Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02563183 2006-10-18
TITLE: Cross Block for a Pneumatic Conveyor
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to air conveyors, and in particular a new and
novel cross
block for air conveyors of the type used for the movement of bottles,
containers, and
similar objects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In bottling and manufacturing operations, whether it be the bottling of food
products,
drinks, household or industrial cleaners, or other liquids and fluids, the
operation of an
efficient production facility often requires the ability to transport large
numbers of
bottles quickly, efficiently and inexpensively. Today, a very significant
number of
liquid products that are commercially produced are bottled and sold in plastic
bottles,
and most commonly polyethylene bottles.
A variety of different mechanisms and devices have been developed in order to
permit
bottlers, bottle manufacturers, and bottling facilities to transport bottles
or containers to
different stages throughout a bottling or manufacturing plant. One such device
that has
proven to provide an efficient and economical way to rapidly transport large
numbers
of plastic bottles is a pneumatic or air conveyor system. Such systems
typically
comprise a generally enclosed chamber or plenum having a pair of bottle neck
supports
mounted on its bottom surface from which a series of plastic bottles can be
suspended.
Adjacent to the bottle neck supports there is positioned a louver system that
directs or
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diverts pressurized air from the interior of the plenum toward the bottles to
effectively
drive the bottles along the length of the plenum and the conveyor system.
One of the primary difficulties encountered when utilizing pneumatic conveyor
systems
of the type described above is a vertical mis-alignment of plastic bottles as
they are
driven or transported along the length of the conveyor. A common reason for
mis-
alignment of the bottles is an improper positioning of the bottle neck
supports.
Typically the bottle neck supports are bolted to the bottom surface of the
plenum, which
in many cases in not perfectly perpendicular to the sides of the plenum,
thereby causing
the bottles to be tilted to one side or the other when traveling along the
conveyor. Since
pneumatic conveyors are often comprised of a large number of plenum sections,
the mis-
alignment of the bottle neck supports may be different for subsequent or
adjacent
plenum sections. As a result, a bottle traveling along the length of a
conveyor may be
sporadically driven out of vertical alignment in opposite directions as it
passes along the
conveyor. The mis-alignment of bottles traveling along the conveyor results in
a
decrease in the efficiency in the number of bottles moved per unit time, and
can also
result in the jamming or backing up of a series of bottles, particularly at
corners or
places along the conveyor where there is a significant change in the direction
of
transportation. During high speed transport, a mis-alignment of bottles can
have
dramatic consequences and cause a back-up or jamming effect, thereby reducing
the
overall throughput of the system.
To combat this problem others have utilized horizontal rails or bottle guides
that extend
downwardly from the sides of the plenum and that help to contain or limit the
amount
of vertical displacement of the bottles as they are transported. While such
devices have
met with some success, when a bottle is out of vertical alignment and contacts
such
guide mechanisms or rails, there is an increased frictional resistance placed
upon the
linear movement of the bottle that has a tendency of reducing the conveyor's
overall
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capacity. Excessive contact between the bottles and horizontal guide rails can
also result
in a marking or scoring of the exterior surface of the bottle. In addition,
regardless of
the use of horizontal guide rails, severely misaligned bottles may still jam
and cause a
stoppage of production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore provides a plenum for a pneumatic conveyor, and a
cross block
for use in such a plenum, that assists in maintaining the vertical alignment
of bottles and
the like suspended from the plenum, and that assists in facilitating the
movement of
bottles and the like along the length of a pneumatic conveyor.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides a cross block for
use in a
pneumatic conveying system, the pneumatic conveying system having a
substantially
enclosed plenum and having at least two bottle neck support means to support
the neck
of bottles or containers suspended from the plenum, the cross block comprising
a frame
member having means to maintain the bottle neck support means in a generally
parallel
and co-planer relationship to thereby help maintain the vertical alignment of
bottles or
containers when suspended by the bottle neck support means and transported
along the
conveying system.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the
following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly
how it may
be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the
accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments of the present
invention
in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of an air conveyor utilizing a plenum and
a cross
block of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a bottom view of the pneumatic conveyor shown in Figure 1 with its
horizontal rails removed;
Figure 6 is a side view of the cross block from the pneumatic conveyor shown
in Figure
2;
Figure 7 is a bottom view of the cross block shown in Figure 6; and,
Figure 8 is an end view of the cross block shown in Figure 6.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention may be embodied in a number of different forms. However,
the
specification and drawings that follow describe and disclose only some of the
specific
forms of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the
invention as defined
in the claims that follow herein.
