Patent Application
20110259713
This application is generally related to conveyor apparatuses, and more particularly related to a spur section attached to a spiral conveyor to automatically divert articles from the spiral conveyor or merge articles onto the spiral conveyor.
Conveyors systems that use gravity or driving elements to move articles from one location to another are widely used in many different industries and applications, and are often formed as a spiral conveyor. An article enters the spiral conveyor from an entry portion, and moves towards an exit portion along a conveying path of the spiral conveyor, which often includes a plurality of rollers, wheels, or balls that aid movement of the article. In addition to using gravity to move the article, the spiral conveyor may include driving elements, such as powered rollers or powered belts, that move the article along the conveying path. As articles travel along a conveyor system, it is often necessary to stop or slow the flow of articles to prevent the articles from being damaged or jammed in a segment of the conveyer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,827, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, describes an apparatus that controls the movement of articles through a conveyor by using selectively actuated powered rollers to assist the transport of articles along the conveyor. Sensing means are arranged on the conveyor to determine whether the articles in a segment of the conveyor should be transported or accumulated, and a control means uses information from the sensing means to actuate the powered rollers accordingly.
While stopping or slowing the flow of articles in a conveyor has proven useful, there is still a need to occasionally divert articles from the main conveying path and then reintroduce those articles, such as for sortation purposes or to prevent jamming. In addition, it may be necessary to permanently divert articles from the main conveying path onto a secondary conveyor, for example to remove damaged articles from the conveyor. A need thus exists for an apparatus that can be installed on an existing conveyor to divert or merge articles between the existing conveyor and a secondary conveyor, using sensors and controls to determine when a conveyed article should be diverted or merged and to coordinate movement of the conveyed article with the flow of articles on the existing conveyor.
A spur section includes a frame configured for attachment to a selected segment of a primary conveyor, driving and driven element associated with the frame, and a driver that powers the driving element. A sensor is arranged on the selected segment of the primary conveyor that detects a conveyed article and selectively generates a divert signal or a merge signal. A controller receives the divert signal or merge signal from the sensor and controls the driving element in accordance therewith.
A method for diverting and merging a conveyed article includes the step of providing a primary conveyor, and connecting a spur section to the primary conveyor, the spur section having a driving element. The method further includes the steps of connecting a secondary conveyor to the spur section, and arranging a sensor on the primary conveyor at a predetermined distance from the spur section, the sensor being configured to detect a condition of a conveyed article and selectively generate a divert signal or a merge signal. A controller receives the divert signal or the merge signal and controls the driving element of the spur section in accordance with that signal to divert a conveyed article away from the primary conveyor or merge a conveyed article onto the primary conveyor.
For sake of brevity, this summary does not list all aspects of the present device, which are described in further detail below and in the appended claims.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments that are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” and “lower” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The terminology includes the words specifically noted above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.
The spur section 30 can be formed as a divert spur designed to divert a conveyed article 50 away from the spiral conveyor 20 to the secondary conveyor 40, with the driving element 34 and driven element 36 moving in a direction away from the spiral conveyor 20. The spur section 30 can also be formed as a merge spur designed to merge a conveyed article 50 from the secondary conveyor 40 onto the spiral conveyor 20, with the driving element 34 and driven element 36 moving in a direction towards the spiral conveyor. Alternatively, the spur section 30 can be formed as a reciprocating spur section, so that the driving element 34 and driven element 36 can move in opposing directions to divert a conveyed article 50 away from the spiral conveyor 20, or merge a conveyed article 50 onto the spiral conveyor 20. As shown in the simplified illustration of
As shown in
In addition to the non-powered rollers 84, the driven element 36 can further include a belt 94 arranged around the driving element 34. As shown in
As shown in
As discussed above, the sensor 60 arranged on the spiral conveyor 20 is preferably positioned at a sufficient distance from the spur section 30 to detect the presence of a conveyed article 50 before it reaches the spur section 30 and to send a signal to the controller 70 for activating the driver 38, so that the driving element 34 of the spur section 30 is rotating in the proper direction as the conveyed article 50 reaches the spur section 30. The sensor 60 can be positioned at approximately the midpoint of the selected segment 28. Alternatively, the sensor 60 can be positioned at any location upstream or downstream of the spur section 30, and the controller 70 can be programmed to take into account the distance, if necessary, between the sensor 60 and the spur section 30. As shown in the illustration of
The present spur section 30 is especially advantageous because it can be easily integrated with an existing conveyor system for diverting or merging conveyed articles, such as the spiral conveyor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,827 or spiral conveyors made by companies including Ryson International, Inc. and AmbaFlex, Inc. The size of the frame 32 and the number and size of the driving and driven elements 34, 36 can be modified to match the existing conveyor system. For example, where a powered roller 82 is used as the driving element 34, the powered roller 82 can be of the same type and size as the powered rollers being used on the conveyor system. The controller 70 of the spur section 70 can be configured to communicate with the existing conveyor system's controller and sensors, or to control the existing conveyor system's driver and driving elements to coordinate the diverting and merging operations. The adaptability of the present spur section 30 reduces the cost of installation, allows for easily reconfiguration of an existing conveyor system, and provides flexibility for different applications and user needs.
