Friction Wheel Drive Patents (Class 198/781.04)
  • Patent number: 11597604
    Abstract: Conveyor safety guard modules that are configured to be inserted between adjacent rollers in motor driven roller conveyor systems and shield drive bands or belts coupled between the adjacent rollers so as to protect workers from having their work gloves, loose hair, loose clothing, etc. becoming entangled in the drive bands or belts and causing injury.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Jakob Simon
  • Patent number: 9169079
    Abstract: The conveyance rollers are arranged at a predetermined roller pitch in the conveyance direction and arranged in rows so as to be capable of supporting at least the side ends of an object being conveyed. The conveyance rollers are formed along the conveyance direction by a repetition unit composed of the drive rollers and the free rollers. The roller pitch of the conveyance rollers is set based on the dimension of the object, and the smaller of distances from respective ends in the conveyance direction of the object to the position of the center of gravity of the object. The arrangement ratio of the drive rollers in the conveyance rollers is set based on the smaller of the distances from the respective ends in the conveyance direction of the object to the position of the center of gravity of the object, and the roller pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Okamoto, Kazunaka Nishitsuji
  • Patent number: 8978880
    Abstract: A conveyor system includes pulleys spaced mutually along a length of the conveyor system; and roller assemblies, each roller assembly aligned with one of the pulleys, including a first ring driveably connected to one of the pulleys, a second ring surrounding the first ring, and a third ring located radially between and contacting the first and second rings, and alternately transmitting rotary motion from the first ring to the second ring and discontinuing said transmission of rotary motion depending on presence and absence of frictional engagement between the third ring and at least one of the first ring and the second ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Thomas E. Heinemeier
  • Patent number: 8485349
    Abstract: A system and method for coating substrates includes transporting rolls and a collecting container for collecting coating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Hentschel, Steffen Lessmann, Michael Huhn, Reinhard Jaeger, Ricky C. Powell
  • Patent number: 8292056
    Abstract: This invention provides a roller assembly including a rotary member including a driving shaft portion and a convey roller portion provided with the driving shaft portion, a driving wheel including a hole portion and attached to the driving shaft portion, the driving wheel being driven to rotate, a transmission receiving portion radially extending outward from the driving shaft portion and rotated together with the driving shaft portion, a friction transmission member clamped between the transmission receiving portion and a side surface of the driving wheel and frictionally transmitting a rotational force of the driving wheel to a rotary member, and a biasing portion applying a clamping force between the transmission receiving portion and the side surface of the driving wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hirata Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Tsugawa
  • Patent number: 8276744
    Abstract: A method and a tool are provided for adjusting a skillet conveyor drive having a motor-driven drive wheel mounted on an adjustable mounting mechanism including a threaded rod that is biased toward the skillet by a spring mechanism and wherein the compression of the spring is adjusted by rotating an adjusting nut. The method includes pulling on the threaded rod, measuring the force required for the pulling by reading a load cell indicator, using a look up table to correlate the measured force with a desired force, and then adjusting the nut to achieve the desire force. The tool can be removed and then moved to another skillet conveyor drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Christopher E. Bacalia
  • Patent number: 8240462
    Abstract: The transport device especially for transporting flat substrates through a coating installation comprises a plurality of transporting rolls, which are arranged transversely in relation to the transporting direction, and supporting rolls are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignees: First Solar, Inc., Von Ardenne Anlagentechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Hentschel, Steffen Lessmann, Michael Huhn, Reinhard Jaeger, Ricky C. Powell
  • Patent number: 8196736
    Abstract: A roller conveyor includes a drive member whose path and the end of the overlying portions of the rollers sortation conveyor is configured to avoid substantial contact between certain rollers and the drive member. The roller conveyor is depicted in an embodiment as an accumulation conveyor with skewed roller sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Intelligrated Headquarters, LLC
    Inventor: Ronald G. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20110253508
    Abstract: This invention provides a roller assembly including a rotary member including a driving shaft portion and a convey roller portion provided with the driving shaft portion, a driving wheel including a hole portion and attached to the driving shaft portion, the driving wheel being driven to rotate, a transmission receiving portion radially extending outward from the driving shaft portion and rotated together with the driving shaft portion, a friction transmission member clamped between the transmission receiving portion and a side surface of the driving wheel and frictionally transmitting a rotational force of the driving wheel to a rotary member, and a biasing portion applying a clamping force between the transmission receiving portion and the side surface of the driving wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: HIRATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi TSUGAWA
