GB2348631A

GB2348631A - Driven ball conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2348631A
Application number: GB9907606A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Whittles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-04-06
Filing date: 1999-04-06
Publication date: 2000-10-11
Also published as: GB9907606D0

Abstract

A driven ball omni-directional conveyor transport, merging and diverting device comprises a driven series of balls or spheres 2 arranged into a single plane, the drive for the balls or spheres 2 being provided by a series of rotating shafts 4 and 5 arranged at right angles to each other. By varying the direction of rotation of the balls 2 a load can be conveyed or transported in any direction. Shafts 3 and 4 are drive shafts, drive shafts 4 being in driving contact with the balls 2, whereas drive shafts 3, via flexible drive belts 6, drive lay shafts 5 which are in driving contact with the balls 2. Drive is thus provided to the balls 2 from both the longitudinal and lateral axises of the plane of the conveyor. The balls 2 may have a third support via spring loaded wheels 7 which allow vertical movement of the balls 2.

Description

METHOD AND FORM FOR CREATING A DRIVEN BALL CONVEYOR TRANSPORT, MERGE AND DIVERT UNIT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to method and form for driving a series of balls or spheres arranged into a horizontal plane so that a conveyed flat bottomed load may be transported across the plane of spheres in any planar direction and at any speed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of non-driven balls or spheres arranged into a horizontal plane commonly referred to as a"ball table"is a known method for manually handling flat bottomed loads.

One object of the present invention is to provide a method of driving the spheres with a series of rotating shafts arranged at right angles to each other. Another object of the present invention is to support the spheres with the aid of a sprung wheel which is positioned to act as a third support point for the sphere allowing vertical movement of the sphere. Yet another method of the invention is to arrange the spheres, into a horizontal plane and depending on the direction of rotation and speed of rotation of the driving shafts the spheres can be driven in any planar direction and at any speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG I discloses a cross-section of a plane of driven spheres showing how the drive is accomplished from the driven shafts to the lay shafts operating at 90 degrees to the driven shafts using a flexible drive belt arrangement.

FIG 2 illustrates a view down onto a plane of driven spheres showing the arrangement of driven shafts and sprung support wheels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings FIG 1 and FIG 2 and according to the present invention, there is provided a means for driving and supporting a series of spheres 1 oriented into a single horizontal plane via rotating drive shafts 4 and Lay Shafts 5 positioned at right angles to each other, a third point of support is provided by a spring loaded wheel 7 positioned opposite to the point of contact of the two shafts with the sphere 1. By changing the speed and direction of rotation of the shafts the spheres can be made to rotate in any planar direction relative to the plane of spheres.

A bed of such spheres 1 will transport a flat bottomed load (not shown) in any direction across the plane of spheres dependant on the speed and direction of the rotation of the drive shafts 3 and 4. The limited horizontal movement of the spheres 1 offered by the sprung support wheel 7 allows each sphere to contact the bottom of the flat bottomed load and compensate for any shape irregularities or slight distortion.

The arrangement of shafts can be seen from FIG 2 the use of lay shafts 5 and flexible drive belts 6 allows drive to be provided to the lay shafts 5 from a second drive shaft 3 and in this way drive can be provided to the plane of spheres from both sides of the bed or plane of spheres. The drive shafts 4 directly driving the spheres I can be mechanically coupled together (not shown) and the drive shafts driving the lay shafts 5 can be mechanically coupled together (not shown) and in this way configured to act either as singly driven or multiply driven sets of shafts. In this way each set of shafts or individual shafts can be driven from a separate motorized source (not shown).

Support for the drive shafts 4, 3, lay shafts 5 and spring loaded support wheels 7 is provided by a series of support blocks 1. The frame to which the support blocks I are attached is not shown.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method of driving the spheres with a series of rotating shafts arranged at right angles to each other.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the third support to a sphere is via a sprung wheel..
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the sprung wheel will allow vertical movement of the sphere.
4. The method of claim I wherein multiple spheres and shafts can be configured into a horizontal plane.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein depending on the direction of rotation and speed of rotation of the driving shafts the spheres can be driven in any planar direction and at any speed.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein a flat bottom load of sufficient size can be transported in any direction and at any speed across the plane of spheres
7. The method of claim 1 wherein a sphere can be driven by a lay shaft which in turn is driven from at 90 degrees to the lay shaft coupled by a flexible drive belt.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the driven shafts can be driven individually or as mechanically coupled sets of shafts.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the drive for individual shafts of sets of shafts can be provided from either side of a plane of driven spheres.