The Titan Corporation

Bernard G Wickersham

Colin Brian Williams

John Thomas Allen

Richard O Peck

Gary M Pageau

Bruce D Sellers

Leonard C Bisgrove

Gary Michael Pageau

A conveyor system includes; a plurality of article carriers; a process conveyor for supporting and transporting the article carriers past the given location at a first speed; an overhead power and free transport conveyor for transporting the article carriers from a loading area at a second speed that differs from the first speed; and a load conveyor adapted for engaging the article carriers and for transporting the engaged article carriers from the transport conveyor to the process conveyor at a speed that is varied during transport by the load conveyor in such a manner that the article carriers are so positioned on the process conveyor that there is a predetermined separation distance between adjacent positioned article carriers. A reroute conveyor is coupled to the process conveyor for retransportation by the process conveyor. Transport by the conveyors is interrupted when a measured speed of article carrier movement past the given location is outside of a given range. The article carrier is adapted for transport by an overhead conveyor having a track and for horizontal reorientation while suspended from the conveyor track, and has a member having a serrated edge extending away from the article carrier for engagement by a limit switch disposed in relation to the conveyor so as to be periodically operated by contact with the serrated edge of the member as the article carrier is being transported by the process conveyor to thereby enable the speed at which the article carrier is being transported to be monitored by measuring the frequency of operation of the limit switch by contact with the serrated edge.

Article carrier for conveyor system

An article irradiation system includes a radiation source disposed along a horizontal axis; a plurality of article carriers; a process conveyor for supporting and transporting the article carriers past the radiation source at a first speed; an overhead power and free transport conveyor for transporting the article carriers from a loading area at a second speed that differs from the first speed; and a load conveyor adapted for engaging the article carriers and for transporting the engaged article carriers from the transport conveyor to the process conveyor at a speed that is varied during transport by the load conveyor in such a manner that the article carriers are so positioned on the process conveyor that there is a predetermined separation distance between adjacent positioned article carriers. A reroute conveyor is coupled to the process conveyor for transporting those article carriers carrying articles that have received radiation impinging upon only the first side of the articles. A rack disposed adjacent the reroute conveyor reorients about a vertical axis by 180 degrees the article carriers being transported by the reroute conveyor; and the reoriented article carriers are transported from the reroute conveyor to the process conveyor for retransportation past the radiation source so that a second side of the carried articles opposite to the first side receives impinging radiation from the radiation source.

Irradiation system utilizing conveyor-transported article carriers

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Parker, CO, United States of America

Bernard G Wickersham