A ROLLER CONVEYOR

Abstract: A roller conveyor for transport of articles is provided. The roller conveyor consists of an elongate profile (1) of a thin metal sheet bent in U-form with rows of holes positioned opposite to each other, where punched material (5) from the holes (2) extends inwardly toward the interior of the U and forms bearings for pins (7) on cylindrical rollers (6) which form a transport surface. A plurality of projections (14) are provided on each side of the rollers (6), and these projections are positioned on the outer side of the punched material (5) with respect to the pin (7). In one embodiment the roller conveyor is stiffened by bending of the branches of the U, and in another embodiment by support in another metal sheet (8) of thicker material bent in U-form.

Description: A roller conveyor The invention concerns a roller conveyor of the type stated in the introductory portion of claim 1. In the use of such roller conveyors a plurality of these are generally arranged in parallel with each other so that together they form a roller conveyor assembly which is used in large storage rooms in e.g. stores for conveying articles to a location where the storesmen can convenient¬ ly unload the articles for further transport. The object of the invention is to provide a roller con- veyor which can withstand great loads, which just offers low frictional resistance and which is inexpensive to manufacture in relation thereto. This is achieved according to the invention by the sub- ject-matter defined in the characterizing portion of claim 1. Thus, it is very advantageous that each roller is jour- nalled by means of a pin at each side instead of a through shaft which will possibly be bent when loaded. It is also inexpensive and expedient that the punched material in the U-shaped profile forms bearings for these pins in the rollers. Each roller can e.g. be loaded much more than known roller conveyors having shafts. The rollers moreover have projections which are disposed at the outer side of the punched material in the mounted position of the rollers. If a pin should break, these pro¬ jections form mounts for the rollers. To reinforce and stiffen the roller conveyor the U-shaped profile additionally has bends as stated in claim 2. In this embodiment the roller conveyor has a reasonable stiffness to withstand loads. If, on the other hand, the roller conveyor is to be cap¬ able of withstanding great loads, the thin metal sheet profile with the rollers is supported by means of a second U-shaped profile of a thicker metal sheet, as stated in claim 3. To reinforce and interconnect several roller conveyors the second U-shaped profile is constructed as stated in claim 4. The invention will be described more fully below with reference to the drawing, in which fig. 1 is a perspective view of a short section of a roller conveyor according to the invention, fig. 2 is a cross-section of several roller conveyors of the type shown in fig. 1 coupled together to form a large assembled rolling surface, fig. 3 is a perspective view of a roller incorporated in the roller conveyor, fig. 4 is an axial cross-section through the roller shown in fig. 3, fig. 5 is a cross-section through the thin sheet metal profile in figs. 1 and 2, and fig. 6 is a cross-section through a second embodiment of the thin sheet metal profile. Figs. 1 and 2 show a short section of an elongate sheet metal profile 1, which is bent in U-shape, and which has two rows of holes in the U positioned opposite each other in the branches 3, 4. The punched material from the making of the holes 2 ex¬ tends as collars 5 in a direction toward the interior of the U, as appears more clearly from figs. 5 and 6. A plurality of closely spaced cylindrical rollers 6, which are shown in greater detail in figs. 3 and 4, are jour¬ nalled with pins 7 in the holes 2. The sheet metal profile 1 with the rollers 6 journalled in it is arranged in a second U-shaped profile 8 of a thicker and thus stiffer metal sheet, which is bent such that it fits the profile 1 with the rollers 6. This second profile 8 has additional bent parts 9, which are bent backwards from the ends of the U-shaped branches in parallel with the branches and with the same extent as the height of the branches. The bend 9 is bent back again at one side so that a part 10 is bent upwardly, as shown in figs. 1 and 2. Several roller conveyors can hereby be interconnected, as shown in fig. 2, to provide a complete roller conveyor assembly. Instead of the mentioned second profile 8 of thicker mate¬ rial, the thin sheet metal profile 1 will suffice for somewhat lighter loads, when this profile per se has addi- tional bent parts 11, as shown in fig. 6, for the neces¬ sary reinforcement and stiffening. Otherwise, the profile shown in fig. 6 is shaped in the same manner as the pro¬ file in fig. 5. Of course, the profile in fig. 6 may also have an additional bend (not shown) corresponding to the part 10 in figs. 1 and 2, so that a plurality of roller conveyors can likewise be coupled together to a complete roller conveyor assembly of a lighter structure. As mentioned, the cylindrical rollers 6 are not shown in detail in figs. 3 and 4. As mentioned, each roller has an axially protruding pin 7 at each side for mounting in the holes 2 or more parti¬ cularly the collars 5 from the punched material. These pins 7 are connected with the cylindrical shell 13 of the roller by means of a plurality, six in the shown embodi¬ ment, of plate-shaped spokes. Each spoke 12 has a projec¬ tion 14 in the vicinity of the pin 7, said projection being positioned on the outer side of the punched material or the collar 5 with respect to the pin 7. For one thing the pins 7 can withstand a very huge load, but if one of the pins 7 should break, then the projec¬ tions 14 ensure that the roller 6 remains mounted in the U-shaped profile 1. The rollers preferably consist of a plastics material.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s : 1. A roller conveyor for the transport of boxes with contents or other articles and consisting of an elongate profile (1) of thin metal sheet bent in U-form and having rows of holes (2) positioned opposite to each other in the branches in the U for mounting axial pins (7), which ex¬ tend outwardly from their respective sides of cylindrical rollers (6) extending with part of the cylindrical surface (13) beyond the opening formed by the U-form, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the holes (2) are punched such that the punched material (5) from the holes (2) ex¬ tends inwardly toward the interior of the U and forms bearings for the axial pins (7), and that the rollers (6) at each side have a plurality of projections (16) posi¬ tioned on the outer side of the punched material (5) with respect to the pin (7). 2. A roller conveyor according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the profile (1) bent in U-form has additional bent parts (11) which are bent backwards from the ends of the U-shaped branches in parallel with the branches, preferably past the rows of holes. 3. A roller conveyor according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the U-shaped profile (1) with the rollers (6) is arranged in a second U-shaped profile (8) of thicker sheet metal and with the same inside dimension as the outside dimensions of the U-shaped profile (1) with the rollers (6). 4. A roller conveyor according to claim 3, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the second U-shaped profile (8) has additional bent parts (9) which are bent backwards from the ends of the U-shaped branches in parallel with the branches, substantially with the same extent as the height of the branches, and that the bend is moreover bent back again at least on one side in parallel with the side.

Inventors: SOELUND JOERGEN, SOELUND, JOERGEN
Applicants: COMSTORE AS, COMSTORE A/S
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65G13
IPC codes: B65G13, B65G39