Patent ID: 6223875
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A conveyor for advancing items in a conveying direction, in combination with force-exerting means for exerting an abutting force; said conveyor comprising(a) item-supporting means for defining a transport plane and for supporting the items thereon; and(b) an item-stopping device including(1) a stop roller disposed in a travel path of the items and forming an abutment to stop items in the advance thereof on said item-supporting means; said stop roller including an outer surface and a roller shaft having an axis constituting a rotational axis of said stop roller; said stop roller being shiftable into an upper end position and a lower end position; in said upper end position said outer surface of said stop roller being partially situated above said transport plane such that an item on said item-supporting means is adapted to abut said outer surface with said abutting force at a location above said rotational axis; in said lower end position said outer surface of said stop roller being situated below said transport plane and said transport plane being tangential to said outer surface;(2) guide means for linearly guiding said roller shaft for a direction of motion having a principal component oriented perpendicularly to said transport plane; and(3) a spring urging said stop roller into said upper end position by a spring force; said spring force being opposed by a component force of said abutting force and being so dimensioned that said spring force is overcome by a predetermined magnitude of said component force for shifting said stop roller from said upper end position into said lower end position;said force-exerting means comprising transport containers positioned on and advanced by said item-supporting means; said transport containers having a leading end wall for contacting said stop roller to exert said abutting force thereon.