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. 13, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 17, 1995
Richard L Easton, St. Peters, MO (US);
Alvey, Inc., St. Louis, MO (US);
Abstract
A roller conveyor is provided with a rotating turning wheel disposed along one side of the conveyor and engaging and turning products as the products are moved along the conveyor. The rotating wheel is provided with a conically-shaped upper surface having a lower edged disposed below the level of the plane of the conveyor. An adjustable guide bar directs products to an area of the wheel displaced from the outer edge of the wheel by a selected distance. As the product engages the wheel, a portion of the product is raised to facilitate turning of the product and a force extending in the direction of travel is applied to the product in the area of contact with the wheel. The wheel is mounted on a vertically extending shaft further having a drive disc mounted thereon. A drive wheel mounted on a horizontally extending shaft rotates the drive disc. A pulley mounted on the horizontal shaft is driven by the conveyor roller drive belt. The rotational speed of the wheel is adjustable relative to the speed of the conveyor by adjustment of the drive wheel on the horizontal shaft and is adjusted to advance products in the direction of travel at a speed slower than the speed of the conveyor.