High speed lineshaft-driven accumulating conveyor

The rollers of a live roller conveyor are driven by drive wheels, which are driven from a driveshaft extending along the conveyor. When the drive wheels and their respective conveyor rollers are in contact with each other, the drive wheels cause the conveyor rollers to rotate. When the drive wheels and conveyor rollers are out of contact, the rollers are not driven and can accumulate product. Relative motion between the drive wheels and the conveyor rollers causes the drive to be engaged and disengaged.This is a Reissue of a Patent which was the subject of a Reexamination Certificate No. B1 5,375,696, dated Nov. 12, 1996, Request No. 90/003,811.

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Claims

1. A conveyor, comprising:

a conveyor frame.Iadd.defining elongated openings.Iaddend.;
at least one conveyor roller mounted.Iadd.in said elongated openings.Iaddend.on said conveyor frame.Iadd.and having an axis of rotation.Iaddend.;
a drive shaft extending along said conveyor frame;
at least one drive wheel rotatable about its axis and driven from said drive shaft.Iadd., the axis of said drive wheel being parallel to the axis of said conveyor roller at least when the drive wheel and roller are in driving engagement.Iaddend.;
wherein said conveyor roller and drive wheel are mounted for relative motion between them, such that, in a first position, said conveyor roller is driven from said drive wheel.Iadd.by contact with the outer surface of the conveyor roller.Iaddend., and, in a second position, said one conveyor roller is out of driving engagement with said drive wheel.Iadd.; and further comprising an actuator which automatically moves said roller downwardly relative to said elongated openings, into driving contact with said drive wheel, and moves said roller upwardly relative to said elongated openings, out of driving engagement with said drive wheel.Iaddend..
Referenced Cited
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Foreign Patent Documents
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PCT/US91/05706 March 1992 WOX
Patent History
Patent number: RE35851
Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 2, 1996
Date of Patent: Jul 21, 1998
Assignee: Interlake Material Handling, Inc. (Shepherdsville, KY)
Inventors: Ellsworth H. Collins (Mt. Washington, KY), William A. Fultz (Louisville, KY), James F. Mattingly (Louisville, KY)
Primary Examiner: Joseph E. Valenza
Law Firm: Wheat, Camoriano, Smith & Beres, PLC
Application Number: 8/595,784
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: 198/78106; 198/78104; 198/78108; Gear Drive (198/791)
International Classification: B65G 1306;