Conveyor with Ejector

Abstract

A belt conveyor is configured for conveying products in a conveying direction and defines a width extending in a transverse direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and a height direction orthogonal to the conveying and transverse directions. An ejector is fixed to the belt conveyor and acts in the transverse direction for sorting out/discharging products. The ejector has an end region which faces the product to be sorted out, and has a base body mounted in a base position on the belt conveyor by means of a holder. The basic position of the base body can be adjusted by means of an adjusting device of the holder in the transverse direction within an adjustment path so that the end area of the non-actuated ejector in the transverse direction can protrude across the belt conveyor width by at least half of that width, or more.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus including: (a) a conveyor defining a transport direction, a conveyor width extending in a transverse direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and a height direction orthogonal to the transport direction and transverse direction; (b) a mounting bracket connected to the conveyor; (c) an ejector operable for acting in the transverse direction for ejecting products from the conveyor, the ejector having an end region facing in the transverse direction and having a base body supported in a base position relative to the conveyor by the mounting bracket, the base body having a length in the transverse direction which is less than the conveyor width; and (d) an adjusting device included in the mounting bracket, the adjusting device being operable for adjusting the base position of the base body in the transverse direction within an adjustment range between a minimum extension position and a maximum extension position, wherein, when the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position and the ejector is in an unactuated state, the end region projects across the conveyor in the transverse direction by at least half of the conveyor width.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein, when the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position and the ejector is in the unactuated state, the end region projects across the conveyor in the transverse direction by at least two-thirds of the conveyor width.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein, when the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position and the ejector is in an unactuated state, the end region projects across the entire conveyor width.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the adjusting device includes at least two stages.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the adjusting device includes: (a) a first adjustment element positionable along a first adjusting path; and (b) a second adjustment element positionable along a second adjusting path running parallel to the first adjusting path so that the first adjusting path and second adjusting path together form and entire adjustment range.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the ejector comprises a pusher, a stroke sorter, or an air blast device.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the ejector comprises a short stroke pusher.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the short stroke pusher has a design stroke that maximally does not exceed three-fourths of a width dimension of a transport surface of the conveyor in the transverse direction.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the adjusting device includes at least one hollow guide cylinder extending in the transverse direction and having an outlet facing in the transverse direction.

22. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the adjusting device includes a position device operable for quantifying the base position along the adjustment range.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 further including a control device for automatically setting, checking, determining, or displaying the base position along the adjustment range.

24. The apparatus of claim 13 further including a control device operable to move the base position of the base body from a first location along the adjustment range to a second location along the adjustment range in response to a change of product input.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the control arrangement includes a sensor device for detecting a product position on the conveyor and the control arrangement moves the base position of the base body from the first location to the second location in dependence on the product position detected by the sensor device.

26. An apparatus for use with a conveyor defining a transport direction, a conveyor width extending in a transverse direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and a height direction orthogonal to the transport direction and transverse direction, the apparatus including: (a) a mounting bracket adapted to be connected on the conveyor in a bracket position; (b) an ejector having a base body connected to the mounting bracket and residing in a base position relative to the conveyor when the mounting bracket is connected to the conveyor in the bracket position, the ejector in the base position having an end region facing in the transverse direction and being operable for acting in the transverse direction for ejecting products from the conveyor, the base body having a length in the transverse direction which is less than the conveyor width; and (c) an adjusting device included in the mounting bracket, wherein when the mounting bracket is in the bracket position the adjusting device is operable for adjusting the base position of the base body in the transverse direction within an adjustment range between a minimum extension position and a maximum extension position, wherein, when the base position of the base body in in the maximum extension position and the ejector is in an unactuated state, the end region projects across the conveyor in the transverse direction by at least half of the conveyor width.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein, when the mounting bracket is in the bracket position, the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position, and the ejector is in the unactuated state, the end region projects across the conveyor in the transverse direction by at least two-thirds of the conveyor width.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein, when the mounting bracket is in the bracket position, the base position of the base body is in the maximum extension position, and the ejector is in an unactuated state, the end region projects across the entire conveyor width.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the adjusting device includes: (a) a first adjustment element positionable along a first adjusting path; and (b) a second adjustment element positionable along a second adjusting path running parallel to the first adjusting path so that the first adjusting path and second adjusting path together form and entire adjustment range.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the adjusting device includes at least one hollow guide cylinder extending in the transverse direction and having an outlet facing in the transverse direction.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the adjusting device includes a position device operable for quantifying the base position along the adjustment range.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of a belt conveyor in accordance with the invention with an ejector in a first base position.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a left side view of a belt conveyor as in FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a perspective front view of the belt conveyor according to the invention with an ejector in a second base position.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a left side view of a belt conveyor as in FIG. 3.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a perspective front view of the belt conveyor according to the invention as in FIGS. 3 and 4 with an ejector with an extended end region.

