CA2068511A1 - Modular expansion conveying system - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The typical conveyor system is specifically designed, manufactured and constructed in a fairly permanent arrangement requiring welding. In this invention, or industrial design a pre-fabricated modular conveyor mainframe can be expanded both in parallel and in sequence to accept a wide variety of table top chains and other accessories. This design is such which allows the bolt assembly, disassembly and reconfiguration of the conveyer layout using simple hand tools through the placement of strategic slots to fit the altering requirements of its owner and product line. This conveyer mainframe design thus offers a wide flexibility to its owner and does not have to be rejected, as alteration component pieces can easily be added, re-arranged or removed from the assembly.

Description

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This conveYor is a mechan.ical device which transports a ProduGt with the means of d GOlltitlUOIl~ Ghain or 'oel-t, along an assem~ly or process line.
I~ is com~non for sucn conveYi~ l7vices to7l~e k7uilt tQ
specific dimen~ions and specifications and are desi~ned as entire units. When the user chanqes his product line or needs to chan7~e the layout of the conveyin{J systeln he must order new conveYing systems or rebuilQ nis old systemsr both o. whlch are very expensive for the company. The system~
whi7.:7tl aYe now in place are virtually non-aclapt~l~le. I'he fabricatic.7n of the present conveyinq systems are complex and require weldin7~ of components togetheL so that the end product is permanentr not easily assembletl or dismantlecl.
As sucn, the co7st in labour ~or Eabric~atinq the present conve~ors l~i exQrk7i.tant.
There is a modular type conve~ing system on the market which con~ists of pre-fak~rlcated componerlts which can k~e put toqether and inteqrated to 7~iven speciflca-tion.s, using simple hand tools. This moclular type of runner beam which exists can accommodate only a specific type of chain -~
engineered for that runner beam. It also forbids parallel expansion.
My inventic,n relates to the industrial desi~n of a slmple mQdulaY AD~7-ON COnVeyin~l system frame which has the ability to expand in parallel and in-to multiple chain widths, usi.rlg simple tools. ~t also allows last minute reconfi~uYations without the en~ineerinc,7 cost associa-ted with it. The system is a pre-enqineered modular unit or multi frame, as the case may ber which accepts a lar~e varie-ty of conveyor chains and widths, guide rails, and accessories which are commercially available in the market place without the need to fabricate and eng7illeer them. These can be clamped on in any positlol-without having to drill into the frames.
This Dre-enqilleeYed modular unit will eliminate detail en~ineering and reduce labour hours as it is extremely easily to assemble, and can be al-tered easily to adapt to the changing reauirements of the user as well havinc,7 the ability to make use of pre-existent chains and components available. This unit will have the aclded advantage of being able to adapt easily to the chan717e in the product size being conveyed.

