CA2019885C - Material handling conveyor - Google Patents
Material handling conveyorInfo
- Publication number
- CA2019885C CA2019885C CA002019885A CA2019885A CA2019885C CA 2019885 C CA2019885 C CA 2019885C CA 002019885 A CA002019885 A CA 002019885A CA 2019885 A CA2019885 A CA 2019885A CA 2019885 C CA2019885 C CA 2019885C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- roller
- bushings
- shaft
- pair
- legs
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G39/00—Rollers, e.g. drive rollers, or arrangements thereof incorporated in roller-ways or other types of mechanical conveyors
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G39/00—Rollers, e.g. drive rollers, or arrangements thereof incorporated in roller-ways or other types of mechanical conveyors
- B65G39/02—Adaptations of individual rollers and supports therefor
- B65G39/04—Adaptations of individual rollers and supports therefor the rollers comprising a number of roller forming elements mounted on a single axle
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G39/00—Rollers, e.g. drive rollers, or arrangements thereof incorporated in roller-ways or other types of mechanical conveyors
- B65G39/10—Arrangements of rollers
- B65G39/12—Arrangements of rollers mounted on framework
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G2207/00—Indexing codes relating to constructional details, configuration and additional features of a handling device, e.g. Conveyors
- B65G2207/34—Omni-directional rolls
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Rollers For Roller Conveyors For Transfer (AREA)
Abstract
A cluster for a material handling conveyor in which a plurality of rollers are mounted on a body member at an acute angle to a driven shaft, with bushing pressed into and recessed from each end of each roller to provide a consistant frictional force between the rollers and the member under various conditions of moisture.
Description
201~
IMPROVED MATERIAL HANDLING CONVEYOR
This invention relates generally to material handling conveyors, and more particularly to such conveyors which utilize a plurality of clusters with 5freely rotatable rollers affixed to selectively powered shafts.
Friction is an important factor in the performance of any material handling conveyor, but is especially important in those conveyors that employ 10 multiple clusters attached to shafts with each cluster having a number of free rotatable barrell-shaped rollers arranged around the periphery of the cluster with the axis of rotation for the rollers set at an angle to the axis of the shaft to which the cluster is 15 attached, such as conveyors of the type disclosed and claimed in U.S- patent application Serial Number 06/781,443, filed September 27, 1985. Such conveyors are capable of rotating any flat-bottomed object about a vertical axis or in any direction by selectively 20 controlling the direction of rotation of the shafts on which the clusters are attached. The motion of the object is determined by the summation of the friction forces (magnitude and direction) exerted by the rollers on the flat-bottom. Friction forces should, 25 and ideally do, act in a direction which is parallel to the axis of the shaft on which the roller is mounted. Friction forces which act perpendicular to this shaft axis detract from the efficiency and responsiveness of the conveyor. It is also important 30 that such detrimental forces be substantially the same whether wet or dry.
The present invention provides a cluster for a material handling conveyor which functions substantially the same whether it is wet or dry, which ~. .
IMPROVED MATERIAL HANDLING CONVEYOR
This invention relates generally to material handling conveyors, and more particularly to such conveyors which utilize a plurality of clusters with 5freely rotatable rollers affixed to selectively powered shafts.
Friction is an important factor in the performance of any material handling conveyor, but is especially important in those conveyors that employ 10 multiple clusters attached to shafts with each cluster having a number of free rotatable barrell-shaped rollers arranged around the periphery of the cluster with the axis of rotation for the rollers set at an angle to the axis of the shaft to which the cluster is 15 attached, such as conveyors of the type disclosed and claimed in U.S- patent application Serial Number 06/781,443, filed September 27, 1985. Such conveyors are capable of rotating any flat-bottomed object about a vertical axis or in any direction by selectively 20 controlling the direction of rotation of the shafts on which the clusters are attached. The motion of the object is determined by the summation of the friction forces (magnitude and direction) exerted by the rollers on the flat-bottom. Friction forces should, 25 and ideally do, act in a direction which is parallel to the axis of the shaft on which the roller is mounted. Friction forces which act perpendicular to this shaft axis detract from the efficiency and responsiveness of the conveyor. It is also important 30 that such detrimental forces be substantially the same whether wet or dry.
The present invention provides a cluster for a material handling conveyor which functions substantially the same whether it is wet or dry, which ~. .
