Abbott Laboratories Corporation

University of Nebraska

Unelab LLC

Don R Simms

Inna M Zevakina

Douglas Barry

Greg Rothman

Adrian Chan

Thomas L Bybee

Michael Turner

Jay Woods

John Fuller

Ray Puseman

A conveyor track drive includes a continuous loop conveyor for supporting and carrying a specimen container, with one portion of the conveyor extending through a drive housing. The conveyor includes a first segment extending through the housing, which then wraps around a portion of a drive sprocket, extends back upstream and around a portion of an idler sprocket and then includes a second segment transversely adjacent the first segment. A guide plate on the housing is positioned over the adjacent segments of the conveyor with a slot located to guide a specimen carrier from the first segment to the second segment. The specimen carrier then exits the housing on the second segment of the conveyor. A motor in the housing drives the drive sprocket to move the conveyor.

Conveyor track drive

A transfer and positioning apparatus includes a positioning assembly located between the tracks of a dual lane conveyor and upstream of a lane changer. The positioning assembly includes a retractable shaft for stopping a carrier along a first conveyor adjacent the assembly. A pair of gripper arms are pivotally mounted to move between an open position permitting the carrier to pass along the conveyor track, and a closed position with forward ends in contact with a specimen container on the carrier to position the container in a reference location for direct processing. The lane changer includes a shuttle depending from an overhead support with a pair of arms for receiving and shifting a specimen carrier from one conveyor to a second conveyor of a dual-conveyor track. The shuttle is operable to retain a specimen carrier along either the first or second conveyor and to release a specimen carrier along either the first or second conveyor. Sensors are located to detect the presence of a specimen carrier at each of the retention locations, and to confirm the release of a specimen carrier from the shuttle along each of the conveyors. A queue is positioned upstream of the positioning assembly and includes retractable shafts, sensors and scanners for selectively retaining, detecting and scanning identification data from a specimen carrier on either conveyor upstream of the shuttle.

Transfer and positioning apparatus for automated conveyor system

A transfer apparatus includes a shuttle depending from an overhead support with a pair of arms for receiving and shifting a specimen carrier from one conveyor to a second conveyor of a dual-conveyor track. The shuttle is operable to retain a specimen carrier along either the first or second conveyor and to release a specimen carrier along either the first or second conveyor. Sensors are located to detect the presence of a specimen carrier at each of the retention locations, and to confirm the release of a specimen carrier from the shuttle along each of the conveyors. A drive motor for moving the shuttle between the retention and release positions is electrically connected to a command module with a processor, for receiving instructions as to the position of the shuttle. The sensors are also connected to the processor to transmit detection data to the processor. A queue is positioned upstream of the shuttle and is electrically connected to the processor. The queue includes retractable shafts, sensors and scanners for selectively retaining, detecting and scanning identification data from a specimen carrier on either conveyor upstream of the shuttle, and transmitting the information to the processor.

Specimen carrier transfer apparatus for a conveyor track

The passive transfer guide of the present invention is positioned in a section of tangency between a first continuous loop conveyor and a second continuous loop conveyor, with a first guide lane for directing a specimen carrier from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, and a second guide lane for directing a specimen carrier from the second conveyor to the first conveyor. The guide includes a horizontally oriented 'H'-shaped central member having a pair of upper legs, a pair of lower legs, and a cross-member connecting the upper and lower legs. The upper legs and an upper portion of the cross-member form one specimen carrier-directing lane, and the lower legs and a lower portion of the cross-member form the second carrier-directing lane.

Passive transfer guide for conveyor track

Growing community of inventors

Council Bluffs, IA, United States of America

Don R Simms