In the attached Figures there is shown a pneumatic conveyor 1 comprised
generally of
a plenum 2 and a blower 3. Plenum 2 is generally rectangular in cross section
and is
comprised of a top surface 4, side surfaces 5 and a bottom portion 6, that
together define
a central housing and an internal air space 7. Whereas in prior similar
devices the
plenum is typically formed from a single piece of metal that is bent or broken
to form
a rectangular enclosure, in the case of the pneumatic conveyor of the present
invention
only the top and side surfaces are preferably formed from a single sheet of
metal.
However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the top and
side surfaces
could equally be comprised of separate components that are welded or otherwise
fastened together. Plenum 2 not only provides a central housing for receiving
pressurized air from blower 3, but also constitutes one of the primary
structural features
of the air conveyor. For that reason it is preferably comprised of a strong,
rigid metal
such as stainless, galvanized, or painted steel.
According to the present invention, the plenum 2 of pneumatic conveyor 1
further
includes a cross block 8 that is positioned within the interior 7 of the
plenum, generally
spanning across its width between sides 5. In the preferred embodiment cross
block 8
is generally rectangular in shape having parallel end surfaces 9 and 10, and a
bottom
surface 11 that is perpendicular to ends 9 and 10. As shown in Figure 6,
bottom surface
11 need not be continuous, but may be discontinuous and coplaner while
remaining
perpendicular to ends 9 and 10. For ease of construction top surface 12 of
cross block
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8 is generally parallel to bottom surface 11 and perpendicular to ends 9 and
10.
However, it will also be appreciated through an understanding of the invention
that the
precise configuration of top surface 12 is not substantially material to the
function of the
cross block.
Cross block 8 is releasably securable to sides 5 of plenum 2, preferably
through the use
of bolts that may be threadably received into holes 13 (see Figure 8) in ends
9 and 10 of
the cross block. In this manner, when releasably secured to the sides of the
plenum the
parallel ends 9 and 10 of cross block 8 will maintain the sides of the plenum
in a
generally parallel configuration. It will thus be appreciated that cross block
8 can be
utilized to hold and maintain sides 5 of plenum 2 in a fixed, parallel
configuration,
regardless of whether during manufacturing they are formed at angles other
that 90
degrees to top surface 4.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, bottom portion 6 of plenum 2 is
comprised of one or more bottom plates 14 that are releasably securable to
bottom
surface 11 of cross block 8. For ease of construction, and to allow for
replacement of
bottom plates 14 if necessary, plates 14 are preferably secured to bottom 11
through the
use of threaded screws that are received within bores 15 (see Figure 7) in
bottom 11.
In this manner bottom plates 14 will thus be held generally perpendicular to
ends 9 and
10 of cross block 8, and also perpendicular to the sides of the plenum. That
is, through
the incorporation of cross block 8 within the interior of the plenum the
opposite side
surfaces of the plenum are maintained parallel and bottom plates 14 are held
perpendicular to the plenum's sides.