2 2f)~98~5 provides low frictional forces relative to rotation of the rollers about their axes, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, which may readily be retrofitted to existing conveyors, and which has relatively high reliability and responsiveness.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention a cluster for use in a material handling conveyor having a number of driven shafts comprising:
a body member for non-rotational mounting on one of said driven shafts;
a plurality of rollers, each of which has a central bore;
a pair of legs formed on said body member for mounting each roller on the periphery of said body member;
a pair of bushings, one bushing being pressed into and recessed below each end of the central bore of each roller;
a roller shaft made of a material which will not oxidize and which has a low coefficent of friction with respect to said bushings, extending through each of said pair of legs and said bushings of each roller at an angle to said driven shaft and retained in said pair of legs; and a washer interposed on said roller shaft at each end of the roller, each washer being incapable of engaging the bushing and engageable directly by, but independently rotatable relative to the roller and being formed of a hard material having a low coefficient of friction with respect to the roller.
These and other objects of aspects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a perusal of the following detailed description and the accompanied drawings, wherein:
Figure l is a plan view of shaft used in a material handling conveyor incorporating the present invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the clusters shown in Figure l;
.~ ~
Figure 3 is an expanded view illustrating the mounting of one of the rollers of the cluster shown in figure 2;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-section of the roller and a portion of the cluster shown in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view of the connection of the roller shaft to the cluster.
Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown one shaft 10 of the plurality of shafts arranged on a frame and selectively driven by a chain trained over the, sprocket 12 and a sprocket affixed to and driven by a reversible motor, as shown and described in the aforementioned patent application. A plurality of clusters 14 are affixed to the shaft 10 for rotation therewith. As shown best in Figure 2, a plurality of rollers 16 are arranged around the periphery of the body 18 of the cluster 14 and set at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the axis 20 of the cluster 14. The rollers 16, are shaped to essentially define the surface of the central portion of a sphere and comprises the surfaces contacting the flat-bottomed object.
Referring to Figure 3, the roller 16 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 22 which extends between a pair of outward-extending legs 24 and 26 formed on the body 18.
The shaft 22 is retained in this position and restrained from rotation by a flat 28, formed on one end of the shaft 22, which end terminates in a reduced diameter threaded portion 25. The leg 26 has a D-shaped hole 30, as best seen in Figure 5, which intersects with a bore 32 is slightly larger than the major diameter of the shaft 22, as is an aligned bore 34, formed in the opposite leg 24.
To assemble, the threaded end of the shaft 22 is inserted through the hole 34, the roller 16 and the hole 32 with the flat 28, engaging the D-shaped hole 30. A locking nut 40 engages the threaded end 25, to hold the assembly in place.
20 1 98~5 Flat washers 50 and 52 are positioned on the shaft 22, between the ends of the roller 16 and the inner side of the legs 24 and 26 respectively. These washers 50 and 52 are made of a hard material of the ends of the roller 16, which may be made of am aluminum alloy. A suitable material for these washers 50 and 52 is molybdenum filled nylon. The end surfaces 27 of the roller 16 function as the bearing surfaces for washers 50 and 52; the relative rotation being between the rotating roller and the stationary washers. As shown in figure, bushings 54 and 56 are pressed into a central bore 58 formed in the roller 16. the shaft is preferably polished and made of a material which will not oxidize, such as stainless steel, so that water will not adversely affect performance of the roller. The bushings 54 and 56, therefore, must be composed of a material compatible with the shaft 22 and also possess a low coefficient of friction. A brushing that has been found to operate with superior results is a mild steel coated with a porous bronze which has been impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene and lead. The combination of flat nylon washers at the ends of the roller 16 and the aforementioned bushings in the roller bore 58 to engage the stainless steel shaft 22 have produced superior results in both wet and dry conditions.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, it will be appreciated that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.
~'
In accordance with an aspect of the invention a cluster for use in a material handling conveyor having a number of driven shafts comprising:
a body member for non-rotational mounting on one of said driven shafts;
a plurality of rollers, each of which has a central bore;
a pair of legs formed on said body member for mounting each roller on the periphery of said body member;
a pair of bushings, one bushing being pressed into and recessed below each end of the central bore of each roller;
a roller shaft made of a material which will not oxidize and which has a low coefficent of friction with respect to said bushings, extending through each of said pair of legs and said bushings of each roller at an angle to said driven shaft and retained in said pair of legs; and a washer interposed on said roller shaft at each end of the roller, each washer being incapable of engaging the bushing and engageable directly by, but independently rotatable relative to the roller and being formed of a hard material having a low coefficient of friction with respect to the roller.
