Conveyor with ejector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440747-B2
Application number	US-202117171441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2021
Priority date	Feb 10, 2020
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A belt conveyor is configured for conveying products in a conveying direction and defines a width extending in a transverse direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and a height direction orthogonal to the conveying and transverse directions. An ejector is fixed to the belt conveyor and acts in the transverse direction for sorting out/discharging products. The ejector has an end region which faces the product to be sorted out, and has a base body mounted in a base position on the belt conveyor by means of a holder. The basic position of the base body can be adjusted by means of an adjusting device of the holder in the transverse direction within an adjustment path so that the end area of the non-actuated ejector in the transverse direction can protrude across the belt conveyor width by at least half of that width, or more.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus including:
(a) a conveyor defining a transport direction, a conveyor width extending in a transverse direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and a height direction orthogonal to the transport direction and transverse direction;
(b) a mounting bracket connected to the conveyor;
(c) an ejector operable for acting in the transverse direction for ejecting products from the conveyor, the ejector having an end region facing in the transverse direction and having a base body supported in a base position relative to the conveyor by the mounting bracket, the base body having a length in the transverse direction which is less than the conveyor width;
(d) an adjusting device included in the mounting bracket, the adjusting device being operable for adjusting the base position of the base body in the transverse direction within an adjustment range between a minimum extension position and a maximum extension position, wherein, when the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position and the ejector is in an unactuated state, the end region projects across the conveyor in the transverse direction by at least half of the conveyor width; and
(e) wherein the adjusting device includes at least one hollow guide cylinder extending in the transverse direction and having an air blast nozzle facing in the transverse direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, when the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position and the ejector is in the unactuated state, the end region projects across the conveyor in the transverse direction by at least two-thirds of the conveyor width.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, when the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position and the ejector is in an unactuated state, the end region projects across the entire conveyor width.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the adjusting device includes a first stage having a first adjustment length and a second stage having a second adjustment length wherein the first adjustment length and the second adjustment length add together to the adjustment range.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the adjusting device includes:
(a) a first adjustment element positionable along a first adjusting path having a first adjustment length; and
(b) a second adjustment element positionable along a second adjusting path having a second adjustment length, the second adjusting path running parallel to the first adjusting path so that the first adjustment length and second adjustment length add together to form the adjustment range.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ejector comprises a pusher, a stroke sorter, or an air blast device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ejector comprises a short stroke pusher.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the short stroke pusher has a design stroke that maximally does not exceed three-fourths of a width dimension of a transport surface of the conveyor in the transverse direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the adjusting device includes a position device operable for quantifying the base position along the adjustment range.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further including a control device for automatically setting, checking, determining, or displaying the base position along the adjustment range.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a control arrangement operable to move the base position of the base body from a first location along the adjustment range to a second location along the adjustment range in response to a change of product input.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the control arrangement includes a sensor device for detecting a product position on the conveyor and the control arrangement moves the base position of the base body from the first location to the second location in dependence on the product position detected by the sensor device.

13. An apparatus for use with a conveyor defining a transport direction, a conveyor width extending in a transverse direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and a height direction orthogonal to the transport direction and transverse direction, the apparatus including:
(a) a mounting bracket adapted to be connected on the conveyor in a bracket position;
(b) an ejector having a base body connected to the mounting bracket and residing in a base position relative to the conveyor when the mounting bracket is connected to the conveyor in the bracket position, the ejector in the base position having an end region facing in the transverse direction and being operable for acting in the transverse direction for ejecting products from the conveyor, the base body having a length in the transverse direction which is less than the conveyor width;
(c) an adjusting device included in the mounting bracket, wherein when the mounting bracket is in the bracket position the adjusting device is operable for adjusting the base position of the base body in the transverse direction within an adjustment range between a minimum extension position and a maximum extension position, wherein, when the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position and the ejector is in an unactuated state, the end region projects across the conveyor in the transverse direction by at least half of the conveyor width; and
(d) wherein the adjusting device includes at least one hollow guide cylinder extending in the transverse direction and having an air blast nozzle facing in the transverse direction.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein, when the mounting bracket is in the bracket position, the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position, and the ejector is in the unactuated state, the end region projects across the conveyor in the transverse direction by at least two-thirds of the conveyor width.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein, when the mounting bracket is in the bracket position, the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position, and the ejector is in an unactuated state, the end region projects across the entire conveyor width.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the adjusting device includes:
(a) a first adjustment element positionable along a first adjusting path having a first adjustment length; and
(b) a second adjustment element positionable along a second adjusting path having a second adjustment length, the second adjusting path running parallel to the first adjusting path so that the first adjustment length and second adjustment length add together to form the adjustment range.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the adjusting device includes a position device operable for quantifying the base position along the adjustment range.

18. An apparatus including:
(a) a conveyor defining a transport direction, a conveyor width extending in a transverse direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and a height direction orthogonal to the transport direction and transverse direction;
(b) a mounting bracket connected to the conveyor;
(c) an ejector operable for acting in the transverse direction for ejecting products from the conveyor, the ejector having an end region facing in the transverse direction and having a base body supported in a base position relative to the conveyor by the mounting bracket, the base body having a length in the transverse direction which is less than the conveyor width;
(d) an adjusting device included in the mounting bracket, the adjusting device being operable for adjusting the base position of the ba

Assignees

• Wipotec Gmbh

Inventors

• Walter Markus Jochen
• Müller Lukas

Classifications

• B65G47/256 Primary

  removing incorrectly orientated articles · CPC title

• B65G2203/044

  Optical · CPC title

• B65G2203/0233

  Position of the article · CPC title

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title

• B65G15/00 Primary

  Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration (having load-conveying surfaces formed by interconnected longitudinal links B65G17/06) · CPC title