Claims
- 1. An adjustable control roller apparatus for use in a belt-type conveyor assembly for advancing flat work pieces of uniform width in sequence along a processing path the width oriented in the direction conveyance, the conveyor assembly having at least a first conveyor section and second conveyor section, the first conveyor section arranged to advance the work pieces in spaced sequence to said second conveyor section, the second conveyor section including a lower conveyor belt having an entrance end and an upper conveyor belt in overlying relationship with said lower conveyor belt and removed from the entrance end of said lower conveyor belt:
- said adjustable control roller apparatus including an upright support arm having a pivot pin and a first attachment member;
- a support leg engaging said pivot pin and having opposing first and second ends, a second attachment member mounted adjacent said first end, and a pair of rollers rotatably mounted adjacent said second end for positioning over the lower conveyor belt at the entrance end of the lower conveyor belt;
- a biasing member engaging said first and second attachment members for biasing said rollers of said support leg toward the lower conveyor belt; and
- a support bracket for adjustably supporting said upright support arm such that said rollers can be positioned adjacent the first conveyor section at a distance greater than the width of the work pieces and adjacent the upper conveyor belt at a distance less than the width of the work pieces.
- 2. The adjustable control roller apparatus of claim 1, wherein said upright support arm has a locking member for engaging said support bracket such that said locking member selectively retains the position of said upright support arm relative to said support bracket.
- 3. The adjustable control roller apparatus of claim 1, wherein said biasing member is at least one coil tension spring.
- 4. The adjustable control roller apparatus of claim 1, wherein said support bracket has a slot extending therethrough for engaging said upright support arm.
- 5. The adjustable control roller apparatus of claim 4, wherein said upright support arm has a key member for engaging said slot.
- 6. The adjustable control roller apparatus of claim 5, wherein said key member has an internally threaded bore and said locking member has an externally threaded bolt for engaging said internally threaded bore.
- 7. An adjustable control roller apparatus for use in a belt-type conveyor assembly for processing work pieces, the work pieces having a uniform width, the width oriented in the direction of conveyance, the conveyor assembly having a support frame and at least a first conveyor section and a second conveyor section, the first conveyor section having exit pulleys, the exit pulleys each having a longitudinal axis, the second conveyor section including a lower conveyor belt, said apparatus comprising:
- a first control assembly having a upright support arm, a support leg, and a biasing member;
- said upright support arm pivotally engaging said support leg;
- said support leg having at least one roller for engaging a lower conveyor belt of a second conveyor section, said roller having a longitudinal axis;
- said biasing member engaging said upright support arm and said support leg for biasing said roller toward the lower conveyor belt of the second conveyor section;
- the support bracket for mounting to a conveyor assembly support frame for adjustably supporting said first control assembly such that said roller can be positioned between the exit pulleys of a first conveyor section and an entrance pulley of a second conveyor section while said roller engages the lower conveyor belt of the second conveyor section with the distance between the longitudinal axis of the exit pulleys and the longitudinal axis of said roller being longer than the width of a work piece.
- 8. The adjustable control roller apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a second control assembly mounted to said support bracket, wherein said roller of said second control assembly.
- 9. A conveyor system for advancing folded paper envelopes along a processing path, with the envelopes each having a length and being of substantially of the same width and having a first end of one thickness and a second end of a second thickness that is different than the one thickness, and an intermediate portion between said ends of uniform thickness, said conveyor system comprising:
- a first conveyor section for advancing the envelopes in spaced sequence along the processing path with the lengths of the envelopes extending across the processing path and having a discharge end for delivering the envelopes;
- a second conveyor section positioned at said discharge end of said first conveyor section and arranged to receive envelopes from said first conveyor section, said second conveyor section including a lower conveyor belt having an upper flight with a receiving end positioned adjacent and in alignment with said first conveyor section for receiving envelopes thereon from said first conveyor section and an upper conveyor belt having a lower flight, said lower flight overlying said upper flight of said lower conveyor belt with a receiving end displaced farther from said discharge end of said first conveyor section than said receiving end of said upper flight of said lower conveyor belt;
- at least one drive roller for driving said upper flight of said lower belt and said lower flight of said upper belt in the same direction;
- a control roller apparatus positioned at the receiving end of said lower conveyor belt above said receiving end of said upper flight, comprising at least one roller in rolling engagement with said upper flight of said lower conveyor belt for engaging the intermediate portions of the envelopes after the envelopes are released by said first conveyor section and continuing to engage the envelopes until the envelopes are engaged by said upper conveyor belt;
- said control roller apparatus including position adjustment means which adjusts the position of said control roller to place said control roller at a distance from said discharge end of said first conveyor greater than the width of the envelopes moving from said first conveyor section to said second conveyor section and to place said control roller at a distance from said upper conveyor belt a distance less than the width of the envelopes;
- whereby envelopes are released from the first conveyor section onto the upper flight of the lower conveyor belt of the second conveyor section before the control roller engages the intermediate portions of the envelopes, the control roller engages the intermediate portions of the envelopes and maintains the envelopes in a constant angle with respect to the direction of conveyance on the upper flight of the lower conveyor belt until the lower flight of the upper conveyor belt engages the envelopes.
- 10. A conveyor assembly for advancing flat envelopes along a processing path, each envelope having a length normal to the direction of conveyance and the envelopes being of substantially uniform width, of different thickness at their opposed ends and of uniform thickness intermediate their opposed ends, said conveyor assembly including:
- a first conveyor having a discharge end and means for advancing the envelopes in sequence along the processing path through said discharge end;
- a second conveyor for receiving envelopes from said discharge end of said first conveyor, said second conveyor including upper and lower transport belts with overlying lower and upper flights, respectively, with said upper flight displaced farther than said lower flight from said discharge end of said first conveyor the improvement therein comprising:
- a control roller assembly positioned adjacent said discharge end of said first conveyor belt over said upper flight of said lower transport belt, having an upright support arm, at least one roller movably mounted to said upright support arm for engaging said upper flight of said lower transport belt, and a biasing member engaging said upright support arm for biasing said roller toward said upper flight of said lower transport belt; and
- a support bracket engaging said upright support arm for adjustably supporting said control assembly such that said roller can be positioned at a distance greater than the width of an envelope from said first conveyor and at a distance less than the width of an envelope from said lower flight of said upper transport belt while said rollers engage the lower transport belt of the second conveyor.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a Continuation-In-Part application based on and claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/700,818, filed on Aug. 21, 1996, which is herein incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1182136 |
Feb 1985 |
CAX |
910311 |
Jun 1946 |
FRX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
700818 |
Aug 1996 |
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