Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/790,209 filed Feb. 20, 2001 titled “Guide Rail Support Bracket for Conveyor System”. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates generally to assembly line and conveyor systems that provide the guided transport of objects along a predetermined path and, more particularly, the invention relates to a support bracket that secures guide rails in place on a conveyor system.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    Manufacturers commonly utilize conveyor systems in processing, packaging, and assembly lines in which a product travels on a conveyor chain and is transported through or between various manufacturing procedures. Guide rails are typically provided to maintain specific positioning of the product during a procedure. The guide rails also inhibit lateral movement during transport that may result in the product falling off the chain and jamming the conveyor system leading to delays in the production process. The product can also become damaged if it comes off the conveyor chain.  
           [0006]    Guide rail support assemblies are typically utilized on each side of the conveyor chain structure to align one or more guide rails along the predetermined path. Usually, pairs of assemblies are located across from each other along the conveyor system. Typically, guide rail support brackets are attached to the sides of the conveyor structure, and support rods are mounted to the brackets. It is desirable to maintain the guide rails in a tangential orientation with respect to the conveyor travel to minimize side-loading and vibration between the guide rails and the objects.  
           [0007]    One difficulty is that, in many applications, the products are of different sizes. For example, a bottling plant may spend part of one day processing small bottles and the remainder of the day processing bottles of much larger diameter. However, in portions of production lines the guide rails need to maintain close contact with all sizes of objects. In certain situations, new products or new container sizes can be of sufficient size as to create an interference with the guide rail support brackets as shown in FIG. 7.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, the typical practice in the art is to remove the brackets and reattach them with longer bolts and with one or more spacers interposed between the brackets and the sides of the conveyor structure as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, the brackets are moved outwardly enough to clear the larger product on the conveyor chain.  
           [0009]    For most conveyor guide rail applications, the guide rails are arranged parallel to the conveyor body and, thus, the conveyor chain. However, in applications including in-line transfers from one conveyor line to another adjacent parallel but laterally displaced conveyor line or in conveyors including curves, the surface of the conveyor body and the guide rails are not parallel in the transition/curve region. It is known to provide plastic swivel bodies on a fixed guide rail support to allow the guide rail to pivot with respect to the guide rail support bracket and the conveyor body. However, these swivel bodies are typically configured with internal cavities and gaps. These cavities and gaps can retain debris present in the conveyor environment making it difficult to clean the cavities and gaps.  
           [0010]    In addition, the plastic swivel bodies depend on a plastic-to-plastic mating surface. As is well known in the art, plastic can only endure a limited amount of tightening torque without damaging the material. Also, the plastic tends to cold flow and is inherently a low friction material. Thus, the plastic swivel bodies tend to loosen over time especially in the high vibration environment of a conveyor system. Plastic is also susceptible to damage from certain harsh cleaning solutions used in conveyor systems.  
           [0011]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a guide rail support bracket assembly that obviates the need for spacers when larger products are to be used on a conveyor system. There is also a need for a guide rail support bracket that can support a guide rail in various orientations with respect to the conveyor body, yet be made of materials resistant to the conveyor environment and provide minimal cavities for retention of material.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the invention, which in one aspect, provides a guide rail support bracket assembly for supporting a conveyor system guide rail through a support rod. The assembly includes a support bracket having a mounting segment configured to be mounted to a conveyor body. The support bracket is preferably formed by cutting and bending a generally flat metal plate. An extension segment is attached along a first edge to the mounting segment. A support segment is connected along an edge to a second edge of the extension segment and, at another end, spaced from the mounting segment, to an angled clamping section. The support rod is clamped into the clamping section by an eyebolt that fits through a clamping hole formed in the angled clamping section. The eyebolt is drawn into the angled clamping section by a clamping knob or fastener.  
           [0013]    The guide rail support bracket assembly of this invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art in a number of ways. First, the support bracket is preferably constructed of stainless steel, which is not susceptible to deterioration from harsh cleaning chemicals. Second, the support bracket assembly has less internal or hard to access surface area in comparison to the prior art, which makes the bracket easy to clean and prevents the trapping of cleaning chemicals. Third, the support bracket does not have a cylindrical cavity that limits the maximum diameter of the support rod that would otherwise have to fit through the cavity. Fourth, the support bracket assembly can accommodate support rods of variable sizes by using an eyebolt with an appropriately sized eyelet. Furthermore, the support bracket has a simple construction that makes the bracket easy and inexpensive to fabricate.  