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a left side view of a belt conveyor as in FIG. 5.

[0037] FIG. 7 shows a perspective front view of the belt conveyor according to the invention with an ejector in a third base position with an ejector with an extended end region.

[0038] FIG. 8 shows a left side view of the belt conveyor as in FIG. 7.

[0039] FIG. 9 shows a perspective rear view of the belt conveyor as in FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0040] FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of a control arrangement which may be included in embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0041] The conveyor 1 shown in FIG. 1, in this example a belt conveyor, comprises a frame 11 and a transport surface provided by a belt 7, which is guided over rollers (not shown in the drawing) at the left and right ends and driven in transport direction x by a motor 9 disposed on frame 11.

[0042] The belt conveyor 1 has a width B in the y direction transverse to the transport direction x. The belt 7 of the belt conveyor 1 lies within this width B, with a front and rear edge, so that the belt 7 has a correspondingly smaller width b.

[0043] At the rear side of the belt conveyor 1, approximately in the middle (in the x direction) region, an ejector in the form of a short stroke pusher 3 is mounted on the frame 11 by means of a mounting bracket which includes an adjusting device 13.

[0044] As can be seen from FIGS. 2, 4, 6, 8, and in particular 9, the adjusting device 13 includes a first and a second guide members, in this case guide cylinders 15 and 17 extending in the y direction to the rear (or to the left in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, 8), which are fixed in place, for example bolted, on the frame 11.

[0045] The guide cylinders 15 and 17 extend through corresponding (guide) drillings located in a lower region of, for example, an S-shaped first adjustment element 19. (Wing) bolts 27 and 29, which can be screwed into the first adjustment element, are situated transverse to the guide cylinders 15 and 17 so as to apply a force or to secure the first adjustment element 19 on the guide cylinders 15 and 17 into a desired position.

[0046] As can be seen from FIG. 9, there is mounted on the second (upper) guide cylinder a scale 47, on which an adjusted position of the adjusting element 19 can be read.

[0047] In the upper region, likewise in the y direction, a third and a fourth guide elements comprising guide cylinders 23 and 25 are secured in place in the first adjustment element 18, for example bolted in place, and extend in the direction toward the belt conveyor 1.

[0048] The guide cylinders 23 and 25 extend through corresponding (guide) drillings of the second adjusting element 21, which is firmly affixed to a base body 5 (see FIG. 9) of the short stroke pusher 3. (Wing) bolts 31 and 33, which can be screwed into the second adjusting element 21, are arranged transversely to the guide cylinders 23 and 25 so as to apply a force or to secure the second adjusting element 21 and thus the short stroke pusher 3 on the guide cylinders 23 and 25 in a desired position.

[0049] As can be seen from FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, a scale 49, on which an adjusted position of the adjusting element 21 and thus the short stroke pusher 3 can be read, is likewise affixed to the fourth (upper) guide cylinder 25, similar to the second guide cylinder 17.

