Roller, Wheel, Or Drum-engaging Belt Patents (Class 198/835)
  • Patent number: 11667472
    Abstract: A belt conveyor includes a conveyor belt configured to move in a longitudinal direction. The conveyor belt has two large faces, and a number of support stations distributed longitudinally along the conveyor belt. The support stations are configured to support the conveyor belt by one of the large faces. At least one support station includes a drive motor configured to drive the conveyor belt in the longitudinal direction relative to the support stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Inventor: René Brunone
  • Patent number: 11325787
    Abstract: Disclosed is a conveyor system and method for advancing an item relative to a transport axis. The conveyor system includes a conveyor belt and a modular drive assembly having at least one drive module and at least one take-up module. Each drive module and each take-up module has a housing and a pulley assembly positioned within the housing. The respective positions of the housings of the at least one drive module and the at least one take-up module relative to the transport axis are selectively adjustable to modify the conveyor movement pathway. Moreover, the drive module can also include a drive pulley removal apparatus that is detachably secured within the housing for selective removal and replacement of a drive pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Randy Dixon, C. Todd McDaniel
  • Patent number: 10968042
    Abstract: A belt conveyor (1), a belt conveyor system and a box template production system. Said belt conveyor comprising an endless loop of belt (3) which is rotating about at least two pulleys (5a, 5b) comprised in the belt conveyor, whereby different parts of the belt (3) will constitute an upper surface (7) for transporting goods during run, the belt conveyer (1) further comprising a frame (9) holding said at least two pulleys (5a, 5b) and a belt supporting device (11) configured for supporting the belt between the at least two pulleys while allowing the belt (3) to slide over the belt supporting device (11), wherein said belt (3) comprises a substantially plane middle part (13) along the length of the belt and two edge areas (13a, 13b), one provided on each side of the middle part (13), wherein at least one of said edge areas (13a, 13b) is sloped towards an opposite part of the belt in the endless loop at least when said at least one edge area (13a, 13b) constitutes a part of the upper surface of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Packsize LLC
    Inventor: Niklas Pettersson
  • Patent number: 10940704
    Abstract: In one example, a printing system is described, having a conveyor belt, a first optical sensor, a second optical sensor, and a controller. The first optical sensor is located proximate to a first edge of the conveyor belt. The second optical sensor is located proximate to a second edge of the conveyor belt, wherein the second edge is on the opposite side of the conveyor belt to the first edge. The controller receives data related to optical detection of lateral movement of the conveyor belt from the first and second optical sensors, and causes a correction for the detected lateral movement of the conveyor belt in association with a print job of the printing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Roger Terradellas Callau, Inaki Zudaire Rovira, Daniel Gutierrez Garcia
  • Patent number: 10913609
    Abstract: A belt conveyor (1), a belt conveyor system and a box template production system. Said belt conveyor comprising an endless loop of belt (3) which is rotating about at least two pulleys (5a, 5b) comprised in the belt conveyor, whereby different parts of the belt (3) will constitute an upper surface (7) for transporting goods during run, the belt conveyer (1) further comprising a frame (9) holding said at least two pulleys (5a, 5b) and a belt supporting device (11) configured for supporting the belt between the at least two pulleys while allowing the belt (3) to slide over the belt supporting device (11), wherein said belt (3) comprises a substantially plane middle part (13) along the length of the belt and two edge areas (13a, 13b), one provided on each side of the middle part (13), wherein at least one of said edge areas (13a, 13b) is sloped towards an opposite part of the belt in the endless loop at least when said at least one edge area (13a, 13b) constitutes a part of the upper surface of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Packsize LLC
    Inventor: Niklas Pettersson
  • Patent number: 10745206
