Simco/ramic Corporation

Src Vision, Inc.

Philip L Hoffman

Richard J Signorello

H Parks Squyres

James Ewan

William S Drummond

David A Welbon

Casey P Walsh

A laned conveyor apparatus includes an infeed roller and an outfeed roller rotatably mounted to a frame in spaced apart relation for movably supporting a flexible product-carrying belt that forms a closed loop about the rollers to define a conveying region having a length and a width. A plurality of elastic separating bands are removably positioned around the rollers and the product-carrying belt and spaced apart at intervals along the width of the conveying region to form lanes along the length of the conveying region. The separating bands contact an outer surface of the product-carrying belt to form a frictional interface with the product-carrying belt that causes the separating bands to move in coordination with movement of the product-carrying belt. A guide mechanism mounted to the frame includes multiple guide features spaced apart at intervals along the width of the conveying region for guiding the separating bands so that the lanes are accurately and precisely positioned in relation to the frame. An adjustable tensioning device is provided for tensioning the separating bands across the conveying region to minimize slippage of the separating bands at the frictional interface. An infeed device is positioned to feed multiple streams of articles into the lanes. The frame is suitable for mounting an inspection and sorting system near the outfeed end of the conveyor apparatus for inspection and sorting of the articles as they are projected from the outfeed end of the conveyor apparatus. The rollers define effective pitch diameters of the product-carrying belt and the separating bands. The ratio of the effective pitch diameter of the separating bands to the effective pitch diameter of the product-carrying belt results in movement of the separating bands at a faster linear rate than the product-carrying belt, thereby causing an article that is inadvertently placed partly upon one of the separating bands and partly contacting the product-carrying belt to be urged or turned onto the product-carrying belt as the article is carried along the conveying region. Methods of segregating streams of articles are also disclosed.

Laned conveyor belt

An air decelerator for an inspection and sorting system employing pneumatic ejectors, comprising an air plenum adapted to generally cause a stream of air to flow in a direction opposing acceptable articles moving in a trajectory, and thereby decelerate the velocity of the articles to reduce the impact of the articles when they come into contact with the receiving surface to minimize damage to the articles caused by the impact.

Air decelerator for pneumatic sorting system

A plastic container sorter (10) moves labeled plastic containers (14, 20, 48, 54, 58) of various colors and transparencies through an inspection zone (18). A pair of line-scanning color cameras (22, 24) capture respective transmittance and reflectance images of the containers and generate raw transmittance and reflectance image data. The raw container data are digitized, normalized, and binarized to provide accurate transmittance and reflectance container RGB image data and binarized image data for differentiating container image data from background data. Container sorting entails eroding (120) the binarized transmittance image and merging (122) the eroded image with the transmittance image data to yield a transmittance image. The eroded transmittance image is analyzed (124, 126) to determine whether the container is opaque. If the container is opaque, color analysis proceeds by analyzing the reflectance image data. If, however, the container is not opaque, transmittance image data are used to classify the container as green transparent (140), translucent (142), or clear transparent (142). Classified containers are transferred to an ejection conveyor (46). Side discharge of a classified container is effected by an air ejector (64) blast that is timed in response to sensing a particular container adjacent to an appropriate side discharge station (60).

Plastic container sorting system and method

A conveyor system for transporting and aligning articles to be sorted in an automated bulk processing system is disclosed. The conveyor comprises one or more product-carrying lanes, each lane comprising two side belts separated by a central product-carrying belt. Each of the side belts is raised with respect to the product-carrying belt, thereby guiding articles on to the product-carrying belt. In a preferred embodiment, the product-carrying belt has two product-carrying surfaces and is provided with a 180.degree. lengthwise twist whereby the product-carrying surfaces are alternately presented on the upper surface of the conveyor system for each complete belt travel cycle. The 180.degree. lengthwise twist is maintained in position by a belt guide or comb located on the underside of the conveyor system.

Product conveyor

An optical inspection system (10) has a conveyor belt (18) that turns at a non-rotating turning bar (22). An inner surface (20) of the conveyor belt contacts a turning surface (22T) of the turning bar. A reservoir (60) for holding a lubricant (62), such as water, is formed by a free surface (22F) of the turning bar, two reservoir side walls (54, 56), a free surface (52F) of a feed bar (52), and a lower surface (58). The feed bar has orifices (69) for discharge of the lubricant into the reservoir and is connected to a source of lubricant subject to volume regulation. When the conveyor belt is in operation, the volume of lubricant supplied to the reservoir keeps the line of contact (22L) between the inner surface and the turning surface covered with lubricant. Rods (64, 66) regulate the flow of lubricant so as to maintain adequate coverage with lubricant of the region (46) where the conveyor belt turns over the turning bar and of the line of contact between the inner surface and the turning surface. The top (22H) of the turning bar is a distance (H) lower than the common level of the top (52H) of the feed bar, the top of the side walls, and the tops (64H, 66H) of the rods. The volume of lubricant supplied to the reservoir through the orifices is regulated so that the supply slightly exceeds the outflow of lubricant between the inner surface and the turning bar.

Lubrication system for a conveyor belt

A stabilizing system stabilizes articles carried on conveyors for automated bulk processing equipment. In a preferred embodiment, a flow of gas (e.g., air) is projected along a conveyor belt in a direction generally parallel to that in which articles are carried by the belt. The air flow has a velocity (i.e., speed and direction) substantially the same as that of the belt to reduce aerodynamic resistance that would otherwise bear against the articles. As a result, the articles may be transported on the conveyor belt at high speeds with substantially increased stability or throughput.

Growing community of inventors

Medford, OR, United States of America

Philip L Hoffman