Transmission having variable output orientation and cable divert mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9505557-B2
Application number	US-201514617918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2015
Priority date	Feb 9, 2015
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A conveying surface is defined by outputs with respective orientations that can be varied while maintaining the input in a constant orientation, and which can be used to more than a single direction. Power may be transmitted from a source of linear power to the conveying surface through rotation about an axis perpendicular to the conveying surface. A cable divert mechanism can change the respective orientations of the outputs to divert articles onto more than a single direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A divert for diverting articles conveyed thereon from a first path to a second path, the divert comprising:
a table having an upper surface;
a source of power attached to the table,
a plurality of transmissions each comprising a fixed portion attached to the table and a rotatable portion having an output roller extending above the upper surface to define the conveying surface, each output roller rotatably driven by the power source around a roller axis parallel to the conveying surface and each output roller rotatable around a first axis perpendicular to the conveying surface by rotation of the rotatable portion around the first axis; and
a cable divert mechanism having an actuator attached to the frame and a cable operatively attached to the actuator and to the rotatable portion of each transmission, the cable divert mechanism synchronizedly holding each output roller in a first orientation to convey articles along the first path,

wherein when the actuator actuates and the cable moves, each of the rotatable portions and the respective output rollers synchronously rotate around the first axis to divert articles onto the second path.

2. The divert of claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a positioner rod linking the first drum to the second drum, wherein movement of the positioner rod rotates each of the first and second drums the same direction and the same amount.

3. The divert of claim 1 wherein the each rotatable portion of the transmission has an outer periphery with the cable looped-around the outer periphery to synchronously rotate each rotatable portion and output roller around the first axis in response to movement of the cable.

4. The divert of claim 3 wherein the rotatable portion of each transmission further comprises a cable clamp rotatable therewith clamped to the cable at a single clamping point to secure the cable to the rotatable portion, the cable clamp positioned to allow the cable to wind and unwind on the outer periphery as the cable moves in response to the actuator.

5. The divert of claim 1 further comprising a first drum and a second drum rotatably connected to the table with cable ends attached thereto, wherein rotation of the first drum and the second drum moves the cable to synchronizedly rotate each rotatable portion and the output roller to divert articles from the first path to the second path.

6. The divert of claim 5 wherein rotation of the first drum and the second drum together in an opposite direction rotates the upper housing and the output roller in an opposite direction.

7. The divert of claim 5 wherein the actuator operably connects to each of first and second drums, wherein actuation of the actuator rotates both first and second drums to divert articles from the first direction to the second direction.

8. The divert of claim 7 wherein the actuator is an air cylinder.

9. A conveying surface for selectively conveying articles carried thereon in a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, the conveying surface comprising:
a table having an upper surface;
a source of power;
a first row and a second row of transmissions each parallel to the other, each transmission having a first housing fixed to the table and a second housing having an outer periphery rotatable around the first housing to define a first axis of rotation perpendicular to the upper surface, the second housing having an output roller rotatably attached thereto to define the conveying surface with the output roller rotatably driven by the power source to move articles along the conveying surface, the second housing having an outer periphery around the first axis; and
a cable divert mechanism comprising a windlass and a cable pulley is rotatably supported by the table with the first and second rows of transmissions extending therebetween, a cable is attached at each cable end to the windlass and extends therefrom to arc around the cable pulley with the cable consecutively looped around each rotatable portion of each transmission between the windlass and the cable pulley to synchronously orient each output roller to the other in an orientation to move articles along the first path
wherein rotation of the windlass rotates each of the rotatable housings and output rollers in the same direction to rotate the output rollers from the first orientation to a second orientation to thereby divert articles carried on the conveying surface from the first direction to a second direction different than the first.

10. The conveying surface of claim 9 wherein the first end of the cable is wrapped around the windlass in a first direction and the second end of the cable is wrapped around the windlass in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

11. The conveying surface of claim 9 wherein the cable is secured to the windlass at the first and second cable ends by a clamp.

12. The conveying surface of claim 9 wherein the windlass is rotatably supported by the table to rotate around a single windlass axle.

13. The conveying surface of claim 9 wherein the upper housing further comprises a cable clamp clamping the cable to the upper housing.

14. The conveying surface of claim 9 wherein when the windlass rotates around the windlass axle in a first windlass direction, the first end of the cable unwraps an amount of cable from the windlass and the second end of the cable wraps the same amount of cable onto the windlass.

15. The conveying surface of claim 14 wherein the table comprises windlass is rotated by an actuator.

16. The conveying surface of claim 15 wherein the actuator is linear with one end connected to the table and the other end connected to the windlass, the windlass rotating in response to linear movement of the actuator.

17. The conveying surface of claim 9 wherein the table further comprises a baseplate beneath the upper surface.

18. The conveying surface of claim 17 wherein each of the first housings of the transmissions are fixed to the baseplate.

19. The conveying surface of claim 18 wherein each of the transmissions fixed to the baseplate further comprise an input roller extending beneath the baseplate, engaging a drive train rotatably coupling the input roller to the output roller.

20. The conveying surface of claim 19 wherein a linearly moving belt is attached to the table beneath the baseplate with each of the input rollers in driving connection with the linear moving belt to rotatably drive the output rollers.

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Wilkins John Joseph
• Van Keuren Frederick

Classifications

• B65G13/065

  with displacement of the roller · CPC title

• B65G13/10 Primary

  Switching arrangements · CPC title

• B65G23/02

  Belt- or chain-engaging elements · CPC title

• B65G47/54

  at least one of which is a roller-way · CPC title

• B65G39/025

  having spherical roller elements · CPC title