Lear Siegler, Inc.

Rapistan Corporation

Clyde L Bowman

Charles W Saur

Charles R DeVries

An accumulator conveyor having an endless driven propelling member has a vertically adjustable support for said propelling member. The support has a stationary lower member and a vertically movable upper member divided into a plurality of segments arranged in tandem with two or more actuators supporting each segment of the upper member on said lower member. Each actuator has a hinged connection to both the upper and lower members and means to limit variation in the spacing between the plates. An expander is mounted on each actuator for forcibly separating the upper plate and actuator and lifting the upper plate as it pivots the actuator about its hinged connection to both the upper and lower plates. Separating the plates lifts the propelling member into conveying mode.

Mode changing means for accumulator conveyors

This invention relates to accumulator conveyors. During the past two decades many types of accumulator conveyors have been developed. These utilize a variety of different operating mechanisms and principles. This invention is in the field of accumulator conveyors which rely upon shifting the primary propelling member vertically between a raised position in which the propelling member is in driving contact with the lower faces of the article supporting and propelling rollers and a lowered position in which it is disengaged from these rollers. The invention is further directed to the type of accumulator in which the shift of the conveyor from conveying to accumulation mode and return to conveying mode is automatically controlled in response to the presence of the motion or lack of motion of an article on the conveyor. Heretofore, all conveyors of this type have had some type of sensor in the form of a roller, lever, wheel or pneumatic valve which is moved or triggered by an article near or over it. It is a common characteristic of these accumulators that most of them will not close-pack the articles as they are accumulated and they have the characteristic of significantly spacing or singulating the articles as they are released from accumulation. While these are desirable characteristics under certain circumstances, there are many applications in which the efficiency of the conveyor could be improved if these characteristics were eliminated because it would increase the throughput of the conveyor for a given length and belt speed.

Roller motion sensing accumulator

A continuously driven belt conveyor transports and accumulates articles supported thereon. Ways are positioned alongside the conveyor belt and are movable to vary the relative vertical position of the ways between an accumulation position wherein the support surface of the ways is above the conveyor belt causing the articles to accumulate and a drive position wherein the support surface of the ways is below the conveyor belt to permit movement of the articles therealong. Preferably, the ways are moved vertically by elongated inflatable tubes which lift the ways together with the articles above the moving conveyor surface.

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Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Clyde L Bowman