Pneumatic conveyor 1 further includes at least two bottle neck support means
16 to
permit bottles 17 to be suspended therefrom. In the preferred embodiment
bottle neck
support means 16 comprise a pair of rails positioned on the bottom of the
plenum and
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separated by a distance slightly larger than the diameter of the neck 18 of
bottle 17, but
smaller than the diameter of the bottle's neck flange 19. In this manner, a
bottle
received between neck support means 16 can be suspended from the plenum
through the
resting of neck flange 19 upon support means 16. To account for bottles having
different length necks and different configurations of transition between
their necks and
lower portions, bottle neck support means 16 are preferably tapered or wedge
shaped
along their interior edge 20. In addition, bottle neck support means 16 are
preferably
secured to bottom plates 14 of plenum 2 through the use of a series of
threaded bolts 21
received into threaded bores 22 in the bottom plates. Bottom plates 14 may be
configured with a number of threaded holes 22 in different locations to allow
for re-
positioning of the bottle neck support means to accommodate bottles having
different
neck diameters. Alternately, bottle neck support means 16 may be configured
with slots
to receive threaded bolts 21 in order that the bottle neck support means may
be adjusted
inwardly or outwardly to either reduce or enlarge the distance between them.
In yet a
further alternate embodiment, bottle neck support means 16 may be releasably
secured
directly to bottom surface 11 of cross block 8.
Regardless of whether bottle neck support means 16 are secured to bottom
plates 14 or
bottom surface 11 of cross block 8, it will be appreciated that through the
described
configuration of cross block 8 with its parallel ends and perpendicular bottom
surface,
the bottle neck support means will be maintained in a parallel and co-planer
configuration. It will therefore be understood that in this manner cross block
8 helps to
maintain the vertical alignment of bottle 17, and also facilitates in movement
of bottles
along the length of the plenum. That is, since bottom surface 11 of cross
block 8 is
perpendicular to the sides of the plenum, both bottom plates 14 and bottle
neck support
means 16 will also be held perpendicular to the plenum's sides. Therefore,
when the
plenum is situated such that its side surfaces are approximately vertical,
cross block 8
will result in bottle neck support means 16 being held in a parallel,
horizontal
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configuration. In this manner bottle neck flange 19 will also be maintained
horizontally, thereby resulting in a vertical positioning of the bottle.
Whereas in the
prior art maintaining bottle neck supports in a parallel and co-planer
configuration
required considerable adjustment, the use of shims or spacers, and a variety
of other
S mechanical structures, under the present invention no such additional
devices are
required as the inherent configuration of cross block 8 ensures the proper
positioning of
the bottle neck support means.
Plenum 2 further includes air diversion means 23 in order to divert or direct
pressurized
air from the plenum's interior toward bottle neck support means 16 to force or
drive
bottles along the length of the plenum. In the preferred embodiment diversion
means
23 comprises an air duct 24 having a series of louvers 25 to divert air from
the plenum
to the bottles. Air duct 24 is preferably comprised of a generally "U"-shaped
structure
running along the length of the plenum and received within a channel 26 in
cross block
8. Air duct 24 may be held in place within channel 26 through the use of
threaded bolts
or other fasteners that are received into the frame of cross block 8.
Alternatively, and
as shown most clearly in Figure 2, bottom plates 14 may include inwardly
extending
flanges 27 that overlap the lower edge 28 of air duct 24 such that when bottom
plates
14 are secured to the cross block, flanges 27 bear against lower edges 28 and
retain air
duct 24 within channel 26. Through this structure there is removed the
necessity for
additional fastening devices to maintain the air duct in position. Such a
configuration
effectively creates an air channel or passageway 29 into which air is directed
or diverted
through louvers 25 to force or drive bottles (having their neck flanges 19
resting upon
bottle neck support means 16) along the length of the conveyor.
The precise configuration, number and location of the louvers 25 is determined
so as to
direct sufficient volumes of air in a required direction for purposes of
transporting
bottles of a particular configuration. In instances where bottles of different
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configurations and different sizes require substantially different air flows
in order to
effect their transportation, the above described structure will enable the
bottom portion
of pneumatic conveyor 1 to be quickly and easily disassembled such that air
duct 24 can
be removed and replaced with a different duct having an alternate louver
configuration.
When replacing the duct and repositioning bottle neck support means 16, once
again the
structure of cross block 8 will ensure that bottle neck support means 16 are
quickly and
easily returned to a parallel and co-planer configuration.
