Cleanable diverter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302855-B2
Application number	US-201414338907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Jul 5, 2012
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A cleanable shoe-type diverter belt having narrow translatable pushers forming article-diverting shoes. Cam followers on the shoes below the pushers follow guides under the belt along an upper carryway run to translate the shoes along one or more transverse tracks across the width of the belt. Monolithic diverters support the belt on the carryway run and direct the shoes along different paths. Pusher returns in a lower returnway run guide diverted pushers back to a home position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyor belt comprising:
a top surface and an opposite bottom surface;
a first side and an opposite second side separated by the width of the conveyor belt;
a first region extending inward from the first side toward the second side;
a second region extending inward from the second side to the first region;
a plurality of first tracks having first slots extending across the width of the conveyor belt in the first region from a first slot end nearer the first side to a second slot end in the first region;
a plurality of second tracks having second slots extending across the width of the conveyor belt in the second region from a first slot end nearer the second side to a second slot end in the second region;
a plurality of pushers arranged to move along the first and second tracks in the first and second slots.

2. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein the first tracks are aligned with the second tracks.

3. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein the length of the first tracks is the same as the length of the second tracks.

4. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein each of the pushers includes a peg extending outward of the top surface and wherein the conveyor belt further comprises an extension detachably attached to the peg and extending from the peg toward the nearer first or second side of the conveyor belt.

5. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 comprising a plurality of belt modules hingedly linked together, wherein at least some of the belt modules each include at least one of the first and second tracks.

6. A conveyor belt comprising:
a plurality of rows of one or more belt modules, each extending in length from a trailing end to a leading end in a conveying direction, in width from a left side to a right side, wherein the plurality of rows of belt modules are arranged end to end and wherein at least some of the rows of belt modules include:
an intermediate portion extending in length from the leading end to the trailing end and in width from the left side to the right side and having a top side and an opposite bottom side;
two or more elongated slots formed in the intermediate portion from the top side to the bottom side and extending in line across the width of the intermediate portion;
a pusher movably retained in each of the elongated slots to move along the elongated slot, the pusher having an upper portion above the top side of the intermediate portion and a lower cam portion below the bottom side of the intermediate portion.

7. A conveyor belt as in claim 6 further comprising a finger extension detachably attached to the upper portion and extending from the upper portion.

8. A conveyor comprising:
at least one conveyor belt divided in width between a first side and a second side of the conveyor into two or more parallel regions extending in length along an upper carryway run in a conveying direction and including:
a plurality of elongated tracks spaced apart in the conveying direction, each of the elongated tracks having a slot extending along the width of the at least one conveyor belt, wherein each of the slots is confined to one of the parallel regions; and
a plurality of pushers arranged to translate in the slots along the elongated tracks, wherein the pushers include cam followers extending below the at least one conveyor belt;

a diverter disposed below the at least one conveyor belt along the carryway run and having two or more guide surfaces, each guide surface associated with one of the parallel regions to contact the cam followers and translate the pushers across the associated region as the at least one conveyor belt advances in the conveying direction.

9. A conveyor as in claim 8 wherein each of the guide surfaces comprises:
a plurality of parallel segments extending in the conveying direction and offset across the width of the at least one conveyor belt; and
a plurality of oblique segments, each joining consecutive ones of the parallel segments.

10. A conveyor as in claim 9 wherein the lengths of the oblique segments decrease along the conveying direction.

11. A conveyor as in claim 9 wherein the diverter further includes a first side rail having a top surface underlying the first side of the at least one conveyor belt, a second side rail having a top surface underlying the second side of the at least one conveyor belt, a central beam between the first and second side rails having a top surface underlying the at least one conveyor belt, and cross members joining the plurality of parallel segments to the first and second side rails and the central beam, wherein the plurality of parallel segments and the plurality of oblique segments have top surfaces coplanar with the top surfaces of the first and second side rails and the central beam and supporting the at least one conveyor belt.

12. A conveyor as in claim 8 wherein the at least one conveyor belt is divided into two regions, a left region and a right region, and wherein the diverter has a left guide surface defining a stepped left guide path extending in the conveying direction from a position near a left side of the at least one conveyor belt to a position nearer the centerline of the at least one conveyor belt and a right guide surface defining a stepped right guide path extending in the conveying direction from a position near a right side of the at least one conveyor belt to a position nearer the centerline of the at least one conveyor belt.

13. A conveyor as in claim 12 wherein the left guide path and the right guide path are mirror images of each other about the centerline of the at least one conveyor belt.

14. A conveyor as in claim 8 further comprising a pusher return disposed in a lower returnway run below the carryway run and having a guide surface that guides all the pushers in at least one of the parallel regions to a home position in the at least one of the parallel regions.

15. A diverter unit comprising:
a first side rail having a top surface;
a second side rail having a top surface;
guide members having top surfaces and vertical guide surfaces for guiding pushers on a conveyor belt; and
cross members joining the guide members to the first and second side rails;
a central beam between the first and second side rails having a top surface coplanar with the top surfaces of the first and second side rails and the guide members and connected to the first and second side rails and the guide members by the cross members;
wherein the top surfaces of the first and second side rails and the guide members are coplanar to support a conveyor belt.

16. A diverter unit as in claim 15 wherein the cross members are recessed below the top surfaces of the first and second side rails and the guide members.

17. A diverter unit as in claim 15 wherein the diverter is a one-piece molded or machined monolithic structure.

18. A diverter unit as in claim 15 wherein the guide members include alternating parallel segments parallel to the first and second side rails and oblique segments joining consecutive parallel segments so that the guide surfaces are stepped between the first and second side rails.

19. A conveyor comprising:
a conveyor belt having a top side and a bottom side and extending in length along an upper belt carryway run in a conveying direction and including:
a plurality of elongated tracks spaced apart in the conveying direction and extending along the width of the conveyor belt; and
a plurality of pushers arranged to translate along the elongated tracks, wherein the pushers include cam followers extending

Assignees

• Laitram Llc

Inventors

• Guernsey Kevin W
• Bishop Jonathan J
• Deroche Timothy J
• Gremillion Kevin L
• Vulpetti Matthew
• Lee Brian R

Classifications

• B65G47/844 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being pushers transversally movable on the supporting surface, e.g. pusher-shoes · CPC title