    Abstract: Disclosed is a conveyor system and method for advancing an item relative to a transport axis. The conveyor system includes a conveyor belt and a modular drive assembly having at least one drive module and at least one take-up module. Each drive module and each take-up module has a housing and a pulley assembly positioned within the housing. The respective positions of the housings of the at least one drive module and the at least one take-up module relative to the transport axis are selectively adjustable to modify the conveyor movement pathway. Moreover, the drive module can also include a drive pulley removal apparatus that is detachably secured within the housing for selective removal and replacement of a drive pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Randy Dixon, C. Todd McDaniel
  • Patent number: 10676285
    Abstract: A motor-driven conveying roller comprises a roller body which extends along a longitudinal axis, an axle element, a bearing unit for rotatably mounting the roller body in relation to the axle element, a drive motor which is arranged within the roller body and is mechanically coupled to the axle element and to the roller body for generating a torque between the axle element and the roller body, an electrical plug-in connection which is arranged in a cavity in the axle element and which comprises a plug and a socket that may be coupled to one another in a releasable manner to establish a single- to multiple-pole electrical plug-in connection, and an electrical connecting line between the electrical plug-in connection and the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: INTERROLL HOLDING AG
    Inventor: Jurriaen Van Holthe Tot Echten
  • Patent number: 10647515
    Abstract: A seal system and method for a bolted track such as a baking system conveyor track. The seal system provides a seal between a pair of track pieces being coupled end-to-end to one another. The seal system includes flanges attached near the ends of the track pieces and a gasket compressed between the flanges when the track pieces are coupled to form a seal. In example embodiments, the gasket is attached to a track plate. The track plate is coupled between the flanges and is configured to shield the gasket from heat and direct flame. The seal system optionally also includes a joint cover affixed to the bottom of the coupled flanges to form a secondary seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: BAKING TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Chi Chung
  • Patent number: 10589936
    Abstract: A continuous conveyor such as, for example, a conveyor belt for transporting heavy bulk materials or unit loads comprises an endless tractive transport mechanism that revolves between a driving roller and a return roller. The driving roller is driven by a permanently excited multi-pole synchronous motor that delivers a very high torque at a comparatively slow nominal speed. The synchronous motor can drive the driving roller directly or alternatively via a single-stage step-down gear with low reduction factor. The drive is characterized by a mass moment of inertia that is up to 10-times lower than in conventional drive systems. In this way, the risk of damaging or even tearing the belt during disruptions is substantially reduced such that the operational reliability significantly increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH
    Inventor: Sepp Lachenmaier
  • Patent number: 10494190
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a conveyor pulley for use in a belt conveyor is provided, comprising: a roller tube (1); wherein the roller tube (1) is formed by plastically deforming a central portion of a substantially cylindrical metal tube (2) radially outwardly so as to form a crowned portion (4) having an enlarged outer diameter (ODENL) with respect to remaining portions (6) of the metal tube (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: INTEROLL HOLDING AG
    Inventor: Niels Hastrup
  • Patent number: 10351353
    Abstract: A conveyor has looped conveying belts extending between grooved inlet and outlet rollers mounted to a frame, these rollers driven by motorized drive rollers. Each belt has an outwardly facing surface which engages a conveyed article, and an inwardly extending protrusion which engages the grooves of rollers rotatably mounted between parallel plates. The plates extend downwardly to be fixed to cross members which extend between the sides of the frame. A subframe supports upper rolls which are driven by belts connected to lower rolls, including motorized drive rolls. The subframe is mounted to an elevator platform to move the upper rolls between a retracted position and an extended position in which the upper rolls extend beyond the conveying belts which pass through gaps between the upper rolls, such that a conveyed article is moved by the upper rolls in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the conveying belts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SKARLUPKA MFG., INC.