           [0014]    In one aspect of the invention, a guide rail support bracket assembly for a conveyor system comprises: (1) a support bracket comprising: (a) a mounting segment extending substantially along a first plane; an extension segment attached along a first edge to the mounting segment; and a support segment connected along an edge to a second edge of the extension segment and along another edge to the mounting segment, the extension and support segments extending substantially along a second plane substantially perpendicular to the first plane; and (b) an angled clamping section having a clamping hole formed therein, the angled clamping section being connected to the support segment at an end spaced from the mounting segment; (2) a threaded eyebolt ending in an eyelet, the eyebolt configured to fit through the clamping hole such that the eyelet is positioned on a concave side of the angled clamping section; and (3) a fastener configured to thread onto the eyebolt and pull the eyelet into the angled clamping section from an opposite side of the angled clamping section. In one aspect of the invention, the bracket is formed by cutting and bending a single generally flat metal plate. In another aspect, the mounting segment, the extension segment, and the support segment together define a support bracket formed by cutting and bending a generally flat metal plate and wherein the angled clamping section is formed by cutting and bending a separate generally flat metal plate and wherein the support bracket and angled clamping sections each further comprise a pivot segment and wherein the support bracket and angled clamping sections are attachable in a 360° rotational orientation  
           [0015]    In a particular aspect of the invention, the angled clamping section is configured to secure a guide rail support rod, the angled clamping section comprising: (a) a first clamping segment attached to the support segment beyond the mounting segment, the first clamping segment extending substantially along a third plane, the third plane being substantially perpendicular to the first plane, the first clamping segment being oriented at about a 45° angle relative to the support segment; and (b) a second clamping segment connected to the first clamping segment at a clamping joint, the second clamping segment extending along a fourth plane, the fourth plane being substantially perpendicular to the first plane, the second clamping segment being oriented between about 70° and 110° relative to the first clamping segment. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the angled clamping section has a clamping hole formed therethrough.  
           [0016]    In still another aspect of the invention, a conveyor system guide rail support bracket assembly comprises: (1) a conveyor having a conveyor body; (2) a first guide rail support bracket formed by cutting and bending a flat metal plate, the bracket comprising: (a) a mounting segment attachable to the conveyor body so as to define a proximate configuration; (b) a support segment connected at one end to the mounting segment; and (c) an angled clamping section connected to the support segment at an end spaced from the mounting segment; (3) at least a second guide rail support bracket formed by cutting and bending a flat metal plate, the bracket comprising: (a) a mounting segment attachable to the conveyor body so as to define at least a first distal configuration; (b) an extension segment attached along a first edge to the mounting segment; (c) a support segment connected along an edge to a second edge of the extension segment; and (d) an angled clamping section connected to the support segment at an end spaced from the mounting segment; (4) a clamping mechanism; (5) a support rod clamped into the angled clamping section by the clamping mechanism; and (6) a guide rail attached to an end of the support rod.  
           [0017]    In one particular aspect, the clamping mechanism comprises a clamping hole formed in the angled clamping section, a threaded eyebolt ending in an eyelet, the eyebolt configured to fit through the clamping hole such that the eyelet is positioned on a concave side of the angled clamping section, and a fastener configured to thread onto the eyebolt and pull the eyelet into the angled clamping section from an opposite side of the angled clamping section.  
           [0018]    In yet another aspect, the invention is a guide rail support bracket assembly for a conveyor system, the assembly comprising a support bracket comprising (1) a mounting segment and a support segment connected to the mounting segment; and (2) a bracket pivot segment attached to the support segment, an angled clamping section having a clamping hole formed therein, the angled clamping section also defining a clamping section pivot segment wherein the angled clamping section is connected to the support bracket via the pivot segments such that the support bracket and the angled clamping section can be secured in any of a 360° relative orientations, a threaded eyebolt ending in an eyelet, the eyebolt configured to fit through the clamping hole such that the eyelet is positioned on a concave side of the angled clamping section, and a fastener configured to thread onto the eyebolt and pull the eyelet into the angled clamping section from an opposite side of the angled clamping section. In one particular aspect, the support bracket further comprises an extension segment attached along a first edge to the mounting segment and along a second edge to the support segment.  
