Kornylak Corporation

Ocs Intellitrak, Inc.

Buckhorn Material Handling Group, Inc.

Other

Buckhorn, Inc.

Ekco Products, Inc.

Ekco/glaco, Inc.

Eric D. Stein

Charles P. Tabler

Charles P Tabler

Eric D Stein

Daniel R Miller

Andrew T Kornylak

Theodore R Devins

Donald E Owens

A conveyor system is provided that comprises at least two types of drive tube couplings that are interchangeable. In one embodiment, the conveyor system comprises a plurality of first drive tube couplings and a plurality of second drive tube couplings. The first drive tube couplings comprise a base portion and an elongated portion that extends from the face of the base portion. The second drive tube couplings comprise a coupling spacer and a coupler comprising an elongated member that abuts the face of the coupling spacer and extends substantially perpendicular thereto. In this embodiment the thickness of the base portion of each of the first drive tube couplings is substantially equal to the thickness of the coupling spacer of each of the second drive tube couplings.

Conveyor system with interchangeable drive tube couplings

A rotating shaft drive system is configured to propel a load along a conveying path of an overhead conveyor system. A stationary frame extends along the conveying path and supports the rotating shaft drive system. A movable carriage is suspended from the stationary frame and engages with a rotating shaft of the shaft drive system to propel the carriage and the load. The rotating shaft comprises a plurality of shaft segments supported pillow blocks at each end of the rotating shaft segments, and the pillow blocks create a gap between adjacent shaft segments. The movable carriage has at least one canted driven roller configured to engage with adjacent rotating shaft segments and to create a helical loci of tractional engagement that provides sufficient drive force to propel the carriage and the load along the conveying path. The drive system is further configured to provide continuous propulsion as the canted driven roller moves across the gap between adjacent shaft segments.

Pillow block bearing for shaft driven conveyor system with self aligning feature

A lateral transfer apparatus for an overhead conveyor comprises generally horizontally extending, side-by-side load tracks for receiving load-bearing trolleys for movement along a first track, and for movement along a second track. A transfer shuttle unit has a normal position aligned with the first track and provides a continuation thereof, and a transfer position aligned with the second track to provide a continuation of the second track. An actuator connected with the shuttle unit shifts it between the normal and transfer positions thereof at an acute angle to the tracks, thereby transferring trolleys to a position aligned with the receiving track for movement therealong.

Angle line transfer for overhead conveyors

A conveyor is powered by a rotating, generally horizontal drive tube or shaft engaged by angularly disposed trolley wheels, in which trolleys support the conveyed products or materials above the drive tube and clear of any parts of the conveyor structure that would interfere with the desired path of travel. Each of the trolleys is provided with load wheels which ride on load rails above the drive tube and associated drive wheels, thereby providing a structure upon which a platform or other support may be mounted for bearing the transported products.

Inverted conveyor

A slip tube system is configured to transport a load along a conveying path of an overhead conveyor system. A stationary frame has at least one rotating shaft with a shaft axis extending along the conveying path of the stationary frame, and a movable carriage configured to transport a load along the conveying path. A slip tube is placed on at least one of the least one rotating drive shafts and each slip tube has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of a respective drive shaft, and is in rotational sliding engagement therewith. At least one driven wheel is attached to the carriage to engage with an exterior of the slip tube surrounding the at least one rotating drive shaft to push the slip tube into driving engagement with the rotating shaft, and to rotate the slip tube therewith. The driven wheels are canted with respect to a shaft axis of the drive shaft and slip tube, and the canted contact produces a helical loci of engagement between the exterior of the slip tube and each of the driven wheels. As the drive shaft rotates, traction is developed between the rotating shaft and an inner surface of the slip tube, and between an outer surface of the rotating slip tube and the driven wheels to provide sufficient drive force to propel the carriage and the load along the conveying path.

Slip tube system for adjusting drive force of shaft driven conveyor system

In a drive system for an overhead conveyor, a first drive shaft presents a path of travel for a trolley, and a second drive shaft spaced from the first drive shaft provides a continuation of the path of travel. A flexible drive cable spans the gap between the shafts and interconnects the terminal end of the first shaft with the receiving end of the second shaft to transfer torque thereto to rotate the second shaft. The cable comprises spiral wound strands joined together to preclude unraveling thereof and thus the second shaft may be driven by the first shaft when their longitudinal axes are not collinear.