    Inventor: Donald Bruce Skarlupka
  • Patent number: 10336581
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an elevator system. The elevator system comprises a car, a counterweight, at least one belt connecting the car and counterweight, and at least one sheave having a surface that engages with the belt. At least part of the surface of the sheave that interfaces with the belt has a plurality of features for reducing unwanted noise created due to the interaction between the belt and the sheave surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: David R. Polak, Christopher T. Chipman, Charles C Coffin, Arthur Blanc, John P. Wesson, Yan Chen, Daniel G. Opoku, Sergei F. Burlatsky
  • Patent number: 10294079
    Abstract: An elevator system includes an elevator car, a motor, and traction sheave operably connected to the motor to drive rotation of the traction sheave. A belt is operably connected to the elevator car and in frictional contact with the traction sheave to urge movement of the elevator car. One or more deflector sheaves are located between the traction sheave and the elevator car over which the belt is routed to guide the belt to the elevator car. The one or more deflector sheaves include an outer sheave surface having a distance from a sheave axis that varies along a width of the traction sheave. The outer surface includes a first portion having a first coefficient of friction and a second portion having a second coefficient of friction less than the first coefficient of friction, the first portion guiding an elevator belt toward a lateral center of the outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Brad Guilani, Amir Lotfi
  • Patent number: 10077156
    Abstract: A conveyor employs a low-tension, direct drive conveyor belt, and a snap-on position limiter for ensuring proper engagement of the belt and a drive sprocket. The position limiter includes a body, a limiting surface and a snap clap opposite the limiting surface for snapping the position limiter to a mounting shaft. The position limiter may include a mounting arm for mounting a conveyor belt scraper at the front of the position limiter. Mounting plates at the end of the conveyor support a mounting shaft for mounting the position limiter or other conveyor components in place relative to the drive sprocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Matthew L. Fourney, Michael Hendrik DeGroot, Ruizhe Ma
  • Patent number: 9975704
    Abstract: A motorized or drive roller (1) of a belt conveyor (100) provides, mounted forcedly thereon, an antiwear tube (3) made of PVC additioned with antiwear additives, so that the belt (2) of the belt conveyor (100) rotates around, and in contact with, the antiwear tube (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: CRIZAF S.R.L.
    Inventor: Luca Cribiu′
  • Patent number: 9908732
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for decurling a web of material, such as a paper web, which device comprises: a first main roller; a second main roller arranged parallel to and at a distance of the first main roller, wherein the first main roller and the second main roller are arranged in a main plane; and a decurling roller arranged parallel to and between the first and second main roller, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the main plane, wherein the spacing between the first main roller and the second roller is smaller than the diameter of the decurling roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: SDD Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Johannes Franciscus Roland Oudsen
  • Patent number: 9573765
    Abstract: A belt-conveying installation has at least one carrying structure, a conveying belt and at least one drive apparatus for driving the conveying belt. The drive apparatus includes at least one drive shaft, at least one drive-shaft-bearing arrangement, at least one drive roller and at least one independently excited drive motor in the form of a frequency-converter-fed alternating-current synchronous motor with a stator and a rotor. The drive shaft and the at least one drive motor are connected to one another without any gearing, and the rotor and drive shaft are arranged coaxially, each drive shaft being guided through at least one rotor. The belt-conveying installation can be operated and used for heavy industry, in particular for the extractive or mining industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG, THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS (USA), INC.