[0050] It will be appreciated that the reference numbers correspondingly apply in all of FIGS. 1-9, even though, for the sake of clarity, they are not shown in every figure.

[0051] The short stroke pusher has, at its front side (turned toward the products), an end region in the form of a pusher plate 37, which can be extended outward in they direction onto the belt 7 (or products transported thereon) by means of a piston rod (not shown in the drawing) and a piston from a base body 5 made as a cylinder housing.

[0052] A first protective cover 39, which has a plan view that does not change over the length (in the y direction), extends from the pusher plate 37 in the direction of the base body 5, so that the protective cover 39 covers the piston rod and moves with the pusher plate 37.

[0053] A second protective cover 41, which together with the first protective cover 39 covers the cylinder housing above and on both sides even when the pusher plate 37 is extended, is affixed at short stroke pusher 3 on base body 5. In this way, gaps that may open and close are covered so that pinching, crushing, etc., of the fingers or hands of operating personnel is prevented.

[0054] Since the protective cover 39 must be made correspondingly longer (in the y direction) if the stroke is greater, the length of the protective cover 39 can also be advantageously reduced by the short length of the ejector according to the invention.

[0055] The pusher is preferably made as a short stroke pusher 3, which does not necessarily push products over the entire width for sorting, rather alternatively it strikes the product with an impulse and pushes the product out. Because of the reduction of the length of the protective cover 39, its moving mass (mass inertia) is also reduced, so that in the case of a pneumatic pusher, the required pressure and thus the resulting noise load can be reduced.

[0056] In the first base position, which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base body 5 of the pusher 3 is situated so far outside the belt conveyor 1 that the pusher plate 37 in the unactuated state, thus the maximally retracted position, is only a little within the width B of the belt conveyor 1, but outside the width b of the belt 7.

[0057] Here, both adjusting elements 19 and 21 are in their maximally rearward (or leftward in FIG. 2) end position.

[0058] In the second base position, which is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the base body of the pusher 3, in contrast, projects so far into the belt conveyor 1 that the pusher plate 37 in unactuated state projects up to nearly half of the width B of the belt conveyor 1 (and the width b of the belt 7) in they direction.

[0059] In this second base position, which is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the adjusting elements 19 and 21 are each in the middle region of their scales or their adjustment ranges.

[0060] The pusher plate 37 can extend into the maximally extended end position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in the second base position of the pusher 3 or its base body 5 in order to sort products transported on the belt 7. Because of the impulse, products to be diverted are pushed over the edge of the belt 7 and the edge of the belt conveyor 1 and, for example, caught in a collecting vessel.

[0061] A stroke movement up to the edge of the belt conveyor 1 is not necessary for this because of the generated impulse of the short stroke pusher 3.

[0062] In the third base position, which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pusher 3, in contrast, is situated so far within the belt conveyor 3 that the pusher plate 37 in the unactuated state (not shown in the drawing) already projects up to two-thirds of the width B of the belt conveyor 3 (and width b of the belt 7) in the y direction.

[0063] In this third position, which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the adjusting elements 19 and 21 are each in their maximally forward (or rightward in FIG. 8) end position of their scales or their adjustment range.

[0064] The pusher plate 37 projects beyond the edge of the belt conveyor 1 in the maximally extended end position, which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0065] The different end positions that are shown illustrate, as examples, how an ejector, in particular a short stroke pusher 3, can be adjusted inward into the belt in the y direction by means of a preferably at least two-stage adjusting device 13 in order to more efficiently sort products in a product flow that does not fill the entire belt with b.

[0066] If no products are being transported in an (edge) region of the belt 7, according to the invention, an ejector can be shifted in its position across the belt in the direction of the products. In this (new) position, the unactuated end region then extends on the belt up to the actual product flow (over the belt edge). In this way, the travel path (stroke) of a general sorter or its end region is reduced. Correspondingly, it also becomes possible to use a short stroke pusher with advantageously low length in the y direction. In each case, the reaction time (ejection operation) according to the invention can be reduced, so that a higher throughput is enabled.

