The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 12, 1993
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1991
Alfred E Smalley, Knoxville, TN (US);
Joseph C Gundlach, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Other;
Abstract
An inertial-type conveyor system for the moving of articles from one position to another, the system having minimal detrimental vibrations. During a forward stroke of a tray of the system, the tray moves at a first acceleration whereby the frictional contact between the articles and the tray moves the articles in the same direction as the tray. Then during a return stroke, of an equal distance, the tray moves at a second acceleration generally greater than the first acceleration such that the articles continue to move by inertia on the tray while the tray is moving backward. In the preferred embodiment, the system is provided with a counterweight system having a counterweight element that moves in an opposite direction to the direction of motion of the tray to offset the reaction force produced by the moving tray. Elimination of undesirable vibrations is achieved through the use of the counterweight system and by having the tray system and the counterweight system to be substantially the same mass and have centers of mass that move along substantially the same line of action. In the preferred embodiment, the simultaneous movement of the tray system and counterweight system is achieved by cam followers in contact with cam surfaces of selected contours on a single rotatable cam member.