Patents by Inventor Mark B. Costanzo
Mark B. Costanzo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20040256198Abstract: A tiltable conveyor for offloading conveyed articles over a side of a conveyor belt. The belt is preferably a modular conveyor belt constructed of a series of belt rows hingedly interlinked to form an article-conveying surface. The belt is supported by a carryway, along which the belt is driven in a direction of belt travel by a drive system. The carryway includes one or more tilt sections at which one side of the belt is elevated relative to the other to offload articles across the lower side. The belt may include rollers or be molded of or coated with an inherently slick material to facilitate offloading.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2003Publication date: December 23, 2004Applicant: THE LAITRAM CORPORATIONInventor: Mark B. Costanzo
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Patent number: 6827198Abstract: A tiltable conveyor for offloading conveyed articles over a side of a conveyor belt. The belt is preferably a modular conveyor belt constructed of a series of belt rows hingedly interlinked to form an article-conveying surface. The belt is supported by a carryway, along which the belt is driven in a direction of belt travel by a drive system. The carryway includes one or more tilt sections at which one side of the belt is elevated relative to the other to offload articles across the lower side. The belt may include rollers or be molded of or coated with an inherently slick material to facilitate offloading.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2003Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.Inventor: Mark B. Costanzo
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Patent number: 6758323Abstract: A singulating conveyor for aligning a mass of conveyed articles into a single file. The conveyor includes a first centering conveying zone in which one or more roller-top conveyor mats direct conveyed articles sidewise toward a side or the center of the zone. The rollers on which the articles ride rotate about axes oblique to the conveying direction to provide a sidewise component of motion to the articles. The articles are received downstream in a second separation zone, in which the articles are sped up in the conveying direction to separate them into a single file. The conveyor mats can be realized as endless conveyor belts in motion or as stationary mats overlying a moving belt contacting and rotating the rollers.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2002Date of Patent: July 6, 2004Assignee: The Laitram CorporationInventor: Mark B. Costanzo
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Publication number: 20030221932Abstract: A singulating conveyor for aligning a mass of conveyed articles into a single file. The conveyor includes a first centering conveying zone in which one or more roller-top conveyor mats direct conveyed articles sidewise toward a side or the center of the zone. The rollers on which the articles ride rotate about axes oblique to the conveying direction to provide a sidewise component of motion to the articles. The articles are received downstream in a second separation zone, in which the articles are sped up in the conveying direction to separate them into a single file. The conveyor mats can be realized as endless conveyor belts in motion or as stationary mats overlying a moving belt contacting and rotating the rollers.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2002Publication date: December 4, 2003Inventor: Mark B. Costanzo
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Patent number: 6494312Abstract: A modular roller-top conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules having hinge elements at opposite ends of each row. The hinge elements of each row are interleaved with the hinge elements of an adjacent row and interlinked by hinge pins to form an endless conveyor belt. Each of the belt modules includes a body section extending between opposite ends of each row in the direction of belt travel. Cavities formed in at least some of the modules open onto an upper conveying surface of the belt. Rollers residing in the cavities protrude onto the upper conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling, low-friction contact. The rollers may be cylindrical rollers that rotate about axles, spherical balls that rotate in all directions, or caster-like roller assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2001Date of Patent: December 17, 2002Assignee: The Laitram CorporationInventor: Mark B. Costanzo
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Patent number: 6367616Abstract: A modular roller-top conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules having hinge elements at opposite ends of each row. The hinge elements of each row are interleaved with the hinge elements of an adjacent row and interlinked by hinge pins to form an endless conveyor belt. Each of the belt modules includes a body section extending between opposite ends of each row in the direction of belt travel. Cavities formed in at least some of the modules open onto an upper conveying surface of the belt. Rollers residing in the cavities protrude onto the upper conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling, low-friction contact. The rollers may be cylindrical rollers that rotate about axles, spherical balls that rotate in all directions, or caster-like roller assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2001Date of Patent: April 9, 2002Assignee: The Laitram CorporationInventors: Robert S. Lapeyre, Christopher G. Greve, Gerald M. O'Connor, Mark B. Costanzo, John J. Carbone
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Publication number: 20020020609Abstract: A modular roller-top conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules having hinge elements at opposite ends of each row. The hinge elements of each row are interleaved with the hinge elements of an adjacent row and interlinked by hinge pins to form an endless conveyor belt. Each of the belt modules includes a body section extending between opposite ends of each row in the direction of belt travel. Cavities formed in at least some of the modules open onto an upper conveying surface of the belt. Rollers residing in the cavities protrude onto the upper conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling, low-friction contact. The rollers may be cylindrical rollers that rotate about axles, spherical balls that rotate in all directions, or caster-like roller assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2001Publication date: February 21, 2002Inventors: Robert S. Lapeyre, Christopher G. Greve, Gerald M. O'Connor, Mark B. Costanzo, John J. Carbone
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Publication number: 20010045346Abstract: A modular roller-top conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules having hinge elements at opposite ends of each row. The hinge elements of each row are interleaved with the hinge elements of an adjacent row and interlinked by hinge pins to form an endless conveyor belt. Each of the belt modules includes a body section extending between opposite ends of each row in the direction of belt travel. Cavities formed in at least some of the modules open onto an upper conveying surface of the belt. Rollers residing in the cavities protrude onto the upper conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling, low-friction contact. The rollers may be cylindrical rollers that rotate about axles, spherical balls that rotate in all directions, or caster-like roller assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2001Publication date: November 29, 2001Inventor: Mark B. Costanzo
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Patent number: 6209714Abstract: A modular roller-top conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules having hinge elements at opposite ends of each row. The hinge elements of each row are interleaved with the hinge elements of an adjacent row and interlinked by hinge pins to form an endless conveyor belt. Each of the belt modules includes a body section extending between opposite ends of each row in the direction of belt travel. Cavities formed in at least some of the modules open onto an upper conveying surface of the belt. Rollers residing in the cavities protrude onto the upper conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling, low-friction contact. The rollers may be cylindrical rollers that rotate about axles, spherical balls that rotate in all directions, or caster-like roller assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2000Date of Patent: April 3, 2001Assignee: The Laitram CorporationInventors: Robert S. Lapeyre, Christopher G. Greve, Gerald M. O'Connor, Mark B. Costanzo, John J. Carbone
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Patent number: 6148990Abstract: A modular roller-top conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules having hinge elements at opposite ends of each row. The hinge elements of each row are interleaved with the hinge elements of an adjacent row and interlinked by hinge pins to form an endless conveyor belt. Each of the belt modules includes a body section extending between opposite ends of each row in the direction of belt travel. Cavities formed in at least some of the modules open onto an upper conveying surface of the belt. Rollers residing in the cavities protrude onto the upper conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling, low-friction contact. The rollers may be cylindrical rollers that rotate about axles, spherical balls that rotate in all directions, or caster-like roller assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1998Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Assignee: The Laitram CorporationInventors: Robert S. Lapeyre, Christopher G. Greve, Gerald M. O'Connor, Mark B. Costanzo, John J. Carbone