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: :, :, ~iqu~Q-l is a cross sect.lon of the cdnveyc)r mol:lule. Lt is s.hown -to fit a 6" table top chain. I~he conveyor can be fixecl to accolllmodate .3 narrower tAble top chai~ y removal of the two No.10 pieces which are .Eastened on each side of piece N~.1 by bolt No.9 and T--nLIt No.8.
The e-elltxal core of maincxame; piece No.l, i~ m~de E~om ar~odized aluminum and is of hQ11OW rectancJular shape. There are ~wo qrooves, ~o." on the top and bottom inner face of the conveyor module. These qrooves function as .locators for the central guLcle wear strips ~not shown) which are requirecl only when two piece roller chains are installecl. These wear strips are mechanical:Ly fastened by standarcl bolt:s.
The ~en-t;ral c:ore has orl the two opposlnq vert.Lcal sit:les two T-slot:s, No.5 ~ ~.
The inner one, No.5 i5 used o:r splicinq lenc~ths of central core end to end.
The outer one, No.~ is used Eor mountin~ accessories such as:
- Guicle ~ail brackets. f iCJ. 5 NO. ~8 - Conveyor supports. f iq. ~ Nc~, 85 - Drive and Tail end modules fig 8 - Lateral modular expallsiorls fiq.l No..10 On the top an~ bottom of the runner facer there are c~Kooves~
~o.~, whi.ch accept slide-in wear strips, No. 4, this way allowing the conveyor to accommodate various types of carryinq chains.
On the inner vertical webs, there are holes, No. 7, cut out 50 that the bolt.s, No.9, can be ~ccessed by Allen wrenches/ in those cases when more than one central cores are attached side by side, in parallel, as in the case of fig. 4.
The lateral modular expansion, ~iece No. 10, is made from extruded anodize~ aluminum and is rec-tangular in shape. The top ~ bottom c~rooVeSr No.ll, r~ln aloncl its entire length ancl unction to accept the wear strips, pieces No.4, or 15.
The vertical face of piece ~o.10 has on one side a double T-slotr No.12,13. These T-slo-ts have the same function as pieces ~o.S and 6 above.
On the opposite side of this, there is a male p~c!trusion~ No.1-l, which slides into the T--slot openinc~ Eor centerlnq ancl locat1ng.
In the center of the inner vertical. face oE T-slot, No.l ~, there is a hole, No.15, which allows bolt No.9 to ~o throuc~h ancl reach T-nut No.8.
El~u~e 2. ls a c:omposecl cross seGtion as~embly of some of tne components discussed in flqure 1.
P1ece No. 1 'J is an anodized aluminum extrusion and is used to create a new conveYor climension. This central aclaptor is a , . : - : . - ~: . :

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hollow re--:tat-~ular shape which ha~ a qrooved rec:es~, No.l~, o~
the top l~nd bottl~m. This No.l~ groove func-tions similarly to qroove No. 2 on figure 1.
On the vertical sicles of piece No.l~ t~lere are single T-slots, No. 20~ running throuqh the entire lenqt~l. The female openin~, No. 14, accepts the male portion of the lateral modular expansiorl, piece No.10. The two vertical walls, of the T-slots, No.21, act ~s retail~inq walls w}lic:h run all~nq the entire lenqth of the piece. The cut out holer No. ~2~ allows -the entry ~F an Allen wrench to fi:-~ the bolts, when more than one conveyor core i~ set up in parallel.
Piece No,18 is a T-nut which slides into the l`-slot, No,20, The function is to hold the assembly toqether.
Fk~ure _~ is a composed cross section assembly with components f~om both fiqure 1 and 2, plus the addition of -two new components enablillq the expansion of the conveyor module ~;~
Piece No,23 is similaY in its ~unction and most chaxacteristics as the central a~aptor piece No,17 on FicTure ~ The recessed groove, No. 2~ has the same dimension and the same Eunction as figure 1, No.2 and ~iqure ~, No,19. The single T-slot, No 26, the retaining wal1J No. 78, and the holes, No.~7 are the same as fiqure ~, No 's 20, ?lf 22 respectively The introduction of the horizontal protrusion, No.25 on piece No.2~, is located on the vertical face and is used as a retainer for the spacer runner, Piece No.29 The s1?ace runner, ~iece No 29 is a T-shape alumlnum anodized extrusion On the flan~e of the extruded T, there are two qrooves, No.30, ~hich accep-t slide-in wear strips, No. 4, On the T-stem's inside surface, there is a retainin~ groove, No,31 which fits onto ~i~ce No.2~ by the horizont.al protrusion, No.25, All coml?onents on this fiqure can be assem~led with regular fasteners spaced as required with the use Orc the specl~ nu-ts, No , 1 ~ .
F1C1~XP_~ is a c~oss sectional view of a multi-chclin assembly Fiqure 3 in the center is flanked by 2 components of figure 1.
Component No. 40 has replaced component No, 7~ with the sole purpose of accommod~ting a diffeYent type of chain. These components are assembled together with the special T washer, No. ~9, which slides along the outer T--slot and is positioned in line with the existing wrench access hole, No's, 7,~ or 27. A
flat head bolt, No.41 engages with -the l'-nut No 8.
The support bracket, piece No. ~5, is secured to the desired location and clamped with bolts (not shown) '' ' ~ . ' ' , ' . . : ' '' ' `

