General Kinematics Corporation

Kurt Christopherson

Richard B Kraus

Robert G Markowski

Eric Dickinson

A vibratory conveyor for transporting an object includes a curved deck defining a conveying surface for supporting the object, the deck having an inner edge and an outer edge. A housing has an inner wall coupled to the deck inner edge and an outer wall coupled to the deck outer edge, wherein an interior of the housing defines a conveyor chamber and the inner wall defines a central chamber. An inlet air plenum may be provided in fluid communication with a plurality of air distribution chambers positioned inside the conveyor chamber. A plurality of apertures may be formed in the plurality of air distribution chambers, the apertures arranged in an air distribution pattern. The conveyor also includes an outlet opening communicating between conveyor and central chambers. The conveyor further includes a catch floor extending across the central chamber, the floor having a discharge opening formed therein.

Vibratory conveyor

A vibratory conveyor for transporting an object has a first housing wall with a first wall support and a second housing wall with a second wall support. A deck has a first lateral edge engaging the first wall support and a second lateral edge engaging the second wall support, so that the deck extends along a deck path and defines a conveyor surface adapted to receive the object. A force assembly is mechanically coupled to the deck and applies a force that bends the deck into an arcuate cross-sectional profile.

Vibratory conveyor deck with adjustable curvature

A vibratory conveyor for transporting an object includes a spiral deck enclosed in a housing having passageways for allowing air flow between adjacent deck tier segments. In addition, the conveyor may include two concentric spiral decks operably coupled to one another, wherein a vibratory force is capable of simultaneously advancing objects both up the first spiral deck and down the second spiral deck.

Vibratory spiral conveyor

A vibratory conveyor for transporting an object includes a deck defining a conveying surface for supporting the object, the deck having an inner edge and an outer edge. A housing has an inner wall coupled to the inner edge of the deck and an outer wall coupled to the outer edge of the deck, wherein an interior of the housing defines a conveyor chamber. An inlet air plenum is provided in fluid communication with a plurality of air distribution chambers positioned inside the conveyor chamber. A plurality of apertures is formed in the plurality of air distribution chambers, wherein the apertures are arranged in an air distribution pattern. An exhaust outlet fluidly communicates between the conveyor chamber and an air vacuum source. The conveyor may a catch floor disposed in a central chamber for receiving debris from an air stream. The vibratory force advances the debris to a discharge opening formed in the catch floor.

A bidirectional vibratory feeder for transporting objects in a curved path has a trough assembly including an elongated, generally horizontal bed defining the curved path, and a center of gravity. Resilient isolators are connected to the trough assembly and adapted to isolate the trough assembly from underlying terrain. An exciter mass assembly includes an exciter frame and a vibration generator coupled to the exciter frame for generating vibratory forces, the exciter mass assembly having a center of gravity. At least one horizontally disposed resilient coupling is connected between the exciter mass assembly and the trough assembly, and at least one vertically disposed link is connected between the exciter mass assembly and the trough assembly. The vibratory forces generated by the vibration generator include a vertical component directed along a substantially vertical path that passes through a combined center of gravity of the trough assembly and the exciter mass assembly that is transferred by the at least one vertically disposed link to cause each point on the trough assembly to translate vertically upward. The vibratory forces also include a horizontal component that is transferred by the at least one horizontally disposed resilient coupling to cause each point on the trough assembly to rotate along a path lying on an arc of a circle in a horizontal plane. The vibration generator is operable in at least first and second modes, wherein, in the first mode, the horizontal component of the vibratory forces is directed along a first linear path displaced from the combined center of gravity to advance the objects in a first direction along the curved path and, in the second mode, the horizontal component of the vibratory forces is directed along a second linear path displaced from the combined center of gravity to advance the objects in a second, generally opposite direction along the curved path.

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South Elgin, IL, United States of America

Kurt Christopherson