Laitram, LLC

Timothy J Hicks

David W Bogle

Matthew L Fourney

Christopher G Greve

Mark B Costanzo

Eric M Pressler

David Herbert Myers

Sean Edward Stephens

Zachary R Schexnaydre

Jiaming Zha

Preston Hill

Paul L Horton

Scott J Sirgo

Richard J Sofranec

Darrell E Kissee

Sandra A Christiana

Clinton T Favre

A drone comprises at least one propeller for generating lift and an article containment area for containing an article to be carried by the drone. The floor of the article containment area comprises a dynamic support surface for supporting the article and allowing the article to move into, out of and through the article containment area. The dynamic support surface may be a conveyor belt forming the floor of the article containment area.

Material handling solutions for drones

A conveyor () comprising at least one belt () defining an outer conveying surface divided into at least two laterally offset regions in which the rollers () in one region rotate in a first direction and the rollers () in a second region rotate in a second direction as the conveyor belt () advances in a conveying direction. The rollers () rotate by rolling along roller-engagement surfaces () underlying the conveyor belt along a carryway. The rollers rotating in the first direction rotate with a velocity component in the conveying direction () different from the velocity component in the conveying direction of the rollers rotating in the second direction. An article positioned simultaneously atop rollers in both regions is rotated by the rotation of the rollers as the conveyor belt advances.

Article-rotating belt conveyor

A sectional article transfer assembly for receiving articles stripped from the conveying surface of a moving conveyor belt. The article transfer assembly includes, as a first piece, a transfer edge member having a base portion lying on and supported by a support frame and a belt-abutting portion that extends from the base portion to closely abut the conveying surface of a conveyor belt as it passes around a sprocket. The belt-abutting portion can have fingers or a beveled straight edge, for example. The transfer edge member mates with a second piece, a transfer plate member, which has a recessed portion that overlaps and mates with the base portion of the transfer edge member and a flat top article-transfer plate continuous and coplanar with an upper surface of the transfer edge member to form an extension of the conveying surface of the belt along which articles arc conveyed. In preferred versions, the two pieces can each be made of different materials, such as a durable material for the transfer edge member and a low-friction material for the transfer plate member. Other combinations of materials can be used to adapt the characteristics of the sectional transfer assembly to different operational demands.

Article transfer assemblies for conveyor belts

This invention provides improvements in modular links and conveyor belt systems for transferring moving articles from one conveyor belt to another disposed at ninety degrees. Thus a transferring belt has specially constructed links with two integrally formed portions across the width, one for pivotable connection in a moving belt configuration and the other specially constructed with features for more effective transfer of articles from the edge of a transfer belt to a moving belt disposed at ninety degrees which excludes inter-link pivoting structure. Thus with specially formed belt edge transfer modular links, a planar edge transfer platform is formed by the upper surfaces of a series of link end and belt edge planar conveyance surfaces located on the respective belt links. The lower link edge surfaces are tapered to reside in non-contact position over the ramp of the receptacle belt formed typically by a sprocket wheel at a position where the planar conveyance surfaces on the two belts are contiguous and co-planar. The link ends are constructed for encountering the dynamic movement conditions and loading stresses encountered when the belt edge is transversed by moving articles traveling from one belt to the other. The underside surfaces at the link end are contoured typically as a circular chord feathered out at the transfer end, and having a set of ridges parallel with the pivot rods. Interdigitatable fingers extending integrally from the upper planar link end surface mate with leading and trailing links for sharing planar and vertical stresses in the cantilevered integral link end-belt edge structure.

Transferring articles from a moving belt edge onto a normally disposed

An article removal platform assembly with laterally movable finger plate is provided particularly suitable for abutting a conveyor belt as it passes over a sprocket wheel to remove glass articles and broken glass fragments from the belt. The generally rectangular finger plates are mounted in a lateral sliding configuration to a planar platform by at least three fasteners extending through mounting apertures through the finger plates 50, spaced to prevent lateral or longitudinal tilt. The mount has elongated fastening members adjustably aligned to let fingers mate in a conveyor belt and freely slide laterally a limited amount in either direction. Thus, the finger plates can slide side-to-side to follow belt wander when the fasteners engage ridges of the apertures through the finger plates. Also provided are snap-in caps for the apertures for maintaining a planar discharge surface having a constant coefficient of sliding friction that does not accumulate residue. The conveyor belt outer surface is formed by ribs defining channels for receiving the finger plate fingers disposed adjacent to the sprocket wheel to form therewith a co-planar discharge route. The fingers are stubby plates with upwardly slanted pointed ends positioned to scoop residue including glass fragments out of the belt channels and contoured lower surfaces for mating peripherally about the path of the conveyor belt where it bends over the sprocket wheel. Brittle plastic fingers, if overloaded by glass fragments wedging under the fingers would snap off for discharge onto co-planar discharge surface.

Removal of glass articles from conveyor belts

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Ponchatoula, LA, United States of America

Timothy J Hicks