Abstract A conveyor for upright, generally cylindrical articles, especially bottles and cans, comprising the combination with a powered linkage-type conveyor chain defining a longitudinally extending support surface for the articles, of a pair of opposed, generally rectilinear guide rails normally confining the articles for travel on such surface and which are interrupted at selected positions along the length of the surface to receive sets of arcuately curved guide plates designed to sweep the articles relatively toward one side of the support surface during movement between such plates. The particular one of the arcuately curved guide plates toward which the articles are swept in each such interruption in the side rails is of the reduced vertical extent relatively of its companion plate and is spaced above the plane of the support surface a distance which is in excess of the maximum outside diameter or transverse dimension of the articles being handled so as to enable such articles as are in a horizontal or tipped position on the support surface to eject off the side of the conveyor in moving between a set of curved guide plates.
A conveyor for upright, tippable articles, comprising a propelled, endless conveyance member defining a longitudinally extending conveyance surface for the articles, a pair of substantially rectilinear guide rails arranged one to each side of the conveyance surface defined for the articles by said conveyance member for maintaining the articles on such surface during movement thereover, said guide rails being interrupted at one or more corresponding portions along their respective lengths, and opposed pairs of arcuately curved article ejector plates detachably mounted to a respective one of the guide rails at each such interruption for imparting an arcuate, side-sweeping motion to the articles as the latter move between such plates, with the plate towards which the articles are swept being spaced above the plane of the conveyance surface a distance just in excess of the maximum lateral, outside dimension of the articles being handled in the conveyor so as to permit any article which is in a tipped rather than an upright position to eject off the side of the conveyance surface as it traverses the ejector plates, the ejector plates of any one set being curved identically to one another and formed with end attachment flanges which are mirror images of the flanges of the other of the rails whereby to permit interchanging of the plates on the guide rails to provide for the ejection of the articles off either side of the conveyance surface as desired.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
237 words
A conveyor for upright, tippable articles, comprising a propelled, endless conveyance member defining a longitudinally extending conveyance surface for the articles, a pair of substantially rectilinear guide rails arranged one to each side of the conveyance surface defined for the articles by said conveyance member for maintaining the articles on such surface during movement thereover, said guide rails being interrupted at one or more corresponding portions along their respective lengths, and opposed pairs of arcuately curved article ejector plates detachably mounted to a respective one of the guide rails at each such interruption for imparting an arcuate, side-sweeping motion to the articles as the latter move between such plates, with the plate towards which the articles are swept being spaced above the plane of the conveyance surface a distance just in excess of the maximum lateral, outside dimension of the articles being handled in the conveyor so as to permit any article which is in a tipped rather than an upright position to eject off the side of the conveyance surface as it traverses the ejector plates, the ejector plates of any one set being curved identically to one another and formed with end attachment flanges which are mirror images of the flanges of the other of the rails whereby to permit interchanging of the plates on the guide rails to provide for the ejection of the articles off either side of the conveyance surface as desired.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The construction of claim 1 in which the ejector plates have a vertical extent which is in excess of that of the guide rails whereby to assure the articles of a high degree of lateral stability in moving between such plates.