  • Publication number: 20100006399
    Abstract: A conveyor device is formed with roller units arranged continuously on conveyor frames (10, 10?). Each of the roller units includes a rotating body (110) having a cylindrical part (111) rotatably supported around a predetermined axis (A) and being rotationally driven, a roller (120) rotatably supported by an outer periphery of the cylindrical part to carry an object being conveyed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, a pair of thrust plates (140, 150) arranged so as to be capable of pressing both side surfaces of the roller while holding the roller therebetween and rotating integrally with the cylindrical part; and a pressing force adjusting mechanism (160, 170, 180, 190) arranged inside the cylindrical part to adjust a pressing force with which the paired thrust plates press the roller while holding the roller therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Shiga
  • Patent number: 7503450
    Abstract: A slip roller conveyor has a frame comprising a pair of parallel, spaced-apart side plates. Secured to each of the side plates is a plurality of annular rollers with a predetermined pitch distance between adjacent rollers. The annular rollers have tubular sleeves of a lesser diameter projecting outward from a side surface thereof. The tubular sleeves on an opposed pair of annular rollers fit into the lumen of a longer tubular roller with a clearance fit. The annular rollers on each of the side plates are driven by an endless belt that also surrounds a motor-driven nose roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: MagStar Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David E. Helgerson, Steven A. Jensen, Joshua D. Krause, Brian D. Koenig, Robert J. Robinson
  • Patent number: 7290649
    Abstract: The invention relates to a roller arrangement (7) for a stowing roller conveyor, comprising a stationary roller axle (20) arranged in a support frame (4) of the stowing roller conveyor, with a driving roller (9) and a conveying roller (10) adapted to be driven and/or braked, if necessary, being rotationally supported on said roller axle; as well as a clutch system (12) arranged between said driving and conveying rollers and comprising clutch components (14, 15) adjustable in relation to one another via a setting device (13), whereby at least one of the clutch components (14, 15) is axially adjustably arranged on the roller axle (20) and adjustable against at least one spring element (36), from a switching position in which it is engaged, into a switching position in which it is disengaged, and whereby the first clutch component (14) is drive-connected with the conveying roller (10), and the other clutch component (15) with the driving roller (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: TGW TransportgerÃĪte GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Wolkerstorfer
  • Patent number: 7125012
    Abstract: A feed wheel includes a hub and a discontinuous tread removably fitted about the hub. At leading and trailing ends of the discontinuous tread are mateable non-planar female and male surfaces which interfit with one another and tend to interlock the tread ends together. The tread has locking lugs formed under leading and trailing ends and an intermediate segment of the tread which fit into holes configured and located in the hub complimentarily to the locking lugs. The holes and locking lugs are oriented relative to one another so as to enable the tread to be retained about the hub with the tread ends interlocked together during operation of the feed wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Inventors: Gregory James Newell, James H. Tippett
  • Patent number: 6935486
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved live roller conveyor system for preventing damage to conveyed cases of goods when stopped upon live rollers. In an embodiment of the invention, a live roller comprises a drive shaft with a plurality of roller members rotatably affixed thereto. One or more bushings are provided between an inner surface of each roller member and an outer surface of said drive shaft. When a conveyed case is stopped along the conveyor, for example, during case layer formation for loading onto a pallet, the rollers underneath the case stop rotating relative to the drive shaft due to slippage between the bushings and drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Production Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: O'Neal Wright Davis
  • Patent number: 6868961
    Abstract: A roller conveyor which includes idler rollers which are drivable in a driving direction in response to rotational driving of a drive portion of the rollers, and which are freely rotatable in the driving direction relative to the drive portions of the rollers, in order to allow for coasting of articles or products on the roller conveyor. The rollers include one-way clutch devices which may drive the rollers in the driving direction in response to activation or engagement of a drive means to convey products along the conveyor. The clutch devices also allow the rollers to continue to rotate in the driving direction after the driving means has been deactivated or disengaged from the rollers. The roller conveyor thus may convey articles along multiple zones of the conveyor and may accumulate articles on the zones, such as in response to article sensors positioned along the roller conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Rapistan Systems Advertising Corp.