    Inventors: Norbert Becker, Christof Brewka, Christian Dirscherl, Torsten Hellmuth, Wolf Krieger, Horst Minor, Peter Sehl
  • Patent number: 9527670
    Abstract: A continuous conveyor such as, for example, a conveyor belt for transporting heavy bulk materials or unit loads comprises an endless tractive transport mechanism that revolves between a driving roller and a return roller. The driving roller is driven by a permanently excited multi-pole synchronous motor that delivers a very high torque at a comparatively slow nominal speed. The synchronous motor can drive the driving roller directly or alternatively via a single-stage step-down gear with low reduction factor. The drive is characterized by a mass moment of inertia that is up to 10-times lower than in conventional drive systems. In this way, the risk of damaging or even tearing the belt during disruptions is substantially reduced such that the operational reliability significantly increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH
    Inventor: Sepp Lachenmaier
  • Patent number: 9457487
    Abstract: The invention relates to a slicing apparatus for food products, in particular to a high-performance slicer, having at least one belt conveyor which is configured as a removable conveyor belt unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: TEXTOR MASCHINENBAU GMBH
    Inventor: Josef Mayer
  • Patent number: 9169073
    Abstract: A conveyor (3) having a first belt (7a) which is configured to move in a closed loop (19); a support element (15) which includes first surface (16a) which is configured to cooperate with a first surface (17a) of the first belt (7a) to support the first belt (7a) during an outgoing part of the closed loop (19) and a second surface (16b) and is configured to cooperate with a second surface (17b) of the first belt (7a) to support the first belt (7a) during a return part of the closed loop (19), so that the first belt (7a) is prevented from hanging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Mikron SA
    Inventors: Jose-Andres Gutierrez, Serge Thiebaud, Olivier Neumann, Jean-Charles Authier
  • Patent number: 9128420
    Abstract: A belt unit is provided with an endless belt, a driving roller, and a pair of guide ribs. The driving roller is disposed on an inner peripheral surface side of the endless belt and drives the endless belt. The pair of guide ribs is placed on each opposite widthwise end of the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt and contacts both end faces of the driving roller, thus preventing meandering of the endless belt. Additionally, the driving roller is equipped with a low friction region at both opposite lengthwise ends in a predetermined width and the low friction region is configured to have a friction coefficient that is lower than a friction coefficient of a region adjacent to the low friction region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumito Mizoguchi, Masashi Hirai, Toshiki Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 9065310
    Abstract: A belt conveyor having an electromagnetic drive comprising a rotor and a stator sealed in separate nonmagnetic and nonconductive housings. The rotor is mounted to a drive shaft. A drive drum or drive sprockets supported on the shaft have peripheral drive surfaces that engage a conveyor belt. The rotor is coaxial with the peripheral drive surface—either sealed within the drum or sprockets or housed on the shaft axially spaced from the drive surface. The rotor may include conductive rotor bars or permanent magnets. The stator is spaced apart from the rotor across a narrow gap and produces a traveling magnetic flux wave across the gap that causes the rotor and the peripheral drive surface to rotate and drive the conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Bryant G. Ragan, Kevin W. Guernsey, Wayne A. Pertuit, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9016466
    Abstract: An apparatus for delivering limestone dust to the outlet of a unique dust discharge structure of a dust hopper (tank) particularly useful in dusting underground coal mine shafts wherein an air blower for pressurizing a dust/air mixture in the discharge structure is powered by a lagged roller engaged and rotatably driven by a conveyor belt and wherein the roller has ceramic tiles partially imbedded in its lagged surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Inventor: Tonny Dean Travis
  • Publication number: 20150107967
    Abstract: A segmented, belt-driven conveyor system for use in clean environments. High speed, high density, collision free throughput of work piece carriers is enabled through belt-driven conveyor segments each having co-rotating drive wheels. The drive wheels have a cylindrical profile. Predefined acceleration/deceleration profiles may be employed by a motor controller to affect optimal changes in work piece carrier speed across the respective drive segment. A peripheral groove is formed in idler wheels within a drive segment. A soft, pliant ring of material is disposed in the groove. The ring protrudes slightly beyond the crown of each wheel. The drive belt then remains in contact with the ring when unloaded and the wheel peripheral surface itself when loaded through compression of the pliant ring. By reducing intermittent contact between the belt and the wheels, particulation is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventor: George W. Horn
  • Patent number: 8997975
    Abstract: A sprocket is provided, the sprocket having a body with a central opening for engaging a shaft and rotating about an axis. The sprocket has a plurality of teeth disposed around the periphery of the body. The teeth are angularly spaced about the axis such that each tooth is spaced from the adjacent teeth by a first opening. Each tooth has a belt-contacting surface which is convex in shape such that the outer-most periphery of the sprocket is generally circular. The belt-contacting surfaces of the teeth guide the belt around the periphery of the sprocket in order to minimize the ability of the belt to buckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Habasit AG