Cable drive for overhead conveyor

A chain drive overhead conveyer extends through an oven to move carriages between exit and entrance ends of respective rotary drive shafts that are outside the oven. Driven wheels of the carriages are canted with respect to the rotary drive shafts so that when a drive shaft is rotated, a helical loci of engagement between the drive shaft and engaged driven wheels provides sufficient traction to propel the carriages along the conveying path outside the oven. Weight of loaded carriages is carried through carriage support wheels to a load support structure adjacent to and independently of the rotary drive shafts and the chain conveyer through the conveying path. Heat sensitive portions of the carriages, e.g. the driven wheels, are chilled at the exit of the oven.

Conveyer for high temperature environment

An overhead rotatably powered conveyer drive shaft has ridges inter-engaged with skewed driven wheels mounted for free rotation on a load carrying carriage to trace a helical loci of engagement and improve traction. The ridges are preferably extruded to be parallel. The driven wheels may also have extruded parallel ridges or have an elastic peripheral surface deformed elastically into spaces between adjacent drive shaft ridges during normal conveying to provide the inter-engaging.

Overhead conveyer with high friction drive tube

A standard wheeled dolly frame or pallet is connected to a carriage at one or opposite sides thereof. Each carriage has an elastomeric material for biasing a plurality of pivotally mounted driven wheels against a rotatable drive shaft extending along a transporting direction. The driven wheels are canted with respect to the drive shaft so that when the drive shaft is rotated by a belt driven by an electric motor and a mechanical transmission, a helical loci of engagement between the drive shaft and driven wheels provides sufficient traction through the engagement force of the bias member to propel the wheeled vehicle along the transporting path. Preferably, the drive shaft is composed of a number of discontinuous driving sections that are aligned or alignable for diverting transporting paths so as to each be driven by a separate set of a drive motor, mechanical transmission and drive belt. The drive shaft may include curved sections so that the transporting path may take on any desired shape. The drive shaft is mounted by a plurality of bearings within a channel.

Wheeled vehicle guidance and drive system

The jigsaw puzzle requires assembly and disassembly with a sequence of assembling. The configuration, as viewed parallel to one axis, is individualized as a trace indicia. As cuts are made, pieces are disassembled and cut so that the last cut line extends into a previous cut line, but not across the previous cut line because of the part being disassembled.

Jigsaw puzzle

A unitary molded plastic bakery tray, with the end walls higher than the side walls to provide a 90 degree cross-nesting, and the end walls having interengaging feet and rails to provide for 180 degree oriented high stacking and like oriented low stacking. The bottom is either a flat planar surface with chamfered bottom edges or is raised so that the tray is provided with corner structure having chamfered bottom edges. Blind stacking structure is provided by an additional outer rail on each end wall and additional outer feet on each end wall for engaging the outer rail. Alternatively, blind stacking is provided by structure along each end wall having large feet and cooperating large recesses coplanar with inner small feet and cooperating inner recesses such that the large feet can span and smoothly slide over the small recesses during blind stacking. Further, trays of different series having different stacking heights can be blind stacked on one another during stacking, but include bottom and side wall structure that prevents inter cross-nesting of trays of different series.

Bakery tray with blind stacking and unstacking

A unitary molded plastic bakery tray, with the end walls higher than the side walls to provide for a 90 degree cross-nesting, and the end walls having interengaging feet and rails to provide for 180 degree oriented high stacking and like oriented low stacking. The bottom is either a flat planar surface with chamfered bottom edges or is raised so that the tray is provided with corner structure having chamfered bottom edges. Blind stacking structure is provided by an additional outer rail on each end wall and additional outer feed on each end wall for engaging the outer rail. Alternatively, blind stacking is provided by structure along each end wall having large feet and cooperating large recesses coplanar with inner small feet and cooperating inner recesses such that the large feet can span and smoothly slide over the small recesses during blind stacking. Further, trays of different series having different stacking heights can be blind stacked on one another during stacking, but include bottom and side wall structure that prevents inter cross-nesting of trays of different series.

Bakery tray with blend stacking

Interfitting container

A snap together picking container consists of two synthetic resin molded side members that are mirror images of each other, a folded blank of front, bottom and rear walls connected by living hinges and a sheet plastic top slid into mating grooves of the side members to abut against the rear wall. With or without the top, like containers may be stacked upon each other, with side shifting prevented by abutment flanges on the top of one container nesting between the side members of the upper container. Picking is provided through an opening due to a shortened top and a front wall shorter than the rear wall. Hook type snap assembly is provided between the walls and the side members having channels. Multiple width containers may be constructed by using inserts in the mold producing folding blank, which folded blank is shaped so as to be produced by a two part rigid plate mold without undercuts.

Growing community of inventors

Hamilton, OH, United States of America

Charles P Tabler