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:
Sep. 07, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 15, 1998
David E Boring, East Berlin, PA (US);
Mark D Van Dyke, Hanover, PA (US);
SER-TEK Systems, Inc., Hanover, PA (US);
Abstract
A conveyor assembly includes an endless belt comprised of links which are driven by spaced sprockets. The conveyor carries a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of clamping members. The clamping members in each pair are relatively laterally displaceable between a gripping position, at which at least one of the clamping members moves toward the other to cooperatively grip an article for securing it to the conveyor, and a release position at which the at least one clamping member moves apart from the other clamping member to release the gripped article. An operator mechanism associated with each laterally movable clamping member is operative to automatically move the associated clamping member to a clamping position or to a release position in accordance with the direction of displacing movement of the conveyor links with respect to a predetermined attitude. In an alternative embodiment of the invention the clamping members are mounted on flights carried by the links of a roller chain and each clamping member is moved to its clamping position or release position in accordance with the relative displacement occurring between adjacent flights as the roller chain links, which carry the flights, are mutually displaced in traversing a chain drive sprocket.