    Inventor: Marco Lucchi
  • Publication number: 20150090564
    Abstract: A belt conveyor unit includes a plurality of rollers around which a belt is entrained, including a first roller, a second roller disposed opposite the first roller via the belt, and a third roller other than the first roller and the second roller, and a belt alignment device including a shaft moving device to tilt a rotary shaft of the third roller upon receiving a moving force of the belt moving in a width direction of the belt in an axial direction of the rotary shaft to adjust displacement of the belt. The shaft moving device includes an axial-direction displacement member including a slanted surface that moves to a first side in the width direction of the belt along the rotary shaft upon receiving the moving force of the belt, and a fixation member to contact the slanted surface from the first side in the width direction of the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Naoki IWAYA, Masaharu FURUYA, Yoshiki HOZUMI, Yasufumi TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20150075207
    Abstract: A sheet conveyor includes a first conveyance belt, a second conveyance belt, a first driving roller, a second driving roller, a first gear, and a second gear. In switching between sandwich and separation states, an axial center of a rotation shaft of the first or second gear moves on a movement plane substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt convey a sheet. Where L represents diameter of a tooth edge circle of the second gear in unit of millimeter and T1 represents a chordal tooth thickness of the second gear, an acute-side angle ? in unit of degree (°) formed by the movement plane and an interaxial-center plane including the axial center of the rotation shaft of each of the first gear and the second gear in the sandwich state is within a range represented by the following Formula 1: Tan?1(2×T1/L)<|?|<45°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Yuji KARIKUSA, Kenji ISHII
  • Publication number: 20150068874
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drum motor optimized for the hygienic requirements in the food industry; in particular the drum motor is used for driving conveyor belts. One embodiment of the invention discloses a drum motor comprising a drum shell accommodating a geared rim secured to the drum shell, a first inner end cap attached to the geared rim, a second inner end cap attached to a locking flange having an expanding element adapted to secure the second inner end cap to the drum shell when attaching the second inner end cap to the locking flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: Erik Lund Jepsen, Jais Ask Hansen
  • Publication number: 20150053536
    Abstract: A conveying installation has a conveying belt, comprising at least one side wall, constructed from in each case one polymer material with elastic properties, and/or at least one cleat, constructed from in each case one polymer material with elastic properties, and also having drums, load-bearing rollers and load-bearing frameworks, wherein the conveying installation forms a material-conveying upper strand, with a supply location for the conveying material, and an at least material-free lower strand. In the conveying installation at least one side wall and/or at least one cleat of the conveying belt contain/contains at least one foamed polymer mix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Andrea Thomczyk, Frank Kantorek
  • Patent number: 8960418
    Abstract: A motor drive for a gearless belt conveyor drive system, which includes a motor base frame, a torque arm mounted on the motor base frame or a conveyor baseplate, a rotationally symmetrical stator of a synchronous motor being fixedly held by the torque arm and a rotationally symmetrical rotor casing containing permanent magnet elements of the rotor of the synchronous motor. The rotor casing is directly mountable on a front end of a cylindrical belt conveyor pulley so that the permanent magnet elements of the rotor rotate around the stator and so that the symmetry axis of the rotor casing and the symmetry axis of the stator are aligned with each other and with a longitudinal axis of the belt conveyor pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Boris Rathmann, Ulf Richter
  • Publication number: 20150030357
    Abstract: A belt unit is provided with an endless belt, a driving roller, and a pair of guide ribs. The driving roller is disposed on an inner peripheral surface side of the endless belt and drives the endless belt. The pair of guide ribs is placed on each opposite widthwise end of the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt and contacts both end faces of the driving roller, thus preventing meandering of the endless belt. Additionally, the driving roller is equipped with a low friction region at both opposite lengthwise ends in a predetermined width and the low friction region is configured to have a friction coefficient that is lower than a friction coefficient of a region adjacent to the low friction region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Fumito MIZOGUCHI, Masashi HIRAI, Toshiki TAKIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8936147
    Abstract: A conveyor assembly that includes a conveyor belt driven by a pinch roller drive assembly. The pinch roller drive assembly includes a pair of pinch rollers that are each rotatably mounted to a support housing. The pinch rollers are supported by a swing arm urged into a bias position by one or more bias springs. The pinch rollers and bias springs are part of a belt tension assembly mounted to the side rails of the conveyor assembly through mounting plates. The belt tension assembly can be pivoted to move the pinch rollers away from the drive roller as desired. In one embodiment, the roller drive assembly is mounted at or near the center of the conveyor assembly and can also support the drive motor. In an alternate embodiment, the pinch roller drive assembly is mounted to one end of the conveyor frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Dorner Mfg. Corp.
