Apparatus and method for accumulating a stream of articles with multiple outfeed directions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503318-B2
Application number	US-202418606460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2024
Priority date	Mar 27, 2023
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A system for controlling a flow of articles includes an infeed conveyor providing a plurality of articles to the system and conveying articles in a feed direction. A reversible conveyor is at least partially contiguous with and parallel to the infeed conveyor and provides articles to a first outfeed conveyor providing the plurality of articles in the feed direction to a first downstream operation or a second outfeed conveyor providing the plurality of articles in a direction opposite the feed direction to a second downstream operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A system for controlling a flow of articles, comprising:
an infeed conveyor providing a plurality of articles to the system, the infeed conveyor conveying articles in a feed direction; at least one reversible conveyor capable of conveying articles in the feed direction and in a direction opposite the feed direction, wherein the reversible conveyor is at least partially contiguous with and parallel to the infeed conveyor; a first outfeed conveyor providing the plurality of articles in the feed direction to a first downstream operation; and a second outfeed conveyor providing the plurality of articles in a direction opposite the feed direction to a second downstream operation.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first outfeed conveyor and the second outfeed conveyor are positioned at opposite ends of the reversible conveyor.

3 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a dynamic guide positioned across the infeed conveyor and moveable between ends of the infeed conveyor.

4 . The system of claim 3 wherein the dynamic guide includes an integrated conveyor.

5 . The system of claim 3 wherein the dynamic guide extends above the infeed conveyor at an angle relative to the infeed conveyor.

6 . The system of claim 3 wherein the infeed conveyor includes an outrigger extending across the infeed conveyor adjacent to the dynamic guide.

7 . The system of claim 6 wherein the outrigger includes a shoe at a distal end for maintaining alignment of the flow of articles.

8 . The system of claim 5 wherein the dynamic guide extends at least partially over the reversible conveyor.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the infeed conveyor is wider than the reversible conveyor.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the infeed conveyor is two to four times wider than the reversible conveyor.

11 . The system of claim 1 wherein the reversible conveyor is parallel to the second outfeed conveyor.

12 . The system of claim 1 wherein the reversible conveyor is in linear alignment with the first outfeed conveyor and linearly offset from the second outfeed conveyor.

13 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first downstream operation is different than the second downstream operation.

14 . A method for controlling a flow of articles, comprising:
providing a flow of articles to an infeed conveyor in a feed direction; flowing the articles along a reversible conveyor in a selectable the feed direction or direction opposite the feed direction; providing the flow of articles to a first outfeed conveyor in the feed direction and to a first downstream operation; reversing the reversible conveyor; and providing the flow of articles to a second outfeed conveyor in the direction opposite the feed direction to a second downstream operation.

15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising moving a dynamic guide along a length of the infeed conveyor to accumulate articles along the infeed conveyor.

16 . The method of claim 14 further comprising providing the flow of articles from the reversible conveyor to the first outfeed conveyor in a linear manner.

17 . The method of claim 14 further comprising providing the flow of articles from the reversible conveyor to the second outfeed conveyor in a linearly offset manner.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Imes Douglas A
• Jones Chadwin R

Classifications

• B65G47/76

  Fixed or adjustable ploughs or transverse scrapers · CPC title

• B65G47/69

  the articles being accumulated temporarily {(accumulating articles during transit B65G47/261)} · CPC title

• B65G47/68

  adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor {lane} and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor {lane or to one broader conveyor lane}, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor · CPC title

• B65G47/53

  between conveyors which cross one another · CPC title

• B65G47/766

  Adjustable ploughs or transverse scrapers · CPC title