[0067] As a consequence of the short required stroke, moreover, the pressure in the case of a pneumatic pusher can be reduced, so that the noise generated also becomes clearly reduced.

[0068] As can be seen from FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 7, the guide cylinders 23 and 25 are designed as hollow cylinders. These cylinders 23 and 25 can correspondingly serve individually or together as air blast nozzles 43 and 45 in order to blow products from belt 7, or belt conveyor 1. Such clearing of the belt is often necessary when a machine or an operating process begins in order to remove all products still present in a production section, preferably by a constant air flow.

[0069] Since the third and fourth guide cylinders 23, 25 are designed as air blast nozzles, their positions can likewise be adjusted or positioned in the y direction as desired by means of the first adjusting element 19.

[0070] The adjustment of the base position of the base body 5 can also take place automatically, instead of manually as indicated in the embodiment example. Instead of a manual shifting and securing by means of bolts 27, 29, 31, 33, the adjusting elements 19 and 21 can also be adjusted by means of actuators (piston/cylinder-type actuators, servo motors, etc.), operatively connected to the guide cylinders. For example, desired base positions can automatically be set by means of a control device, wherein predefined positions stored in a memory can also be retrieved for this. The block diagram of FIG. 10 shows such a control device 50 operatively connected to control actuators 52 which are operable to control the position of adjusting elements 19 and 21.

[0071] In another embodiment, it is even conceivable that the actual (current) width of the production flow is recorded via an appropriate sensor device (shown in FIG. 10 as sensor 51), for example photoelectric barrier(s), proximity sensor, or camera, and the ejector, in particular the short stroke pusher 3 or its base body 5, can be adjusted to a base position (determined by means of an evaluation unit). This kind of adjustment of the base position can take place for each individual product or for a group or batch of products.

[0072] As used herein, whether in the above description or the following claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but not limited to. Also, it should be understood that the terms “about,” “substantially,” and like terms used herein when referring to a dimension or characteristic of a component indicate that the described dimension/characteristic is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude variations therefrom that are functionally similar. At a minimum, such references that include a numerical parameter would include variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.

[0073] Any use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the following claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).

[0074] In the above descriptions and the following claims, terms such as top, bottom, upper, lower, vertical, and the like with reference to a given feature are made with reference to the orientation of the structures shown in the drawings and are not intended to exclude other orientations of the structures.

[0075] The term “each” may be used in the following claims for convenience in describing characteristics or features of multiple elements, and any such use of the term “each” is in the inclusive sense unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, if a claim defines two or more elements as “each” having a characteristic or feature, the use of the term “each” is not intended to exclude from the claim scope a situation having a third one of the elements which does not have the defined characteristic or feature.

[0076] The above-described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments and modifications to these preferred embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in some instances, one or more features disclosed in connection with one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. More generally, the various features described herein may be used in any working combination.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0077] 1 Belt conveyor [0078] 3 Short stroke pusher [0079] 5 Base body [0080] 7 Belt [0081] 9 Motor [0082] 11 Frame [0083] 13 Adjusting device [0084] 15 First guide cylinder [0085] 17 Second guide cylinder [0086] 19 First adjusting element [0087] 21 Second adjusting element [0088] 23 Third hollow guide cylinder [0089] 25 Fourth hollow guide cylinder [0090] 27 Bolts (wing bolt) [0091] 29 Bolt (wing bolt) [0092] 31 Bolt (wing bolt) [0093] 33 Bolt (wing bolt) [0094] 37 Pusher plate (End Region) [0095] 39 First protective cover [0096] 41 Second protective cover [0097] 43 Lower air blast nozzle [0098] 45 Upper air blast nozzle [0099] 47 First scale [0100] 49 Second scale [0101] B Width of belt conveyor [0102] b Width of belt 7 (belt width) [0103] x Transport direction [0104] Y Transverse direction [0105] z Height direction