Modular conveyor body unit for conveyor systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10370192-B2
Application number	US-201816133697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2018
Priority date	Aug 5, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A conveyor device includes at least three lift columns, a lower conveyor body, and an upper conveyor body. The upper conveyor body is adjustable in its height relative to the lower conveyor body. The lift columns project at least partially above the upper conveyor body without lengthwise supports acting in the transport direction. The upper conveyor body together with one or more cross members on which the upper conveyor body is supported may be formed as a modular unit which is mountable and removable from the conveying system as a unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular conveyor body unit for a conveying system, the modular conveyor body unit including:
(a) a cross member having an elongated guidance section;
(b) a conveyor body supported on the guidance section, the conveyor body including a first carrier opening and the guidance section of the cross member being received through the first carrier opening so that the conveyor body is supported on the guidance section so as to be movable along a length of the guidance section and fixed in a desired location along the length of the guidance section;
(c) the conveyor body having a conveyor element mounted thereon; and
(d) wherein the cross member together with the guidance section thereof and the conveyor body supported thereon are, together as a modular unit, mountable on and removable from the conveying system.

2. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 1 wherein the cross member includes at least one connecting mount located outside of the guidance section, the connecting mount operable to removably connect the cross member to an element of the conveying system.

3. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 1 further including a series of latch teeth located along a length of the cross member.

4. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 3 further including a latching lever coupled to the conveyor body, the latching lever being movable between a released position and an operating position, wherein in the released position the latch teeth are released to facilitate movement of the conveyor body along the length of the guidance section, and in the operating position one or more of the latch teeth are engaged in order thereby to fix the conveyor body along the length of the guidance section.

5. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 4 wherein the latching lever in the released position includes a latching lever segment that protrudes either above or below the conveyor body.

6. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 1 further including:
(a) a motor; and
(b) a shaft connected to be driven by the motor and extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cross member to a drive element of the conveyor body, the drive element being coupled nonrotatably to the shaft, but movably along the length of the shaft.

7. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 6 wherein the drive element is attached to the shaft for conjoint rotation with the shaft by two freerunning sleeves.

8. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 7 wherein the freerunning sleeves are freely movable along the shaft.

9. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 6 further including:
(a) a first guide plate mounted on the conveyor body and positioned on a first lateral side of the drive element; and
(b) a second guide plate mounted on the conveyor body and positioned on a second lateral side of the drive element, and
(c) wherein the first and second guide plates each have a respective upper surface extending beyond an end of the drive element in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor body and in a guide plane parallel to a conveying plane of the conveyor element, the guide plane being offset a guide distance below the conveying plane.

10. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 1 further including a motor operably connected for driving the conveyor element of the conveyor body, the motor being connected so as to be movable as a unit together with the conveyor body and cross member.

11. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 1 further including at least one processing tool mounted directly on the conveyor body.

12. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 1 wherein the conveyor element mounted on the conveyor body defines an upper flight and a lower flight and the first carrier opening is located between the upper flight and the lower flight.

13. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 12 wherein the conveyor body includes at least one additional carrier opening spaced apart from the first carrier opening along a length direction of the conveyor body, the length direction of the conveyor body lying transverse to a longitudinal axis of the cross member.

14. The modular conveyor body unit of claim 1 further including:
(a) an additional cross member having an elongated additional guidance section extending parallel to the guidance section;
(b) an additional conveyor body, both the conveyor body and the additional conveyor body being supported on both the guidance section and additional guidance section so as to be movable along the length of the guidance section and the additional guidance section;
(c) the additional conveyor body having an additional conveyor element mounted thereon; and
(d) wherein the cross member together with the guidance section, the additional cross member and the additional guidance section, and the conveyor body and additional conveyor body supported on the guidance section and additional guidance section are, together as a modular unit, mountable on and removable from the conveying system.

15. A modular conveyor body unit for a conveying system, the modular conveyor body unit including:
(a) a cross member having an elongated guidance section and having a series of latch teeth located along a length of the cross member;
(b) a conveyor body supported on the guidance section, the conveyor body being supported on the guidance section so as to be movable along a length of the guidance section and fixed in a desired location along the length of the guidance section;
(c) the conveyor body having a conveyor element mounted thereon; and
(d) wherein the cross member together with the guidance section thereof and the conveyor body supported thereon are, together as a modular unit, mountable on and removable from the conveying system.

16. A modular conveyor body unit for a conveying system, the modular conveyor body unit including:
(a) a cross member having an elongated guidance section;
(b) an additional cross member having an elongated additional guidance section extending parallel to the guidance section;
(c) a conveyor body and an additional conveyor body, both the conveyor body and the additional conveyor body being supported on both the guidance section and the additional guidance section so as to be movable along a length of the guidance section and the additional guidance section and fixed in a desired location along the length of the guidance section and the additional guidance section;
(d) the conveyor body having a conveyor element mounted thereon and the additional conveyor body having an additional conveyor element mounted thereon; and
(e) wherein the cross member together with the guidance section, the additional cross member and the additional guidance section, and the conveyor body and additional conveyor body supported on the guidance section and additional guidance section are, together as a modular unit, mountable on and removable from the conveying system.

Assignees

• Wipotec Gmbh

Inventors

• Günther Oliver
• Schmidt Kay-Eric

Classifications

• B65G41/003

  mounted for linear movement only · CPC title

• B65G21/10

  movable, or having interchangeable or relatively movable parts; Devices for moving framework or parts thereof · CPC title

• B65G15/14 Primary

  the load being conveyed between the belts {(B65G15/18, B65G15/20 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B65G2207/08

  Adjustable and/or adaptable to the article size · CPC title

• B65G15/12 Primary

  with two or more endless belts · CPC title