    Inventors: Jason M. Knas, Daniel E. Ertel
  • Publication number: 20150008098
    Abstract: A method operates a conveyor installation having a belt and at least one drive drum for driving the belt. The torque acting on the drive drum is controlled, in order to alter the speed of the belt, within a time window that is defined by a first rotational speed of the drive drum and a second rotational speed of the drive drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Wolf-Martin Rasenack
  • Patent number: 8903289
    Abstract: A belt moving unit includes an endless belt member and plural support rolls supporting the belt member movably and rotating, wherein the support rolls include one or more follower rolls rotating to follow the movement of the belt member and at least one of the follower rolls is used as an inertial roll to which inertia is applied, wherein the inertial roll includes a rotation shaft, a rotational inertial member rotating with the rotation shaft and applying inertia, and a roll body disposed along a peripheral surface of the rotation shaft and including plural roll-divided members, and wherein the plural roll-divided members include a fixed divided member fixed to the rotation shaft and rotating along with the rotation shaft to follow the movement of the belt member and a rotating divided member rotating independently of the rotation of the rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yimei Yu, Junji Hanatani, Takehiro Oishi
  • Publication number: 20140346015
    Abstract: A drive roll for driving and engaging a belt is disclosed as well as a hay baler incorporating such a drive roll. The drive roll includes at least one set and typically many sets of drive ribs, which project from the outer cylindrical surface of the drive roll. The drive roll may be made from steel material while the drive ribs may comprise laser cladding such as tungsten carbide or other high hardness particles. The drive rib may have a tapering profile or other centering structure that corresponds to a belt having end regions with overlay or overlap ends of the drive ribs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Kondex Corporation
    Inventors: Scott W. Moon, Keith A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8887901
    Abstract: A conveyor sprocket assembly generally includes a support shaft, at least one conveyor sprocket slidably engaging the support shaft, and an abutment stop positioned adjacent the conveyor sprocket. The abutment stop is configured to be removed to allow the conveyor sprocket to slide axially along the support shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Joy MM Delaware, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Cox, William J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8881891
    Abstract: A belt unit is provided with an endless belt, a driving roller, and a pair of guide ribs. The driving roller is disposed on an inner peripheral surface side of the endless belt and drives the endless belt. The pair of guide ribs is placed on each opposite widthwise end of the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt and contacts both end faces of the driving roller, thus preventing meandering of the endless belt. Additionally, the driving roller is equipped with a low friction region at both opposite lengthwise ends in a predetermined width and the low friction region is configured to have a friction coefficient that is lower than a friction coefficient of a region adjacent to the low friction region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumito Mizoguchi, Masashi Hirai, Toshiki Takiguchi
  • Publication number: 20140326583
    Abstract: A motorized drum has a drum shell, and a motor and a cycloidal reducer, are disposed inside. An output of the reducer rotates slower than the motor, and a hollow input shaft accommodates miscellaneous components. The hollow input shaft has an eccentric raceway that engages an input gear of the cycloidal reducer, and urges it into eccentric motion. The cycloidal reducer has an internal toothed output ring gear that is rotationally affixed to the drum shell for transmitting rotary power thereto. A fixed shaft is coupled to a guide pin housing that constitutes a fixed reference point of the cyclo reducer. A torque coupler has orthogonally placed driving face pairs that couple the guide pin housing to the fixed shaft. The hollow input shaft has plural axially protruding driven tabs for receiving an input torque from the motor rotor. A coupler has orthogonally arranged driven face pairs for coupling the hollow input shaft to the motor rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: MOL BELTING SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Laurens G. J. Wolters, Michael Hendrik DeGroot, Gerko Hulshof