These and other objects of aspects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a perusal of the following detailed description and the accompanied drawings, wherein:
Figure l is a plan view of shaft used in a material handling conveyor incorporating the present invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the clusters shown in Figure l;
.~ ~
Figure 3 is an expanded view illustrating the mounting of one of the rollers of the cluster shown in figure 2;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-section of the roller and a portion of the cluster shown in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view of the connection of the roller shaft to the cluster.
Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown one shaft 10 of the plurality of shafts arranged on a frame and selectively driven by a chain trained over the, sprocket 12 and a sprocket affixed to and driven by a reversible motor, as shown and described in the aforementioned patent application. A plurality of clusters 14 are affixed to the shaft 10 for rotation therewith. As shown best in Figure 2, a plurality of rollers 16 are arranged around the periphery of the body 18 of the cluster 14 and set at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the axis 20 of the cluster 14. The rollers 16, are shaped to essentially define the surface of the central portion of a sphere and comprises the surfaces contacting the flat-bottomed object.
Referring to Figure 3, the roller 16 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 22 which extends between a pair of outward-extending legs 24 and 26 formed on the body 18.
The shaft 22 is retained in this position and restrained from rotation by a flat 28, formed on one end of the shaft 22, which end terminates in a reduced diameter threaded portion 25. The leg 26 has a D-shaped hole 30, as best seen in Figure 5, which intersects with a bore 32 is slightly larger than the major diameter of the shaft 22, as is an aligned bore 34, formed in the opposite leg 24.
To assemble, the threaded end of the shaft 22 is inserted through the hole 34, the roller 16 and the hole 32 with the flat 28, engaging the D-shaped hole 30. A locking nut 40 engages the threaded end 25, to hold the assembly in place.
20 1 98~5 Flat washers 50 and 52 are positioned on the shaft 22, between the ends of the roller 16 and the inner side of the legs 24 and 26 respectively. These washers 50 and 52 are made of a hard material of the ends of the roller 16, which may be made of am aluminum alloy. A suitable material for these washers 50 and 52 is molybdenum filled nylon. The end surfaces 27 of the roller 16 function as the bearing surfaces for washers 50 and 52; the relative rotation being between the rotating roller and the stationary washers. As shown in figure, bushings 54 and 56 are pressed into a central bore 58 formed in the roller 16. the shaft is preferably polished and made of a material which will not oxidize, such as stainless steel, so that water will not adversely affect performance of the roller. The bushings 54 and 56, therefore, must be composed of a material compatible with the shaft 22 and also possess a low coefficient of friction. A brushing that has been found to operate with superior results is a mild steel coated with a porous bronze which has been impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene and lead. The combination of flat nylon washers at the ends of the roller 16 and the aforementioned bushings in the roller bore 58 to engage the stainless steel shaft 22 have produced superior results in both wet and dry conditions.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, it will be appreciated that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.
~'
Claims (3)
1. A cluster for use in a material handling conveyor having a number of driven shafts comprising:
a body member for non-rotational mounting on one of said driven shafts;
a plurality of rollers, each of which has a central bore;
a pair of legs formed on said body member for mounting each roller on the periphery of said body member;
a pair of bushings, one bushing being pressed into and recessed below each end of the central bore of each roller;
a roller shaft made of a material which will not oxidize and which has a low coefficent of friction with respect to said bushings, extending through each of said pair of legs and said bushings of each roller at an angle to said driven shaft and retained in said pair of legs; and a washer interposed on said roller shaft at each end of the roller, each washer being incapable of engaging the bushing and engageable directly by, but independently rotatable relative to the roller and being formed of a hard material having a low coefficient of friction with respect to the roller.
a body member for non-rotational mounting on one of said driven shafts;
a plurality of rollers, each of which has a central bore;
a pair of legs formed on said body member for mounting each roller on the periphery of said body member;
a pair of bushings, one bushing being pressed into and recessed below each end of the central bore of each roller;
a roller shaft made of a material which will not oxidize and which has a low coefficent of friction with respect to said bushings, extending through each of said pair of legs and said bushings of each roller at an angle to said driven shaft and retained in said pair of legs; and a washer interposed on said roller shaft at each end of the roller, each washer being incapable of engaging the bushing and engageable directly by, but independently rotatable relative to the roller and being formed of a hard material having a low coefficient of friction with respect to the roller.
