Rapistan Systems Advertising Corp.

Dematic Gmbh

Mannesmann Dematic Rapistan Corp.

Rapistan Demag Corporation

Ronald C Ehlert

David H Cotter

Kenneth J Kooistra

Thomas J Pelak

Dennis J Schuitema

Curtis E LeMay

Thomas H Triesenberg

David D Sayers

Ryan D Tasma

Floyd W Butler

Paul Kreys

Mohan A Ramankutty

Frank W Veit

A positive displacement sorter includes a plurality of interconnected parallel slats defining an endless web that travels in a longitudinal direction. The web has upper and lower runs and transition sections between the upper and lower runs. An upper surface of the upper run of the web defining an article-conveying surface. A plurality of pusher shoes travels along at least one of the slats in order to laterally divert articles on the conveying surface. Each of the shoes has a diverting member extending below the conveying surface. A plurality of diverting rails below the conveying surface is capable of engaging the diverting member to cause the associated shoe to travel laterally to divert an article. A plurality of diverters selectively diverts at least one of the diverting members from a non-diverting path extending longitudinally along the sorter to one of the diverting rails in a diverting state. A propulsion system propels the web. The propulsion system includes at least one drive assembly engaging a lower surface of the upper run or an upper surface of the lower run.

Positive displacement sorter

A roller conveyor includes a plurality of idler rollers positioned along and between opposite sidewalls and a transverse drive system operable to rotatably drive at least some of the idler rollers of the roller conveyer. The transverse drive system includes a motorized roller positioned generally transverse to the idler rollers and a plurality of drive members drivably connected between the motorized roller and respective ones of the idler rollers. Actuation of the motorized roller drives each of the drive members, which in turn independently rotatably drive the respective idler rollers. The transverse drive system may be selectively operable to accumulate articles on one or more zones of the roller conveyor. The roller conveyor may include a right angle transfer unit operable to transfer articles in a direction generally normal to the direction of conveyance of the idler rollers.

Motorized roller transverse drive

A diverter system for diverting articles being conveyed along the diverter system includes a plurality of diverter wheels arranged between opposite sidewalls of the diverter system. The diverter wheels are rotatably driven by a motorized roller and a plurality of drive members or bands reeved around the motorized roller and respective ones of the diverter wheels. The diverter wheels are steerable in response to pivotal or rotational movement of a drive gear that engages a gear plate of at least one of the wheels. The resulting pivotal movement of the at least one wheel causes a translational movement of a rack member extending along the row of diverter wheels which, in turn, causes a corresponding pivotal movement of the other wheels engaged with the rack member.

Steerable diverter system

A roller conveyor which includes idler rollers which are drivable in a driving direction in response to rotational driving of a drive portion of the rollers, and which are freely rotatable in the driving direction relative to the drive portions of the rollers, in order to allow for coasting of articles or products on the roller conveyor. The rollers include one-way clutch devices which may drive the rollers in the driving direction in response to activation or engagement of a drive means to convey products along the conveyor. The clutch devices also allow the rollers to continue to rotate in the driving direction after the driving means has been deactivated or disengaged from the rollers. The roller conveyor thus may convey articles along multiple zones of the conveyor and may accumulate articles on the zones, such as in response to article sensors positioned along the roller conveyor.

Roller conveyor with clutched idler rollers

A contact assembly for an accumulation conveyor includes a support member having a cavity dimensioned to receive a force producing device. A contact member is positioned between the force producing device and the conveying rollers and reciprocates with respect to the conveying rollers. The contact member includes a wheel assembly which, when vertically reciprocated by the force-producing device, places the drive belt into driving contact with the conveying rollers. The wheel assembly is configured to move in a substantially transverse direction to the direction of movement of the drive belt to maintain alignment between the drive belt and the contact assembly.

Contact assembly for accumulation conveyors

A contact assembly for an accumulation conveyor includes a support member having a cavity dimensioned to receive a force producing device. A contact member is positioned between the force producing device and the conveying rollers and reciprocates with respect to the conveying rollers. The contact member includes a platform which supports a pair of cantilevered contact rollers journaled at opposing ends of the platform. When the platform is vertically reciprocated by the force-producing device, the contact rollers in driving engagement with a drive belt are forced upward, placing the drive belt into driving contact with the conveying rollers.

A non-powered, self-position-adjusting track intersection pin guide, or switch, is provided having a plate member that pivots in the plane of the crossing guide tracks that move article diverter shoes of a positive displacement sortation conveyor in a predetermined manner relative to the supporting surface of the conveyor. The plate member pivots between a first position guiding the diverter shoe guide elements along a first path and a second position guiding the diverter shoe guide elements along a second path. The plate member includes first and second cam members defining first and second cam surfaces. First and second guiding surfaces are additionally defined on the plate member, whereby the cam surfaces are selectively positioned in the first and second paths for actuations by a guide element moving along the respective path in order to rotate the cam surfaces and the guiding surfaces about a common pivot in order to guide movement of the guide elements. The pivot is upstream of the first and second cam surfaces with respect to travel of the guide elements in order to provide switching between first and second positions through an extremely small arc of travel. The cam surfaces are positioned in the guide tracks in a manner that they are actuated by the guide bearing of the diverter shoes wherein the guiding surfaces are positioned to act on the much narrower guide pin of the diverter shoes. Each of the cam members includes an additional cam surface for actuation by the guide pin of the diverter shoes in order to actuate the plate between first and second positions in the event that a bearing is missing from the diverter shoes, or is malfunctioning.

Growing community of inventors

Wyoming, MI, United States of America

Ronald C Ehlert