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Secondars~ return c~uide$, piece No. 3~, are secured to the support bracket, No.3r" and c:Lamped in -the appropriat:e position as clictated by the tsroe of haitl used. A vertical slot (llOt shown) is located aloncl the 'Y' axis of piece No.35. Wear strips, No~, can be snapped on -the secondary return ~uide, No.~ and 36 . Piece No.3~ is attached ~ith bolts tn the anc31ed brackets. The secondaYy return c$uides fullctioll ~s return ways for non-tab n~allufactured tal~le-top chain~.
The 3upport bar, piece No.38r brîdges the ~ppor-t brc~cke-ts, No. ~5, and has multiple functions: ~o~ln-ting the power unit underneath; sup~orting the intermediate secondary returns, No.36, attachillcl to conveyor pedestals, etc.
E`i~cLure_5 shows t:he universal mount:illcl plate, plece No. 42/ which clamps onto the outer T-slot, No.S or 1~, with -the special T-nut No.10, and the flat head bol-tl No.41. This universal manufact:ured ~late can acce~t anv commercially avail~ble c~uide rail bracket, No. 43r which is clamped on with bolts No. 94. This universal 1~1ate wi~h the quide rail bracket c~n be positioned anywhere along the central core or lateral modular expansion, pieces No.l or piece No.10 respectisrely.
F1qure shows an arranqement assembly o~ two conveyor cllaills clamped side by side to each other. Each has a tail_~end with sprockets at the end of its frame.
El~ hows the sicle elevatlon of the figure 6 assembly.
Idler end plate No. ~5, is plagued into the end of the frame with bolts, No. 46, and the T-nut, No.8, and allows longitudinal movement of the idler end vlate for the necessary cllain take-up.
The idler shaftr No. 47, is held between two idler end plates with ~olts. The return ~procket, No. 48, rotates freely on the idler shaftr No.47, and the set screw collars, No.g~, hold the sprocket, No.48, in the centre of the centre core, No.2, 1~, and~or No. 23 as the case may be.
~ re 8 shows one of the several possible ways to attach the drive end module to the conveyor centre core. Drive end plate, No. 50, is clamped with ~ol-t, No~51r and T-nut, No. 8, -to the end of the lateral modular ex~ansionsr No.10.
The power transmission unit, piece No.57, is bolted to the motor take-up base? No.52. The conveyor drive shaEt, No.54, rotates freely on ball bearings No.5S which are press fitted to the drive end plate, No, 50.
The conveyor ch~in drive ~procket, No. 53~ i5 secured to the drive sllaft, No.5g.

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The catenarv ,return ch~.i in c~uide No . 56, is mounted between two clrive end l~lates~ ~o,50, and can be ad~us-ted vert.~cally to the desired 1~0~itiOIl for optimum chain quidance and performance.
The conveyor support bracket, No. 58, can be mounted or~ the horirolltal leq of the drive end plate7 No.50, if i-t becomes necess~r,v.

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Claims (6)

1. A modular, prefabricated composite conveying mainframe which has been designed in such way as to expand horizontally with the additions of lateral modular expansion pieces and spacer runners as well as commercially available wear strips to accommodate a varied assortment of table top chains types and widths.

2. A design as defined above in claim 1 which can be set up in parallel in a multiple chain assembly with the use of T-bolks/nuts/washers.

3. A design as defined above in claim 1 or claim 2 which provides attachment of lateral support brackets and universal mounting plates.

4. A design as defined above in claim 1 or claim 2 which has the connections for secondary return guides to accommodate non-tab manufactured table top chains.

5. A design as defined above in claims 1, 2, 3, and 4 which can be assembled, disassembled and rearranged easily without welding, using simple hand tools.

6. A design as defined in claims 1, 2, 3, and 4 which can accept other conveying system accessories into its set up.