           [0019]    An additional aspect of the invention is a method of guiding objects on a conveyor system, the conveyor system comprising a conveyor body and the conveyor system transporting objects along a non-strictly linear path, the method comprising attaching a guide rail support bracket to the conveyor body, attaching a guide rail to a clamping section, and interconnecting the guide rail support bracket and the clamping section such that the guide rail is positioned in a substantially tangential orientation with respect to the conveyor travel. These and other objects and advantages will become more fully apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a guide rail support bracket assembly including a support bracket;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1B illustrates an exploded perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1A;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2A illustrates a front elevational view of the clamping section of the support bracket of FIG. 1;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2B illustrates a front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the clamping section;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 illustrates a front elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 1 showing three possible positions of the clamping knob;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 illustrates a side elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 1;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 illustrates a front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the guide rail support bracket assembly;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6 illustrates the guide rail support bracket assembly of FIG. 1 in conjunction with a guide rail and a conveyor system, the assembly being installed in a proximal configuration;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 is an in-line section view of a prior art conveyor system carrying objects of different sizes showing interference between the larger object and guide rails;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 8 is an in-line section view of a typical alternative installation of the conveyor system of FIG. 7 including spacers and the longer attachment bolts to avoid the interference shown in FIG. 7;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a guide rail support bracket assembly including a spacer;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 10 is an in-line section view of the guide rail support bracket assembly of FIG. 9 as attached to a conveyor body;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a guide rail support bracket assembly including a pivotable support bracket;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the guide rail support bracket assembly including a pivotable support bracket of FIG. 11; and  
         [0034]    FIGS.  13 A- 13 D are perspective views of the guide rail support bracket assembly including a pivotable support bracket of FIG. 11 in four different pivoted configurations.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 14 is a is a perspective view of another guide rail support bracket assembly including a pivotable support bracket. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0036]    In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details or with certain alternative equivalent devices and methods to those described herein.  
         [0037]    Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, one embodiment of a guide rail support bracket assembly  100  includes a guide rail support bracket  102 , which, in its preferred form, is constructed from a one-piece member stamped or bent from a flat plate of stainless steel, carbon steel, or any suitable metal or alloy. A mounting segment  104  preferably extends in a vertical plane and has an elongated mounting hole  106  for mounting and adjusting the bracket  102 . A vertically aligned support segment  108  is attached substantially along the edge of the mounting segment  104  such that the support segment  108  is substantially perpendicular to the mounting segment  104 . The support segment  108  extends above the mounting segment  104  to form an angled clamping section  110 . The clamping section  110  defines a concave recess  112  having a shallow “V” shape.  
         [0038]    A guide rail support rod  126  is clamped into the clamping section  110  by a clamping mechanism. In the preferred embodiment, the clamping mechanism comprises an eyebolt  123 , a threaded clamping knob (fastener)  130 , and a clamping hole  120 . The support rod  126  is inserted through an eyelet  124  positioned on the end of a threaded portion  122  of the eyebolt  123 . The clamping hole  120  is formed in the clamping section  110  to allow the threaded portion  122  and the eyelet  124  of the eyebolt  123  to fit through the clamping section  110 . The eyebolt  123  and eyelet  124  are drawn into the clamping section  110  by the threaded clamping knob  130  from a side of the clamping section  110  opposite the concave recess  112 . After the support rod  126  is inserted through the eyelet  124  and the eyebolt  123  inserted through the clamping hole  120 , the knob  130  is turned to draw the support rod  126  into the clamping section  110 . As the clamping knob  130  is tightened, the support rod  126  becomes firmly clamped within the concave recess  112  of the clamping section  110 .  
         [0039]    In the preferred embodiments, the clamping hole  120  is elongated, has a height slightly greater than the outer diameter of the eyelet  124 , and has a width slightly greater than the width of the threaded portion  122  or the eyelet  124 , whichever is greater. The diameter of the eyelet  124  is preferably slightly larger than the diameter of the support rod  126 . In addition, the height of the clamping hole  120  can be made large enough to accommodate eyelets  124  of varied diameters. Accordingly, support rods  126  having larger diameters can be used with the support bracket  102  by selecting an eyebolt  123  having an eyelet  124  with a large enough diameter to accommodate the support rod  126 . Some eyebolts  123  with larger diameter eyelets  124  may also be able to be used with support rods  126  having smaller diameters.  
