Dematic Gmbh

Harry Thad German

William P Bray

Benjamin J Hekman

William R Stickland

David H Cotter

Dennis J Schuitema

Randall J Carlson

Wynn M Pelak

Laszlo T Szebelledy

Rustin Fike

Dean Leek

Veronique Cole

Tyler Ernest

Jeffrey D Miller

An assessment system and method are provided for determining whether an item handled in a material handling system is stable and conveyable or unstable and non-conveyable. If an item is deemed non-conveyable, it is diverted or otherwise removed from the material handling system before it is transported downstream where it may affect the operation of the system or cause damage to the system and/or item. The system utilizes a dimension sensor system, such as including photo arrays, to measure contact region dimensions between an item being conveyed and the conveyor surface. The contact region is observed under constant conveyance rates, accelerating conveyance rates, and decelerating conveyance rates to determine whether the item orientation changes due to shifts in momentum. Any measured contact region changes are compared to a maximum allowed value, and if the measured change is greater than the maximum, the item is deemed non-conveyable.

System and method for identifying and transporting non-conveyable items

A right angle transfer device has a conveying surface defined by a plurality of conveying members that are driven to convey objects in a conveyance direction. A diverting conveying member is mounted to a frame and is driven to divert objects in a direction angled away from the conveyance direction. A lift drive rotates a cam to move a bar in a substantially horizontal direction. The movement of the bar causes a frame link connected to the bar and the frame to raise and lower the frame. Once the frame has been moved upward to a sufficient extent, the diverting conveying member will be raised above the conveying members to come into contact with the object to thereby move and divert the object away from the conveyance direction.

Right angle transfer device

An article sortation system and method of sorting articles includes an article sorter having an article support surface moving in a longitudinal direction and a plurality of discharge conveyors extending from the article support surface. The sorter is adapted to discharge articles from the article support surface to said discharge conveyors. One or more of the discharge conveyors includes an active aligner having a driven surface that is adapted to reorient at least some of the diverted articles.

Article sorter with active discharge

A belt conveyor having a pair of side frames between which a belt is moved for conveying items includes a pair of idler rollers about which the belt is disposed for conveying items there between, a tension roller that is biased into engagement with the belt, and a driven roller operative to drive the belt about the idler and tension rollers. The tension and driven rollers are mounted between the side frames and are disposed lower than the idler rollers, with the tension roller mounted by a tensioner mount configured to impart a biasing force to the tension roller against the belt.

Conveyor belt drive system and configuration

A right angle transfer and method of transferring articles includes a plurality of conveying members that define a conveyance surface and are driven to convey objects in a conveyance direction and a plurality of diverting members. The diverting members are driven to divert objects at an angle from the conveyance surface. A frame mounts the diverting members for general vertical movement with respect to the conveying members. A lifting system including a plurality of spaced apart vertical actuators selectively raises and lowers the frame with respect to the conveying members. Each of the vertical actuators may include a cylinder that is positively driven in each of opposite directions by application of a fluid to opposite sides of the cylinder in order to positively drive the frame to both a raised state and a lowered state. The diverting members may be driven prior to being vertically moved into contact with an article being diverted.

Right angle transfer

An accumulation conveyor and method, according to the invention, includes providing a plurality of tandem accumulation zones, each of the zones including a conveying surface and at least one drive roller selectively driving the conveying surface. A drive member below the conveying surface extends a length of the plurality of tandem accumulation zones. Each of the zones includes a clutch roller rotated by the drive member and an electromagnetic clutch. The clutch selectively transfers rotation of the clutch roller to the drive roller to drive the conveying surface. The clutch may be made up of a pair of concentric cylinders aligned in a vertical plane and a force transmission member between the concentric cylinders with the force transmission member transmitting force between the concentric cylinders when the clutch is electrically actuated. The clutch may be a wrapped-spring clutch.

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Belding, MI, United States of America

Harry Thad German