  • Publication number: 20140318930
    Abstract: A conveyor includes a frame having first and second spaced frame elements having outer sides and facing inner sides, first and second drive rollers between the first and second frame elements, a flexible belt mounted on the first and second drive rollers, first and second drive wheels connected to the first and second drive rollers, and a drive operably connected to the first and second drive wheels and configured to drive the belt in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Clarence C. Allen, Kevin G. GORBY, Eric H. CROWE, Samantha L.J. ARMSTRONG
  • Patent number: 8863942
    Abstract: A conveyor and a dowel assembly. The dowel assembly may generally include a dowel body positioned between the frame and the housing and a seal arrangement. The seal arrangement may include an end seal member engageable with the end wall of the recess, and a side seal member engageable with the side wall of the recess, and a carrier member supported by the dowel body and supporting one of the end seal member and the side seal member, the carrier member being supported for movement relative to the dowel body to provide engagement of the one of the end seal member and the side seal member with the associated one of the end wall and the side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Joy MM Delaware, Inc.
    Inventor: Gordon Powell
  • Patent number: 8857606
    Abstract: A formed wing pulley for use in belt conveyor applications. The pulley consists of a plurality of formed wings with or without clean-out ports, mated to a positive placement polygon shaped core. The polygon core may be mated to hubs and/or end disks with centered hubs, which can be locked onto to a fixed or rotating shaft. Each formed wing of the pulley may be mated to the positive placement polygon core at the bottom side of the wing profile, and can have round, half round, hex, or flat wing tips that serve as the contact surface or the tops of wings may serve directly as the contact surface for the belt at the top side of the wing profile. When in assembled form, the formed wing pulley provides a set of radial wings that rotate about a central axis to support conveyor belt operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Punching Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas L. Kowalski, Brian J. Konieczny, Matthew L. Gies
  • Patent number: 8851267
    Abstract: A sorting conveyor for transporting objects and unloading objects at one or more unloading stations adjacent the conveyor. The sorting conveyor includes a conveyor track, a train of conveyor carts connected end-to-end, and an opposed roller motor assembly. The opposed roller motor assembly may include a motor; a support frame attached to the conveyor track for supporting the motor; and a pair of cantilevered, drive rollers connected to the motor and to one pivot block assembly and another pivot block assembly adapted for positioning the drive roller adjacent to one surface of an extended fin driven member. The pivot block assemblies may be coupled together with a self-tensioning adjustment assembly. In some examples, the self-tensioning adjustment assembly may be adapted so that movement of each pivot block assembly mirrors movement of the other pivot block assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Mantissa Corporation
    Inventors: Gonzalo Sotelo, David Patrick Erceg, J. David Fortenbery
  • Publication number: 20140291126
    Abstract: A belt-conveying installation has at least one carrying structure, a conveying belt and at least one drive apparatus for driving the conveying belt. The drive apparatus includes at least one drive shaft, at least one drive-shaft-bearing arrangement, at least one drive roller and at least one independently excited drive motor in the form of a frequency-converter-fed alternating-current synchronous motor with a stator and a rotor. The drive shaft and the at least one drive motor are connected to one another without any gearing, and the rotor and drive shaft are arranged coaxially, each drive shaft being guided through at least one rotor. The belt-conveying installation can be operated and used for heavy industry, in particular for the extractive or mining industry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Norbert Becker, Christof Brewka, Christian Dirscherl, Torsten Hellmuth, Wolf Krieger, Horst Minor, Peter Sehl
  • Publication number: 20140251761
    Abstract: Wing pulleys that engage a conveyor belt during conveying operations are described. The wing pulley includes a central reinforcing disk that strengthens and stabilizes the pulley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Precision, Inc.
