Conveyor system

Claim 2

A conveyor system for changing the direction of travel of a moving article from a first horizontal direction of travel to a second horizontal direction of travel which is at a substantial angle to the first direction of travel while properly maintaining a given article orientation, said system comprising: first continuously driven conveyor means for moving an article along a given path to a discharge station where the article is propelled therefrom in said first direction of travel; second continuously driven conveyor means having an inlet station positioned at said discharge station of said first conveyor means to receive an article therefrom and to move the same in said second direction of travel; vertically movable support means movable between a lowered position below the level of said second conveyor means at said inlet station thereof and an elevated position above the level thereof where it receives the article propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and supports the same above said inlet station until it comes to rest; control means for moving said vertically movable support means to an elevated position as an article is propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and for then moving the support means to said lowered position where the article is supported by said second conveyor means and is thereupon conveyed in said second direction of travel, said vertically movable support means having top support surface means which have no substantial horizontal component of motion at least when it is lowered to the point where an article thereon becomes supported by said second conveyor means, another being provided at the discharge station of sAid first conveyor means article impelling means moving at a higher speed than said first conveyor means for impelling articles leaving said discharge station upon said elevated vertically movable support means and against said abutment wall means.

Claim 3

The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein said first conveyor means receives articles which are in front to back abutment or so closely spaced that substantial separation thereof is desired when the articles are discharged upon said second conveyor means, said article impelling means at the discharge station of said first conveyor means effecting the substantial separation of such articles, and said second conveyor means operating at a linear speed substantially greater than the linear speed of said first conveyor means so an article discharged upon the inlet station of said second conveyor means is moved out of the path of travel of the article immediately therebehind from which it has been separated by said article impelling means.

Claim 4

A conveyor system for changing the direction of travel of a moving article from a first horizontal direction of travel to a second horizontal direction of travel which is at a substantial angle to the first direction of travel while properly maintaining a given article orientation, said system comprising: first continuously driven conveyor means for moving an article along a given path to a discharge station where the article is propelled therefrom in said first direction of travel; second continuously driven conveyor means having an inlet station positioned at said discharge station of said first conveyor means to receive an article therefrom and to move the same in said second direction of travel; vertically movable support means movable between a lowered position below the level of said second conveyor means at said inlet station thereof and an elevated position above the level thereof where it receives the article propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and supports the same above said inlet station until it comes to rest; control means for moving said vertically movable support means to an elevated position as an article is propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and for then moving the support means to said lowered position where the article is supported by said second conveyor means and is thereupon conveyed in said second direction of travel, said vertically movable support means having top support surface means which have no substantial horizontal component of motion at least when it is lowered to the point where an article thereon becomes supported by said second conveyor means; the articles carried by said first conveyor means being in front to back contact or are so closely spaced that it is desired to further separate the same when the articles are delivered to said second conveyor means article impelling and separating means at the discharge station of said first conveyor means which means operate at a linear speed greater than the first conveyor means said article impelling and separator means being at an elevation somewhat above that of said first conveyor means so that an article contacting the same is raised above the level of said first conveyor means except for the rear end thereof which continues momentarily to engage said first conveyor means, said first conveyor means at least immediately behind said article impelling and separator means comprises longitudinally spaced roller means all of which are continuously driven roller means except the roller means engaged by the rear end of the articles as the leading end thereof is raised by said article impelling and separator means which latter roller means is an undriven idler roller means, said article impelling and separator means when engaging the leading end of an article frictionally impelling the article onto the elevated vertical movable support means without causing the article to contact the intervening driven roller means of said first conveyor means.

Claim 5

A conveyor system for changing the direction of travel of a moving article from a first horizontal direction of travel to a second horizontal direction of travel which is at a substantial angle to the first direction of travel while properly maintaining a given article orientation, said system comprising: first continuously driven conveyor means for moving an article along a given path to a discharge station where the article is propelled therefrom in said first direction of travel; second continuously driven conveyor means having an inlet station positioned at said discharge station of said first conveyor means to receive an article therefrom and to move the same in said second direction of travel; vertically movable support means movable between a lowered position below the level of said second conveyor means at said inlet station thereof and an elevated position above the level thereof where it receives the article propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and supports the same above said inlet station until it comes to rest; control means for moving said vertically movable support means to an elevated position as an article is propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and for then moving the support means to said lowered position where the article is supported by said second conveyor means and is thereupon conveyed in said second direction of travel, said vertically movable support means having top support surface means which have no substantial horizontal component of motion at least when it is lowered to the point where an article thereon becomes supported by said second conveyor means; the articles carried by said first conveyor means being in front to back contact or are so closely spaced that it is desired to further separate the same when the articles are delivered to said second conveyor means article impelling and separating means at the discharge station of said first conveyor means which means operate at a linear speed greater than the first conveyor means said article impelling and separator means being at an elevation somewhat above that of said first conveyor means so that an article contacting the same is raised above the level of said first conveyor means except for the rear end thereof which continues momentarily to engage said first conveyor means, said first conveyor means at least immediately behind said article impelling and separator means comprises longitudinally spaced roller means all of which are continuously driven roller means except the roller means engaged by the rear end of the articles as the leading end thereof is raised by said article impelling and separator means which latter roller means is an undriven idler roller means, said article impelling and separator means when engaging the leading end of an article frictionally impelling the article onto the elevated vertical movable support means without causing the article to contact the intervening driven roller means of said first conveyor means.

