Abstract: An article conveying system includes an alignment guide that allows larger packages to be spaced inwards from an aligning edge of a conveyor. The alignment guide provides at least two different registration points for packages, depending on the height of the packages. High profile packages, such as large boxes, are inset from an alignment edge of the conveyor, while low profile articles, such as envelopes, are registered against the alignment edge.

Abstract: A conveyor employs an infeed assembly and outfeed assembly, each comprising a nosebar assembly that may be mounted to a conveyor frame to transition a conveyor belt between a returnway and a carryway, a belt guiding roller, such as a sprocket or brake, a position limiter for ensuring proper engagement between the belt guiding roller and the conveyor belt and a connecting plate that ensures proper placement of the position limiter relative to the guide roller. The infeed assembly and outfeed assembly components may be easily moved into engagement and out of engagement to facilitate replacement, cleaning or maintenance.

Abstract: A sealing wedge-lock washer assembly usable in a hygienic, secure fastening system. A wedge-lock washer assembly comprises two wedge-lock components—one of which is a sealing wedge-lock washer having a wedge-lock cam and a sealing material bonded to its outer rim. The other component is a standard wedge-lock washer or a bolt whose head has a wedge-lock cam that engages the complementary cam on the sealing wedge-lock washer. The resulting sealing wedge-lock washer assembly locks a bolt in a secure joint that is hygienically sealed from the intrusion of contaminants by the sealing material.

Abstract: A modular roller conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor modules interconnected by a plurality of links. Each conveyor module comprises an entry end and an exit end, opposing side rails, and a conveying surface coupled to the opposing side rails. The links are operable to rotate the conveyor modules between a stacked configuration and a coplanar configuration. In alternative embodiments, a plurality of modular roller conveyors may be pivotally connected by hinges disposed along the perimeter of the bottom conveyor module. Each conveyor module may include separators at its entry and exit ends and wheels on the bottom conveyor module. Additionally, a system is disclosed that includes a stacking tool operable to transition the modular roller conveyor between the stacked and coplanar configurations.

Abstract: A conveyor employs an assembly at a drive end having a position limiter assembly configured to accommodate flights in a conveyor belt while ensuring proper engagement between the conveyor belt and a drive. The end assembly includes opposing end plates, a drive extending between the end plates and a position limiter assembly extending between the end plates below the drive for ensuring proper engagement of a conveyor belt with the drive. The position limiter comprises a series of spaced apart rollers mounted to and spaced from a mounting bar extending between the end plates. Roller mounting arms connect the rollers to the mounting bars.

Abstract: A conveyor system for conveying electrically conductive articles such as aluminum bottles or cans. The conveyor system comprises a plurality of coils below the top surface of an electromagnetic conveyor at a junction between an infeed conveyor and a discharge conveyor. The coils propagate electromagnetic flux waves that induce currents in the electrically conductive articles that force the articles to follow a conveying path from the infeed to the discharge conveyor. Dead spots on the electromagnetic conveyor can be eliminated by adjusting the coil drive waveforms. And a long electromagnetic conveyor driven by a train of narrow pulses is used to singulate electrically conductive articles.

Abstract: A tray conveyor in which plastic trays with rows of embedded translators are driven by stators in multiple conveyor sections. Washing stations in cleaning zones in each conveyor section are provided to automatically clean empty trays in the conveyor's return path. Indicia on each tray identify the tray as belonging to a specific family of trays. Each of the conveyor sections conveys only conveyor trays that belong to a predetermined family assigned to that conveyor section.

Abstract: A cleanable frame and a method for making a cleanable frame having a simplified frame design. A hygienic conveyor frame assembly comprises a plurality of hollow tubular sections joined together to form an evacuated, sealed conveyor frame support structure that functions as a sterilization zone. An integral carryway is placed on the support structure. Lifters coupled to the conveyor frame can lift the carryway and conveyor belt for cleaning. Infeed and outfeed assemblies are also movable between operating and cleaning positions. A sensor can monitor the conditions of the frame interior to ensure that the vacuum is maintained and initiate a corrective action if the vacuum seal is breached.

Abstract: An integral weighing and sorting system that weighs articles on a roller belt and selectively actuates or deactuates belt rollers to divert selected articles. After an article is weighed on the roller belt, its weight is compared to a predetermined weight range. Out-of-range articles are directed to exit the belt via a different route from that of in-range articles by actuating the rollers to rotate in a direction transverse to the travel direction in a roller-actuation zone.

