Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Douglas Alan Imes

Geromy Lanich

Craig Mummert

A system for controlling a flow of articles includes two or more conveyor sections driven in a feed direction to convey articles. A plurality of sensors, each sensor associated with a conveyor section, count the articles in each lane. An accumulator conveyor is associated with a conveyor section and runs in an opposite direction to permit accumulation.

Multiple mass flow conveyor system

An accumulation device for placement within a stream of articles upstream of an independent article handling device, including an infeed conveyor for receiving articles and an outfeed conveyor for returning articles. A transfer device movable along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor is included. Each of an infeed drive and an outfeed drive drives the conveyors. A speed of the outfeed drive controlled at least in part by the independent article handling device; an infeed sensor for detecting an article flow rate upstream of the infeed conveyor and generating an infeed signal based on the article flow rate. A controller is included for controlling a speed of the infeed drive based at least in part on the infeed signal.

Accumulation device

A system for controlling a flow of articles includes a conveyor driven in a direction to convey articles in the direction. A plurality of lanes are disposed along a portion of the conveyor. Each lane accepts a row of articles along the conveyor direction. A plurality of sensors count the articles in each lane. A plurality of actuators control the flow rates of the articles by comparing and adjusting the flow rates in respective lanes.

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Greer, SC, United States of America

Douglas Alan Imes