Anti-rotation device and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894679-B2
Application number	US-201916573887-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2019
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

A device for reducing rotation of an article during singulation of a stack of articles is disclosed. The device may include a torsion element, a rotatable member configured to rotate about an elongated axis of the torsion element between a first position and a second position, and a revolving member coupled to the rotatable member. An outer surface of the revolving member contacts a drive belt in the first position and an article in the second position. The torsion element exerts torque on the rotatable member when it moves from the first position towards the second position. The torque causes the outer surface of the revolving member to apply a frictional force to the article, thereby minimizing rotation of the article. Systems and methods of singulating articles are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for handling an item comprising:
a moveable lever arm comprising a biasing element and a rotatable member rotatable around a first axis, the rotatable member comprising a torsion bar; and
a wheel attached to the rotatable member, wherein the wheel is configured to revolve around a second axis parallel to the first axis, and to contact a first surface of an item being moved by a lateral acceleration force applied by a drive belt in proximity to the movable lever arm, the item having first and second surfaces which are located adjacent and substantially parallel to each other and to the first and second axes;
wherein, as the item is moved by the drive belt, the first surface of the item contacts the drive belt, and the second surface of the item contacts an outer surface of the wheel; and
wherein the rotatable member is configured to apply a counter-force to the second surface of the item via the wheel, so as to prevent displacement of the second surface with respect to the first surface.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the biasing element resists movement of the rotatable member.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the biasing element is a spring.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the torsion bar flexes when the wheel is moved.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second surfaces of the item are rectangular and are attached to each other only along a single edge.

6. A device for reducing rotation of an article comprising:
a moveable lever arm comprising a torsion bar and a rotatable member rotatable about a first axis; and
a revolving member coupled to the rotatable member and configured to revolve about a second axis parallel to the first axis; wherein:
when the rotatable member is in a first position, an outer surface of the revolving member is in contact with a surface parallel to first axis and the second axis, and
when the rotatable member is in a second position, the torsion bar applies a first force to the revolving member via the rotatable member, and an outer surface of the revolving member is in contact with, and applies a second force to, an article which is also in contact with the surface.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the rotatable member is configured to transition from the first position toward the second position when the article moves along the surface into contact with the revolving member.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the second force applied by the revolving member to the article comprises a frictional force.

9. The device of claim 6 , wherein the revolving member comprises a plurality of wheels rotatably disposed on a wheel shaft, the wheel shaft being coupled to the rotatable member.

10. The device of claim 6 , further comprising a shaft positioned along the second axis, wherein the shaft is coupled to the rotatable member, and the revolving member is disposed about and configured to spin relative to the shaft.

11. The device of claim 6 , wherein the revolving member comprises a shaft portion and an extended wheel portion fixed to the shaft portion, the shaft portion and the extended wheel portion configured to rotate about the second axis, and the shaft portion coupled to the rotatable member.

12. A system for singulating a stack of articles comprising:
a lateral drive device positioned to receive a stack of articles from a conveyor such that, as the stack of articles moves toward and contacts the lateral drive device, the lateral drive device laterally accelerates an article in the stack of articles; and
an anti-rotation device comprising a torsion bar, the anti-rotation device disposed proximate the lateral drive device such that the anti-rotation device is capable of contacting the lateral drive device, and is configured to provide a frictional force to a back face of the article, to thereby resist upward motion of the back face during lateral acceleration of the article;
wherein, when the anti-rotation device is in a first configuration, the anti-rotation device is in contact with the lateral drive device,
wherein, when the anti-rotation device is in a second configuration, the anti-rotation device is in contact with the back face of the article, and the front face of the article is in contact with the lateral drive device; and
wherein the torsion bar is configured to resist motion of the anti-rotation device from the first configuration to the second configuration.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the lateral drive device comprises a perforated drive belt.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the perforated drive belt is in proximity to an air-moving component configured to apply a suction force to the front face of the article through the perforated drive belt to thereby couple lateral movement of the perforated drive belt with lateral movement of the article.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the anti-rotation device comprises a rotatable member rotatable around a first axis parallel to the lateral drive device, and wherein the anti-rotation device moves between the first configuration and the second configuration by rotation of the rotatable member about the first axis.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the anti-rotation device further comprises a contact surface attached to the rotatable member and rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis, the contact surface configured to contact the lateral drive device when the anti-rotation device is in the first configuration and to contact the back face of the article when the anti-rotation device is in the second configuration.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Brown John W
• Houston Edward F
• Roman Juan A
• Shiu Leung M
• Mayhall Riley H
• Timm Jacob L
• Badri Reza
• Hillerich Thomas A

Classifications

• B65H2515/20

  Volume; Volume flow · CPC title

• B65H2402/54

  Springs, e.g. helical or leaf springs · CPC title

• B65H2404/1521

  rotating, pivoting or oscillating around an axis, e.g. parallel to the roller axis · CPC title

• B65H1/025

  with controlled positively-acting mechanical devices for advancing the pile to present the articles to the separating device · CPC title

• B65H3/124 Primary

  Suction bands or belts · CPC title