For purposes of weight reduction, and also to minimize the restriction of air
flow
through plenum 2, in the preferred embodiment cross block 8 includes air flow
passageways 30. In a plenum there will typically be a plurality of cross
blocks
positioned at regular intervals along its length. Accordingly, the alignment
of air flow
passageways 30 in adjacent cross blocks will help to ensure there is minimal
air flow
restriction in the plenum. To accomplish their purpose, cross blocks 8 merely
need to
be rigid and able to support the weight of bottles 17 and the structures which
are
attached and hung from the cross blocks. Typically, the cross blocks would be
comprised of stainless steel, galvanized steel, painted steel, aluminum,
plastic, or a
composite material. Depending upon the particular materials from which the
cross
blocks and plenum are constructed, the relative spacing between adjacent cross
blocks
can very substantially. However, for most applications it is expected that the
cross
blocks will be located approximately every 24 to 36 inches along the length of
the
plenum.
In a typical pneumatic conveyor a series of plenum sections are connected
together to
form the overall conveyor system. In order to allow for a smooth transition
between
adjacent plenum sections it is necessary for adjacent sections to be properly
aligned.
Proper alignment of adjacent plenum sections is also necessary so that there
is a smooth
transition between adjacent bottle neck support means 16 on different plenum
sections.
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To facilitate in alignment of adjacent plenum sections, in the preferred
embodiment
cross block 8 includes alignment holes 31 that are oriented generally parallel
to the
longitudinal axis of the plenum such that they can accept alignment rods of an
adjacent
plenum section and assist in aligning and connecting adjacent plenum portions
together.
Alternately, a double width cross block could be utilized wherein the ends of
two
adj acent bottle neck support means 16 on different plenum portions could be
threadably
secured to a single extra wide or double cross block. In either case, cross
block 8
performs the further function of helping to ensure alignment of adj acent
plenum sections
when the overall conveyor system is assembled.
Finally, pneumatic conveyor will also typically include bottle guides 32
positioned on
each side ofplenum 2. Bottle guides 32 comprise vertical posts 33, horizontal
arms 34,
and horizontal rails 35. Vertical posts 33 are secured to opposite sides 5 of
plenum 2
and extend downwardly from the bottom of the plenum. Through the incorporation
of
1 S cross block 8 that maintains sides 5 in a parallel configuration, vertical
posts 33 will thus
also be maintained parallel to each other, and to the sides of the plenum. The
lower ends
of vertical posts 33 are fitted with horizontal arms 34 that retain horizontal
rails 35
running parallel to the longitudinal axis of pneumatic conveyor 1. An
adjustable
connection between horizontal arms 34 and vertical posts 33 allows for rails
35 to be
moved inwardly or outwardly to accommodate bottles of different diameters.
From an understanding of the structure described above and as shown in the
attached
figures, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the utilization of a
series of cross
blocks 8 positioned along the length of the plenum in a pneumatic conveyor
will greatly
assist in maintaining the vertical alignment of bottles that are transported
by the
conveyor system. The cross blocks essentially provide a stable and rigid
structure to
which the major structural components of the conveyor can be fastened in order
to
maintain them in a rigid and "square" configuration. Such a structure ensures
that the
CA 02563183 2006-10-18
sides of the conveyor are parallel, as are vertical posts 33 of bottle guides
32. The
structure also ensures that bottle neck support means 16 are maintained both
parallel and
co-planer to reduce or avoid the mis-alignment or tipping of bottles, as is
common in
prior art structures. Finally, cross block 8 also enables for the quick and
efficient
changing of air duct 24 so it can be replaced with a duct having a different
louver
configuration as may be necessary for the transportation of bottles of
different sizes,
shapes and weights. Further, where bottle neck support means 16 become worn
and
must be replaced, the re-alignment of the neck support means can be
accomplished
quickly and simply, without the need for special tools or additional spacers
or other
alignment structures.
It is to be understood that what has been described are the preferred
embodiments of the
invention and that it may be possible to make variations to these embodiments
while
staying within the broad scope of the invention. Some of these variations have
been
discussed while others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
For example,
while in the attached drawings bottle neck support means 16 are shown as
preferably
tapered, they could alternately be of a variety of other configurations
without affecting
the scope of the present invention.
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