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:
Feb. 01, 1994
Filed:
Nov. 06, 1992
William J Covert, Berlin, NJ (US);
Other;
Abstract
An article accumulator utilized between a product infeed line and a discharge conveyer feeds articles from the infeed to the discharge conveyer in a single, continuous line. The accumulator includes a wide horizontal moving conveyer belt that accumulates articles in the event of a backup at the discharge end. A slow moving flexible guide belt located just above the conveyer belt and angled toward the discharge conveyer engages the sides of the articles and helps to move them toward the discharge conveyer. In the event that a substantial number of articles accumulate on the accumulator conveyer belt, these articles push sideways on the guide belt forcing it rearwardly behind a guide rail that runs along the length of the guide belt. The articles then engage the guide rail and are less influenced by the movement of the guide belt. This arrangement helps to ensure that the articles that are first placed on the conveyer belt tend to be the first articles to be discharged.