Patent ID: 7127997
Filing Date: 2006-10-31
Classification: B61B,B62D,B65G

Abstract:
1. A friction drive conveyor comprising: a plurality of carriers movable in a running direction along a track; the carriers each having a frictional surface extending in the running direction; a plurality of frictional wheels arranged at generally fixed locations along the track side so as to come into contact with the frictional surfaces of the carriers to propel the carriers along the track; the track including a section in which the frictional wheels are arranged at regular intervals of a distance not longer than the length of the frictional surface; brakeless motors each assigned to one of the frictional wheels for driving the frictional wheel; sensors assigned to each of the frictional wheels for sensing whether or not the frictional wheel is in contact with the frictional surface of one carrier; the sensors each adapted to output a sensing signal; a controlling means for controlling each of the brakeless motors, means for transmitting the sensing signal for one frictional wheel to the controlling means for a rearwardly adjacent motor so as to start rotating a rearwardly adjacent frictional wheel in contact with the frictional surface of one carrier when a forwardly adjacent frictional wheel becomes free of the frictional surface of the next preceding carrier, and so as to automatically stop rotating a frictional wheel at the time of its becoming free of the frictional surface of a carrier.