Conveying arrangement for use with a transport member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9290328-B2
Application number	US-201414292574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A conveying arrangement is provided for a transport member for conveying product. The transport member traverses on rollers inside a conveying arrangement which includes a plurality of tunnel shaped guide channel segments connectable together via end flanges. A continuous opening is provided on the underside of each channel segment in a conveying direction to accommodate a device attached to the transport member to take over conveying of the product. Guide rail elements inside the channel segments support run surface elements which present a rolling surface for the transport member. At least one run surface element has an excess length, relative to the length of the guide channel segment. An adapter element including a transition piece is positioned at least in a region of a separating plane between adjacent flanges to present a planar transition for the rolling surface of the at least one run surface element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveying arrangement for use with a transport member that traverses inside the conveying arrangement along rollers to convey product in a conveying direction along a conveying section, the conveying arrangement comprising:
a plurality of guide channel segments connected together in the conveying direction, each guide channel segment being tunnel shaped in the conveying direction and having end flanges via which the guide channel segments are connected together, the guide channel segments each having an underside including a continuous opening in the conveying direction to accommodate a device to take over a conveying of the product along the conveying arrangement, wherein the interior of the guide channel segments and flanges includes guide rail elements;
run surface elements supported on the guide rail elements and presenting a rolling surface for the transport member, wherein at least one run surface element has an excess length, relative to the length of the respective guide channel segment, wherein the excess length of the run surface element belonging to a guide channel segment extends at least up to a stop location within the flange that is connected to the guide channel segment and that a transition section is formed that extends from the stop location to the end of the flange; and
at least one adapter element associated with the at least one run surface element fixed between adjacent flanges and comprising a two transition pieces arranged adjacent to one another along the moving direction of the transport member, at least in the region of a separating plane between the adjacent flanges, which operate jointly and integrally cover the transition distances of both flanges up to the respective end stop location for the run surface elements in the flange;
wherein the excess length of the run surface element combined with the transition pieces present a planar transition for the rolling surface of the at least one run surface element.

2. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the guide rail elements are arranged at least on a side wall of the guide channel segment.

3. The conveying arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the run surface elements are connected at least force-fitting with the guide rail elements.

4. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the excess length of the run surface element belonging to a guide channel segment extends over at least one end of the guide channel segment, such that a portion of the run surface element that extends over the guide channel segment in part forms the continuous, uninterrupted extension of its rolling surface within the adjoining flange.

5. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the excess length of the run surface element belonging to a guide channel segment extends past each end of the guide channel segment, such that the excess lengths on both sides of the guide channel segment form at least in part the continuous, uninterrupted extension of the rolling surface for the run surface elements within the adjoining flanges.

6. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the excess length includes an additional allowance in length, relative to the distance up to the stop location in the connected flange to exert a pressure on the run surface element in the running direction that leads in the axial direction to a slight, uniform bulging in the run surface element.

7. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the transition section is equipped with the adapter element which, starting with the stop location, forms the additional, continuous and planar extension of the rolling surface formed by the run surface element.

8. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter element involves two adjacent flanges and that the adapter element forms the planar, continuous extension of the rolling surface formed by the run surface element, ranging from one stop location to the other stop location in the flanges.

9. The conveying arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one adapter element includes an adapter element operatively arranged on each flange and that adjacent adapter elements abut at the separating plane for the adjacent flanges or merge into each other.

10. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter elements are configured to have a mirror-inverted chamfer at the joining location which is one of straight or at an angle, relative to the separating plane.

11. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that each transition piece is operatively connected to a flange.

12. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein each transition piece extends over the separating plane of adjacent connected flanges.

13. The conveying arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the two adjacent transition pieces have a run surface width that is nearly the same as the run surface width of the run surface element.

14. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the adjacent transition pieces include, respectively on one end, a chamfer, which are arranged side-reversed and counter-directed in the moving direction of the transport member.

15. The conveying arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein the chamfer extends over at least a portion of the length of the transition piece.

16. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter element or at least one transition piece has an essentially T-shaped profile with at least one web extending at a right angle relative to an upper plate of the T-shaped profile and at least one inward-pointing recess.

17. The conveying arrangement according claim 1 , wherein adjoining flanges at the separating planes are centered relative to each other, such that a continuous planar transition of the rolling surfaces is ensured at the joining locations between the adapter elements and the adjoining run surface elements.

18. The conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein on a side wall of the guide channel segment, two opposite-arranged, spaced apart support regions are arranged for accommodating, respectively, first and a second run surface elements, on an opposite wall two opposite arranged and spaced apart support regions are arranged for accommodating, respectively, third and fourth run surface elements, that respectively adjacent to each side wall support region additional, opposite-arranged support regions are arranged at a right angle for accommodating, respectively, fifth and sixth run surface elements, and, respectively, seventh and eighth run surface elements, for which the run surfaces are respectively arranged at an angle to the adjacent run surface element, and that the first and second run surface elements, the third and fourth run surface elements, the fifth and sixth run surface elements, and the seventh and eighth run surface elements are arranged in pairs opposite each other and spaced apart.

19. A transport member for use with the operation of a conveying arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the transport member comprises a number of functional units connectable to each other, each functional unit comprising at least two chain links arranged sequentially along the conveying section, wherein the chain links are connected together either rigidly or articulated to each other, wherein each functional unit comprises a first chain link and a second chain link which serve different functions and are operatively connected, wherein in order to for

Assignees

• Mueller Martini Holding Ag

Inventors

• Landolt Michael

Classifications

• B65G17/20 Primary

  comprising load-carriers suspended from overhead traction chains · CPC title

• B65G21/2045 Primary

  Mechanical means for guiding or retaining the load on the load-carrying surface · CPC title

• B65G13/00

  Roller-ways (storage devices comprising roller-ways B65G1/02; endless-chain conveyors comprising load-supporting rollers B65G17/00; rollers or arrangements thereof B65G39/00) · CPC title

• B65G21/22

  Rails or the like engaging sliding elements or rollers attached to load-carriers or traction elements · CPC title

• E01B25/24

  Supporting rails; Auxiliary balancing rails; Supports or connections for rails · CPC title