HYBRID CLOSED LOOP CONVEYOR

Abstract: A conveyor (10), such as a baggage reclaim or air-side collection carousel, having a moving surface comprising overlapping flat plates, which plates are horizontal in some portions of the conveyor (11), and which are tilted in at least one other portion of the conveyor (12), with transition portions (18) in-between, whereby articles on the conveyor are urged towards one side of the moving surface for easier removal of articles from the conveyor.

Description: HYBRID CLOSED LOOP CONVEYOR TECHNICAL FIELD The invention pertains to conveyors and more particularly to a recirculating or closed loop conveyor having both horizontal and inclined portions. BACKGROUND ART In, for example, a baggage reclaim or air-side collection carousel, the capacity to hold and recirculate accumulated baggage is an asset. It is desirable to provide as much accumulation as possible for a given carousel size. One solution is to increase the width of the recirculating conveyor from which baggage is ultimately collected. This is why many such systems are designed to be about as wide as two suitcases. However, in a purely horizontal conveyor, the extra width imposes an inconvenience to those wishing to lift baggage from the interior edge. This inconvenience is addressed by fully inclined recirculating conveyors which are seen, for example, in international baggage reclaim areas. In these systems the entire moving surface of the carousel is inclined or tilted by about 25 degrees. In this way, baggage is urged toward the exterior edge by gravity. The disadvantages of the inclined carousel stem from the presence of a lip or bumper peripheral to the moving surface. First, baggage must be lifted up and over the bumper. For baggage handling staff, this is a considerable imposition. Second, the pressure exerted by an open bag onto a lower one makes removal all the more difficult, particularly when the lower bag's handle is trapped against the bumper or the upper bag. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor which goes at least some way towards overcoming or at least minimising the prior art problems or limitations outlined above. It is another object of the present invention to provide a conveyor which has the accumulation and access of an inclined carousel and the baggage lifting ease of a horizontal carousel. It is a further object of the invention to provide a conveyor having horizontal, tilted and transition sections. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a conveyor having a moving surface comprising flat plates that overlap, which plates are horizontal in some portions of the conveyor and which are tilted in at least one other portion of the conveyor, the conveyor also having transition portions. These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent from the following descriptions and drawings. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a conveyor having a moving surface comprising a plurality of overlapping flat plates disposed across the conveyor transversely to the direction of travel of the moving surface, wherein throughout the route of the conveyor surface the plates in at least one location are disposed across the conveyor at an angle to the horizontal, and in at least one other location the plates are disposed horizontally across the conveyor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the drawings, wherein:- F1GURE 1 is a plan view of a conveyor according to the teachings of the present invention. FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of a conveyor according to the teachings of the present invention. FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a conveyor according to the teachings of the present invention. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION As shown for example in Figure 1, a recirculating loop conveyor 10 comprises both straight sections 1 1 and at least two turns 12. In the example illustrated by Figure I , two 180 degree turns are provided. It will be understood that other closed loop configurations are also within the ambit of the invention. The configuration depicted, particularly when applied as a baggage reclaim or air-side handling carousel, is characterised as cooperating with another conveyor, generally an infeed conveyor. The infeed conveyor 13 preferably brings baggage from another level, through the interior 14 of the loop and deposits the baggage onto one of the tilted portions 12. Bags deposited by the infeed conveyor are urged by gravity away from the interior edge 16 of the surface toward the exterior edge 17. This depositing region occupies a tilted portion, whether it be on a turn or not. If another piece of baggage occupies the exterior edge 17, the two pieces will travel around the conveyor 10 side- by-side toward, then onto the straight, horizontal portion 1 1. Passengers or staff will generally handle baggage from the one or more long un-bumpered horizontal portions I I . Naturally, baggage adjacent the exterior edge 17 will be more accessible and will have a higher probability of being collected. Because the horizontal portions need no lower bumper to keep baggage on the conveyor surface (as shown in Figure 3), lifting is made considerably easier. The next turn is preferably inclined or tilted, but may be flat. Where the turn is tilted, as shown for example in Figures 1-3, an uncollected bag occupying a position toward the interior edge 16 will slide down the incline toward the exterior edge 17. At least in the tilted portions, and preferably only there, the exterior edge is provided with a raised bumper 19 which prevents baggage from sliding off of the moving surface 15. Thus all baggage will eventually come to rest on an un-bumpered, horizontal exterior edge for convenient collection or handling. Importantly, the flat overlapping plates at make up the moving surface 15 move through a transition zone 18. In this zone the tilt or inclination of the plates, transverse to the direction of travel, varies gradually from flat to the maximum tilt angle of about 25 degrees. In the above example, the tilted portions of the moving surface have been illustrated as particular to the turns. However, the benefits of the invention are also equally attained where the infeed and tilted portion(s) of the moving surface 15 are located along a straight portion, regardless of the configuration of the turns. The important features are that the carousel comprises both horizontal and tilted portions, that the moving surface is wide enough for more than one bag and that at least one horizontal portion be free from a peripheral bumper. The invention thus offers increased surface area and accumulation without the collection inconvenience associated with closed loop systems in which the moving surface is always tilted and requires a bumper around the entire carousel. While the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, this specific disclosure should be understood as having been provided by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope or value or the teachings. In particular, the layout or shape of the conveyor is considered a detail of construction. Further it will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications or alterations to the invention described herein may be made, none of which depart from the spirit of the present invention. All such changes, modifications, and alterations should therefore be seen as being within the scope of the present invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A conveyor having a moving surface comprising a plurality of overlapping flat plates disposed across the conveyor transversely to the direction of travel of the moving surface, wherein throughout the route of the conveyor surface the plates in at least one location are disposed across the conveyor at an angle to the horizontal, and in at least one other location the plates are disposed horizontally across the conveyor. 2. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the plates in said at least one location are disposed at an angle which at its highest point is about 25° to the horizontal. 3. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the plates of the moving surface of the conveyor travel through a first transition zone wherein the angle from the horizontal increases from its lowest point through to its maximum height or amplitude, and a second transition zone wherein the angle from the horizontal decreases from its maximum height or amplitude through to its lowest point. 4. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 3, wherein in the first transition zone, the angle from the horizontal increases from about 0° through to about 25°' and in the second transition zone the angle from the horizontal decreases from about 25° through to about 0°. 5. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor is a recirculating loop conveyor. 6. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor comprises a baggage reclaim or air-side collection carousel. 7. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor has an elongated loop configuration, and wherein either one or both opposed ends of the loop are adapted to have plates of the moving surface disposed at an angle across the width thereof inclined downwardly from the inner peripheral edge of the conveyor surface towards the outer peripheral edge thereof. 8. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a raised sidewall is disposed along one or both edges of the conveyor adjacent but spaced from the moving surface of the conveyor. 9. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 8, wherein a raised sidewall is provided only adjacent the lower side of the transversely inclined portion(s) of the moving surface of the conveyor. 10. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the raised sidewall is padded.

Inventors: HATTON GERALD, HATTON, GERALD
Applicants: COLBY ENGINEERING PTY LIMITED, HATTON GERALD, COLBY ENGINEERING PTY. LIMITED, HATTON, GERALD
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65G17
IPC codes: B65G17