Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Mark Nunn

Robert C Beesley

Matthew A Job

Roger T Johnston

William John Scholtes

A device for accumulating articles within a system may include a frame, a mass-flow infeed conveyor supported by the frame for receiving articles from the system, and a mass-flow outfeed conveyor supported by the frame for receiving articles from the infeed conveyor and returning the articles to the system. A single-filing device is supported by the frame and includes a plurality of parallel endless loop conveyors. The endless loop conveyors each have an upstream end located laterally from and between upstream and downstream ends of the infeed conveyor.

Accumulating device

A handling apparatus can be used to transfer objects from a first location to a second location along a defined path, without the need for a conveyor along the path. Instead, the handling apparatus can be moved along the path by a controllable transport device, such as a robot arm. The handling apparatus can comprise a plurality of unpowered rollers which are selectively rotated by way of a transfer assist mechanism during loading and/or unloading of the objects to be transferred. The transfer assist mechanism can comprise a separate component that can power the rollers directly or indirectly. The transfer assist mechanism can comprise a belt which imparts rotational force to the support rollers via contact in some embodiments, with the amount of force controlled by varying the relative inclination of the support rollers and the transfer assist mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Mark Nunn