         [0040]    In an alternative embodiment, the clamping mechanism can comprise a “U” bolt, two clamping knobs, and one or two clamping holes formed on opposite sides of the clamping section  110 . The support rod  126  can be inserted into the “U” bolt, the “U” bolt can be inserted into the clamping holes, and the clamping knobs can be tightened to draw the support rod  126  into the clamping section  110 . Other clamping mechanisms could also be used as will be recognized by one skilled in the art.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 2A illustrates a front elevational view of the clamping section  110  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The clamping section  110  of this embodiment is preferably formed from a lower bend  202  of approximately 45 degrees from the support segment  108  in a first direction and an upper bend  204  of approximately 90 degrees in an opposite direction. The lower bend  202  and upper bend  204  define a lower clamping segment  206 , an upper clamping segment  208 , and the concave recess  112  of the clamping section  110 . In the illustrated embodiment, the radius of the upper bend  204  is somewhat smaller than the radius of the support rod  126 . A gap  209  is therefore left between the support rod  126  and the upper bend  204 . In an alternative embodiment, the radius of the upper bend  204  can be configured to be substantially similar to the radius of the support rod  126 , in which case there will be little or no gap  210 .  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 2B illustrates a front elevational view of the clamping section  110  in accordance with an additional embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the upper bend  204  is replaced by a first upper bend  212  of about 45 degrees and a second upper bend  214  of about another 45 degrees. The first upper bend  212  and the second upper bend  214  define a straight connecting segment  216  that connects a lower clamping segment  206 A to an upper clamping segment  208 A. The lower clamping segment  206 A and the upper clamping segment  208 A are preferably oriented at approximately a 90 degree angle relative to each other. The connecting segment  216  preferably has a flat surface  218  on the exterior surface of the clamping section  110  upon which the clamping knob  130  can squarely rest.  
         [0043]    Referring to FIG. 3, the clamping knob  130  and eyebolt  123  can be placed in three different positions relative to the clamping section  110 . In a first position  302 , shown in solid line, the eyebolt  123  extends and the knob  130  rotates substantially along a horizontal axis. In a second position  304 , shown in phantom, the knob  130  rotates substantially along an axis elevated at 45 degrees. In a third position  306 , also shown in phantom, the knob  130  rotates substantially along an axis declined by 45 degrees. The knob  130  and eyebolt  123  can also be positioned at any location between the three positions  302 ,  304 , and  306  if the clamping section  110  is configured in accordance with FIG. 2A and wherein the radius of the upper bend  204  is substantially similar to the radius of the support rod  126 . The clamping knob  130  and eyebolt  123  can therefore be placed in various positions to accommodate the preference of the individual installing or adjusting the assembly  100 . In addition, the configuration of any surrounding equipment may make some clamping positions preferable over others.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIGS. 3 and 4 indicate, through the corresponding letters listed below, the dimensions of one embodiment of the assembly  100 . The dimensions are approximately as follows:  
         [0045]    A—6.33 inches  
         [0046]    B—2.52 inches  
         [0047]    C—2.60 inches  
         [0048]    D—1.84 inches  
         [0049]    E—2.94 inches  
         [0050]    F—0.41 inches  
         [0051]    G—1.77 inches  
         [0052]    H—2.36 inches  
         [0053]    I—1.20 inches  
         [0054]    Although the dimensions of this embodiment are listed above, it will be noted that the dimensions of alternate embodiments can be adjusted accordingly to take into account the specific requirements of alternate applications.  
