Patent ID: 8821097

Claim:
A conveyor shuttle for use in a work alley defining a work alley direction having a plurality of first type industrial machines on a first side of the work alley and a plurality of second type industrial machines on a second side of the work alley, the shuttle comprising: a shuttle driving system; a chassis; a conveyor belt system comprising a conveyor belt that is structured, connected and/or located to: (i) allow loading of articles from the first type machines; (ii) allow unloading of articles into the second type machines; and (iii) convey articles, in a conveyor belt direction that is generally transverse to the work alley direction, from the first side to the second side; a first conveyor belt guide wall and a second conveyor belt guide wall, each of which (i) is mechanically connected to a different side of the conveyor belt, (ii) has a length in a lengthwise direction parallel to the conveyor belt direction, and (iii) has a width in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the conveyor belt direction; and a guide hardware system comprising a chute member and a chute member supporting system, the chute member supporting system including a base member structured, located and/or mechanically connected to the first and second conveyor belt guide walls and translatable in at least two directions, wherein a first direction is generally transverse to a travel direction of the conveyor shuttle in the work alley, and a second direction that can be generally transverse to the travel direction of the conveyor shuttle in the work alley or generally parallel along the travel direction of the conveyor shuttle in the work alley; wherein: the shuttle drive system, the conveyor belt system and the guide hardware are mechanically connected (directly or indirectly) to the chassis; the shuttle drive system is structured, located and/or connected to drive the shuttle into motion so that it can travel along the work alley among and between the first type machines and the second type machines; and the guide hardware system is structured, connected and/or located to guide articles as they travel from location generally above each first side machine and into an opening in each first side machine.