Claim 6

A conveyor system for changing the direction of travel of a moving article from a first horizontal direction of travel to a second horizontal direction of travel which is at a substantial angle to the first direction of travel while properly maintaining a given article orientation, said system comprising: first continuously driven conveyor means for moving an article along a given path to a discharge station where the article is propelled therefrom in said first direction of travel; second continuously driven conveyor means having an inlet station positioned at said discharge station of said first conveyor means to receive an article therefrom and to move the same in said second direction of travel; vertically movable support means movable between a lowered position below the level of said second conveyor means at said inlet station thereof and an elevated position above the level thereof where it receives the article propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and supports the same above said inlet station until it comes to rest; control means for moving said vertically movable support means to an elevated position as an article is propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and for then moving the support means to said lowered position where the article is supported by said second conveyor means and is thereupon conveyed in said second direction of travel, said vertically movable support means having top support surface means which have no substantial horizontal component of motion at least when it is lowered to the point where an article thereon becomes supported by said second conveyor means; and article impelling means at the discharge station of said first conveyor means which means operates at a linear speed greater than the first conveyor means, said article impelling means being at an elevation somewhat above that of said first conveyor means so that an article contacting the same is raised above the level of said first conveyor means except for the rear end thereof which continues momentarily to engage said first conveyor means, said first conveyor means at least immediately behind said article impelling means comprises longiturinally spaced roller means all of which are continuously driven roller means except the roller means engaged by the rear end of the article as the leading end thereof is raised by said article impelling means which latter roller means is an undriven idler roller means, said article impelling means when engaging the leading end of an article frictionally impelling the article onto the elevated vertical movable support means without causing the article to contact the intervening driven roller means of said first conveyor means.

Claim 7

A conveyor system for changing the direction of travel of a moving article from a first horizontal direction of travel to a second horizontal direction of travel which is at a substantial angle to the first direction of travel while properly maintaining a given article orientation, said system comprising: first continuously driven conveyor means for moving an article along a given path to a discharge station where the article is propelled therefrom in said first direction of travel; second continuously driven conveyor means having an inlet station positioned at said discharge station of said first conveyor means to receive an article therefrom and to move the same in said second direction of travel; vertically movable support means movable between a lowered position below the level of said second conveyor means at said inlet station thereof and an elevated position above the level thereof where it receives the article propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and supports the same above said inlet station until it comes to rest; control means for moving said vertically movable support means to an elevated position as an article is propelled from said discharge station of said first conveyor means and for then moving the support means to said lowered position where the article is supported by said second conveyor means and is thereupon conveyed in said second direction of travel, said vertically movable support means having top support surface means which have no substantial horizontal component of motion at least when it is lowered to the point where an article thereon becomes supported by said second conveyor means; and article impelling means at the discharge station of said first conveyor means which means operates at a linear speed greater than the first conveyor means, said article impelling means being at an elevation somewhat above that of said first conveyor means so that an article contacting the same is raised above the level of said first conveyor means except for the rear end thereof which continues momentarily to engage said first conveyor means, said first conveyor means at least immediately behind said article impelling means comprises longiturinally spaced roller means all of which are continuously driven roller means except the roller means engaged by the rear end of the article as the leading end thereof is raised by said article impelling means which latter roller means is an undriven idler roller means, said article impelling means when engaging the leading end of an article frictionally impelling the article onto the elevated vertical movable support means without causing the article to contact the intervening driven roller means of said first conveyor means.

Claim 8

Conveyor apparatus comprising: a roller conveyor section having longitudinally spaced roller means delivering articles to a discharge point, speed-up article impelling means at said discharge point positioned slight above the elevation of the roller means therebehind so as an article reaches the speed-up article impelling means the article is raised above the level of the preceding roller means of the conveyor section except for the rear end thereof, and means for continuously driving the roller means of said conveyor section leading up to said slightly elevated speed-up article impelling means except for the roller means engaged by the rear end of the article or the leading end thereof is raised by said article speed-up and impelling means, the latter roller means being an undriven idler roller means, said article impelling means when engaging the leading end of an article frictionally impelling the article forward without causing the article to contact the intervening driven roller means.

Claim 9

Conveyor apparatus comprising: a roller conveyor section having longitudinally spaced roller means delivering articles to a discharge point, speed-up article impelling means at said discharge point positioned slight above the elevation of the roller means therebehind so as an article reaches the speed-up article impelling means the article is raised above the level of the preceding roller means of the conveyor section except for the rear end thereof, and means for continuously driving the roller means of said conveyor section leading up to said slightly elevated speed-up article impelling means except for the roller means engaged by the rear end of the article or the leading end thereof is raised by said article speed-up and impelling means, the latter roller means being an undriven idler roller means, said article impelling means when engaging the leading end of an article frictionally impelling the article forward without causing the article to contact the intervening driven roller means.