Upper conveyor deck having at least one diverted belt section and a scrap deflector at the diverted belt section and conveyor including the upper conveyor deck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12589960-B2
Application number	US-202318214631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2023
Priority date	Jun 28, 2022
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

An upper conveyor deck includes a plurality of belts each supported by an upstream end pulley and a downstream end pulley which belts are configured to be driven along a closed path having an interior such that a lower run of each of the belts travels in a downstream direction and an upper run of the each of the belt travels in an upstream direction. A first diversion pulley in the interior of at least one of the belts contacts the lower run of that belt, and a diversion guide outside the interior of the belt contacts the belt downstream from the first diversion pulley. A deflecting device at the first diversion pulley is configured to prevent scrap material from becoming pinched between the belt and the first diversion pulley.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An upper conveyor deck comprising:
a plurality of belts each supported by an upstream end pulley and a downstream end pulley and configured to be driven along a closed path having an interior such that a lower run of each of the belts travels in a downstream direction from the upstream end pulley to the downstream end pulley and an upper run of the each of the belt travels in an upstream direction from the downstream end pulley to the upstream end pulley, a first diversion pulley in the interior of at least one of the plurality of belts in contact with the lower run of the at least one of the plurality of belts, a diversion guide outside the interior of the at least one of the plurality of belts in contact with the at least one of the plurality of belts downstream from the first diversion pulley, and deflecting means at the first diversion pulley for preventing scrap material from becoming pinched between the at least one of the plurality of belts and the first diversion pulley, wherein the deflecting means comprises a body having a downwardly facing open channel extending in the downstream direction, at least a portion of the body being located upstream from the first diversion pulley, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of belts runs through the open channel before reaching the first diversion pulley.

2 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 1 ,
wherein the diversion guide comprises a second diversion pulley.

3 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first diversion pulley and the second diversion pulley are positioned such that the at least one of the plurality of belts wraps at least 45 degrees around the first diversion pulley before reaching the second diversion pulley.

4 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first diversion pulley and the second diversion pulley are positioned such that the at least one of the plurality of belts wraps at least 90 degrees around the first diversion pulley before reaching the second diversion pulley.

5 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least part of the first diversion pulley extends into a concavity in the body.

6 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 5 ,
including a first side plate attached to the body and covering a first open side of the concavity and a second side plate attached to the body and covering a second open side of the concavity.

7 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 6 ,
including a roller having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the lower run of the belt mounted between the first side plate and the second side plate at an upstream end of the open channel.

8 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 1 ,
wherein the deflecting means comprises a housing having an opening facing in the downstream direction and an interior in communication with the opening, wherein at least part of the first diversion pulley extends through the opening into the interior, wherein a first side wall of the housing overlies at least a portion of a first side of the first diversion pulley and a second side of the housing overlies at least a portion of a second side of the diversion pulley, and wherein a portion of the lower run of the at least one of the plurality of belts extends through an open channel defined by a bottom wall of the housing and wraps at least 45 degrees around the first diversion pulley.

9 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 8 ,
wherein the housing covers an uppermost portion of the first diversion pulley.

10 . The upper conveyor deck according to claim 8 ,
including a roller having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the lower run of the at least one of the plurality of belts mounted at an upstream end of the open channel.

11 . A layboy comprising:
at least one lower sheet support having an upper support surface; and an upper conveyor deck according to claim 1 mounted above the at least one lower sheet support, wherein the lower runs of the plurality of belts define an upper boundary of a sheet transport path through the layboy, and wherein the upper support surface forms a lower boundary of the sheet transport path through the layboy.

12 . A layboy configured to transport sheets of a material in a longitudinal direction from an upstream end to a downstream end, the layboy comprising:
an upper belt section comprising a plurality of transversely spaced upper belts extending in the longitudinal direction from the upstream end to the downstream end, each of the upper belts having a lower run defining an upper boundary of a transport path through the layboy; and at least one lower sheet support defining a lower boundary of the transport path; wherein the lower run of at least one of the upper belts includes a first portion extending from the upstream end to a first diversion guide, a second portion extending from the downstream end to a second diversion guide, a diverted portion between the first diversion guide and the second diversion guide at which the at least one of the upper belts extends from the first diversion guide to and around a third diversion guide offset from the transport path and from the third diversion guide to the second diversion guide such that the diverted portion of the belt is spaced from the transport path, and wherein a deflecting means is mounted at the first diversion guide and projects upstream of the first diversion guide, for preventing scraps of the material from entering between the first belt and the first diversion guide.

13 . The layboy according to claim 12 ,
wherein the first diversion guide comprises a first diversion pulley.

14 . The layboy according to claim 13 ,
wherein the deflecting means comprises a housing having an opening facing in the downstream direction and an interior in communication with the opening, wherein at least part of the first diversion pulley extends through the opening into the interior, wherein side walls of the housing overlie at least a portion of each side of the first diversion pulley, and wherein a portion of the lower run of the at least one of the upper belts extends through an open channel in a bottom wall of the housing.

15 . The layboy according to claim 13 ,
wherein the layboy is configured to transport sheets of material having a given thickness, and wherein a spacing between the lower run of at least one of the upper belts and the open channel is less than the given thickness.

16 . An upper conveyor deck comprising:
a plurality of belts each supported by an upstream end pulley and a downstream end pulley and configured to be driven along a closed path having an interior such that a lower run of each of the belts travels in a downstream direction from the upstream end pulley to the downstream end pulley and an upper run of the each of the belt travels in an upstream direction from the downstream end pulley to the upstream end pulley, a first diversion pulley in the interior of at least one of the plurality of belts in contact with the lower run of the at least one of the plurality of belts, a diversion guide outside the interior of the at least one of the plurality of belts in contact with the at least one of the plurality of belts downstream from the first diversion pulley, and a housing at least partially enclosing the first diversion pulley, the housing having an opening facing in the downstream direction, an interior in communication with the opening, a closed upstream end opposite the opening, and a bottom wall extending upstream of the first

Assignees

• A G Stacker Inc

Inventors

• Hege Dalton
• Wunder Joseph
• Knupp Robert
• STEMPIHAR Eric

Classifications

• B65H2701/176

  Cardboard · CPC title

• B65H29/12 Primary

  by means of the nip between two, or between two sets of, moving tapes or bands {or rollers} · CPC title

• B65H2404/256

  Arrangement of endless belt · CPC title

• B65H2404/252

  Details of idler roller · CPC title

• B65H2404/25

  Driving or guiding arrangements · CPC title