Patent ID: 6244421
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A conveyor system for transporting a series of loads, comprising:a series of conveyor zones including at least a selectively operable upstream conveyor zone and a selectively operable downstream conveyor zone;a drive arrangement interconnected with the upstream and downstream conveyor zones for selectively operating each conveyor zone to advance the loads along the conveyor system; anda control arrangement interconnected with each drive arrangement, wherein the control arrangement is operable on each drive arrangement to: selectively operate the upstream and downstream conveyor zones to advance adjacent first and second loads thereon at a rate of speed, wherein the first and second loads travel at different rates of speed in the event the coefficient of friction varies between the first and second loads and the respective downstream and upstream conveyor zones; stop operation of the upstream conveyor zone when the first load is discharged from the upstream conveyor zone and is supported solely by the downstream conveyor zone and the second load reaches a predetermined position on the upstream conveyor zone and is supported solely by the upstream conveyor zone, to maintain the second load stationary on the upstream conveyor zone; maintain operation of the downstream conveyor zone while operation of the upstream conveyor zone is stopped, to advance the first load on the downstream conveyor zone relative to the second load to a predetermined position on the downstream conveyor zone corresponding to the predetermined position of the first load on the upstream conveyor zone; and simultaneously operate both the downstream conveyor zone and the upstream conveyor zone when the first load reaches the predetermined position on the downstream conveyor zone, to simultaneously advance the first and second loads on the upstream and downstream conveyor zones, respectively;wherein the control arrangement operates the conveyor zone drive arrangements so as to maintain a one-to-one relationship between the conveyor zones and the loads supported on and advanced by the conveyor zones.