Pitch Independent Divert Drive

摘要

A diverting conveyor has an array of transmissions having powered output rollers that form a conveying surface for selectively diverting articles from a first direction to a second direction. Each transmission has a timing belt pulley to operably engage with a toothed timing belt, and each is configured to simultaneously rotate the output roller from the first direction to the second direction in response to actuation of an actuator. When the timing belt pulley engages with the teeth of the timing belt, the output roller of an actuator is rotated around an axis perpendicular to the conveying surface to a rotational position that is a multiple of the tooth spacing of the timing belt. Each output roller has a driven direction resulting from the engagement of the timing belt with the timing belt pulley. An adjuster is provided to align the driven directions of the array of output rollers.

主权项

1. A diverting conveyor having a conveying surface for selectively diverting articles from a first direction to a second direction different from the first direction, the diverting conveyor comprising:
an actuator attached to the diverting conveyor; a toothed timing belt attached to the actuator; an array of transmissions each having a first housing attached to the diverting conveyor and a second housing rotatable around the first housing about an axis perpendicular to the conveying surface, each second housing having a timing belt pulley and an output roller attached to the second housing to rotate around the first axis therewith, each output roller rotatably attached to the second housing to rotate about a second axis parallel to the conveying surface and power driven to convey articles in a driven direction; a toothed timing belt attached to the actuator and having teeth in operable engagement with each timing belt pulley to interconnect each second housing to the timing belt and to the actuator for simultaneous rotation in response to actuation of the actuator; and an adjustor adjustably securing the timing belt pulley to the second housing, wherein when the array of transmissions are rotated with the actuator to position the output rollers to drive articles in the first direction and one of the output rollers has a driven direction different from the first direction, the adjustor of the one of the output rollers having a driven direction different from the first direction is adjustable to redirect the output roller to the first direction.