    Inventor: Leo J. Laughlin
  • Publication number: 20140190795
    Abstract: A guide device for hard workpiece transfer is provided, comprising a buffer belt for carrying the hard workpiece, a pilot wheel for driving the buffer belt to move, and a drive device for controlling the pilot wheel to rotate, with the buffer belt being made of elastic materials. With the buffer belt made of elastic materials carrying such hard workpieces as glass to be transferred, when the guide device is in contact with the hard workpiece to be transferred, the buffer belt is pressed to deform, which can reduce the pressure produced during the contact of the guide device with the hard workpiece, and prevent the contact portion from being broken or worn because of the pressure, not only preventing loss of the hard workpiece to be transferred, but also reducing use consumption of the guide device, thereby reducing the material cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming Liu, Tao Song, Tao Ma, Guodong Zhao, Fangfu Chen, Tao Ding, Yijun Liu
  • Patent number: 8763787
    Abstract: A conveyor is provided which is particularly suited for use in a helical conveyor path where limited footprint space is available. The conveyor includes belt (4) with flights comprised of conveying portions (41) and holding portions (41a). Each of the portions has forward projections and rear projections, the forward projections being staggered relative to the rear projections so that adjacent flights can be interconnected by connection between staggered projection of the adjacent flight. The holding portions (41a) are provided with an upstanding projection (47) which serves to retain product placed on the conveyor in a desired orientation as the conveyor travels along the helical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Lifestyle Foods
    Inventor: Cormac Manning
  • Publication number: 20140166444
    Abstract: In a curved belt conveyor having a circulating transport belt, wherein the transport belt is connected on the outer side of the curved belt conveyor with a chain and the chain has guide means that are guided by guide elements on the curved belt conveyor, the guide means are attached to the chain in detachable manner. The guide means can be constructed in the form of a roller or a wearing part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Transnorm System GmbH
    Inventors: Kai Ventz, René Schällig
  • Patent number: 8739965
    Abstract: Wing pulleys that engage a conveyor belt during conveying operations are described. The wing pulley includes a central reinforcing disk that strengthens and stabilizes the pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Precision, Inc.
    Inventor: Leo J. Laughlin
  • Publication number: 20140110227
    Abstract: A belt conveyor having an electromagnetic drive comprising a rotor and a stator sealed in separate nonmagnetic and nonconductive housings. The rotor is mounted to a drive shaft. A drive drum or drive sprockets supported on the shaft have peripheral drive surfaces that engage a conveyor belt. The rotor is coaxial with the peripheral drive surface—either sealed within the drum or sprockets or housed on the shaft axially spaced from the drive surface. The rotor may include conductive rotor bars or permanent magnets. The stator is spaced apart from the rotor across a narrow gap and produces a traveling magnetic flux wave across the gap that causes the rotor and the peripheral drive surface to rotate and drive the conveyor belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Bryant G. Ragan, Kevin W. Guernsey, Wayne A. Pertuit, JR.
  • Patent number: RE45145
    Abstract: A belt conveyor wing pulley is comprised of a plurality of V-shaped wings radially spaced about and connected to circumferential surfaces of a pair of spaced hubs. Gussets are connected to facing surfaces of adjacent wings and to the circumferential surfaces of the hubs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Superior Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Micah D. Zeltwanger, James M. Solvie