ROLLER-BELT CONVEYOR FOR ACCUMULATING AND MOVING ARTICLES LATERALLY ACROSS THE CONVEYOR

摘要

A conveyor (10) using a roller belt (12) with rollers (42) arranged to rotate on oblique axes (44) to urge articles toward a side guide (54) . The conveyor includes an oblique-roller belt (12) supported on a carryway (38) . Rollers (42) extend above an outer conveying surface of the belt without contacting the carryway. Each roller rotates on an axis (44) oblique to the direction of belt travel and interesects the side guide (54) downstream of the roller. A retractable stop (60) is movable to and from a blocking position along the carryway. In the blocking position, the stop blocks the conveyed articles from advancing in the direction of belt travel . The rollers underlying the blocked articles rotate as the belt runs by contact with the articles. The rotating rollers provide a force to the blocked articles directed toward the side guide (54) to push the articles against the side guide or other articles as they accumulate upstream of the stop .