         [0055]    The support bracket  102  is preferably formed from a single steel plate. The steel plate is first cut into a requisite shape and then appropriately bent to form the support bracket  102 . Alternatively, each segment of the support bracket can be individually cut from steel plating and the support bracket can be formed by joining, preferably by welding, the individual segments together. The support bracket  102  is preferably formed from 11 gauge or 0.120 inch thick stainless steel.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 5 illustrates a front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of a guide rail support bracket assembly  500 . In this embodiment, a clamping section  510  is oriented to clamp the support rod  126  from above rather than from the side. The mounting segment  104 , the support segment  108 , and the lower bend  202  are similar to or the same as those of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 4 . An upper bend  504  of approximately 90 degrees, however, bends in the same direction as the lower bend  202 . The lower bend  202  and upper bend  504  define a first clamping segment  506  and a second clamping segment  508 .  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 6 illustrates the guide rail support bracket assembly  100  in conjunction with a conveyor system  600  in a proximate configuration  650  in which the guide rail support bracket assembly  100  can support the support rods  126  to accommodate small objects  610 . A conveyor  602  has a conveyor body  604  to which the support bracket  102  is directly mounted. The support bracket  102  can be mounted by one or more fasteners  640  through the elongated mounting hole  106  directly adjacent the conveyor body  604 . The elongated mounting hole  106  preferably allows the support bracket  102  to be vertically adjusted on the conveyor body  604 . The support rod  126  is clamped into the clamping section  110  of the support bracket  102  by the eyebolt  123  and the clamping knob  130 . A guide rail  606  is attached to the end of the support rod  126  and supported by the support rod  126 . The guide rail  606  guides the small objects  610  along the conveyor belt  612 .  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a guide rail support bracket assembly  900  adapted to achieve a distal configuration  1050  in which the guide rail support bracket assembly  900  can support the support rods  126  to accommodate larger objects  611  (FIG. 10) in a manner that will be described in greater detail below. The guide rail support bracket assembly  900  comprises a guide rail support bracket  902 . The guide rail support bracket  902  includes the mounting segment  104 , the mounting hole  106 , the support segment  108 , and clamping section  110 ,  510  substantially similar to those previously described in other embodiments.  
         [0059]    The guide rail support bracket  902  also includes an extension segment  940 . The extension segment  940  is generally rectangular and is preferably formed of the same material as the mounting segment  104  and the support segment  108  as a one-piece member stamped or bent from a flat plate of stainless steel, carbon steel, or any suitable metal or alloy as previously described with respect to the guide rail support bracket  102 . The extension segment  940  is attached along a first edge  942  to an edge of the mounting segment  104  so as to extend in a generally perpendicular manner with respect to the mounting segment  104 . The extension segment  940  is also attached along a second edge  944  to the support segment  108  such that the extension segment  940  is generally coplanar with the support segment  108 . Thus, the extension segment  940  as demarcated by the dashed lines  942 ,  944  in FIG. 9 is interposed between the mounting segment  104  and the support segment  108  thereby increasing the distance of the support segment  108  along the plane of the support segment  108  from the mounting segment  104  by the width of the extension segment  940 .  
         [0060]    The dimensions of the guide rail support bracket  902  are substantially similar to the guide rail support bracket  102 , except that the dimensions “G” and “H” shown in FIG. 4 are increased for the guide rail support bracket  902  by the width of the extension segment  940 . In this embodiment, “G” and “H” are increased by approximately 1 inch which corresponds to more than a 60% increase in the “G” dimension. In addition, the ratio of “G” to “H” is increased to &gt;0.80:1. It is preferred that the “G” to “H” ratio be maintained at least 0.8:1 in order to accommodate the larger objects  611 .  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 10 illustrates the attachment of two guide rail support bracket assemblies  900  to define a first distal configuration  1050  of the guide rail support bracket assembly  900 . It can be seen in FIG. 10 that the guide rails  606  are maintained in close contact with larger objects  610  without inducing interference between the objects  610  and the guide rail support bracket assemblies  900 . In this embodiment, the mounting section  104  of the guide rail support bracket  902  is also attached directly adjacent the conveyor body  604  with the same size of fasteners  640  as with the guide rail support bracket  102  in the proximate configuration  650 . It will be appreciated that extension segments  940  of various sizes can be provided to provide a plurality of distal configurations  1050  in alternative embodiments of the invention.  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment of a guide rail support bracket assembly  1100  including a guide rail support bracket  1102  and a clamping section  1110 . Whereas for the embodiments of the guide rail support bracket assemblies  100 ,  500 ,  900  previously described which, in their preferred form, are constructed from a one-piece member stamped or bent from a flat plate of stainless steel, carbon steel, or any suitable metal or alloy, the guide rail support bracket  1102  and a clamping section  1110  of this embodiment are formed of two separate one piece stamped members, but are pivotably attached to each other.  
         [0063]    In particular, as shown in FIG. 12, the guide rail support bracket  1102  includes a mounting segment  1104  with a mounting hole  1106  positioned therethrough and a support segment  1108  substantially as previously described for the guide rail support bracket assemblies  100 ,  500 ,  900 . The guide rail support bracket  1102  of this embodiment also includes a support bracket pivot segment  1160 . In this embodiment, the support bracket pivot segment  1160  is horizontally arranged so as to be substantially perpendicular to the planes of the mounting segment  1104  and the support segment  1108 . The support bracket pivot segment  1160  includes a pivot hole  1162  extending therethrough.  
         [0064]    The clamping section  1110  includes a clamping section pivot segment  1164  with a pivot hole  1106  extending therethrough. The support bracket pivot segment  1160  and the clamping section pivot segment  1164  in this embodiment are substantially similar in size and contour. The support bracket pivot segment  1160  and the clamping section pivot segment  1164  are also arranged so as to be parallel and such that the pivot holes  1162 ,  1166  are concentric. As seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, a support rod  126  is clamped in the bend between the segments  1106  and  1108  by eyebolt  123  and clamping knob  130 .  
         [0065]    The clamping section  1110  also includes a vertical segment  1104  having its lower end integral with segment  1164 . Its upper end is integral with the lower end of an angled segment  1106  that extends inwardly at an angle with about 45°. The upper end of angled segment  1106  is integral with the upper end of an angled segment  1108  that extends downwardly at an angle of about 90° with respect to the segment  1106 . A slot  1120  extends into the upper portions of the segments  1106  and  1108 .  
         [0066]    As seen in FIG. 12, the guide rail support bracket assembly  1100  also includes a fastener  1170 . The fastener  1170  of this embodiment includes a carriage bolt with a corresponding flat washer and nut, however, in alternative embodiments, the fastener  1170  can include shoulder bolts, cap screws, lock washers, or other devices for removably securing two or more components. The pivot hole  1166  of this embodiment is of square cross-section and is configured to mate with the square shoulder of the fastener  1170 .  
         [0067]    As shown in FIG. 12, the carriage bolt of the fastener  1170  is passed through the pivot hole  1166  in the clamping section pivot segment  1164  such that the carriage bolt of the fastener  1170  is held by the pivot hole  1166 . The carriage bolt is further inserted through the pivot hole  1162  in the support bracket pivot segment  1160 . The washer and nut are then attached to the carriage bolt and tightened so as to draw first  1172  and second  1174  mating surfaces of the clamping section  1110  and guide rail support bracket  1102  respectively into compressive contact. In certain embodiments, at least one of the first  1172  and second  1174  mating surfaces can be provided with knurling or scoring (not shown) to increase the frictional contact between the clamping section  1110  and guide rail support bracket  1102 .  
         [0068]    As can be seen in FIGS.  13 A- 13 D, the guide rail support bracket assembly  1100  can be secured in a plurality of different 360° rotational arrangements between the guide rail support bracket  1102  and the clamping section  1110 . Thus, the guide rail support bracket  1102  can be attached to the conveyor body  604  such that the mounting segment  1104  is parallel to the conveyor body  604 . However, by loosening the fastener  1170 , reorienting the clamping section  1110 , and retightening the fastener  1170 , the guide rail support bracket assembly  1100  can be positioned in a configuration to place the support rod  126  in any 360° horizontal angle with respect to the conveyor body  604 . Thus, the guide rail support bracket assembly  1100  can readily secure the guide rail  606  in a substantially tangential orientation with respect to the conveyor path even in curves or other areas where the conveyor path is not strictly linear thereby minimizing side loading and smoothing the flow of objects on the conveyor system.  
         [0069]    While the guide rail support bracket assembly  1100  has been described and illustrated with the clamping section  1110  similar to the clamping section  510  of the guide rail support bracket assembly  500  shown in FIG. 5, it will be appreciated that the clamping section  110  of FIGS. 1B and 2A could be used as well, as shown in FIG. 14. The components in FIG. 14 have been numbered in an analogous manner to that of FIG. 11. That is, the assembly  1200  includes a clamping section  1210  having a pivot segment  1264 , a vertical segment  1204 , an inwardly angling lower segment  1206 , and an outwardly angling segment  1208 , with a slot  1220  extending through the angled segments. It will also be appreciated that the extension segment  940  of FIG. 9 could be included in alternative embodiments.  
         [0070]    While certain exemplary preferred embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention. Further, it is to be understood that this invention shall not be limited to the specific construction and arrangements shown and described since various modifications or changes may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description but by the claims appended hereto.

Technology Category: b