    Inventors: Ronald C. Ehlert, Kenneth J. Kooistra
  • Publication number: 20030192775
    Abstract: A roller conveyor which includes idler rollers which are drivable in a driving direction in response to rotational driving of a drive portion of the rollers, and which are freely rotatable in the driving direction relative to the drive portions of the rollers, in order to allow for coasting of articles or products on the roller conveyor. The rollers include one-way clutch devices which may drive the rollers in the driving direction in response to activation or engagement of a drive means to convey products along the conveyor. The clutch devices also allow the rollers to continue to rotate in the driving direction after the driving means has been deactivated or disengaged from the rollers. The roller conveyor thus may convey articles along multiple zones of the conveyor and may accumulate articles on the zones, such as in response to article sensors positioned along the roller conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventors: Ronald C. Ehlert, Kenneth J. Kooistra
  • Publication number: 20030168319
    Abstract: A conveyor for transporting objects sensitive to electrostatic discharge. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a roller conveyor with conductive rollers in electrical communication with an electrical ground. The rollers preferably have about 105 ohms resistance from the outer diameter to the inner diameter to ensure that electrostatic charges built up on the conveyed object can flow to ground, yet not flow too quickly. In another embodiment, the roller shafts are supported on highly conductive bushings that provide a path to electrical ground that is preferably less that 104 ohms. In yet another embodiment, the roller shafts are driven by a conductive pulley that minimizes the build-up of electrostatic charge as a result of a triboelectric effect with the drive belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Inventors: Steven L. Hart, Klaus P. Daenzer, Brent R. Howard
  • Patent number: 6523677
    Abstract: A dual helical conveyor system, is disclosed having a conveyor belt adapted to move in a first direction along a first helical path and thereafter in a second direction generally opposite the first direction along a second helical path generally concentric with said first helical path. The conveyor belt is further movable through a cross-over section along a cross-over path which connects the first and second helical paths, and a conveyor belt drive mechanism is provided in the cross-over section to frictionally drive the conveyor belt along the cross-over path and between the first and second helical paths. The conveyor belt is driven by friction/slip drive mechanism along the first and second helical paths. The conveyor in the first and second paths may be a single continuous belt or it may be alternatively be comprised of two separate and independent belts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Tarpaulin.COM, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. DeGennaro, Jerome J. Finazzo, Jr., Paul Priebe, Thomas Wedell
  • Patent number: 6454082
    Abstract: A roller conveyor system is disclosed having a frame with a pair of spaced apart rails and at least one roller assembly having an elongated shaft. A first bearing assembly is secured to one rail while a second bearing assembly is secured to the other rail so that the bearing assemblies are aligned with each other and each bearing assembly includes an inner and outer race. The elongated roller shaft extends through the inner races of the bearing assemblies so that a flat formed on the shaft is radially aligned with the inner race of one of the bearing assemblies. A threaded fastener is then threadably secured to the bearing inner race and has one end adapted to abut against the shaft flat. With the fastener in abutment with the shaft flat, the other end of the fastener is substantially flush with an outer surface of the bearing race.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Valiant Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Douglas McTaggart, Andrew Noestheden