together.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The conveyor of claim 10 wherein said infeed section includes spacers for maintaining pairs of said lane guide extensions spaced apart a distance equal to the first width.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
The device of claim 10 wherein said infeed section includes a support member extending transversely across the conveyor above the conveyor surface, and wherein said lane guide extensions are connected to dovetail blocks for mounting on said support member in each of two positions for each of two article sizes.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-05-14 | 1999-11-13 | 2000-05-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-05-14 | 2003-11-13 | 2004-05-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-05-14 | 2007-11-13 | 2008-05-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |