Multi-Directional Roller Assembly

摘要

A multi-directional roller assembly for directing articles in a conveying system. The multi-directional roller assembly has a rotatable roller frame housing at least one set of mutually-actuating rollers. The multi-directional roller assembly directs an article supported by the assembly along a trajectory determined by the orientation of the multi-directional roller assembly relative to an input force. The orientation of the multi-directional roller assembly may be changed to change the trajectory. A conveyor system may include an array of multi-directional roller assemblies. An actuator controls the orientation of the multi-directional roller assemblies individually and may also control an array of multi-directional roller assemblies as a group.

主权项

1. A multi-directional roller assembly, comprising:
a frame rotatable about a main axis; a first roller mounted to the frame and rotatable about a first minor axis that is nonparallel with the main axis; and a second roller mounted to the frame and rotatable about a second minor axis that is nonparallel with the main axis, wherein the first roller and second roller are mutually-actuating, such that rotation of the first roller about the first minor axis in a first direction induces rotation of the second roller in an opposite direction from the first direction.