Abstract: Can conveyors using various stator coil configurations to spread, gap, align, lane, reject, singulate, and rotate aluminum cans as they are propelled along the length of the conveyor. The electrically conductive cans acting as rotors form linear-induction motors (LIMs) with the stators to move the cans.

Abstract: A bonder and a method for bonding corrugated sidewalls to a thermoplastic belt at a splice joint. Two heating jaw assemblies with complementary and confronting corrugated vertical faces clamp a thermoplastic belt to a base of the bonder with a corrugated sidewall section separated from the belt across a splice joint received in a corrugated slot formed between the confronting vertical faces. Corrugated bonding strips at the bottoms of the corrugated vertical faces apply heat to melt the bottom of the sidewall section on opposite sides to bond the corrugated sidewall section to the base.

Abstract: A sealed sprocket for a conveyor belt comprises a sprocket mounted on a drive shaft and a seal system sealing an interface between the sprocket and the drive shaft. The seal system comprises a seal cap housing ring seals for sealing interfaces between the sprocket and seal cap and between the seal cap and drive shaft.

Abstract: A roller for a conveyor system comprises a nonlinear bore hole to facilitate retention of the roller on a roller-receiving portion of a corresponding shaft. A nonlinear bore hole comprises a central cylindrical portion for receiving a roller-receiving portion of the shaft and unaligned slots in communication with the central cylindrical portion to prevent migration of the roller from the roller-receiving portion.

Abstract: A conveyor for conveying articles supported on independently powered and controllable trays. Each tray comprises a blade suspended from an article-supporting platform. A series of drive coils is embedded in the blade. A battery and a controller embedded in the tray drive the drive coils. The blade rides in a slot between two conveyor rails that support the tray platform. The slot is bounded by an array of permanent magnets along each rail. The drive coils produce an electromagnetic field that interacts with the permanent-magnet field in the slot to form a brushless dc motor that propels the tray along the rails.

Abstract: A centrifugal dewatering conveyor system for removing liquid from a conveyed product comprises a modular conveyor belt designed to follow a path that includes both straight portions and helical portions. The modular conveyor belt comprises a plurality of hingedly connected modules having side walls and capable of shifting laterally relative to each other and curling up about the hinge rods to form the helical portions. In the helical portions, a centrifugal force imparted on conveyed product forces water through openings in the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A conveyor conversion kit includes a plurality of conveyor brackets for converting a conveyor frame to accommodate a new conveyor belt. Each bracket includes a base, a plurality of wearstrip seats for mounting wearstrips forming a carryway for the conveyor belt without tools and side guard seats for mounting side guards to contain the conveyor belt on the carryway without tools.

Abstract: A tray conveyor with trays driven by a linear synchronous motor. The trays are supported on a pair of guide rails in a conveyor frame. The trays include a permanent-magnet array whose magnetic field interacts with a traveling electromagnetic wave produced by a linear-motor stator extending along the conveyor between the guide rails to propel the tray in a conveying direction.

Abstract: A conveyor system integrates lane dividers to form a plurality of product lanes across a conveyor belt carryway while providing conduits enabling transverse fluid flow across the carryway. Each lane divider includes a body defining edges of adjacent conveyor belt lanes and hinge elements or other attachment means for integrating the lane divider into a modular conveyor belt. The body has lateral conduits to allow transverse fluid flow therethrough.

Abstract: An incline conveyor using a modular conveyor belt with a repeating pattern of belt sections. Each belt section includes a first region with a high-friction flat top surface, a second region with a high-friction textured top surface, a third region between the first and second regions with a recessed low-friction top surface, and a fourth region between consecutive belt sections with a top surface like that of the third region. The textured top surface, which may be formed by a plurality of nodules, provides multiple high-friction catch points to stop polybags from sliding down the inclined conveyor.

Abstract: A destacking conveyor having a conveyor belt with pushers selectively pushing stacked packages transverse to the conveying direction to one side of the conveyor against a vertical wall with a gap between the bottom of the wall and the belt to block the top package of a stack and allow the bottom package to pass through the gap and off the side of the belt to a reject bin. In another version a destacking conveyor uses a force applicator to apply a downward force against the top of a stack to hold the top package while the pushers slide the bottom package from under the top package.