Magstar Technologies, Inc.

Quickdraw Design and Drafting, Inc.

Automation, Inc.

Activar Technical Products Group, Inc.

David E Helgerson

Brian D Koenig

Steven A Jensen

John Fresonke

Timothy J Hall

Brian R Lee

Joshua D Krause

Reed A Bailey

Robert J Robinson

Assemblies, systems, and methods for stacking, destacking, or stacking and destacking a plurality of trays that includes a conveyor having a first rail and a second rail; a lift subassembly configured to stack or destack a plurality of trays having predetermined dimensions, the lift subassembly comprising a first set of arms slidably coupled to a lift plate; a second set of arms slidably coupled to the lift plate; and a bracket configured to slidably couple the lift subassembly to the first rail and the second rail, wherein the first rail, the second rail, or the first and second rails are adjustable along the bracket of the lift subassembly to correspond to the predetermined dimensions of the plurality of trays, and wherein each of the first and second sets of arms are independently adjustable to correspond to the predetermined dimensions of the plurality of trays.

Adjustable tray stacker/destacker assembly

In some embodiments, a conveyor may include one or more of the following features: (a) a plurality of driven roller assemblies mounted on said side walls in spaced relationship and at uniform height along the lengthwise direction of said pathway, each said driven roller assembly may include one or more of the following features: i) a center shaft mounted in the side wall so said center shaft is fixed against rotation and projects, perpendicularly inward from the inside surface of the side wall, ii) a driven pulley having an outer flange, an inner axial bore of a size permitting said driven pulley to slide axially over the center shaft, and iii) a roller carried on said driven pulley for rotation therewith to move articles resting on said roller down said pathway, said roller having a recess for engaging a catch on the driven pulley to hold the roller securely.

Slip roller conveyor

A slip roller conveyor has a frame comprising a pair of parallel, spaced-apart side plates. Secured to each of the side plates is a plurality of annular rollers with a predetermined pitch distance between adjacent rollers. The annular rollers have tubular sleeves of a lesser diameter projecting outward from a side surface thereof. The tubular sleeves on an opposed pair of annular rollers fit into the lumen of a longer tubular roller with a clearance fit. The annular rollers on each of the side plates are driven by an endless belt that also surrounds a motor-driven nose roller.

Long roller slip conveyor

The conveyor apparatus disclosed herein is generally formed of a first rail and a second rail, each rail having a plurality of rollers. A portion of the rollers are desirably drive rollers, receiving power from an integral motor assembly. The motor generally comprises a stator that is coupled to the rail and an outer roller assembly rotatably coupled to the rail. The roller assembly includes an outer circumferential magnetized portion positioned in surrounding engagement to the motor stator and functions both as the motor rotor and the conveying surface of the roller. Non-slip roller covering material may be attached to the exterior of the roller assembly. A circuit board having logic controls is preferably in communication with at least one sensor and the motor rotor to regulate rotation of the motor rotor during use of the conveyor.

Conveyor assembly

A slip roller conveyor has parallel side walls and a plurality of driven slip roller assemblies mounted therein. Each driven assembly comprises a stub shaft that is threadedly mounted in the side wall and has a wrench-engageable head. A pulley with a sleeve extension is rotatably mounted on the shaft and a slip roller is mounted on the sleeve. The entire driven slip roller assembly is easily removed from its wall mounting by simply engaging the head with a wrench and unscrewing the shaft from its wall mounting. The conveyor drive system includes a positive drive belt having its grooves and teeth intermeshed with mating grooves and teeth on the driven pulleys. A side edge of the belt is guided by the inner surface of the conveyor side wall. A guide strip having an anti-camming surface keeps the drive belt intermeshed with the pulleys along the drive run of the drive belt.

Conveyor technology

A conveyor with a straight pathway has laterally spaced side walls with opposing banks of driven roller assemblies mounted thereon. Each roller assembly has a shaft, a roller, and a driven pulley. The pulleys of assemblies on a side wall are driven by an endless positive drive belt that has teeth for meshing with the grooves on a driven pulley. The belt is maintained in its meshed relationship with the driven pulleys by an anti-camming surface that obstructs the belt from being cammed out of its meshed relationship. The belt is laterally guided by an annular ridge on the pulleys and the outside surface of the side wall. A docking station for product carriers is also described. A transitional conveyor embodiment with a curved pathway has spaced curved alignments of bearing mounts for mounting roller assemblies thereon. The roller assemblies have dual pulleys which are each paired with the dual pulley of an adjacent assembly by an endless belt, such as an O-ring. The rotation of a primary driver pulley is thus passed from pulley to pulley along an alignment.

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

David E Helgerson