The following is an example of a merging operation. Using a programmed operational method in accordance with the invention, the controller 70 receives a signal from a sensor N indicating that a conveyed article 50 is present in segment N, where “N” indicates any segment in the spiral conveyor 20. A spur section 30 is attached to the spiral conveyor 20 and can also include a sensor S. The controller 70 then checks the condition of a sensor N+1 located in segment N+1 immediately downstream of segment N. The spur section 30 is preferably connected to segment N+1. If the sensor N+1 indicates that segment N+1 is clear, but the sensor S indicates that the spur section 30 is blocked, the controller 70 does not actuate the driving element 34 of the spur section 30 and a conveyed article 50 in segment N moves along the conventional conveying path towards segment N+1. If the sensor N+1 indicates that an article is present in segment N+1, the controller 70 does not actuate a driving element located in segment N or the driving element 34 of the spur section 30, thus accumulating articles in all segments. If the sensor S senses the presence of a conveyed article 50 in the spur section 30 and sensors N and N+1 indicate that segments N and N+1 are both clear, the controller 70 actuates the driving element 34 of the spur section 30 and a conveyed article 50 in the spur section 30 merges onto the segment N of the spiral conveyor 20 and moves along the conveying path towards N+1.
The following is an example of a diverting operation. Using a programmed operational method in accordance with the invention, the controller 70 receives a signal from the sensor N indicating that a conveyed article 50 is present in segment N, where “N” indicates any segment in the spiral conveyor 20. The controller 70 then checks the condition of a sensor N+1 located in segment N+1 immediately downstream of segment N. The spur section 30 is preferably connected to segment N+1. If sensor N+1 indicates that segment N+1 is clear and a conveyed article 50 is designated to be diverted, a divert signal is sent to the controller 70 and a chosen diverting method is actuated to guide the conveyed article 50 towards the spur section 30. Once the conveyed article 50 is ready to be diverted onto the spur section 30, the controller 70 checks for a signal from sensor S. If the sensor S indicates that the spur section 30 is clear, the controller 70 actuates a driving element in segment N and the driving element 34 of the spur section 30 to divert the conveyed article 50 from the segment N of the spiral conveyor onto the spur section 30. If the sensor S indicates that the spur section 30 is blocked, the controller 70 will not actuate the driving elements of segment N and the spur section 30, and the conveyed article 50 will accumulate on the spiral conveyor 20.
Preferably, the spiral conveyor 20 that the spur section 30 is connected to also includes a driving element in the selected segment 28, and means for receiving the divert or merge signal from the sensor 60 and controlling the driving element in accordance with that signal. The driving element in the selected segment 28 can be a reciprocal powered roller, such as the powered roller described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,827, that is selectively actuated to rotate alternatively in forward and backward directions. The driving element of the selected segment 28 is preferably arranged adjacent to the entrance to the spur section 30, and positioned with respect to the driving element 34 of the spur section 30 to form an operable conveying path for moving a conveyed article 50 between the selected segment 28 of the spiral conveyor 20 and the spur section 30. For example and without limitation,
Similarly, the secondary conveyor 40 that the spur section 30 is connected to can also include a driving element 48 and means for receiving a signal from a sensor and controlling the driving element in accordance with that signal. The driving element 48 of the secondary conveyor 40 is preferably arranged adjacent to the exit of the spur section 30, and positioned with respect to the driving and driven elements 34, 36 of the spur section to form an operable conveying path for moving a conveyed article 50 between the spur section 30 and the secondary conveyor 40. The controller for the driving element of the secondary conveyor is also preferably the controller 70 of the spur section 30. In this manner, the driving elements of the spiral conveyor, spur section, and secondary conveyor can all be controlled and coordinated by the same controller 70 as a conveyed article 50 is diverted or merged between the spiral conveyor 20 and the secondary conveyor 40.
When the spiral conveyor is operating in ordinary transport mode, conveyed articles move along the conveyor segments 22 along the conveying path without being diverted or merged, and the driving element 34 of the spur section 30 does not move. When the controller 70 receives a divert signal from a sensor 60, the controller 70 actuates the driving element 34 of the spur section 30 to facilitate the movement of a conveyed article 50 from the spiral conveyor 20 onto the spur section 30. Where a driving element is provided on the selected segment 28 of the spiral conveyor 20 and on the secondary conveyor 40, the controller 70 can actuate each one of those driving elements to guide the conveyed article 50 during the diverting operation. For example, as an article to be diverted enters the selected segment 28 to which the spur section 30 is connected, the controller 70 actuates the driving element on the selected segment 28 in a forward direction towards the spur section 30. A sensor 60 may be used to detect when the article passes the driving element on the selected segment 28, so the controller 70 can turn that driving element off and actuate the driving element 34 on the spur section 30 in a forward direction towards the secondary conveyor 40. As the article passes through the spur section 30, another sensor 60 can be used to detect the movement of the article so that the controller 70 can turn the driving element 34 on the spur section 30 off and actuate the driving element on the secondary conveyor 40 in a forward direction until the article reaches a desired location on the secondary conveyor 40. When the controller 70 receives a merge signal from a sensor 60, the above operation is repeated in reverse, with the driving elements of the secondary conveyor 40, the spur section 30, and the selected segment 28 of the spiral conveyor 20 being actuated sequentially in a reverse direction to merge the article from the secondary conveyor 40 back onto the spiral conveyor 20. After a sensor arranged on the spiral conveyor 20 detects that the article has been reintroduced onto the selected segment 28, the driving element of the selected segment 28 can be actuated in a forward direction to guide the article along the conveying path towards the exit segment 27. As discussed above, the controller 70 can also actuate the movement of additional driving elements arranged upstream and downstream of the spur section 30 to control the flow of articles as a conveyed article 50 is being diverted or merged to avoid jamming. Where multiple spur sections 30 and multiple secondary conveyors 40 are connected to the spiral conveyor 20, multiple controllers 70 or a single controller 70 can be used to simultaneously actuate and coordinate the movement of the driving elements for individual merging or diverting operations at each spur section 30.
A divert signal will usually be initiated by a blocked condition downstream of the spur section 30, such as at the exit segment 27. When this occurs, the controller 70 can first actuate driving elements downstream of the spur section 30 on the spiral conveyor 20 in a reverse direction to accumulate articles and prevent further build up. The controller 70 can then divert articles upstream of the spur section 30 from the spiral conveyor 20 through the spur section 30 onto a secondary conveyor 40, as described above. Once the blocked condition has been resolved and a sensor 60 generates a merge signal, the controller 70 can then reintroduce articles from the secondary conveyor 40 back onto the spiral conveyor 20, as described above. A sensor 60 may also generate a divert signal if it detects the presence of an article that is designated to be diverted. The diverting signal can be based on a barcode read from a conveyed article 50, or based on a load balancing at the location of the sensor 60. Once the sensor 60 no longer detects the presence of an article for a predetermined time duration, the sensor may generate a merge signal so that diverted articles can be reintroduced onto the spiral conveyor 20. The time duration for the merge signal should be sufficiently long to avoid merging articles back on the spiral conveyor 20 for simple shifts or slippage of the blocked articles. The predetermined time durations can be adjusted based on the operating conditions of the conveyor system, such as the size and normal transport speed of the conveyed articles.
The diverting and merging operations can also be initiated and coordinated for vertical sortation of the conveyed articles on the spiral conveyor 20. As the sensors 60 arranged on the conveyor segments 22 detect the presence of conveyed articles, each sensor 60 may selectively generate a diverting signal based on the number of passing articles, or other characteristics, so that the articles on the spiral conveyor 20 can be vertically sorted onto secondary conveyors 40 arranged at different levels between the feed conveyor 42 and the takeaway conveyor 44. The vertically sorted articles can travel along the secondary conveyors 40 to different locations, or they can be sequentially unloaded from the exit segment 27 of the spiral conveyor 20 through separate merging operations for each secondary conveyor 40.
To aid the movement of a conveyed article 50 as it is being diverted from or merged onto the spiral conveyor 20, an optional guide mechanism may be provided on the selected segment 28 of the spiral conveyor 20 or on the spur section 30. The guide mechanism may have any configuration suitable for the particular conveyor system and the type of articles being conveyed, and is preferably controlled by the controller 70 of the spur section.
The primary conveyor that the spur section 30 is connected to may optionally include a driving element that cooperates with the driving element of the spur section 30 to divert a conveyed article 50 from the primary conveyor or merge a conveyed article 50 onto the primary conveyor. When the conveyed article 50 is being diverted from the primary conveyor, the driving elements of the primary conveyor and the spur section 30 can be rotated, either simultaneously or sequentially, towards the secondary conveyor 40. When the conveyed article 50 is being merged onto the primary conveyor, the driving elements of the primary conveyor and the spur section 30 can be rotated, either simultaneously or sequentially, away from the secondary conveyor 40. As shown in
Various methods, configurations, and features of the present invention have been described above and shown in the drawings, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that any combination of the above features can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is also recognized by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to the above described methods and embodiments without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61,327,277, filed on Apr. 23, 2010, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61327277 | Apr 2010 | US |