2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said washers are formed of molybdenum filled nylon.
3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said bushings are made of a mild steel coated with a porous bronze which has been impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene and lead.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US37902289A | 1989-07-12 | 1989-07-12 | |
| US07/379,022 | 1989-07-12 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2019885A1 CA2019885A1 (en) | 1991-01-13 |
| CA2019885C true CA2019885C (en) | 1996-06-18 |
Family
ID=23495492
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002019885A Expired - Lifetime CA2019885C (en) | 1989-07-12 | 1990-06-26 | Material handling conveyor |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPH0712851B2 (en) |
| KR (1) | KR0139422B1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU632338B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2019885C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE4021989C2 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2233733B (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2971384B2 (en) | 1995-12-28 | 1999-11-02 | 伊東電機株式会社 | Transfer device |
| DE10022617A1 (en) * | 2000-05-10 | 2001-11-15 | Manfred Rus | Transport roller for air freight containers comprises multi-part cast frame with arms which carry contact rollers forming its surface |
| US6409010B1 (en) * | 2000-05-17 | 2002-06-25 | Fmc Corporation | Split drive component with maintained alignment |
Family Cites Families (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1052069A (en) * | ||||
| US1580367A (en) * | 1924-09-29 | 1926-04-13 | Standard Conveyor Co | Conveyer roller |
| GB761772A (en) * | 1953-09-03 | 1956-11-21 | Charles Perkins Robertson | Improvements in or relating to rollers for applying paint and the like |
| JPS436669Y1 (en) * | 1964-04-27 | 1968-03-26 | ||
| US3710917A (en) * | 1971-01-29 | 1973-01-16 | Dorr Oliver Inc | Conveying apparatus |
| CH582077A5 (en) * | 1974-07-12 | 1976-11-30 | Pfaff Haushaltmasch | |
| FR2278605A1 (en) * | 1974-07-17 | 1976-02-13 | Renault | FRICTION ROLLER FOR CARRIER |
| JPS5836985Y2 (en) * | 1977-07-20 | 1983-08-20 | 株式会社ニフコ | Liquid level detection device |
| GB2116905B (en) * | 1982-03-24 | 1986-02-12 | Vomaster Products Limited | Domestic waste compactor |
| US4645071A (en) * | 1984-09-24 | 1987-02-24 | Alpha Manufacturing, Inc. | Idler roll assembly |
| US4907692A (en) * | 1985-05-01 | 1990-03-13 | Fmc Corporation | Container translating and orienting apparatus and method |
| GB2174966B (en) * | 1985-05-01 | 1990-01-10 | Fmc Corp | Conveyor |
| US4981209A (en) * | 1985-09-27 | 1991-01-01 | Fmc Corporation | Container translating and orienting apparatus and method |
-
1990
- 1990-06-26 CA CA002019885A patent/CA2019885C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1990-06-28 AU AU57957/90A patent/AU632338B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1990-07-02 GB GB9014683A patent/GB2233733B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1990-07-04 JP JP2177228A patent/JPH0712851B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1990-07-11 KR KR1019900010445A patent/KR0139422B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1990-07-11 DE DE4021989A patent/DE4021989C2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU5795790A (en) | 1991-01-17 |
| KR910002683A (en) | 1991-02-26 |
| GB9014683D0 (en) | 1990-08-22 |
| GB2233733A (en) | 1991-01-16 |
| DE4021989A1 (en) | 1991-01-17 |
| KR0139422B1 (en) | 1998-07-15 |
| JPH0712851B2 (en) | 1995-02-15 |
| DE4021989C2 (en) | 1994-06-09 |
| JPH0346906A (en) | 1991-02-28 |
| AU632338B2 (en) | 1992-12-24 |
| CA2019885A1 (en) | 1991-01-13 |
| GB2233733B (en) | 1993-05-05 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |