Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONVEYING ARTICLES
AND AN APPARATUS FOR DOING THE SAME
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to power-driven conveyors and, more
particularly, to belt
conveyors advancing on steep inclines to elevate articles, especially tires
and loose and packaged
materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a tire manufacturing plant, tires molded in rows of tires presses are
deposited on a trench
conveyor and transported to an inspection, balance, or trim station. Because
trench conveyors are
typically positioned below the presses at a relatively low elevation, incline
conveyors are used to
elevate the tires received from the trench conveyor to the level of the
presses or higher for transport
to subsequent finishing stations. Belt conveyors, such as modular plastic belt
conveyors with high-
friction conveying-surface characteristics, work well on shallow inclines. On
steeper inclines,
however, belts with conveying surfaces textured with inverted cones or other
non-skid protrusions
work well when new. As the protrusions wear, tires begin to slide down the
conveying surface as
the belt advances up a steep incline. Rubber-topped belts are not so
susceptible to wear, but the
slippery mold-release material used to ease ejection of the tires from the
presses coats the rubber
conveying surface of the belt, which then loses its effectiveness as a high-
friction surface.
Consequently, incline angles are limited to a maximum of about 25 off
horizontal. Such shallow
inclines have a large footprint, taking up valuable floor space. Even if tires
could be prevented
from sliding along the conveying surface on steep inclines, there must be
provisions to prevent
tires from falling away from the belt. A wall or other static structure in
sliding contact with high-
friction articles, such as tires, being lifted on the incline may damage the
articles and will increase
the load, requiring an oversized belt and drive system.
In tire warehouses or stores and service stations stocking large numbers of
tires, the tires
are usually stacked to great heights. Further, the tires may be stacked on
shelves or second levels
and thus begin to be stacked at heights over 6 feet. Conveyors may be used to
elevate the tires to
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
the level of the tire storage or higher for transport to additional floors.
Traditional conveyors use
friction or protrusions to prevent the tires from sliding down the inclined
conveyor or from falling
off of the side of the conveyor belt. However, friction and protrusions are
not fail-safe methods
and tires often fall off of the conveyor causing harm to people and property
located near the
conveyor.
The tire distribution process often includes transporting large quantities of
tires from the
plants where they are manufactured to the various facilities where tires are
delivered to consumers
and/or mounted on vehicles. The processes for transporting tires from these
plants to wholesalers,
retailers, and service centers typically involve the use of large vessels. For
example, semi-trailers
are used for transportation over the road, rail cars are used for
transportation via rail, and shipping
containers are used for transportation over water. Further, these vessels
often provide storage of
tires prior to and after transport.
To minimize the costs associated with such storage and transportation, it is
desirable to
pack tires into each storage and/or transportation vessel in such a manner as
to maximize the
density of tires within the vessel, while providing satisfactory stability of
the loaded tires and
avoiding permanent deformation of the loaded tires. Maintenance of tires under
a compressive
load has been found to improve the stability of the loaded tires. However,
compression may lead
to permanent deformation of tires in some stacking configurations.
Additionally, to minimize the costs associated with storing the tires once
they arrive at their
destination (e.g., facilities where tires are delivered to consumers and/or
mounted on vehicles such
as warehouses and car repair shops), it is desirable to pack tires into the
storage location in such a
manner as to maximize the density of tires within the storage location, while
providing satisfactory
stability of the stored tires to prevent injury and save space and avoiding
permanent deformation
of the stored tires, which may be stored for months or even years.
When the storage and/or transportation within the vessel is complete, tires
are typically
manually unloaded from the vessel onto a conveyor or pallet. A variety of
implements exist for
such handling of tires. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,526, issued to Black
in 1974 discloses a
device for manipulating tires. However, a device does not exist that
sufficiently eliminates the
difficulties of manually stacking tires in a storage and/or transportation
vessel, and unloading the
.. compressed tires from the same vessel. Moreover, no sufficient device
currently exists to eliminate
the reliance on the vessel to maintain a compressive load on tires. Although
loaders for tires exist,
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
for example, a machine loader and a loader to create a straight stack of
tires, the existing loaders
are not designed to stack tires in a herringbone pattern. Further still, the
current practice is to rest
tires directly against the wall and floor of the trailer or boxcar. As a
result, the weight of the stacks
is unevenly distributed causing further compression and strain on tires. Thus,
a lower-compression
system for cradling tires during storage and shipping is desired.
Belt conveyors for tires have been produced to transport tires up to various
heights. See
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2008/0053796 to DePaso et al. ("DePaso").
Thus, there is a need for an elevating conveyor capable of transporting
articles, especially
tires and solar panels, up steep inclines. Additionally, there is a need for
an elevating conveyor
capable of transporting large tires, such as tractor trailer tires and tractor
tires, and solar panels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a conveyor embodying
features that
address these needs.
Although many of the embodiments are focused on conveyors for tires, the
invention may
be used in any application where articles are conveyed to different locations.
For example, some
embodiments are directed to a conveyor for tires while other embodiments are
directed to
conveyors for solar panels, boxes, wheels, large spools, large rings, rubber
components, etc.
Further, some embodiments are directed to a conveyor for traditional car
and/or SUV tires while
.. other embodiments are directed to a conveyor for tractor trailer (i.e.,
eighteen-wheelers, semi
trucks, semi trailers, or semis) tires, tractor tires, and/or fann machinery
tires. Typically, the size
and shape of the tire changes depending upon the use of the tire. For example,
tires for small cars
and/or light trucks may range from about 24" to about 32" in diameter. Tires
for a large trucks
and/or semi trailers may range from about 32" to about 48" in diameter. Tires
for tractors or other
.. farm machinery may range from about 32" to about 74" in diameter.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a conveyor to move tires or
articles up to
different heights. The height and angle of the conveyor may be adjustable in
some embodiments.
On a conventional tire inspection line, tires brought on a conveyor or like
equipment may
be stopped at a midway point where information may be read from the barcode
affixed to the tires.
This is done to identify the type and size of the tires being inspected and
sort them into the tires to
be sent to the next process and elsewhere. Therefore, one aspect of the
present invention is to
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
provide a tire sorting apparatus capable of reliably reading information from
a tire identifier, such
as a barcode, formed on the surface of a tire without damaging the tire.
It is also an aspect of the present invention to provide a conveyor system
comprising a
conveyor belt, support elements to support the articles being conveyed, a
support frame for the
belt and to raise the conveyor belt upward, and a power source. The conveyor
belt may include
sections secured together, one or more pieces of belt material, strengthening
mechanisms either
below or between the one or more pieces of belt material to support the
support elements, an upper
surface, and an under surface. The power source may comprise electrical
components and a motor.
Note that the terms "cleat" and "support element" can be used interchangeably
herein.
In some embodiments, the conveyor may be specially designed to move passenger
car and
light truck tires upwardly at incline angles up to 60 degrees. In other
embodiments, the conveyor
may be specially designed to move semi truck and tractor tires upwardly at
incline angles up to 60
degrees.
In various embodiments, the features of the conveyor include: a 18" wide 2 ply
rubber
covered top belt sliding flat at 58 FPM, one or more 4" high urethane cleats
bolted to the belt on
approximately 60" centers, a curved cleat pattern to fit tire contour, one
up/stop/down switch at
the bottom end, a lhp 115V 13 FLA electric motor with speed reducer mounted
under bottom end,
a thermal overload motor protector, a rubber lagged conveyor belt drive
pulley, a plain idler pulley
with belt tensioner, a high strength steel tubing truss conveyor frame, and a
base plate. In additional
embodiments, the conveyor may include: an off switch at the top end, a
portable stand with casters
to hold the top end at a fixed height, a portable stand with casters with a
hand-winch adjustable
top end height, up/emergency and stop/down switches at both ends of the
conveyor with UL listing,
a 24" wide belt for tractor trailer size tires, a 6" high single cleat for
vertical tire lift installation,
straight cleats for handling boxes, bags, and general merchandise, and a
smooth or rough top belt
for shallow inclines. In some embodiments, the width of the belt is larger
than 24" and in other
embodiments the width of the belt is less than 24".
Advantages of a conveyor of one embodiment of the present invention include:
specially
designed to move tractor trailer tires up the conveyor at incline angles up to
55 degrees, available
10 feet long and longer in 1 foot increments, 24" wide, 2 ply rubber covered
top belt sliding flat at
58 FPM, 6" high urethane cleats bolted to the belt on approximately 60"
centers, a curved cleat
pattern to fit tire contour, one up/stop/down switch at the bottom end, a 1
1/2 hp 115V 18 FLA
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
electric motor with speed reducer mounted under bottom end, a thermal overload
motor protector,
all electrical prewired, a rubber lagged conveyor belt drive pulley, a plain
idler pulley with belt
tensioner, a high strength steel tubing truss conveyor frame, and a base
plate. To select the
conveyor size, take the floor-to-floor vertical distance and add the overhang
desired, usually 2-3
feet. This sum equals the Total Vertical Distance (TVD). Use the table below
as a guide for the
conveyor length required. In some embodiments, the maximum recommended incline
of operation
is 60 degrees.
Floor to Floor Recommended Total Vertical Conveyor length
required
Vertical Distance Overhang Distance (TVD) at a 55 degree incline
8 ft. 2 ft. = 10 ft. high 12 ft. long conveyor
loft. 2 ft. = 12 ft. high 15 ft. long conveyor
12 ft. 2 ft. = 14 ft. high 17 ft. long conveyor
14 ft. 2 ft. = 16 ft. high 20 ft. long conveyor
In various embodiments, the cleats may be attached, secured, or interconnected
to the belt
using a set of two bolts. Further, the bolts may be 1/4" x 1-1/4" #1 elevator
bolts with hardware.
The cleats may also include holes for the bolts or other interconnection
mechanisms.
In some embodiments, the cleats may flip up when going up the conveyor and
flip down
when going down the back of the conveyor. In one embodiment, the cleats may be
hinged to the
belt such that they can flip up and down. Other flip mechanisms may also be
contemplated by one
skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the cleats are permanently attached
to the belt. In other
embodiments, the cleats are removable. In one embodiment, the cleats are
attached without the
use of screws.
In some embodiments, the cleats may be flexible. Thus, each cleat may be
constructed
entirely from an elastomeric material that provides flexibility. In one
embodiment, the cleat or
support element is flexible along the length of cleat such that when a tire or
article is positioned
on the conveyor belt, the two cleats bend in a direction opposite the
direction of belt travel along
the conveying path. In other embodiments they may be rigid.
In various embodiments, the cleats or tire support elements have a unique
shape to hold
tires on a conveyor belt. Thus, the first and second tire support elements
each has a front section
having an tire-supporting face that has a first curve that is curved along the
tire support element's
length and toward the direction of belt travel. The tire support element also
has a back section
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
with a second curve that is curved along its length and in the direction of
belt travel. The second
curve is typically greater than the first curve. Additionally, each of tire
engaging support elements
has a flat conveyor contacting surface that engages the outer tire-conveying
surface of the conveyor
belt. The support element may also have a top surface that is positioned at an
angle relative to the
flat conveyor contacting surface.
In various embodiments, the system may comprise one or more motors, which may
be
changed out to use motors having different power capabilities. In further
embodiments, the
motor(s) may be detachable and removable.
In some embodiments, the conveyor is foldable for storage flat on the ground
or flat against
a wall. In other embodiments, the conveyor may be foldable and stored in the
location of use.
Therefore, when a user needs to use the conveyer, he or she just has to pull
the conveyor down.
The pull-down and storage motion may be similar to a Murphy bed in some
embodiments. Further,
the conveyor may be pulled down from a specific rack or other storage area.
In some embodiments, the support elements or cleats are bolted onto the belt.
A gasket
that can be rubber may also be used to increase the strength of the
interconnection. Additionally,
bolting the cleats onto the belts reduces the cost of the system.
In various embodiments, the conveyor may have rubber feet to help it stick to
the
ground/floor. The feet may be made of materials other that rubber in alternate
embodiments. Thus,
the bottom of the conveyor may contact the floor in one or more places
depending on the
embodiment. In other embodiments, the conveyor may be positioned on a rail
such that the
conveyor can slide along the rail to different storage areas. Thus, in an
embodiment, the conveyor
moves along the rails in a similar manner as library ladders. One skilled in
the art can image a rail
system similar to the rail systems described herein.
In various embodiments, the conveyor may include an endless conveyor belt
looped around
rotating drive elements, such as sprockets, drums, or pulleys, which advance
the conveyor belt in
a direction of belt travel along a conveying path. The endless conveyor belt
may have an outer,
article-conveying surface and an inner, drive surface engaged by the drive
elements. On a steeply
inclined elevating portion of the conveying path, the articles are conveyed
vertically or at a steep
angle. The articles are maintained in position and blocked from sliding down
the outer surface of
the conveyor belt on the steeply inclined portion of the conveying path by
support elements or
cleats that extend outwardly from the outer surface. The support elements are
periodically spaced
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
along the length of the conveyor belt to form individual bins for the
articles. A steep incline for a
given conveyor belt may be defined as a conveying path that is so steep that
typical vibrations,
jolts, or surges cause conveyed articles supported on support elements to fall
from the conveyor
belt advancing along the incline. In various embodiments, the conveyor may be
inclined up to an
angle of 60 degrees relative to the horizontal plane.
In some embodiments, the floor-to-floor vertical tire conveyor ("VTC")
requires minimal
ground floor space next to the mezzanine and is also capable of clearing
existing structures, such
as fire service lines. Although the term VTC is used herein, the VTCs can
convey articles other
than tires. In some embodiments, the VTC is substantially straight and a user
must remove the tire
from the top of the conveyor or the top of the conveyor must be interconnected
to a mechanism or
machine that removes the tire from the top of the conveyor. One disadvantage
of the straight VTC
is that a hole is typically cut into the mezzanine floor to accommodate the
straight VTC. Having
a hole in the mezzanine floor can be dangerous and can interfere with existing
fire sprinkler water
lines and electric lighting, both of which are typically positioned
immediately underneath the
mezzanine floor. Another disadvantage of the straight VTC design is that every
single article or
tire that goes up the conveyor must be removed from the conveyor manually when
it arrives at the
top end. With the inclined, but not vertical, conveyor, this is not
necessarily the case because the
articles can fall off of the top of the conveyor onto the floor or another
(e.g., horizontal) conveyor.
Thus, a VTC that automatically discharges the articles/tires at the top end of
the conveyor
may be desired. Accordingly, in other embodiments of the VTC, the top end of
the VTC has a
nose-over portion that allows for easy unloading (or loading for descent) of
tires and keeps the
operator clear of both moving conveyor parts and the mezzanine edge. Here, the
base of the
conveyor could be positioned outside of the mezzanine structure and within the
limited distance
between service bays (or other constraints) and the edge of the mezzanine.
Additionally, the nose-
over VTC could avoid interference with existing fire sprinkler water lines and
electric lighting,
both of which are typically positioned immediately underneath the mezzanine
floor. The cleat
interconnected to the belt for the nose-over VTC may be shorter and of a
different configuration
than the cleat for the straight VTC. However, the same cleat may be used for
both conveyors in
various embodiments.
As discussed herein, the upper/outward-facing surface of the conveyor belt is
typically
referred to as the "article-conveying surface" and a forward and upward-
oriented portion of the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
cleat is referred to as the "article-supporting face." This is because on an
incline conveyor (i.e.,
non-vertical conveyor), the belt bears the brunt of the conveyed article's
weight and the cleats act
as supports to keep the articles (e.g., tires) from sliding backwards down the
belt. However, when
the conveyor is a vertical conveyor (for example, a VTC) the roles of the belt
as an "article-
conveying surface" and the cleat as a "article-supporting face" are reversed,
meaning that on a
VTC the cleat is the primary contact with the article (e.g., tire), but the
weight burden is equally
shared between the cleat and the belt.
In some embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein, the
conveyor
frame is constructed of standard commercial quality ("CQ") steel tubing rather
than the high
strength ("HS") tubing generally used. This is advantageous because the CQ
steel tubing is less
expensive than HS tubing and the HS tubing is not necessary for all conveyors.
However, some
embodiments include HS tubing or a combination of CQ and HS tubing.
Various embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein include
two tubes
or rails directly next to each other that are positioned between and
substantially perpendicular to
the longitudinal frame rails and proximate to a center of the frame length.
The tubes/rails may be
square or rectangular shaped such that they extend around the perimeter of the
frame. These two
rails or tubes permit the conveyor frame to be cut into two pieces, e.g., to
facilitate installation,
because the frame can be cut between the two tubes/rails and each piece will
maintain its shape.
Then, the two pieces are U-bolted back together to form one conveyor frame
using U-bolts and
fastening equipment.
In some embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein, the frame
comprises sheet metal paneling on all or a portion of the sides of the frame.
The paneling can
extend between about 1 ft. and about 8 ft. along the side of the conveyor from
the end (either the
top or bottom end). In preferred embodiments, the sheet metal paneling extends
about 4 ft. from
each end. The sheet metal paneling is typically provided for safety purposes,
e.g., to keep people,
heads, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, etc. out of the portions of the
conveyor comprising moving
parts and the portions of the conveyor where most injuries occur.
In various embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein, the
conveyor
comprises a 1/2 hp motor or a 1/4 hp motor. Alternatively, any of the
conveyors described herein
can be constructed with a motor that is smaller than 1/4 hp or a motor that is
larger than 1/2 hp.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
In some embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein, the
conveyor
comprises an 18"-wide rubber top cover belt with a friction-resistant bottom
cover. Various
embodiments include a 5-7/16" high/tall cleat that attaches to the outer face
of the belt. The cleat
may be interconnected to the belt via two bolt fasteners, flat washers, lock
washers, and nuts, or
any other attaching mechanism known in the art. The cleats may be urethane or
other hard
material, e.g., plastic, hard rubber, metal, etc.
In various embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein, the
cleat has
various shapes and dimensions depending on the specific use by the user, the
location of the
conveyor, the items being conveyed, and the angle of the conveyor relative to
the horizontal
ground. In some embodiments, the cleat has a 5" overall height and features
for careful handling
of tires. For example, the cleat can have an extended radius of curvature
opposite the article
supporting / carrying surface radius and at the cleat tip (upper end) to deter
tires or other articles
from falling off. Some cleats have narrow widths and edges with radii of
curvature to prevent
damage to the tire's inner bead. Further, various cleats described herein are
manufactured of a
urethane composition. In some embodiments, the VTC cleat has a carrying
surface (i.e., article-
supporting face) that is more rounded than cleats of prior designs, in order
to better fit the tire bead
contour.
In some embodiments of the VTC, the conveyor is motor driven at the bottom end
of the
conveyor, meaning the motor is positioned at the bottom end of the conveyor.
In other
embodiments, the VTC comprises a motor at the top end of the conveyor.
Various portions of the conveyors described herein can vary depending on the
specific use
of the conveyor. For example, some conveyors may have tighter frame dimensions
and features
to facilitate installation within tight clearance restrictions. Further, there
is a balance between the
conveyor belt width, sufficient traction between the belt and the conveyor
belt drive pulley to carry
the conveyed article (e.g., tire load), and keeping overall dimensions as
tight as possible. The
conveyor belt width could be variable, but it has to be countered with the
drive pulley diameter for
sufficient traction. For example, the conveyor belt can be between about 18"
wide and about 10"
wide. Further, smaller diameter drive and idle drum pulleys are used in some
embodiments.
In some embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein, the
conveyor
comprises a 10"-wide, 2-ply rubber cover on both sides of the belt. In this
embodiment, the
conveyor belt drum drive pulley has rubber lagging wrapped around its
circumference and a 4.5"
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
outside diameter ("0.D."). The rubber contact between the belt and the drive
pulley provides for
maximum traction between the two.
Various embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein have a
high-
efficiency, helical gearmotor mounted at the top end of the conveyor frame for
maximum belt-to-
pulley traction. The gearmotor plus the roller chain and sprockets are all
enclosed within the
conveyor frame for safety and to facilitate installation through tight
clearances, in some
embodiments.
Some embodiments of the VTC and other conveyors described herein comprise a
low-
profile, custom-design belt tension take-up adjustment to keep all dimensions
of the adjustment
below the highest point of the conveyor belt drum tail pulley.
In some embodiments, once the articles are conveyed up the incline, they may
be
transferred to an outfeed conveyor for transport to downstream finishing
stations or other storage
sections. Further details of exemplary slide-preventing cleats or pair of
cleats may extend
outwardly from the outer, article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt. In
an embodiment, the
cleats may be integrally formed with the belts. In another embodiment, the
cleats may be secured
to a threaded insert in the belt by a bolt or the like through a bore formed
in a block of the cleat.
In some embodiments, the cleats are secured to the conveyor belt. In other
embodiments,
the cleats are secured to a metal drive belt provided under the conveyor belt.
Thus, the conveyor
belt may have apertures in the belt such that the cleats can extend upwardly
from the drive belt
and above the conveyor belt. In alternative embodiments, the cleats are
secured to a metal (or
other material) support within the conveyor belt (i.e., between two layers of
the conveyor belt).
The cleats may be secured or interconnected to a belt or other part of the
conveyor through the use
of screws, pins, rivets, bolts, nails, glue, adhesive, sewing, clamps,
bonding, welding, or any other
mechanism now known or later conceived.
In various embodiments, the cleats are various sizes and shapes depending on
the tire or
article to be conveyed. In one embodiment, the conveyor belt may include
support elements or
cleats of many different sizes. The cleats may fold up in order to support an
article to convey or
may fold down such that it does not inhibit or interfere with the articles
being conveyed. Thus, in
this embodiment, the cleats that are of a size not currently being utilized
are folded down such that
they are substantially flat against or within the belt. In other embodiments,
the cleats that are of a
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
size not currently being utilized may be folded into the center of the
conveyor belt such that they
do not interfere with the articles being conveyed.
In various embodiments, the conveyor belt may be a modular plastic conveyor
belt
constructed of a series of individual belt modules made of a thermoplastic
polymer, such as
polypropylene, polyethylene, acetal, or a composite material, in an injection
molding process. A
threaded metallic insert may be inserted into the module during or after
molding to serve as an
attachment point for a support element. The details of one such insert and its
use are described in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,134, "Plastic Conveyor Belt Module with Embedded
Fasteners". Of course,
other methods may be used to fasten the support elements to the conveyor belt.
In some embodiments, the conveyor belt sections comprising cleats may be
interconnected
to one another and to other similar belt sections without cleats in a side-by-
side orientation and
end-to-end by hinge rods through hinge eyes to form an endless conveyor belt.
In one embodiment, the system may comprise two cleats that are spaced apart
laterally
across the width of the conveyor belt. The cleats may have article-supporting
faces defining planes
oblique to the direction of belt travel and intersecting at a point on the
belt below or behind the
cleats on the steep incline. The two cleats provide two points of support for
round articles, such as
tires, and the space between them allows debris or fluids to drop from the
tire and off of the belt.
In one embodiment, the belt is replaced with rollers or a roller array. The
rollers provide a
low-friction, rolling restraining surface that is especially useful with high-
friction articles, such as
tires. Further, the conveyor belt described as a plastic conveyor belt may be
a flat belt or a flat-top
chain in other embodiments. Another embodiment of an elevating belt conveyor
embodying
features of the present invention may include a roller array to prevent
conveyed articles from
falling off the belt.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that the conveyor and its features may
vary depending
upon the combination of elements in various embodiments. In some embodiments,
the cleats have
a rounded shape such that the curve of the cleat matches the curve of the tire
being conveyed or
transported. Thus, the curve of the cleat is slightly larger than the curve of
the tire so that the tire
will sit in and fit into the cleat. In still other embodiments, the cleat may
have a different shape.
For example, the cleat may not be curved. Rather, the cleat may be flat like a
wall or tile. The cleat
may also be shaped like a post or rod. Still further, the cleat may be V-
shaped or U-shaped and
only one cleat may be used to support each tire or conveyed article.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
In some embodiments, the cleat may only come up to the midpoint of the side of
the tire.
In other embodiments the height of the cleat is greater than the height of the
tire lying on its side,
i.e., the width of the tire. In still further embodiments, the height of the
cleat is somewhere between
the midpoint of tire's side height and the top of the tire's side when the
tire is lying on its side.
In various embodiments, one cleat per tire or conveyed article may be used. In
other
embodiments, two cleats per tire or conveyed article may be used. In other
embodiments, 3 or
more cleats per tire or conveyed article may be used. Additionally, in some
embodiments one cleat
may be used for one tire or conveyed article and two or more cleats may be
used for another tire
or article. Thus, the number of cleats could change throughout the conveyor.
In still more embodiments, the position of the cleats may be varied depending
upon the
shape and size of the tire or article conveyed. For example, the cleats may be
spaced further apart
and positioned at less of an angle relative to horizontal if the radius of the
tire is large, whereas the
cleats may be positioned closer together and at a greater angle relative to
horizontal if the radius
of the tire is small.
Although the invention has been described with application to tires, the
invention also finds
application to transporting other articles. For example, boxes, solar panels,
windows, construction
equipment, car or automobile components, tractor components, pallets of
products, etc. may be
transported on the conveyors.
In some embodiments, the conveyor may be configured with a conveyor belt,
roller bars,
and/or any other mechanism for moving tires. The conveyor may be configured to
be located at
any height above a platform to facilitate access by a worker. In one
embodiment, the conveyor
may be configured about three feet above the platform. The conveyor may be
configured to
automatically move tires in one or more directions. For example, in one
embodiment, the conveyor
may be configured to move tires from a placement station to any desired
location, such as, for
example, a tire loading system, a tire unloading system, a forklift, a
railcar, and/or a tire rack. In
another embodiment, the conveyor may be configured to move tires to/from a
location such as, for
example, a tire unloading system, a forklift, a railcar, a tire rack, a tire
storage location or the like
to/from the placement station for manual loading of tires into racks or
storage areas in the tire load
station.
In some embodiments of the conveyor system, humans may load articles or tires
onto the
conveyor (typically the bottom of the conveyor) and unload articles or tires
off of the conveyor
12
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
(typically the top of the conveyor) as a part of the system. In various
embodiments, one or more
persons load the tires and a different one or more persons unload the tires or
articles. In alternate
embodiments, machines or robots may load and unload the articles and tires. In
additional
embodiments a combination of humans, robots, and machines may be used to load
and unload the
articles or tires.
Lean manufacturing principles may be applied throughout embodiments of the
invention
to facilitate efficiency in tire loading, unloading, and/or storage. For
example, in one embodiment,
value stream mapping is used to analyze logistics data provided by a company
to create Pareto
analysis to identify high volume, high turn-over tire SKUs (i.e., stock
control units). A
manufacturing plant analysis is implemented to determine the capacity and
production rate of a
given customer to determine the size, capacity, number, and/or breadth of tire
loading, unloading
and/or storage needed to fulfill capacity and production goals. For example,
for higher customer
inventory levels, fully-automated loading, unloading and/or storage systems
may be desired.
However, for lower inventory levels, customers may use partially-automated
loaders, unloaders,
and/or storage systems to maximize efficiency and lower overall costs.
In yet other embodiments, the systems and methods of the present invention are
facilitated
by one or more human and/or computerized operators. For example, an operator
monitors robot
loaders and/or unloaders, monitors system settings and/or identifies racks
that require replacement
or repair. Operators also drive forklifts, load/unload tires, and/or the like
to facilitate overall system
usage.
One aspect of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a system
capable of
handling all sizes of vehicle tires, providing maximum compression of tires,
and minimizing the
manual labor required for loading, unloading, stacking, and/or storing the
articles or tires.
In some embodiments of the system, tires are ricked or stacked in a
herringbone pattern to
facilitate compression and/or space management. The system and method also
includes the
stacking of tires in any other suitable arrangement that would allow the
transport rack to perform
similar functions. Moreover, the system and method may include any variation
or angle of
herringbone patterns that would allow the transport rack to perform similar
functions as disclosed
herein.
As one with ordinary skill in the art appreciates, the proper alignment of
tires in the
herringbone pattern depends upon the geometry of tires being stacked. Thus,
the system
13
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
contemplates and accommodates incorporation of an automated system for control
of the loader
system. The control system automatically senses tire geometry based on sensors
located at an
upstream position on the conveyor, or alternatively, accommodates the manual
input of
information. In both cases, however, the control system uses information that
is indicative of tire
geometry, such as outside diameter, inside diameter, and/or tread width, to
determine the rotation
and translation of each tire to produce the desired stacking pattern. With
respect to herringbone
stacking patterns, the relevant output variables may include the angle of
deviation from vertical
associated therewith the axis of rotation of tires in successive rows as well
as the number of tires
in each row and the number of rows in each stack. Furthermore, the control
system may determine
the appropriate amount of compression to apply to the stacked load, and the
corresponding number
of rows in the stack, to avoid permanent deformation of tires. The control
system may consider a
variety of factors in determining the appropriate compressive loads to apply.
In one embodiment,
these factors include the material properties and/or hardness of tires
(usually rubber), tire geometry
and stacked orientation, and the time and temperature environment to which
compressed tires will
be subjected. In addition, empirical data and experience may be incorporated
to optimize the
control of the system.
As used herein, warehouse racks include any type of rack that is distinct,
including for
example, pallets, racks such as those manufactured by Ohio Rack, Inc., or the
like.
In some embodiments, the conveyor system may comprise one or more scanners to
facilitate identifying each tire or article. For example, in one embodiment,
the system comprises
two scanners configured on both sides of a two-lane conveyor. The scanners may
be configured
both above and below the conveyor and/or articles to facilitate reading the
articles' labels/SKUs.
In alternate embodiments, the scanner may be a barcode scanner, a radio-
frequency scanner,
optical scanners, vision systems and/or any other type of scanner for reading
and/or identifying
tire or article labels and/or SKUs. The scanner may be configured with a CPU
and/or any other
computing system or unit. The scanner may also be configured to communicate
with the rack
loading system, conveyor, and/or any other part of the system or any other
system described herein.
Alternatively, RFID tags and readers may be used with the system.
In one embodiment, each tire on a conveyor and/or a warehouse storage area is
the same
type, size, and/or SKU number, or may be designated for the same destination
or storage area.
Tires may be delivered to storage areas and/or a warehouse rack on a conveyor.
In additional or
14
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
alterative embodiments, articles and tires may be delivered to storage areas
and/or a warehouse
rack on two or more conveyors. Further, the tire or article may be scanned and
identified then
loaded on to the appropriate conveyor for storage in the appropriate area.
Thus, one type of tire
may be loaded onto one conveyor to be stored in a first area and a different
type of tire or article
may be loaded onto a second conveyor to be stored in a second area that is
different from the first
area.
In some embodiments, the conveyor system and the rack loading system may also
be
configured to stack tires or articles based upon identification information
received from the
scanner. For example, in one embodiment, the rack loading system may be
configured to receive
tire identification information from the scanner and to use the tire
identification information to
determine what tire stacking configuration to use. That is, for smaller
diameter tires, the rack
loading system may stack tires in layers of five tires, for example. For
larger diameter tires, the
rack loading system may stack tires in layers of four tires, for example.
In various embodiments, the one or more conveyors may elevate the tires to a
stop position
in front of one or more position pick-and-place loaders. The pick-and-place
loaders may each
comprise a support-mounted actuator system, each of which controls an
extendable/ retractable
arm that is adapted to seize the tire or article from the conveyor.
In some embodiments, the system is configured to sort and queue tires
horizontally. For
example, the system comprises one or more tire transportation devices, such
as, access conveyors
that connect to one or more sub-conveyors. In an embodiment, an access
conveyor may move the
tires from the main unloading conveyor to various sub-conveyors. The sub-
conveyors, in turn, may
move tires to/from towers. Some conveyors may be configured to be computer-
controlled devices
to facilitate sorting, queuing and/or routing of the tires. hi one embodiment,
the tires are loaded
randomly and scanners are used to sort, queue and/or route the tires when they
are unloaded from
towers.
In another embodiment, some conveyors may be configured with one or more
scanners to
obtain tire identifying information to facilitate sorting and queuing the
tires. The scanners may be
configured like scanners and communicate with the conveyors to facilitate
directing each SKU of
tire to a different sub-conveyor for loading into a particular tower. Each
tower is configured to
hold between 10 and 30 tires of a single SKU.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
In one embodiment, a queuing system may comprise an inbound queue of tires or
articles
that have been unloaded from a trailer, railcar, forklift and/or other
transportation mechanism. For
example, a number of tires or articles are queued on each side of the queuing
system.
In various embodiments, the system may also be configured with a control panel
to
facilitate worker operation of the conveyor. For example, the worker may use a
panel to raise or
lower the conveyor in order to facilitate access to tires, storage areas, and
racks. In another
embodiment, a load station may be configured with one or more scanners or
cameras to detect the
height of rack, storage floor, storage area, tires, and the conveyors and
raise or lower the conveyor
based on whether the height of the racks, fires, storage floor, storage area,
or conveyor meets a
predetermined height.
The scanner computing unit or any other computing unit used or described
herein may be
connected with each other via a data communication network. The network may be
a public
network and assumed to be insecure and open to eavesdroppers. In the
illustrated implementation,
the network is embodied as the Internet. In this context, the computers may or
may not be
connected to the Internet at all times. For example, the customer computer may
employ a modem
to occasionally connect to the Internet, whereas the bank computing center
might maintain a
permanent connection to the Internet. Specific information related to the
protocols, standards, and
application software utilized in connection with the Internet may not be
discussed herein. For
further information regarding such details, see, for example, Dilip Naik,
"Internet Standards and
Protocols" (1998); "Java 2 Complete," various authors (Sybex 1999); Deborah
Ray and Eric Ray,
"Hosting HTML 4.0" (1997); Loshin, "TCP/IP Clearly Explained" (1997).
It may be appreciated that many applications of the present invention may be
formulated.
One skilled in the art may appreciate that a network may include any system
for exchanging data
or transacting business, such as the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, DSL,
WAN, LAN, Ethernet,
satellite communications, and/or the like. It is noted that the network may be
implemented as other
types of networks, such as an interactive television (ITV) network. The users
may interact with
the system via any input device such as a keyboard, mouse, kiosk, smart phone,
e-reader, tablet,
laptop, ultrabooklm, personal digital assistant, handheld computer (e.g., Palm
Pilot ), cellular
phone, or the like. Similarly, embodiments of the invention could be used in
conjunction with any
type of personal computer, network computer, workstation, minicomputer,
mainframe, smart
phone, etc. Moreover, although the invention is frequently described herein as
being implemented
16
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
with TCP/IP communications protocols, it may be readily understood that the
invention may also
be implemented using IPX, Appletalk, IP-6, NetBIOS, OSI or any number of
existing or future
protocols. Moreover, the present invention contemplates the use, sale or
distribution of any goods,
services or information over any network having similar functionality
described herein.
In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, the Internet
Information Server,
Microsoft Transaction Server, and Microsoft SQL Server, may be used in
conjunction with the
Microsoft operating system, Microsoft NT web server software, a Microsoft SQL
database system,
and a Microsoft Commerce Server. Additionally, components such as Access or
SQL Server,
Oracle, Sybase, Informix MySQL, Interbase, etc., may be used to provide an ADO-
compliant
database management system. The term "webpage" as it is used herein is not
meant to limit the
type of documents and applications that might be used to interact with the
user. For example, a
typical website might include, in addition to standard HTML documents, various
forms, Java
applets, Javascript, active server pages (ASP), common gateway interface
scripts (CGI), extensible
markup language (XML), dynamic HTML, cascading style sheets (CSS), helper
applications,
plug-ins, and/or the like.
A system user may interact with the system via any input device such as, a
keypad,
keyboard, mouse, kiosk, smart phone, e-reader, tablet, laptop, ultrabookm,
personal digital
assistant, handheld computer (e.g., Palm Pilot , Blackberry , iPhone ,
Android ),
cellular phone, or the like. Similarly, the invention could be used in
conjunction with any type of
personal computer, network computer, work station, minicomputer, mainframe,
smart phone,
tablet, or the like running any operating system such as any version of
Windows, MacOS, i0S,
OS/2, Be0S, Linux, UNIX, Solaris, MVS, tablet operating system, smart phone
operating system,
or the like, including any future operating system or similar system.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a tire sorting apparatus that
includes a
mounting means for mounting a tire in a plane perpendicular to the center axis
of the tire, a tire
grip means for gripping the inner periphery of the tire and positioning the
center axis of the tire,
an identifier reading means for reading a tire identification marking formed
on the surface of the
tire, and a holding means for holding the identifier reading means. The tire
grip means may further
include three grip arms arranged at the vertexes of a triangle within a plane
perpendicular to the
.. center axis of the tire and extending in a direction parallel to the center
axis of the tire and an arm
opening and closing mechanism for opening the three grip arms concentrically
around the circle
17
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
circumscribing the triangle. The holding means may further include a holding
unit for holding the
identifier reading means and a rotation drive unit for rotating the holding
means around a rotating
axis parallel to the center axis of the tire. And the center of the
circumscribing circle is aligned
with the rotating axis of the holding unit.
Some embodiments of the system of the present invention may further include a
tire inside
diameter detecting means for detecting a tire inside diameter from positional
data or travel distance
data of the three grip arms when the grip arms are gripping a tire. This
allows not only acquisition
of information from a tire identifier of a tire but also accurate measurement
of the inside diameter
of the tire. Hence, the possibility of rechecking the information on the tire
identifier may further
improve the accuracy of tire sorting.
Some embodiments of the system of the present invention may include a rotation
radius
changing means for changing the distance between the identifier reading means
and the rotation
axis of the holding unit and a detecting position control means for
controlling the rotation radius
changing means in such a manner as to move the identifier reading means to the
position of the
tire identifier based on the data of the tire inside diameter detected by the
tire inside diameter
detecting means. Thus, the rotation radius of the identifier reading means may
be changed
according to the tire size. Therefore, information may be read from the tire
identifier even when
there is a change in tire size.
Additional embodiments of the system of the present invention may provide a
tire sorting
apparatus that has a mounting means having a plurality of rotating bodies
rotating in contact with
the lower surface of the tire and a through hole through which the three grip
arms may be extended
toward the inner periphery of the tire.
In some embodiments of the system, devices to help in the compression of the
tire stacks
may be included. Some tire stacking systems, however, continue to rely heavily
upon manual labor
to accomplish the stacking of tires. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,294
issued to Keller et al. on
December 16, 1997, ("Keller I") discloses an exemplary tire compression device
and U.S. Pat. No.
5,816,142 issued to Keller et al. on October 6, 1998, ("Keller II") discloses
another tire
compression device intended for use with a forklift. The Keller I and Keller
II devices allow a
preset load to compress a stack of tires as the stack is loaded into a truck
trailer. Initially, the
.. forklift elevates and supports the preset load. Then, once tires are
stacked beneath the elevated
load, the forklift allows the load to be lowered against a stack of tires. As
a result, the load exerts
18
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
a downward pressure on the stack of tires, thereby compressing the tires. Once
the initial stack is
compressed, additional uncompressed tires are loaded on top of the stack until
the stack reaches
the ceiling of the truck trailer. Then, the forks of the forklift are raised,
partially releasing the
pressure applied against the compressed portion of the stack and allowing it
to expand, while
compressing the previously uncompressed portion until the entire stack is
equally compressed.
This process is repeated, stack by stack, until the entire trailer is full of
stacked, compressed tires.
Other devices exist that load tires into a truck trailer and similarly
compress tires within the trailer.
In each of these cases, tires are maintained in compression by the storage
and/or transportation
vessel itself. However, no assurance exists that the vessel was designed or is
suitable to maintain
such loads. In fact, vessels are frequently damaged as a result of such use.
Various embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus for loading
a tire onto
a rack. The apparatus includes an automated tire conveyor, one or more
scanners, and one or more
robots to pick the tires off of the conveyor. The system may additionally
include an apparatus for
unloading a rack of tires, which includes a load station configured with a
lift. The lift raises a rack
.. of tires to a platform, where an unloader may manually or automatically
move tires from the rack
to a conveyor.
Further, some embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems
for
sorting and unloading tires into a store or warehouse for storage and sale as
well. For example, the
systems for sorting and unloading tires may include one or more automated
conveyors, scanners,
and storage structures. For example, in the sorting system, the scanner may
read information off
of incoming tires and communicate the tire information to a system of
conveyors, which in turn
directs each tire to a specific storage structure based upon the tire
information (e.g., size, type,
etc.).
In various embodiments, drive-in storage may also be included in the conveyor
system
configured with one or more computing systems, such as those described herein,
to communicate
with other loading or unloading systems of the system disclosed herein. For
example, an unloading
system within the system disclosed herein may communicate with drive-in
storage when a first
rack, which is being unloaded, is all or partially-empty such that a second
rack may be delivered
from the drive-in storage to the unloader. In another embodiment, an unloader
or loader
.. communicates with the drive-in storage when daily customer orders show that
there is additional
19
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
demand for a specific tire SKU (i.e., stock control unit). The rack may then
be pulled from the
drive-in-storage using, for example, a pull system applying lean manufacturing
principles.
In some embodiments, the conveyor system may also include a system for
loading, sorting,
or unloading tires. The system may be automated or computer controlled. The
system may be used
in a plant that manufactures tires, and sorts and stores tires coming off the
assembly line, and then
dispenses tires in a desired order for shipment. Further, the system may also
be used for loading
and unloading articles or tires at a final destination, such as a tire shop or
warehouse, where tires
may be stored.
One aspect of the invention is a method for conveying articles up steep
inclines. In one
embodiment, the method for conveying articles up steep inclines comprises: (a)
conveying articles
on the conveying surface of an endless conveyor belt along a steep incline in
a direction of belt
travel; (b) blocking conveyed articles from sliding down the conveying surface
of the conveyor
belt on the steep incline; and (c) restraining conveyed articles leaning away
from the conveying
surface with a restraining surface moving in the direction of belt travel to
prevent the leaning
.. articles from falling away from the conveying surface of the conveyor belt
on the steep incline.
The present invention includes a method of packing tires that includes placing
one or more
rows of tires against a bottom frame, adding an intermediate frame on top of
the one or more rows
of tires, compressing the tires, and attaching a vertical member to the
intermediate frame. The
method additionally includes adding one or more additional rows of tires on
top of the intermediate
frame, adding a top frame, compressing the one or more additional rows of
tires, and attaching a
vertical member to the top frame.
By way of providing additional background and context, the following
references are
provided for explaining the nature of conveyors and to further describe the
various tools, pieces,
and other apparatuses commonly associated therewith:
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2012/0325903 to Takahashi describes a tire sorting
apparatus for
reliably reading information from a tire identifier, such as a barcode, formed
on the surface of a
tire without damaging the tire. Placed under a tire-mounting table is a tire
grip that has three grip
arms arranged circularly in a plane perpendicular to the tire center axis and
link mechanisms for
spreading the grip arms. Placed above the mounting table is a barcode reader
rotating means for
rotating a barcode reader held by a barcode reader holder. The rotation axis
of the barcode reader
is aligned with the center of the circle formed by the grip arms of the tire
grip.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2009/0148260 to Leimbach et al. discloses a tire loading
apparatus and
method of packing tires that includes placing the tires in a rack, compressing
the tires, and
assembling the rack. The apparatus includes one or more conveyors, scanners,
and robots that load
tires from a conveyor to a rack. A tire unloading apparatus is also disclosed.
The unloading
apparatus includes a scissor mechanism to rise and lower tire racks to an
unloading platform. The
unloading apparatus additionally includes one or more unloaders and conveyors.
The sorting and
unloading of tires is accomplished with one or more automated conveyors,
scanners, and storage
structures for reading information from incoming tires and using the tire
information to sort and
store the tires. A rack to improve compression and support of tires during
storage and shipment is
also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,499, issued to Leimbach, et al. on March 4, 2003,
("Leimbach")
discloses an example of a tire loading system. The unloading system and method
described herein
may include features or steps (which may be in any order) described in
Leimbach.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2010/0043952 to Terazono discloses bead core and a bead
filler.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2012/0092149 to Fujisawa discloses an inspection apparatus
arranged
with a plurality of cameras located at relatively displaced circumferential
positions and set for the
respective shooting positions different from each other in the axial direction
of the tire. Thus the
images of the inner circumferential surface of the tire are shot by the
plurality of cameras as the
tire is rotated circumferentially relative to the plurality of cameras.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2011/0013177 to Crim discloses an apparatus and method for
verifying
a laser etch on a rubber sample. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a
tire production line,
a sample holding device, a laser having a diode, and a servo-assembly. The
laser of the apparatus
is configured to etch indicia on a sidewall of a tire on the tire production
line and is further
configured to etch at least one line in a rubber sample on the sample holding
device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,249,496, issued to Kunitake, et al. on July 31, 2007,
("Kunitake") discloses
an uniformity inspection line with a decision-only line having first UF
machines exclusive for the
measurement of the uniformity of a tire sorted and distributed on an automatic
sorting line and a
correction-only line having second UF machines for the correction and re-
measurement of the
uniformity characteristics of a tire having uniformity characteristics outside
specific values
measured on the above decision-only line.
21
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
U.S. Pat. No. 7,340,946, issued to Gotou, et al. on March 11, 2008, and U.S.
Pat. Pub. No.
2007/0084275 to Gotou, et at. disclose a method and a device for inspecting a
tire, the method
comprising the steps of, in a rim assembly station separated from an
inspection station having a
tire inspector installed thereon, forming a rim/tire assembly in a setup by
assembling one side and
the other side rims and with an inspected tire and, when an inspection is
performed, transforming
the rim/tire assembly from the rim assembly station to the tire inspector on
the inspection station,
whereby a preparatory operation time in the tire inspector can be shortened to
shorten a cycle time.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,487,814, issued to Mizota on Feb. 10, 2009, discloses an
object to provide
a tire reinforcing layer forming device which can form, by a single device,
plural reinforcing layers
whose cord directions intersect one another. A reinforcing material piece,
which is distributed to
an upper conveying path, is affixed from a left end side of a drum toward a
right side, while the
drum is rotated in a direction of arrow CW.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,317, issued to Aizawa, et at. on March 25, 2008, discloses
methods
and devices for measuring elongation, wear, and internal temperature of a
conveyor belt to catch
signs of conveyor belt failure such as breakage by detecting a magnetic field
from a magnetic body
by using a magnesium sensor, as well as a rubber magnet sheet as a magnetic
body and a method
of producing the sheet, the rubber magnet sheet being able to be used while it
is embedded in the
conveyor belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,543,698, issued to Haskell on June 9, 2009, and discloses an
article elevator
for moving lightweight open ended containers from a first level to a second
level vertically spaced
from the first level. The article elevator includes an input section at the
first level for receiving
container bodies. An elevator section is positioned for receiving container
bodies from the input
section. A discharge section is located at the second level for receiving
container bodies from the
elevator section. A plurality of arms is movably mounted above the input
section, the elevator
section, and the discharge section. Each of the arms moves a group of
container bodies from the
input section over the elevator section to the discharge section so that
successive groups of
container bodies are moved to the discharge section from the input section.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,405, issued to Couperus, et al. on Oct. 7, 1975, and
discloses a belt
elevator for elevating loose bulk material from one level to another. The belt
elevator comprises
a pair of cooperating endless belt conveyors whose forward runs are juxtaposed
to face one another
with an edge of one in sealing engagement with the other, the material being
retained therebetween.
22
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
A first belt conveyor is provided with raised edges which engage and seal with
the edges of the
other. The first conveyor is also provided with generally evenly spaced
transversely positioned
cleats or raised portions which, together with the raised edges, forms pockets
to contain material
being elevated. The stiffness of the first belt conveyor is greater than that
of the second belt
conveyor. The second belt conveyor is troughed at the entry portion for
receiving the material to
be elevated which material is discharged from the first belt conveyor at a
discharge point at the
higher level. The belts are maintained in tension to insure edge engagement
and the retention of
material therebetween.
Receiving hoppers and varying numbers of cleats may be used to convey loose
material
such as dirt, stones, etc. Additionally, the cleats may be about 20 to 30
inches apart in the direction
of belt travel, or preferably 24 inches apart. In an alternate embodiment, the
cleats may be about
50 to 70 inches apart in the direction of belt travel, or preferably 60 inches
apart. If an article is
conveyed, the cleats may be spaced apart between about 1.0 and about 2.0 times
the length of the
article conveyed, or preferably between about 1.25 and about 1.75 times the
length of the article
conveyed, or more preferably about 1.5 times the length of the article
conveyed.
The conveyor may include handles and a dolly with wheels to promote movability
of the
conveyor. The handles can be any size, shape, or material known in the art.
For example, the
handles may be metal or metal with rubber coatings. The handles may be bar-
like, round, or
square. The dolly can contain one or more wheels and will have at least one
leg or axel.
Different numbers of cleats or support elements can be used together to convey
an article.
Typically, the taller the cleat is, the fewer cleats need to be used. For
example, one tall (8.0 inch)
cleat can be used to convey an article, where as two or three short (1.25
inch) cleats may be needed
to convey an article.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2007/0135960, to Shibao et al., discloses a production
evaluation
managing system in a factory including facilities in a plurality of production
processes from
materials to products and a means for evaluating the products based on at
least one of inspection
and testing characterized by comprising a network connecting the facilities in
respective
production processes with the evaluating means, and a means for collecting
through the network
field data of the facility in a production process pertaining to the
production of a product
corresponding to the information of evaluation results, based on the
information of evaluation
results of the products outputted from the evaluating means. By this, when a
nonconformity is
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
found from the information of evaluation results based on at least one of
inspection and testing of
the product, field data of the facility in a production process pertaining to
production of a product
corresponding to the information of evaluation results can be collected and
analyzed immediately
and the problem with the production process can be investigated immediately in
a short time.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2007/0289847 to Nakamura discloses a rubber member
conveying
device and a rubber member supplying system. The device and the system rapidly
promote the
shrinkage of the rubber member, thereby avoiding the length variation of the
rubber member in
the processing step for the rubber member. A rubber member supplying system
comprises a belt
conveyor which supplies a to-be-cut material having an internal strain, a
cutter which cuts the to-
be-cut material supplied by the belt conveyor to form a rubber member, and a
rubber member
conveying part which conveys the rubber members. The rubber member conveying
part comprises
an endless belt, and rollers supported by supporting parts that are provided
at the endless belt. The
rubber member is conveyed on the rollers while exposed to vibrations.
Accordingly, the shrinkage
in the rubber member caused by the internal strain thereof is substantially
completed in the
conveying operation.
U.S. Pat No. 4,534,461, issued to Silverthom, et al. on Aug. 13, 1985, and
discloses a
conveyor construction for conveying materials, such as grain, to an elevated
location. The
conveyor construction comprises a base or supporting structure and an auger
conveyor is mounted
horizontally on the base. Grain is fed into a hopper at one end of the auger
and the discharge end
of the auger is provided with a pair of kicker paddles which propel the grain
laterally into the lower
end of a vertical endless belt conveyor. The endless belt conveyor includes a
plurality of integrally
molded cleats that convey the grain upwardly within a vertical passage in the
conveyor housing
and the grain is discharged from the upper end of the housing. The vertical
conveyor is mounted
for pivoting movement relative to the auger conveyor to adjust the angularity
of the vertical
conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,419, issued to Yamada, et al. on Feb. 23, 1988 discloses a
system in
case of detecting tire information marks engraved in a side wall portion of
tire in the form of
protrusion or recess, width and inner diameter of tire are detected to provide
a tire size signal, after
a first camera head is driven into a given position in accordance with the
tire side signal, an
identification mark engraved in the size wall portion of tire is optically
detected by the first camera
head to derive a position signal, and after a second camera head is driven
into a given position in
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
accordance with the position signal, the tire information marks are optically
detected by the second
camera head to derive a tire information signal. In this manner, the tire
information marks can be
detected in a rapid and accurate manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,078, issued to Mizuno, et al. on Oct. 13, 1987, and
discloses a method
and system for detecting tire information marks. Tire information marks for
denoting tire kind, tire
size, etc. formed in a surface of side wall of a tire as a protrusion or
groove having a triangular
cross section are optically detected by illuminating the surface of side wall
of the tire from a first
direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the side wall of the
tire and a second direction
inclined with respect to the surface of the side wall of the tire, and picking
up an image of the
surface of the side wall of the tire thus illuminated from the two different
directions to derive an
image signal. The image signal thus derived is converted into a bivalent
signal, and is thinned to
produce a mark pattern. Then the mark pattern is compared with a thick
standard mark pattern.
When a substantial part of the detected mark pattern is included in the
standard mark pattern, the
detected mark pattern is recognized to be identical with the standard mark
pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,946, issued to Okuyama, et al. on Mar. 3, 1992, U.S. Pat.
No.
5,415,217, issued to Okuyama, et al. on May 16, 1995, and U.S. Pat. No.
5,194,107, issued to
Okuyama, et al. on Mar. 16, 1993. The Okuyama patents disclose a method and an
apparatus for
sticking a belt-like member, wherein a belt-like member prepared by cutting a
raw material of the
belt-like member on a conveyor at two front and rear locations, is conveyed by
the conveyor,
wrapped around a cylindrical drum and stuck to the drum. The inclination angle
of the cut line at
the leading end of the belt-like member is measured at the time of cutting,
the inclination angle of
the cut line at the trailing end is measured at the time of cutting, and by
comparing the inclination
of the cut line at the trailing end with the inclination angle at the leading
end, an amount of
connection for the inclination angle is calculated.
In one embodiment, the conveyor comprises an endless conveyor belt having an
outer
article-conveying surface. The conveyor belt advances in a direction of belt
travel along a
conveying path that includes a steeply inclined portion. The conveying belt
also includes support
elements that extend outward from the outer article-conveying surface of the
conveyor belt at
periodically spaced positions and retention means are disposed along the
steeply inclined portion
proximate the support elements prevent conveyed articles from falling away
from the conveyor
belt on the steeply inclined portion.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
In various embodiments, the conveyor system comprises an endless conveyor belt
having
an outer article-conveying surface. The conveyor belt advances in a direction
of belt travel along
a conveying path that includes a steeply inclined portion. The conveying belt
further includes
support elements that extend outward from the outer article-conveying surface
of the conveyor
belt. An article-restraining surface facing the article-conveying surface of
the conveyor belt is
positioned outward of the support elements across gaps along the steeply
inclined portion of the
conveying path. The article-restraining surface engages outwardly leaning
conveyed articles
moving upward on the steeply inclined portion of the conveying path in low-
friction contact. The
article-restraining surface may be the outer surface of a belt advancing in
the direction of belt travel
or the outer surfaces of an array of rollers rotating in the direction of belt
travel on contact with
outwardly leaning conveyed articles.
In one embodiment, the conveyor for conveying articles up inclines comprises:
an endless
conveyor belt having an outer article-conveying surface and advancing in a
direction of belt travel
along a conveying path including an inclined portion; a plurality of support
elements extending
outwardly from the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt and
spaced apart at an
increment approximately equal to about 1.5 times a length of the article
conveyed, where the
plurality of support elements comprises pairs of two support elements and each
support element
in the pair is positioned proximate to the other support element in the pair
and with a space between
the two support elements, where each support element comprises: curved section
having an article-
supporting face, which is curved at a first radius of curvature and is
positioned in the direction of
belt travel, and a back side opposite the article-supporting face, the back
side is curved with a
second radius of curvature, where the first radius of curvature is smaller
than the second radius of
curvature; a block-like bottom section with a flat bottom that engages the
outer article-conveying
surface of the conveyor belt; and a top opposite the bottom, where the top is
positioned at an angle
relative to the flat bottom; two securing mechanisms for each support element
to secure the support
elements on the conveyor belt; a support frame with a support stand positioned
proximate to a
floor surface and support bars; a drive pulley interconnected to the support
frame and positioned
at the bottom of the support frame, where an underside of the conveyor belt
engages an outer
surface of the drive pulley; a tail pulley interconnected to the support frame
and positioned at the
top of the support frame, where an underside of the conveyor belt engages an
outer surface of the
tail pulley; and a motor for moving the conveyor belt around the drive pulley
and tail pulley.
26
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
In a further embodiment, a first support element in one pair of support
elements has an
article-supporting face defining a first plane oblique to the direction of
belt travel and a second
support element in the pair of support elements has an article-supporting face
defining a second
plane oblique to the direction of belt travel. The first plane and the second
plane intersect at a point
on the conveyor belt below the first support element and the second support
element. In another
embodiment, the support elements are contoured in shape to mate with the
conveyed article. In
one embodiment, the support elements are made of an elastomeric material that
conforms to the
shape of a conveyed article on the inclined portion of the conveying path. In
additional
embodiments, the conveyor further comprising a retention mechanism for
preventing the conveyed
articles from falling off of the conveyor belt, said retention mechanism
positioned along the
inclined portion of the conveying path. The conveyor may alternatively
comprise an article-
restraining surface positioned above and facing the article-conveying surface
of the conveyor belt,
where the article-restraining surface is spaced away from the support
elements, and where the
article-restraining surface engages outwardly leaning conveyed articles moving
upward on the
inclined portion of the conveying path in low-friction contact. In one
embodiment, the inclined
portion of the conveying path is approximately 60 degrees as measured from a
horizontal plane.
In some embodiments, the inclined portion of the conveying path is
approximately 90 degrees as
measured from a horizontal plane. The conveyor may be positioned at an
inclined angle relative
to the horizontal ground, i.e., between about 50 and 85 or the conveyor can
be substantially
vertical, i.e., about 90 relative to the horizontal ground.
One embodiment of a tire conveyor for conveying tires up an incline comprises:
an endless
conveyor belt having a lateral extent and a longitudinal extent, and an outer
tire-conveying surface
that is designed to advance in a direction of belt travel along a conveying
path including an inclined
portion; a first pair of first and second tire support elements, with each of
said first and second tire
support element having a same width (w), length (1) and height (h), with said
first tire support
element spaced a distance along said lateral extent of said conveyor belt from
said second tire
support element by at least twice the width, where said pair of first and
second tire support elements
are each interconnected to said outer tire-conveying surface by two
independent fasteners that
penetrate through said outer tire-conveying surface, said first tire support
element being fastened
to said outer tire-conveying surface at a first angle with respect to said
lateral extent of said
conveyor belt, and said second tire support element being fastened to said
outer tire-conveying
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
surface at a second angle with respect to said lateral extent of said conveyor
belt, said first angle
and said second angle being commensurate and opposite each other, where when a
tire is placed
in contact with said first and second tire support elements, the first tire
support element is between
a 4 o'clock and 5 o'clock position of the tire and the second tire support
element is between a 7
o'clock and 8 o'clock position of the tire, where each of said first and
second tire support elements
has a front section having an tire-supporting face that has a first curve that
is curved along its
length and toward the direction of belt travel and a back section that has a
second curve that is
curved along its length and in the direction of belt travel, said second curve
being greater than
said first curve, each of said pair of tire engaging support elements having a
flat conveyor
contacting surface that engages the outer tire-conveying surface of the
conveyor belt, each of said
tire support elements constructed entirely from an elastomeric material that
provides flexibility
along said length of said tire support elements such that when a tire is
positioned on said conveyor
belt, said first and second tire support elements bend in a direction opposite
the direction of belt
travel along a conveying path; a second pair of first and second tire support
elements spaced apart
from said first pair of tire support elements by at least a distance of 1.5
times a length of a tire
conveyed on said conveyor belt; a support frame with a support stand, said
support frame having
two, longitudinally extending side bar supports extending parallel to each
other and connected to
each other by a plurality of support struts; a drive pulley operably connected
to said support frame
that engages said conveyor belt; a tail pulley operably connected to said
support frame that engages
said conveyor belt; and a motor operably connected to said drive pulley.
The tire conveyor may further comprise a tire-restraining mechanism
interconnected to the
support frame and positioned above and facing the tire-conveying surface of
the conveyor belt,
where the tire-restraining mechanism comprises at least one bar arranged in
the direction of belt
travel and at least two bars positioned perpendicular to the direction of belt
travel, where the tire-
restraining surface is spaced away from the support elements, and where the
tire-restraining
surface engages outwardly leaning conveyed tires moving upward on the inclined
portion of the
conveying path. In some embodiments, the tire conveyor comprises an array of
rollers having
outer surfaces forming the tire-restraining surface facing the tire-conveying
surface, where the
rollers are arranged to rotate in the direction of belt travel on contact with
outwardly leaning
conveyed tires. In additional embodiments, the tire conveyor further comprises
a tire sorting
apparatus comprising: a mount, where the mount positions a tire in a plane
perpendicular to the
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
center axis of the tire; a tire grip, where the tire grip grips the inner
periphery of the tire and
positions the center axis of the tire; an ID reader, where the ID reader reads
a tire identification
marking formed on the surface of the tire; and a holder, where the holder
holds the ID reader,
where the tire grip further includes three grip arms arranged at the vertexes
of a triangle within a
plane perpendicular to the center axis of the tire, where the holder further
includes a holding unit
for holding the ID reader, and a rotation drive unit for rotating the holder
around a rotation axis
parallel to the center axis of the tire, and where the center of the
circumscribing circle is aligned
with the rotation axis of the holding unit. Still further, the conveyor may
comprise an apparatus
for loading the tire onto a rack, the apparatus comprising: a first scanner
configured to provide
information regarding said tire; a tire conveyor configured to transport said
tire; a robot configured
to automatically move the tire from the tire conveyor onto the rack; and a
computer configured to
control the robot using the information from the first scanner.
In one embodiment, the conveyor for conveying articles up inclines comprises:
an endless
conveyor belt having an outer article-conveying surface and advancing in a
direction of belt travel
along a conveying path including an inclined portion; a plurality of support
elements extending
outwardly from the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt and
spaced apart at a
predetermined distance, wherein the plurality of support elements comprises
groups of two or more
support elements and each support element in the group is positioned proximate
to the other
support elements in the group and with a space between each support element in
the group, wherein
each support element comprises: a upright section having an upper portion and
an article-
supporting face generally positioned in the direction of belt travel; a block-
like bottom section
with at least one hole and a curved bottom having a first radius of curvature,
wherein the curved
bottom engages the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt; and a
top positioned at
the upper portion of the upright section and opposite the bottom, wherein the
top has a curved
surface having a second radius of curvature, wherein the second radius of
curvature is different
than the first radius of curvature; at least one securing mechanism for each
support element to
secure the support elements on the conveyor belt, wherein a portion of the
securing mechanism is
positioned in the hole of the block-like bottom section of the support
element; a gasket positioned
between a bottom portion of the securing mechanism and the conveyor belt; a
support frame with
a support stand positioned proximate to a floor surface and support bars; a
drive pulley
interconnected to the support frame and positioned at the bottom of the
support frame, wherein an
29
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
underside of the conveyor belt engages an outer surface of the drive pulley;
and a tail pulley
interconnected to the support frame and positioned at the top of the support
frame, wherein an
underside of the conveyor belt engages an outer surface of the tail pulley.
In further embodiments of the conveyor, the conveyor includes a motor for
moving the
conveyor belt around the drive pulley and tail pulley. Additionally, the
predetermined distance is
approximately equal to between about 1.25 and 1.75 times a length of the
article conveyed. In
some embodiments, the article is a loose material that is granular based.
Further, the predetermined
distance is approximately equal to between about 50 inches and 70 inches. In
one embodiment,
the article-supporting face of the support elements is curved at a third
radius of curvature, wherein
the upright section further comprises a back side opposite the article-
supporting face, said back
side is curved with a fourth radius of curvature, and wherein the third radius
of curvature is smaller
than the fourth radius of curvature. In some embodiments, a first support
element in the two or
more support elements has an article-supporting face defining a first plane
oblique to the direction
of belt travel and a second support element in the two or more support
elements has an article-
supporting face defining a second plane oblique to the direction of belt
travel, wherein the first
plane and the second plane intersect at a point on the conveyor belt below the
first support element
and the second support element. In additional embodiments, a third support
element in the two or
more support elements has an article-supporting face defining a third plane
substantially
perpendicular to the direction of belt travel. In alternative embodiments, the
support elements are
made of an elastomeric material that conforms to the shape of a conveyed
article on the inclined
portion of the conveying path.
In one embodiment of a conveyor for conveying articles up inclines, the
conveyor
comprises: an endless conveyor belt having an outer article-conveying surface
and advancing in a
direction of belt travel along a conveying path including an inclined portion;
a plurality of support
elements extending outwardly from the outer article-conveying surface of the
conveyor belt and
spaced apart at least a distance between about 1.25 and 1.75 times a length of
the article conveyed
on said conveyor belt, wherein each support element comprises: a upright
section having an upper
portion and an article-supporting face generally positioned in the direction
of belt travel; a block-
like bottom section with at least one hole and a curved bottom having a first
radius of curvature,
wherein the curved bottom engages the outer article-conveying surface of the
conveyor belt; and
a top positioned at the upper portion of the upright section and opposite the
bottom, wherein the
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
top has a curved surface having a second radius of curvature, wherein the
second radius of
curvature is different than the first radius of curvature; at least one
securing mechanism for each
support element to secure the support elements on the conveyor belt, wherein a
portion of the
securing mechanism is positioned in the hole of the block-like bottom section
of the support
element; a gasket positioned between a bottom portion of the securing
mechanism and the
conveyor belt; a support frame with a support stand positioned proximate to a
floor surface and
support bars; one or more handles extending outwardly from at least one of a
lower portion of the
support frame and an upper portion of the support frame; a drive pulley
interconnected to the
support frame and positioned at the bottom of the support frame, wherein an
underside of the
conveyor belt engages an outer surface of the drive pulley; and a tail pulley
interconnected to the
support frame and positioned at the top of the support frame, wherein an
underside of the conveyor
belt engages an outer surface of the tail pulley.
In additional embodiments, the inclined portion of the conveying path is
approximately 60
degrees as measured from a horizontal plane. Additionally, the plurality of
support elements
comprises a first support element extending horizontally across the belt and
perpendicular to the
direction of belt travel and spaced apart from a second support element
extending horizontally
across the belt and perpendicular to the direction of belt travel. In some
embodiments, the
conveyor further comprises a receiving hopper at a lower portion of the
conveyor, the receiving
hopper comprising at least three sides forming a funnel-like shape. In one
embodiment, the
plurality of support elements are made of an elastomeric material that
conforms to the shape of a
conveyed article on the inclined portion of the conveying path.
One embodiment of a method for conveying articles up steep inclines is
provided, the
method comprising: providing a conveyor for conveying articles up an incline,
said conveyor
comprising: an endless conveyor belt having a lateral extent and a
longitudinal extent, and an outer
.. article-conveying surface that is designed to advance in a direction of
belt travel along a conveying
path including an inclined portion; a plurality of support elements, with each
support element
having a same width (w), length (1), and height (h), where each support
element of said plurality
of support elements is interconnected to said outer conveying surface by two
independent fasteners
that penetrate through said outer article-conveying surface, where each of
said support elements
has a front section having an article-supporting face that oriented in the
direction of belt travel,
each of said support elements having a flat conveyor contacting surface that
engages the outer
31
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt, each of said support elements
constructed of
urethane material that provides strength along the supporting elements such
that when a conveyed
article is positioned on said conveyor belt, said first and second supporting
elements, where a
second support element in the plurality of support elements is spaced apart
from a first support
element in the plurality of support elements by at least a distance of 1.5
times a length of an article
conveyed on said conveyor belt; a support frame with a support stand, said
support frame having
two, longitudinally extending side bar supports extending parallel to each
other and connected to
each other by a plurality of support struts; a drive pulley operably connected
to said support frame
that engages said conveyor belt; a tail pulley operably connected to said
support frame that engages
said conveyor belt; and a motor operably connected to said drive pulley;
moving said endless
conveyor belt in the direction of belt travel using the motor, the drive
pulley, and the tail pulley;
conveying articles on the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor
belt; advancing the
conveyed articles in the direction of belt travel along a conveying path
including the inclined
portion; blocking conveyed articles from sliding down the conveying surface of
the conveyor belt
on the inclined portion by using said plurality of support elements; and
removing the conveyed
articles from the conveyor belt.
The method may, in some embodiments, further comprise sorting the conveyed
articles
using a sorting apparatus; and depending on the sorting step, loading a first
type of conveyed article
onto the conveyor belt. Additionally, the method comprises a method of
unloading conveyed
articles from a rack, the method comprising: moving the conveyed articles from
the rack to the
sorting apparatus; reading identification information on the conveyed articles
using a computer-
controlled vision system; removing the conveyed articles from the conveyor
belt using a robot,
where the identification information facilitates control of the second robot;
and placing the
conveyed articles in one of a loader and a storage structure.
In one embodiment of a method for conveying articles up steep inclines, the
method
comprises: providing a conveyor for conveying articles up an incline, said
conveyor comprising:
an endless conveyor belt having a lateral extent and a longitudinal extent,
and an outer article-
conveying surface that is designed to advance in a direction of belt travel
along a conveying path
including an inclined portion; a plurality of support elements, with each
support element having a
same width (w), length (1), and height (h), wherein each support element of
said plurality of support
elements is interconnected to said outer conveying surface by two independent
fasteners that
32
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
penetrate through said outer article-conveying surface, wherein each of said
support elements has
a front section having an article-supporting face that is oriented in the
direction of belt travel, each
of said support elements having a conveyor contacting surface that engages the
outer article-
conveying surface of the conveyor belt, each of said support elements
constructed of urethane
material that provides strength along the supporting elements, wherein a
second support element
in the plurality of support elements is spaced apart from a first support
element in the plurality of
support elements by a predetermined distance; a support frame with a support
stand, said support
frame having two, longitudinally extending side bar supports extending
parallel to each other and
connected to each other by a plurality of support struts; at least one handle
extending from a lower
portion of said support frame; at least one handle extending from an upper
portion of said support
frame; at least one pulley operably connected to said support frame that
engages said conveyor
belt; a motor operably connected to said at least one pulley; moving said
endless conveyor belt in
the direction of belt travel using the motor, the drive pulley, and the tail
pulley; conveying articles
on the outer article-conveying surface of the conveyor belt; advancing the
conveyed articles in the
direction of belt travel along a conveying path including the inclined
portion; blocking conveyed
articles from sliding down the conveying surface of the conveyor belt on the
inclined portion by
using said plurality of support elements; and removing the conveyed articles
from the conveyor
belt.
In further embodiments, the predetermined distance is between about 1.25 and
1.75 times
a length of an article conveyed on said conveyor belt. The method can further
comprise sorting
the conveyed articles using a sorting apparatus; and depending on the sorting
step, loading a first
type of conveyed article onto the conveyor belt. Additionally, the method can
include moving the
conveyed articles from the rack to the sorting apparatus; reading
identification information on the
conveyed articles using a computer-controlled vision system; removing the
conveyed articles from
the conveyor belt using a robot, wherein the identification information
facilitates control of the
second robot; and placing the conveyed articles in one of a loader and a
storage structure. In some
embodiments, the conveyor contacting surface of said support elements has a
curved shape with a
first radius of curvature. In one embodiment, the conveyed articles are tires.
While various configurations of the conveyor are herein specified, this
description is only
.. exemplary and is not intended to limit or otherwise narrow the invention.
The conveyor may
33
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
include any number of components in any potential combination thereof as
desired for achieving
the desired function for desired article shape and size and incline.
One or ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the
present invention
may be constructed of materials known to provide, or predictably manufactured
to provide the
various aspects of the present invention. For example, materials used in the
support structure of
the conveyor may include, for example, metal, composites, plastics, and other
synthetic and natural
materials. Further, the belt of the conveyor may be comprised of rubber,
latex, synthetic rubber,
synthetic materials, polymers, and natural materials.
As used herein, the term "a" or "an" entity refers to one or more of that
entity. As such,
the terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more" and "at least one" can be used
interchangeably herein. It is
also to be noted that the terms "comprising", "including", and "having" can be
used
interchangeably.
As used herein, "at least one", "one or more", and "and/or" are open-ended
expressions that
are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the
expressions "at least
one of A, B and C", "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, and
C", "one or more of A,
B, or C" and "A, B, and/or C" means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B
together, A and C together,
B and C together, or A, B and C together.
The phrases "device", "apparatus", "conveyor", "conveyor apparatus", and
"conveyor
device" are used herein to indicate the invention device.
The phrase "removably attached", "removable", and/or "detachable" is used
herein to
indicate an attachment or connection of any sort that is readily releasable or
disconnected.
This Summary of the Invention is neither intended nor should it be construed
as being
representative of the full extent and scope of the present invention. The
present invention is set
forth in various levels of detail in the Summary of the Invention as well as
in the attached drawings
and the Detailed Description, and no limitation as to the scope of the present
invention is intended
by either the inclusion or non-inclusion of elements, components, etc. in this
Summary of the
Invention. Additional aspects of the present invention will become more
readily apparent from
the Detailed Description, particularly when taken together with the drawings.
The above-described benefits, embodiments, and/or characterizations are not
necessarily
complete or exhaustive, and in particular, as to the patentable subject matter
disclosed herein.
Other benefits, embodiments, and/or characterizations of the present
disclosure are possible
34
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
utilizing, alone or in combination, as set forth above and/or described in the
accompanying figures
and/or in the description herein below. However, the Detailed Description, the
drawing figures,
and the claims set forth herein, taken in conjunction with this Summary of the
Invention, define
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Those of skill in the art will recognize that the following description is
merely illustrative
of the principles of the invention, which may be applied in various ways to
provide many different
alternative embodiments. This description is made for illustrating the general
principles of the
teachings of this invention and is not meant to limit the inventive concepts
disclosed herein.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of
the
specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the
general description of
the disclosure given above and the Detailed Description of the drawings given
below, serve to
explain the principles of the disclosures.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a tire conveyor;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a moveable elevating belt
conveyor;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a conveyor;
Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the lower end of the conveyor shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the upper end of the embodiment of the conveyor
shown in
Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the embodiment of the conveyor shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a section of a belt with cleats;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a vertical conveyor;
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of two curved cleats;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an elevating belt conveyor
conveying
tires;
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an elevating belt conveyor
conveying
panels;
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an elevating conveyor;
Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a system of multiple
elevating
conveyors;
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
Fig. 14A is a top elevation view of an embodiment of cleats on a conveyor;
Fig. 14B is a top elevation view of a second embodiment of cleats on a
conveyor;
Fig. 14C is a top elevation view of a third embodiment of cleats on a
conveyor;
Fig. 15 shows a portion of a conveyor belt with cleats;
Fig. 16 shows a portion of a conveyor belt with a cleat;
Figs. 17A-D show various views of a fourth embodiment of a cleat;
Fig. 18 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of a conveyor;
Fig. 19 shows a portion of a conveyor belt with cleats;
Figs. 20A-D show various views of a fifth embodiment of a cleat
Figs. 21A-D show various views of a sixth embodiment of a cleat
Figs. 22A-D show various views of a seventh embodiment of a cleat
Figs. 23A-D show various views of a eighth embodiment of a cleat
Figs. 24A-D show various views of a ninth embodiment of a cleat
Figs. 25A-D show various views of a tenth embodiment of a cleat
Fig. 26 shows a person moving one embodiment of the conveyor;
Fig. 27 shows a dolly for interconnection to and use with a conveyor system;
Fig. 28 is a side view of two conveyors interconnected to one another;
Fig. 29 is a second embodiment of a system of conveyors;
Fig. 30 shows one embodiment of a first conveyor resting on an upper end on a
second
conveyor;
Fig. 31 shows a second embodiment of a conveyor;
Fig. 32 shows a third embodiment of a conveyor;
Fig. 33 shows a third embodiment of a conveyor system comprising two or more
conveyors;
Fig. 34 shows another embodiment of a conveyor;
Fig. 35 shows a fourth embodiment of a conveyor system;
Figs. 36A-C show an embodiment of a straight vertical tire conveyor;
Figs. 37A-B show the drive end of a conveyor (without the belt) according to
embodiments
of the present invention;
Fig. 38 shows the drive end of a conveyor (with the belt) according to
embodiments of the
present invention;
36
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
Figs. 39A-B show the idle end of a conveyor (without the belt) according to
embodiments
of the present invention;
Fig. 40 shows the idle end of a conveyor (with the belt) according to
embodiments of the
present invention;
Fig. 41 is a perspective view of a center portion of a conveyor frame
according to
embodiments of the present invention;
Fig. 42 shows one embodiment of a nose-over vertical tire conveyor;
Figs. 43A-B show another embodiment of a nose-over vertical tire conveyor;
Fig. 44 shows the nose-over vertical tire conveyor of Figs. 43A-B conveying
tires and
with a stand and ramp on the second floor;
Fig. 45 shows the top end of the nose-over vertical tire conveyor of Figs. 43A-
44 without
the belt;
Fig. 46 shows the bottom end of the nose-over vertical tire conveyor of Figs.
43A-44
without the belt;
Fig. 47 shows an embodiment of a nose-over vertical tire conveyor;
Fig. 48 shows an embodiment of a nose-over vertical tire conveyor;
Fig. 49 shows an embodiment of a reverse nose-over vertical tire conveyor;
Figs. 50A-D show an embodiment of a cleat for a vertical tire conveyor
according to
embodiments of the present invention; and
Figs. 51A-D show an embodiment of a cleat for a vertical tire conveyor
according to
embodiments of the present invention.
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and
various
dimensions may be altered. In certain instances, details that are not
necessary for an
understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to
perceive may have been
omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not
necessarily limited to the
particular embodiments illustrated herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The invention described herein relates to a conveyor used in any application
where an
article (such as a tire) may need to be transported or lifted more than five
feet. Such applications
include moving tires and articles during manufacture, after manufacture to be
shipped, loading
37
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
tires and articles on the shipping vessels, unloading the tires and articles
off of the shipping vessels,
and moving the tires and articles within stores and warehouses to their final
storage place.
It should be appreciated that the particular implementations and embodiments
shown and
described herein are illustrative of the invention and are not intended to
otherwise limit the scope
of the present invention in any way. Indeed, for the sake of brevity, trivial
and conventional
features and aspects of the present invention are not described in extensive
detail herein. It should
be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words
of the claims set forth
at the end of this disclosure. The detailed description is to be construed as
exemplary only and
does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible
embodiment would
be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be
implemented, using
either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of
this patent, which would
still fall within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, the connecting lines
shown in the various
figures shown herein are intended to represent exemplary functional
relationships and/or physical
couplings between the various elements of the system. It should be noted that
many alternative or
additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in
a practical conveyor
apparatus, conveying system, conveying method, tire sorting system, and fire
loading system.
Referring now to Figure 1, an embodiment of the conveyor 100 of the present
invention is
shown. The embodiment of the conveyor 100 shown in Figure 1 may convey tires
120 and
comprise a belt 106, rounded cleats 107, an electrical box 118, and a support
frame 110. The
support frame 110 may comprise a support stand 102, side panels 104, support
bars 108, a drive
pulley 122 interconnected to the support frame 110 at a point with a pin or
other connecting
mechanism 124, a tail pulley, and a side plate 124. The conveyor 100 has a
lower end 112, and an
upper end 114. The support stand 102 and side panels 104 may be any metal
material. In other
embodiments, the support stand 102 and side panels 104 may be composites or
durable plastics.
The tires 120 may be any tire of any shape or size. The belt 106 may have one
or more seams 120.
In some embodiments, the support stand 102 may be replaceable and may be
replaced with
various support stands or wheels to move the conveyor from location to
location. The support
stand 102 may also be secured to the ground or to a floor surface to prevent
movement of the
conveyor 100.
Figure 2 shows an embodiment of an elevating belt conveyor 200. The conveyor
200 may
comprise cleats 207A, 207B, a belt 210, and a stand 250 with wheels 254. The
stand 250 may
38
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
comprise rear tall support bars 252, a rear horizontal support bar 256, side
horizontal support bars
258, a front horizontal support bar 260, and wheels 254. In various
embodiments, the stand 250
may be configured in ways other than that shown in Figure 2. One skilled in
the art will
contemplate other configurations known now or in the future.
In various embodiments, the stand 250 may have wheels 254. In other
embodiments, the
stand may not have wheels 254. Further, the stand 250 may be removable and the
conveyor may
be secured to the ground or floor to prevent movement. In some embodiments,
the wheels are
detachable to prevent movement of the conveyor. Alternatively or additionally,
the wheels may be
lockable to prevent movement of the conveyor.
The conveyor 200 may also comprise a pulley 270, a crankshaft 272 or other
means for
tightening the pulley 270 and/or the belt 210. In some embodiments the
underside 280 of the belt
may be visible. The side of the conveyor 200 may have a side support or
shield. The pulley 270
may be a plain idler pulley with a belt tensioner 272. The lower pulley 122
may also be a drive
pulley for a rubber lagged conveyor belt. The electrical system may comprise
an electrical box 218
with a motor. The motor may have a thermal overload motor protector to protect
the motor from
overheating.
Referring now to Figures 3-7, different components of an embodiment of a
conveyor are
shown. Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a conveyor 300.
Figure 4 is an
exploded view of the lower end of the embodiment of the conveyor shown in
Figure 3. Figure 5 is
an exploded view of the upper end of the embodiment of the conveyor shown in
Figure 3. Figure
6 is an exploded view of the embodiment of the conveyor shown in Figure 3.
Figure 7 is a
perspective view of a section of a belt with cleats.
Figure 3 shows a conveyor 300 with the conveyor belt removed to show other
components.
In some embodiments the conveyor belt is also included. The conveyor 300 may
comprise side
bars 170, a tail pulley 529, a drive pulley 528, a base plate 512 with a pin,
and pin only hardware
512P0.
The lower end of the conveyor 300 is shown in Figure 4. The lower end of the
conveyor
300 may comprise a bearing with 3-hole triangular flangettes 149A, a motor
193, a speed reducer
510, a base plate 512, a drive pulley 528, a drive shaft 530, a chain guard
535, a 12 tooth sprocket
540, a 30 tooth sprocket 542, and a section of roller chain 545.
39
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
The bearing with 3-hole triangular flangettes 149A may comprise a 1" bearing.
In one
embodiment, the motor 193 may be a 1 hp 115V 56C l'EFC motor. In one
embodiment, speed
reducer 510 may include a 7/8" O.D. shaft. In one embodiment, base plate 512
may include a pin
and pin only hardware 512P0. In an embodiment, the drive pulley 528 may
include a 1" bore. In
an embodiment, the drive shaft 530 may include a 1" O.D. In one embodiment,
the 12 tooth
sprocket 540 may include a 7/8" bore. In one embodiment, the 30 tooth sprocket
542 may include
a 1" bore. In an embodiment, the section of roller chain 545 may be IMO roller
chain (137 pitches
+ connecting link).
The upper end of the conveyor 300 is shown in Figure 5. The upper end of the
conveyor
300 may comprise a bearing with 3-hole triangular flangettes 149, a take-up
frame 515 with a
screw (right hand side), a take-up frame 517 with a screw (left hand side), a
tail pulley 529, a tail
shaft 531,a forward/reverse drum switch 195A, an ON/OFF motor rated toggle
switch 195BSD, a
main E-stop starter station 195C, a remote E-stop station 195D, an E-stop
switch (Red), a reverse
switch (black), a forward switch (green), and a set of (2) nose wings 180 with
hardware.
In some embodiments, the bearing with 3-hole triangular flangettes 149 may be
a 1"
bearing. In an embodiment, the tail pulley 529 may comprise a 1" bore. In an
embodiment, the tail
shaft 531 may comprise a 1" O.D. (outside diameter).
The conveyor 300 is shown in Figure 6. Figure 7 shows a piece of the belt 505
with cleats
507A, 507B. In an embodiment, the belt 505 may be about 18" wide and about
1/32" thick. Further,
there may be a set of two bolts on each cleat. In embodiments, the cleats may
be a set of two cleats
where one cleat 507A is the right hand side cleat with hardware and the other
cleat 507B is the left
hand side cleat with hardware. Further, the belt 505 may comprise a set of #20
x 18" long hammer-
on lacing 524 or a set of #RS125 x 18" long staple lacing 526.
Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a vertical conveyor 800 comprising a
control switch
802 to turn the conveyor 800 on and off, a belt 806, and a cleat or supporting
element 808. One
embodiment of a tire rack 804 for holding tires 120 is also shown in Fig. 8.
The vertical conveyor
800 conveys tires 120 or other articles upward to high levels or high shelves
of the rack 804 and
conveys tires 120 downward from high levels or shelves of the rack 804 to the
ground for use or
transport. The conveyor 800 conveys items in a substantially vertical
direction.
Figure 9 shows a perspective view of two curved cleats 507A, 507B. In some
embodiments,
the cleats are 4" cleats 507A, 507B. In an embodiment, the cleats 507A, 507B
may include a set
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
of two bolts. Further, the bolts may be 1/4" x 1-1/4" #1 elevator bolts with
hardware. The cleats
507A, 507B may also include holes 902 for the bolts or other
attachment/connection mechanisms.
The cleats 507A, 507B may have a flat lower area 904 (also called a "block"
herein) and a curved
section 906. The curved section 906 has a back side (i.e., the side showing
and the side facing
away from the tire or article) and an article-supporting face 908 (not shown,
and is positioned
opposite the back side). The cleats 507A, 507B also have a top 912, a bottom
910, and sides 914.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an elevating belt conveyor
conveying
tires 920 to an upper floor 922. The conveyor may comprise a belt 950 and
cleats 507A, 507B.
The belt 950 may have a seam 1020 and an upper surface and a lower surface.
The conveyor may
also have an electrical box 918 with power buttons, and an emergency stop
button, etc.
Figure 11 shows an embodiment of an elevating conveyor 1000 conveying solar
panels
1002. The conveyor may comprise a conveyor belt 1010, a support frame 1110,
cleats 1007A,
1007B, a stand 1050, and a retention mechanism 1100. The retention mechanism
1100 has a lower
end 1100A and an upper end 1100B. The retention mechanism 1100 is
interconnected to the
support frame 1110 and does not run the entire length of the support frame
1110 such that articles
may be loaded onto the conveyor belt 1010 at the bottom of the elevating
conveyor 1000 and
removed at the top of the elevating belt conveyor 1000. In one embodiment, the
retention
mechanism 1100 is a set of bars made of the same material or a similar
material to the support
frame 1110. Articles, such as solar panels 1002, do not touch the retention
mechanism 1100 unless
the article falls away from the conveyor belt 1010. At that point, the
retention mechanism 1100
keeps the article from completely falling off of the conveyor 1000. In some
additional
embodiments, the retention mechanism may also prevent the articles from moving
from side to
side on the conveyor 1000 or from falling off of the side of the conveyor
1000.
Figure 12 shows an embodiment of an elevating conveyor 1200 used in industrial
uses.
The elevating conveyor 1200 may comprise a support frame 1208, motor 1206,
pulley 1210,
electrical system 1204, drive pulley 1210, and one or more cleats 1202. In
some embodiments, the
support frame 1208 may comprise support feet 1222 (alternative to a single
support stand as shown
in Fig. 1 as element 102). Either a support stand or support feet (even more
than two feet) maybe
be used in the various embodiments described herein.
41
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
Figure 13 shows an embodiment of a system of multiple elevating conveyors
1200A,
1200B, 1200C stacked one on top of another. Each conveyor 1200A, 1200B, 1200C
includes a
set of lower handles 1302A, and a set of upper handles 1302B, and a receiving
hopper 1304.
Other embodiments of cleats or support elements are shown in Figures 14A-14C.
Note that
the term "cleat" and the term "support element" may be used interchangeably
herein. Figure 14A
shows an embodiment of cleats holding a tire on a conveyor. The cleats in
Figure 14A are posts
58 that have article-supporting faces 60 contoured to complement the shape of
and to mate with a
conveyed article. The posts or cleats 58 also have article-supporting faces 60
that define a plane
1406A, 1406B oblique to the direction of belt travel 1402 and intersecting at
a point 1408 below
the posts or cleats 58 on the belt. The angle defined by the cleats or posts
58 may also be measured
from the horizontal line 1404. The cleats in Figure 14B are chevron-shaped
flights 62 serving as
pockets for conveyed articles. Each flight may be a single piece or segmented.
In Figure 14C, each
cleat constitutes a pair of pins 64 between which an elastomeric band 66 is
strung. The weight of
the conveyed article pushing on the elastomeric band stretches the band to
conform to the outer
surface of the conveyed article 10. These are just a few additional examples
of cleats that are usable
in the conveyors of Figures 1-13. Other support elements, such as buckets,
transverse flights, or
arrays of pins, could alternatively be used.
Figures 15 and 16 show a portion of the conveyor belt 1502 with cleats 1504A,
1504B. In
one embodiment, the cleats 1504A, 1504B are about 4" tall and are used in
pairs. In other
embodiments, the cleats 1504A, 1504B are between about 1" and about 3.5" tall
and are used in
pairs or as single support elements to move items along a conveyor belt. In
one embodiment, the
belt 1502 is between about 12" and 20" wide and between about 1/32" and about
1/8" thick. The
belt 1502 can comprise a set of #20 x 18" long hammer-on lacing 524 or a set
of 1/RS125 x 18"
long staple lacing 526. Further, each cleat 1502A, 1502B may be interconnected
to the belt 1502
via a set of two bolts 1520. The bolts 1520 can be positioned upwardly or
downwardly through
holes in the base of the cleat 1520A, 1502B. Additionally, a gasket 1516 can
be positioned
between the bolt 1520 head and the belt 1502 or between the belt 1502 and the
cleat 1504A, 1504B.
The gasket 1516 can be comprised of an elastic material, such as rubber, or
any other strong
material known in the art. Further, the gasket 1516 can be a single piece of
material or it can be a
2-ply gasket in some embodiments. Various embodiments include a washer 1514
positioned
between an upper surface of the base of the cleat 1504A, 1504B and a nut 1510.
The washer 1514
42
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
is a fender washer in one embodiment. In a further embodiment, a lock washer
1512 is positioned
between the washer 1514 and the nut 1510.
Figures 17A-D show various views of one embodiment of a cleat 1704 (also
called a
support element herein). Figure 17A is a perspective view of the cleat 1704.
Figure 17B is a top
plan view of the cleat 1704. Figure 17C is a side elevation view of the cleat
1704. Figure 17D is
a front elevation view of the cleat 1704. In some embodiments, the cleat 1704
is a 6.0" cleat. In
other embodiments, the cleat 1704 is a 1.25" cleat, a 2.0" cleat, a 4.0"
cleat, a 5.0" cleat, or an 8.0"
cleat. The cleat 1704 may also include holes 1702 for bolts or other
attachment or interconnection
mechanisms. In one embodiment, the holes 1702 have a diameter between about
'A" and 1". In a
preferred embodiment, the holes 1702 have a diameter of about 5/16". The cleat
1704 can have a
flat lower area 1724 (also called a "block" herein) or a curved block 1724. In
one embodiment,
the under surface 1734 of the block 1724 has a radius of curvature R6 between
about 5" and about
10" and the block 1724 has a width W1 between about 2" and about 4". In a
preferred embodiment
the under surface 1734 of the block 1724 has a radius of curvature R6 of about
8.5" and the block
1724 has a width of 2-7/8". The block can have a flat or a curved upper
surface 1732. In one
embodiment, the height H2 of the block 1724 (i.e., from the under surface 1734
to the upper surface
1732) is between about 1/2" and about 1.0". In a preferred embodiment, the
height H2 of the block
1724 (i.e., from the under surface 1734 to the upper surface 1732) is about
3/4". The outer edge
of the block 1724 can have a square corner or a rounded corner. In one
embodiment, the radius of
curvature R5 of the corner of the block 1724 is between about 1/16" and about
1/2". In a preferred
embodiment, the radius of curvature R5 of the corner of the block 1724 is
about 1/4".
In some embodiments, the cleat 1704 also has a curved section 1706. The curved
section
1706 has a back side 1726 (i.e., the side facing away from the article
conveyed) and an article-
supporting face 1708 positioned opposite the back side 1726. In one
embodiment, the article-
supporting face 1708 has a smaller radius of curvature R3 than the radius of
curvature R2 of the
back side 1726. Thus, the radius of curvature R3 of the article-supporting
face 1708 may be
between about 4" and about 6" and the radius of curvature R2 of the back side
1726 may be
between about 4.5" and about 6.5" in some embodiments. In a preferred
embodiment, the radius
of curvature R3 of the article-supporting face 1708 is about 5" and the radius
of curvature R2 of
the back side 1726 is about 5.5". The back side 1726 can be interconnected to
the upper surface
1732 of the block 1724 via a radius of curvature R4. The radius of curvature
R4 can be between
43
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
about 1/8" and about 1/2" in some embodiments. In a preferred embodiment, the
radius of
curvature R4 is about 1/4". The cleat 1704 also has atop 1712 and sides 1714.
In one embodiment,
the height H1 from the under surface 1734 to the top of the top 1712 is
between about 4" and about
6.5". In a preferred embodiment, the height H1 from the under surface 1734 to
the top of the top
1712 is about 5.5". In one embodiment, the length Li from one side 1714 to the
other side is
between about 2" and about 6". In a preferred embodiment, the length Li from
one side 1714 to
the other side is about 4". Additionally, the top 1712 may be flat or curved.
In one embodiment,
the radius of curvature R1 of the top 1712 is between about 3/16" and about
1/2". In a preferred
embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the top 1712 is about 5/16".
In one embodiment, the entire width W2 of the cleat 1704 is between about 5"
and about
6". In a preferred embodiment, the width W2 of the cleat 1704 is about 5-
3/16". Further, the holes
1702 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge of the block 1724, where the
distance W3 is
between about 0.5" and about 2". In a preferred embodiment, the holes 1702 are
positioned a
distance W3 from the edge of the block 1724, where the distance W3 is about
1.0". Additionally,
the holes 1702 are positioned a distance W4, W5 from the side 1706, where the
distance W4, W5
is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a preferred embodiment, the holes 1702
are positioned a
distance W4, W5 from the side 1706, where the distance W4, W5 is between about
9/16".
Figure 18 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a conveyor. The conveyor
can
comprise and combination of the following parts, or equivalents thereof:
handles 401, a 1" bearing
with 3-hole triangular flangettes 149, a start/stop switch 195BIIRLUW, a 1/4
hp 115V gearmotor
400, a drive pulley 428 with a 1" bore, a drive shaft 430 with a 1" 0.D., a
chain guard 435, a 12-
tooth Sprocket 440 with a 3/4" bore for a #40 chain, a 20-tooth Sprocket 442
with a 1" bore for a
#10 chain, a section of #40 roller chain 445 (which can include 49 pitches and
connecting links),
a 1" bearing with rectangle/oval flangettes 149A, a 5/8" bearing with 2-hole
oval flangettes 153A,
a mounting bracket for return wheels 399, a return wheel/roller weld-on
bracket 399, an electrical
inlet (male ¨ not shown), an electrical outlet (female ¨ not shown), a thermal
overload reset button
(not shown), return wheels 480 with 5/8" shaft, a tail pulley 469, with a 1"
bore, a tail shaft 472
with a 1" 0.D., a right-hand side take-up frame 485 with adjustment screw, and
a left-hand side
take-up frame 487 with adjustment screw. Further embodiments of the conveyor
can include a 10-
foot conveyor with 1-1/4" cleats, a 10-foot conveyor with a mini-cleated belt,
a 12-foot conveyor
with 1-1/4" cleats, or a 12-foot conveyor with a mini-cleated belt. The
conveyor may have the
44
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
following belt parts and accessories in some embodiments: a dolly 152EZM, a
weld-on tube
receptor 152EZMT, a wheel 231 for the dolly, a set of 1-1/4" bolt on cleats
307 for a belt (which
may be 14 inches wide), a 2-ply belting, mini-cleated belting, a set of long
hammer-on lacing 325
for smooth belt (may be #35 x 14" lacing or #20 x 14" lacing), and a set of
staple lacing 326 for
smooth belt* (may be #RS187 x 14" long or #RS125 x 14" long).
Figure 19 shows a portion of the conveyor belt 1902 with cleats 1904A, 1904B,
1904C. In
one embodiment, the cleats 1904A, 1904B, 1904C are about 1-1/4" tall and are
used in threes. In
other embodiments, the cleats 1904A, 1904B, 1904C are between about 2" and
about 4" tall and
are used in threes or as single support elements to move items along a
conveyor belt. In one
.. embodiment, the belt 1902 is between about 12" and 20" wide and between
about 1/32" and about
1/8" thick. The belt 1902 can comprise a set of hammer-on lacing 524 or a set
of staple lacing
526. Further, each cleat 1904A, 1904B, 1904C may be interconnected to the belt
1902 via a set
of two bolts, a gasket, and other connecting elements.
Figures 20A-D show various views of one embodiment of a cleat 1904B (also
called a
support element herein). The cleat 1904B can be configured to be the right-
hand cleat 1904B out
of a group of two or three cleats. Figure 20A is a perspective view of the
cleat 1904B. Figure 20B
is a top plan view of the cleat 1904B. Figure 20C is a side elevation view of
the cleat 1904B.
Figure 20D is a front elevation view of the cleat 1904B. Figures 22A-D show
various views of
one embodiment of a cleat 1904A (also called a support element herein). The
cleat 1904A can be
.. configured to be the left-hand cleat 1904A out of a group of two or three
cleats. Figure 22A is a
perspective view of the cleat 1904A. Figure 22B is a top plan view of the
cleat 1904A. Figure
22C is a side elevation view of the cleat 1904A. Figure 22D is a front
elevation view of the cleat
1904A.
Referring to Figs. 20A-D and 22A-D, the cleats 1904A and 1904B shown are minor
.. images of one another in various embodiments. Therefore, when referring to
either cleat, the
number 1904 will be used. In some embodiments, the cleat 1904 is a 1-1/4"
cleat. In other
embodiments, the cleat 1904 is a 1.25" cleat, a 2" cleat, a 4" cleat, a 6"
cleat, or an 8" cleat. The
cleat 1904 may also include holes 1902 for bolts or other attachment or
interconnection
mechanisms. In one embodiment, the holes 1902 have a diameter between about
1/4" and 1". In a
preferred embodiment, the holes 1902 have a diameter of about 5/16". The cleat
1904 can have a
flat lower area 1924 (also called a "block" herein) or a curved block 1924. In
one embodiment,
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
the under surface 1934 of the block 1924 has a radius of curvature R6 between
about 3" and about
7" and the block 1924 has a width W1 between about 1" and about 2". In a
preferred embodiment
the under surface 1934 of the block 1924 has a radius of curvature R6 of about
5" and the block
1924 has a width of 1.5". In one embodiment, the width W7 of the horizontal
portion of the block
1924 is between about 3/4" and about 1.5". In a preferred embodiment, the
width W7 of the
horizontal portion of the block 1924 is about 1-1/8". Further, the article
supporting surface 1908
and the trailing edge 1950 are at an angle relative to the sides 1914. Thus,
the distance W6 from
the leading edge of one side 1914 to the leading edge of the other side 1914
is between about 1/2"
and 2". In a preferred embodiment, the distance W6 from the leading edge of
one side 1914 to the
leading edge of the other side 1914 is about 1.0". Further, the leading edge
or article supporting
surface 1908 forms an angle with the vertical axis shown in Figs. 20a and 20B,
which would be
the horizontal axis when the cleat 1904 is interconnected to the belt. In some
embodiments, the
angle for the left cleat 1904A is substantially the same as the angle for the
right cleat 1904B and
the angle is between about 10 degrees and about 75 degrees. In a preferred
embodiment, the angle
is between about 25 degrees and about 55 degrees. Typically, the sides 1914
are substantially
parallel to the sides of the belt.
The block can have a flat or a curved upper surface 1932. In one embodiment,
the height
H2 of the block 1924 (i.e., from the under surface 1934 to the upper surface
1932) is between about
1/4" and about 1.0". In a preferred embodiment, the height H2 of the block
1924 (i.e., from the
under surface 1934 to the upper surface 1932) is about 7/16". The outer edge
of the block 1924
can have a square corner or a rounded corner. In one embodiment, the radius of
curvature R5 of
the corner of the block 1924 is between about 1/16" and about 1/2". In a
preferred embodiment,
the radius of curvature R5 of the corner of the block 1924 is about 1/4".
In some embodiments, the cleat 1904 also has an upright section 1906. The
upright section
1906 has a back side 1926 (i.e., the side facing away from the article
conveyed) and an article-
supporting face 1908 positioned opposite the back side 1926. The back side
1926 can be
interconnected to the upper surface 1932 of the block 1924 via a radius of
curvature R4. The
radius of curvature R4 can be between about 1/8" and about 1/2" in some
embodiments. In a
preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R4 is about 1/4". The cleat 1904
also has a top
1912 and sides 1914. In one embodiment, the height H1 from the under surface
1934 to the top of
the top 1912 is between about 1" and about 2". In a preferred embodiment, the
height H1 from
46
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
the under surface 1934 to the top of the top 1912 is about 1-1/4". In one
embodiment, the length
Li from one side 1914 to the other side is between about 1" and about 3". In a
preferred
embodiment, the length Li from one side 1914 to the other side is about 2.5".
Additionally, the
top 1912 may be flat or curved. In one embodiment, the radius of curvature R1
of the top 1912 is
between about 1/16" and about 1/2". In a preferred embodiment, the radius of
curvature R1 of the
top 1912 is about 3/16".
In one embodiment, the holes 1902 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge
of the block
1924, where the distance W3 is between about 0.5" and about 2". In a preferred
embodiment, the
holes 1902 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge of the block 1924, where
the distance W3
is about 1.0". Additionally, the holes 1902 are positioned a distance W4, W5
from the side 1906,
where the distance W4, W5 is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a preferred
embodiment, the
holes 1902 are positioned a distance W4, W5 from the side 1906, where the
distance W4, W5 is
between about 9/16".
Figures 21A-D show various views of one embodiment of a cleat B (also called a
support
element herein). The cleat 2104B can be configured to be the right-hand cleat
2104B out of a
group of two or three cleats. Figure 21A is a perspective view of the cleat
2104B. Figure 21B is
a top plan view of the cleat 2104B. Figure 21C is a side elevation view of the
cleat 2104B. Figure
21D is a front elevation view of the cleat 2104B. Figures 23A-D show various
views of one
embodiment of a cleat 2104A (also called a support element herein). The cleat
2104A can be
.. configured to be the left-hand cleat 2104A out of a group of two or three
cleats. Figure 23A is a
perspective view of the cleat 2104A. Figure 23B is a top plan view of the
cleat 2104A. Figure
23C is a side elevation view of the cleat 2104A. Figure 23D is a front
elevation view of the cleat
2104A.
Referring to Figs. 21A-D and 23A-D, the cleats 2104A and 2104B shown are
mirror
images of one another in various embodiments. Therefore, when referring to
either cleat, the
number 2104 will be used. In some embodiments, the cleat 2104 is a 2" cleat.
In other
embodiments, the cleat 2104 is a 1.25" cleat, a 4" cleat, a 6" cleat, or an 8"
cleat. The cleat 2104
may also include holes 2102 for bolts or other attachment or interconnection
mechanisms. In one
embodiment, the holes 2102 have a diameter between about 1/4" and 1". In a
preferred embodiment,
the holes 2102 have a diameter of about 5/16". The cleat 2104 can have a flat
lower area 2124
(also called a "block" herein) or a curved block 2124. In one embodiment, the
under surface 2134
47
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
of the block 2124 has a radius of curvature R6 between about 1" and about 5"
and the block 2124
has a width W1 between about 1" and about 2". In a preferred embodiment the
under surface 2134
of the block 2124 has a radius of curvature R6 of about 2-3/16" and the block
2124 has a width of
1.5". In one embodiment, the width W7 of the horizontal portion of the block
2124 is between
about 3/4" and about 1.5". In a preferred embodiment, the width W7 of the
horizontal portion of
the block 2124 is about 1-1/8". Additionally, the width W8 of the cleat 2104
from the trailing
edge 2150 to the most forward extending portion of the article supporting
surface 2108 is between
about 1" and about 2.5" in one embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, the
width W8 of the cleat
2104 from the trailing edge 2150 to the most forward extending portion of the
article supporting
surface 2108 is about 1-13/16". Further, the article supporting surface 2108
and the trailing edge
2150 are at an angle relative to the sides 2114. Thus, the distance W6 from
the leading edge of
one side 2114 to the leading edge of the other side 2114 is between about 1/2"
and 2". In a preferred
embodiment, the distance W6 from the leading edge of one side 2114 to the
leading edge of the
other side 2114 is about 1-1/8". Further, the leading edge or article
supporting surface 2108 forms
an angle with the vertical axis shown in Figs. 21A and 21B, which would be the
horizontal axis
when the cleat 2104 is interconnected to the belt. In some embodiments, the
angle for the left cleat
2104A is substantially the same as the angle for the right cleat 2104B and the
angle is between
about 10 degrees and about 75 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, the angle is
between about 25
degrees and about 55 degrees.
The block can have a flat or a curved upper surface 2132. In one embodiment,
the height
H2 of the block 2124 (i.e., from the under surface 2134 to the upper surface
2132) is between about
1/4" and about 1.0". In a preferred embodiment, the height H2 of the block
2124 (i.e., from the
under surface 2134 to the upper surface 2132) is about 7/16". The outer edge
of the block 2124
can have a square corner or a rounded corner. In one embodiment, the radius of
curvature R5 of
the corner of the block 2124 is between about 1/16" and about 1/2". In a
preferred embodiment,
the radius of curvature R5 of the corner of the block 2124 is about 1/4".
In some embodiments, the cleat 2104 also has an upright section 2106, which
may be
curved or substantially straight. The upright section 2106 has a back side
2126 (i.e., the side facing
away from the article conveyed) and an article-supporting face 2108 positioned
opposite the back
side 2126. In one embodiment, the article-supporting face 2108 has a smaller
radius of curvature
R3 than the radius of curvature R2 of the back side 2126. Thus, the radius of
curvature R3 of the
48
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
article-supporting face 2108 may be between about 3" and about 5" and the
radius of curvature R2
of the back side 2126 may be between about 2" and about 4" in some
embodiments. In a preferred
embodiment, the radius of curvature R3 of the article-supporting face 2108 is
about 4-1/8" and the
radius of curvature R2 of the back side 2126 is about 2-11/16". The back side
2126 can be
interconnected to the upper surface 2132 of the block 2124 via a radius of
curvature R4. The
radius of curvature R4 can be between about 1/8" and about 1/2" in some
embodiments. In a
preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R4 is about 1/4". The cleat 2104
also has a top
2112 and sides 2114. In one embodiment, the height H1 from the under surface
2134 to the top of
the top 2112 is between about 1" and about 3". In a preferred embodiment, the
height H1 from
the under surface 2134 to the top of the top 2112 is about 2". In one
embodiment, the length Li
from one side 2114 to the other side is between about 1" and about 3". In a
preferred embodiment,
the length Li from one side 2114 to the other side is about 2-5/8".
Additionally, the top 2112 may
be flat or curved. In one embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the top
2112 is between about
1/16" and about 1/2". In a preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of
the top 2112 is
about 1/8". Further, the width or thickness W9 of the upper portion of the
upright section 2106 is
between about 1/8" and about 1/2". In one embodiment, the width or thickness
W9 of the upper
portion of the upright section 2106 is about 1/4".
In one embodiment, the holes 2102 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge
of the block
2124, where the distance W3 is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a preferred
embodiment, the
holes 2102 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge of the block 2124, where
the distance W3
is about 9/16". Additionally, the holes 2102 are positioned a distance W4, W5
from the side 2106,
where the distance W4, W5 is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a preferred
embodiment, the
holes 2102 are positioned a distance W4, W5 from the side 2106, where the
distance W4, W5 is
between about 9/16".
Figures 24A-D show various views of one embodiment of a center cleat 1904C
(also called
a support element herein). The cleat 1904C can be configured to be the center
cleat 1904C out of
a group of three cleats. Figure 24A is a perspective view of the cleat 1904C.
Figure 24B is a top
plan view of the cleat 1904C. Figure 24C is a side elevation view of the cleat
1904C. Figure 24D
is a front elevation view of the cleat 1904C. In some embodiments, the cleat
1904C is a 1-1/4"
cleat. In other embodiments, the cleat 1904C is a 2" cleat, a 4" cleat, a 6"
cleat, or an 8" cleat. The
cleat 1904C may also include holes 1902 for bolts or other attachment or
interconnection
49
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
mechanisms. In one embodiment, the holes 1902 have a diameter between about
1/4" and 1". In a
preferred embodiment, the holes 1902 have a diameter of about 5/16". The cleat
1904C can have
a flat lower area 1924 (also called a "block" herein) or a curved block 1924.
In one embodiment,
the under surface 1934 of the block 1924 has a radius of curvature R6 between
about 3" and about
7" and the block 1924 has a width W1 between about 1" and about 2". In a
preferred embodiment
the under surface 1934 of the block 1924 has a radius of curvature R6 of about
5" and the block
1924 has a width of 1.5". In one embodiment, the width W7 of the horizontal
portion of the block
1924 is between about 3/4" and about 1.5". In a preferred embodiment, the
width W7 of the
horizontal portion of the block 1924 is about 1-1/8". Typically, the sides
1914 are substantially
parallel to the sides of the belt.
The block can have a flat or a curved upper surface 1932. In one embodiment,
the height
H2 of the block 1924 (i.e., from the under surface 1934 to the upper surface
1932) is between about
1/4" and about 1.0". In a preferred embodiment, the height H2 of the block
1924 (i.e., from the
under surface 1934 to the upper surface 1932) is about 7/16". The outer edge
of the block 1924
can have a square corner or a rounded corner. In one embodiment, the radius of
curvature R5 of
the corner of the block 1924 is between about 1/16" and about 1/2". In a
preferred embodiment,
the radius of curvature R5 of the corner of the block 1924 is about 1/4".
In some embodiments, the cleat 1904C also has an upright section 1906. The
upright
section 1906 has a back side 1926 (i.e., the side facing away from the article
conveyed) and an
article-supporting face 1908 positioned opposite the back side 1926. The back
side 1926 can be
interconnected to the upper surface 1932 of the block 1924 via a radius of
curvature R4. The
radius of curvature R4 can be between about 1/8" and about 1/2" in some
embodiments. In a
preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R4 is about 1/4". The cleat
1904C also has a top
1912 and sides 1914. In one embodiment, the height H1 from the under surface
1934 to the top of
the top 1912 is between about 1" and about 2". In a preferred embodiment, the
height H1 from
the under surface 1934 to the top of the top 1912 is about 1-1/4". In one
embodiment, the length
Li from one side 1914 to the other side is between about 3" and about 7". In a
preferred
embodiment, the length Li from one side 1914 to the other side is about 5.5".
Additionally, the
top 1912 may be flat or curved. In one embodiment, the radius of curvature R1
of the top 1912 is
between about 1/16" and about 1/2". In a preferred embodiment, the radius of
curvature R1 of the
top 1912 is about 3/16".
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
In one embodiment, the holes 1902 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge
of the block
1924, where the distance W3 is between about 0.25" and about 1". In a
preferred embodiment,
the holes 1902 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge of the block 1924,
where the distance
W3 is about 9/16". Additionally, the holes 1902 are positioned a distance W4,
W5 from the side
1906, where the distance W4, W5 is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a
preferred embodiment,
the holes 1902 are positioned a distance W4, W5 from the side 1906, where the
distance W4, W5
is between about 9/16".
Figures 25A-D show various views of one embodiment of a cleat 2104C (also
called a
support element herein). The cleat 2104C can be configured to be the center
cleat 2104C out of a
group three cleats. Figure 25A is a perspective view of the cleat 2104C.
Figure 25B is a top plan
view of the cleat 2104C. Figure 25C is a side elevation view of the cleat
2104C. Figure 25D is a
front elevation view of the cleat 2104C. In some embodiments, the cleat 2104C
is a 2" cleat. In
other embodiments, the cleat 2104C is a 1.25" cleat, a 4" cleat, a 6" cleat,
or an 8" cleat. The cleat
2104C may also include holes 2102 for bolts or other attachment or
interconnection mechanisms.
In one embodiment, the holes 2102 have a diameter between about 1/4" and 1".
In a preferred
embodiment, the holes 2102 have a diameter of about 5/16". The cleat 2104C can
have a flat lower
area 2124 (also called a "block" herein) or a curved block 2124. In one
embodiment, the under
surface 2134 of the block 2124 has a radius of curvature R6 between about 1"
and about 5" and
the block 2124 has a width W1 between about 1" and about 2". In a preferred
embodiment the
under surface 2134 of the block 2124 has a radius of curvature R6 of about 2-
3/16" and the block
2124 has a width of 1.5". In one embodiment, the width W7 of the horizontal
portion of the block
2124 is between about 3/4" and about 1.5". In a preferred embodiment, the
width W7 of the
horizontal portion of the block 2124 is about 1-1/8". Additionally, the width
W8 of the cleat
2104C from the trailing edge 2150 to the most forward extending portion of the
article supporting
surface 2108 is between about 1" and about 2.5" in one embodiment. In a
preferred embodiment,
the width W8 of the cleat 2104C from the trailing edge 2150 to the most
forward extending portion
of the article supporting surface 2108 is about 1-13/16".
The block can have a flat or a curved upper surface 2132. In one embodiment,
the height
H2 of the block 2124 (i.e., from the under surface 2134 to the upper surface
2132) is between about
1/4" and about 1.0". In a preferred embodiment, the height H2 of the block
2124 (i.e., from the
under surface 2134 to the upper surface 2132) is about 7/16". The outer edge
of the block 2124
51
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
can have a square corner or a rounded corner. In one embodiment, the radius of
curvature R5 of
the corner of the block 2124 is between about 1/16" and about 1/2". In a
preferred embodiment,
the radius of curvature R5 of the corner of the block 2124 is about 1/4".
In some embodiments, the cleat 2104C also has an upright section 2106, which
may be
curved or substantially straight. The upright section 2106 has a back side
2126 (i.e., the side facing
away from the article conveyed) and an article-supporting face 2108 positioned
opposite the back
side 2126. In one embodiment, the article-supporting face 2108 has a smaller
radius of curvature
R3 than the radius of curvature R2 of the back side 2126. Thus, the radius of
curvature R3 of the
article-supporting face 2108 may be between about 3" and about 5" and the
radius of curvature R2
of the back side 2126 may be between about 2" and about 4" in some
embodiments. In a preferred
embodiment, the radius of curvature R3 of the article-supporting face 2108 is
about 4-1/8" and the
radius of curvature R2 of the back side 2126 is about 2-11/16". The back side
2126 can be
interconnected to the upper surface 2132 of the block 2124 via a radius of
curvature R4. The
radius of curvature R4 can be between about 1/8" and about 1/2" in some
embodiments. In a
preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R4 is about 1/4". The cleat
2104C also has a top
2112 and sides 2114. In one embodiment, the height H1 from the under surface
2134 to the top of
the top 2112 is between about 1" and about 3". In a preferred embodiment, the
height H1 from
the under surface 2134 to the top of the top 2112 is about 2". In one
embodiment, the length Li
from one side 2114 to the other side is between about 4" and about 8". In a
preferred embodiment,
the length Li from one side 2114 to the other side is about 6". Additionally,
the top 2112 may be
flat or curved. In one embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the top 2112
is between about
1/16" and about 1/2". In a preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of
the top 2112 is
about 1/8". Further, the width or thickness W9 of the upper portion of the
upright section 2106 is
between about 1/8" and about 1/2". In one embodiment, the width or thickness
W9 of the upper
portion of the upright section 2106 is about 1/4".
In one embodiment, the holes 2102 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge
of the block
2124, where the distance W3 is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a preferred
embodiment, the
holes 2102 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge of the block 2124, where
the distance W3
is about 9/16". Additionally, the holes 2102 are positioned a distance W4, W5
from the side 2106,
where the distance W4, W5 is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a preferred
embodiment, the
52
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
holes 2102 are positioned a distance W4, W5 from the side 2106, where the
distance W4, W5 is
between about 9/16".
Figure 26 shows a person moving the conveyor 2600. The conveyor 2600 comprises
a belt
2606, a plurality of cleats 2604A, 2604B, 2604C, support bars 2608 forming a
frame or structure,
a dolly with an axel 2622 and wheels 2620, and handles 2602A. The conveyor
2600 can comprise
upper handles (being held by the person) and lower handles 2602A. The upper
end is also called
an idle end herein. Further, the plurality of cleats 2604A, 2604B, 2604C can
comprise multiple
groups of three cleats 2604A, 2604B, 2604C spaced apart from the next group of
three cleats a
predetermined distance based on the articles being conveyed. The frame may be
metal or any
other material known in the art. The belt can comprise one or more seams. The
handles 2602A
and dolly allow a person to move the conveyor 2600 easily. Figure 27 shows the
dolly 2630
comprising an axel 2622 and wheels 2620.
Figure 28 is a side view of two conveyors interconnected to one another. The
upper
conveyor comprises a belt 2606 and at least one cleat 2644, a pair of cleats
2644, or a group of
cleats 2644. The belt 2606 can be raised above an upper portion of the support
bars 2608 and
frame for at least a portion of the length of the conveyor. The conveyor also
comprises upper
handles 2602B and an electrical inlet 2660 and an electrical outlet 2662. The
lower conveyor
comprises handles 2602A, a belt 2606, and a receiving hopper 2664 with an
inner surface 2666.
The receiving hopper 2664 can have three sides to help funnel conveyed items
and material
(especially loose material like dirt or stones) onto the conveyor belt 2606.
Figure 29 is a second embodiment of a system 2900 of conveyors 2600. Each
conveyor
2600 comprises a belt, a plurality of cleats 2604, support bars 2608 forming a
support frame,
handles 2602A, and a receiving hopper 2664 with an inner funnel-shaped portion
2666.
Figure 30 shows one embodiment of a first conveyor resting on an upper end on
a second
conveyor. The first conveyor comprises a belt 2606, support bars 2608 forming
a support frame,
a plurality of cleats 2604, a receiving hopper 2664, and handles 2602A, 2602B.
The handles can
include one or more upper handles 2602B and one or more lower handles 2602A.
The receiving
hopper 2664 has an inner surface 2666 for funneling items onto the conveyor
belt 2606. The
plurality of cleats 2604 may comprise multiple groups of cleats, where each
group of cleats
comprises a left cleat 2604A, a right cleat 2604B, and a center cleat 2604C.
53
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
Figure 31 shows a second embodiment of a conveyor 3100. The conveyor 3100
comprises
a belt 3106, a support frame 3108, a plurality of cleats 3104, a receiving
hopper 3102, and a dolly
with legs 3122 and wheels 3120. The receiving hopper 3102 funnels items onto
the conveyor belt
3106. The plurality of cleats 3104 may comprise multiple groups of cleats,
where each group of
cleats comprises a left cleat 3104A, a right cleat 3104B, and a center cleat
3104C.
Figure 32 shows a third embodiment of a conveyor 3200. The conveyor 3200
comprises a
belt 3206, a support frame 3208, a plurality of cleats 3204, and handles
3202B. The conveyor
3200 can further include one or more lower handles (not shown) that look and
perform similar to
the upper handles 3202. The plurality of cleats 3204 may comprise multiple
groups of cleats,
where each group of cleats comprises a left cleat 3204A, a right cleat 3204B,
and a center cleat
3204C.
Figure 33 shows a third embodiment of a conveyor system 3300 comprising two or
more
conveyors. Each conveyor in the system 3300 comprises at least one of a belt
3306, a support
frame 3308, a plurality of cleats 3304, and a receiving hopper 3334. The
conveyors can further
include one or more handles. The plurality of cleats 3304 may comprise
multiple groups of cleats,
where each group of cleats comprises a left cleat 3304A, a right cleat 3304B,
and a center cleat
3304C. The cleats 3304A, 3304B, 3304C can be shaped similar to any of the
cleats disclosed
herein.
Figure 34 shows another embodiment of a conveyor 3400. The conveyor 3400
comprises
a belt 3406, a support frame 3408, a plurality of cleats 3404, and handles
3402. The conveyor
3400 can further include a hopper (not shown) that looks and performs similar
to the hoppers
disclosed herein. The plurality of cleats 3404 may comprise multiple groups of
cleats, where each
group of cleats comprises a left cleat 3404A, a right cleat 3404B, and a
center cleat 3404C, each
interconnected to the belt 3406 via bolts or other securing mechanisms. The
handles 3402 may
comprise lower handles 3402A and upper handles 3402B, which are similar to
other handles
disclosed herein.
Figure 35 shows a fourth embodiment of a conveyor system 3500 comprising
multiple
conveyors. Each conveyor in the system 3500 comprises at least one of a belt
3506, a support
frame 3508, a plurality of cleats 3504, and a receiving hopper. The conveyors
can further include
one or more handles. The plurality of cleats 3504 may comprise multiple groups
of cleats, where
54
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
each group of cleats comprises a left cleat 3504A, a right cleat 3504B, and a
center cleat 3504C.
The cleats 3504A, 3504B, 3504C can be shaped similar to any of the cleats
disclosed herein.
Figures 36A-C show an embodiment of a straight vertical tire conveyor ("VTC")
3600,
where Fig. 36A is a perspective view, Fig. 36B is a front view, and Fig. 36C
is a side view of the
straight vertical tire conveyor 3600. The VTC 3600 has a bottom end 3612,
which is the idle end
in some embodiments, and a top end 3614, which is the drive end in some
embodiments. The
drive end 3614 comprises a motor 3650 positioned within the frame 3608. The
VTC 3600
comprises a frame 3608 with a stand 3602 on the bottom end 3612, side panels
3610 proximate
the top and bottom ends 3614, 3612, and double bars 3652 proximate the center
of the frame 3608.
.. The conveyor 3600 has a belt 3606 and cleats 3604 interconnected to the
belt 3606.
In various embodiments, the conveyor 3600 has a height H of about 14 ft. In
other
embodiments, the height H of the conveyor 3600 is between about 10 ft. and
about 20 ft. In some
embodiments, the belt 3606 is about 10" wide and the cleats are about 5"
high/tall. However, in
other embodiments, the belt 3606 is between about 8" and about 20" wide and
the cleats are
between about 4" and about 8" high/tall. If the belt 3606 is about 10" wide,
then the diameter of
the drive pulley is about 4.5" and the diameter of the tail pulley is about
4". However, other
diameters can be used, especially with wider or narrower belts. In some
embodiments, the motor
3650 is a 1/4 hp Bison gearmotor.
Figures 37A-B show the drive end 3714 of a conveyor 3700 (without the belt)
according
to embodiments of the present invention, where Fig. 37A is a right front
perspective view of the
drive end 3714 and Fig. 37B is a left front perspective view of the drive end
3714. In some
embodiments, the drive end 3714 is the top end of the conveyor 3700. Fig. 38
shows the drive end
3714 of the conveyor 3700 with the belt 3706.
The drive end 3714 comprises the motor 3750, which is interconnected to the
drive pulley
3754 via a roller chain 3756 and sprockets 3758. In some embodiments, the
conveyor 3700 has a
fractional horsepower Bison in-line gearmotor and speed reducer combination. A
Bison in-line
gearmotor is preferred when the motor 3650 and drive assembly are enclosed in
the frame 3708.
In some embodiments, an in-line gearmotor and speed reducer combination is
used in the straight
VTC 3700. However, this in-line gearmotor and speed reducer combination could
be used in any
conveyor described herein.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
The belt 3706 is interconnected to and rotates around the drive pulley 3754.
The frame
3708 includes side panels 3710 proximate the drive end 3714. Additionally, the
frame 3708 has
side bars 3708A, which have a larger diameter and provide much of the frame
support, and top
bars 3708B, which have a smaller diameter and support the conveyor belt 3706.
In this
embodiment, the electric gearmotor 3750, roller chain 3756, and sprockets 3758
are fully
contained within the conveyor frame 3708.
Figures 39A-B show the idle end 3912 of a conveyor 3900 (without the belt)
according to
embodiments of the present invention, where Fig. 39A is a left front
perspective view of the idle
end 3912 and Fig. 39B is a left rear perspective view of the idle end 3912. In
some embodiments,
the idle end 3912 is the bottom end of the conveyor 3900. Fig. 40 shows the
idle end 3912 of the
conveyor 3900 with the belt 3906. The idle end 3912 comprises the tail pulley
3960 and two
conveyor belt take-up adjustments 3962, 3964 (one on each side and each is
comprised of a first
portion 3962 and a second portion 3964) interconnected to the belt and the
tail pulley 3960. Thus,
there is a take-up adjustment 3962, 3964 located on both sides of the conveyor
belt tail pulley
3960. A hex nut 3963 is welded to the end of an all-thread adjustment screw,
which is drawn-in
all the way into a square tube 3962. As the screw is drawn-in or out, it moves
the rectangular
component 3964 to the right or left to tension or loosen the conveyor belt.
The two-bolt bearing
flange for the shaft is bolted to the rectangular component 3964 of the belt
take-up adjustment. In
some embodiments, the rectangular component 3964 of the belt take-up
adjustment is closer to the
end 3912 of the conveyor 3900 than shown in Figs. 39A-B.
The idle end 3912 also includes a stand 3902 and side panels 3910
interconnected to the
frame 3908. The frame 3908 has side bars 3908A, which have a larger diameter
and provide much
of the frame support, and top bars 3908B, which have a smaller diameter and
support the conveyor
belt 3906.
Figure 41 is a perspective view of a center portion of the conveyor frame 4108
according
to embodiments of the present invention. This portion of the frame 4108
includes the double bars
or double square element 4152, which allows the user to split the conveyor
frame 4108 on-site if
necessary due to space constraints. Thus, the user can cut the frame 4108 into
two pieces by cutting
the frame 4108 between the double square 4152 and each half will have one
square or one piece
of the tubes/bars. Then, the two frame pieces can be U-bolted back together to
form one conveyor
frame using U-bolts and fastening equipment. The double square bars 4152 are
positioned
56
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
substantially perpendicular to the frame's side bars 4108A, top bars 4108B,
and lower bar 4108C.
In some embodiments, the side bars 4108A have a larger diameter than the top
bars 4108B and the
lower bar 4108C.
Figure 42 shows one embodiment of a nose-over vertical tire conveyor 4200. The
VTC
4200 includes a frame 4208 a with a stand 4202, which may be a base plate
bolted-down to the
ground floor 4201, at the bottom end 4212. The frame 4208 may be comprised of
high-strength
steel tubing on approximately 60" centers, in some embodiments. The VTC 4200
extends from
the ground floor 4201 to the mezzanine (or second) floor 4203. The height H1
between the ground
floor 4201 and mezzanine floor 4203 can vary, but the embodiment shown
contemplates a height
H1 of about 10.0 ft, or between about 8.0 ft. and 14.0 ft.
The VTC 4200 has a belt (not visible in this view) with cleats 4204
interconnected thereto,
a belt take-up adjuster, belt take-up adjustment frames 4270, a motor 4250,
and an H-stand 4272.
The belt can be between about 10" and about 20" wide. In a preferred
embodiment, the belt is
about 18" wide. The cleats 4204 can be any known cleats 4204, but are
preferably between about
4" tall and 7" tall. In a preferred embodiment, the cleats are 6" high/tall
urethane cleats that are
bolted onto the belt.
The motor 4250 can be any known motor, but is a 15V motor in some embodiments.
The
motor 4250 may be interconnected to one or more roller chains, sprockets, and
safety guards. The
roller chains may be speed reducer roller chains in some embodiments. Thus,
the roller chain
transfers power between the speed reducer and the drive shaft positioned
through the drive pulley,
via sprockets. In some embodiments, the nose-over VTC 4200 has a right-angle
speed reducer
that is mounted under the conveyor frame at the top end 4214. In other
embodiments, the nose-
over VTC 4200 has an in-line motor and speed reducer mounted under the
conveyor frame.
However, either of these motors and speed reducers could be used in any
conveyor described
herein.
The H-stand 4272 positions the top end 4214 of the conveyor 4200 at the
desired height
H2 above the mezzanine floor 4203. In some embodiments, this height H2 is
between about 2.0
ft. and about 5.0 ft. In a preferred embodiment, the height is about 4.0 ft.
or about 4 ft. 1 in. The
conveyor 4200 extends a length L2 horizontally along the mezzanine floor 4203.
In some
embodiments, this length L2 is between about 4 ft. and 7 ft. In a preferred
embodiment, this length
57
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
L2 is between about 5 ft. and about 6 ft. In a more preferred embodiment, this
length L2 is about
5.5 ft.
The depth or length Li of the conveyor can vary. In some embodiments, the
length Li is
between about 10" and about 14". In a preferred embodiment, the length Li is
about 11-1/8". The
conveyor 4200 needs more floor space than the length Li because it must
accommodate the articles
being conveyed and any hand rails added to the frame to protect and enclose
the articles being
conveyed. Thus, the length L3 is the amount of floor space needed by the VTC
4200. In some
embodiments, the length L3 is between about 2 ft. and about 4 ft. In a
preferred embodiment, the
length L3 is about 30" (2.5 ft.). If an opening in the mezzanine floor 4203 is
necessary for the
conveyor 4200 to extend from the ground floor 4201 to the mezzanine floor
4203, then¨assuming
the hole has a rectangular shape
_______________________________________________ the opening should extend the
length L3 in one direction and
should be a few inches larger than the diameter of the largest conveyed tire
or article in the other
direction. The perimeter of an opening in the mezzanine floor 4203 should have
a hand rail
extending around the entire perimeter for safety reasons.
Similar to other conveyors described herein, the conveyor 4200 can be
comprised of two
sections bolted together at a double rail or double square portion 4252, which
could be positioned
at either location shown in Fig. 42. Having the conveyor frame 4208 be
comprised of two pieces
makes installation and transportation of the conveyor easier.
Figures 43A-B show another embodiment of a nose-over vertical conveyor 4300.
Fig. 43A
is a perspective view and Fig. 43B is a side view of the conveyor 4300. The
conveyor 4300
comprises a frame 4308 and belt 4306 with cleats 4304. The bottom end 4312 is
the idle end and
the upper end 4314 is the drive end in this embodiment because the motor 4350
is positioned at
the top drive end 4314. The motor 4350 is interconnected to the drive pulley
via a roller chain or
drive belt (not visible in this view) and sprockets. Thus, proximate the motor
4350 and covering
the roller chain and sprockets is a guard 4380. The motor 4350 can be an
electric motor and include
a speed reducer in some embodiments. The motor can be positioned at the bottom
end 4312 in
other embodiments. The bottom end 4312 includes a stand 4302 that can be
bolted to the floor.
The idle pulley 4360 is positioned at the bottom idle end 4312 with the belt
tension adjustment
mechanism 4362.
The nose over conveyor 4300 also includes one or more belt return rollers 4382
to direct
and guide the belt 4306 in the proper direction, i.e., around the 90 bend. In
these views, the
58
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
returning belt 4306A (i.e., the portion of the belt not conveying articles and
moving from the drive
end to the idle end) and the returning cleats 4304A (i.e., the cleats not
conveying articles and
moving from the upper end 4314 to the bottom end 4312) can be seen.
Additionally, the horizontal
portion 4384 of the conveyor 4300 is typically the portion positioned on the
second floor or
mezzanine. The horizontal portion 4384 may have the belt 4306 positioned at a
downward angle
relative to the horizontal plane in order to eject or drop conveyed articles
(e.g., tires) off of the
conveyor without a person having to take the article off of the conveyor 4300.
Figure 44 shows the nose-over vertical tire conveyor 4300 of Figs. 43A-B
conveying tires
4400 and with an H-stand and a ramp 4405 on the second floor 4403. The ramp
4405 may be a
plurality of gravity rollers at the top discharge end 4314 to assist in
removing the tires 4400 from
the conveyor 4300. The bottom idle end 4312 is positioned on the ground 4401.
Figure 45 shows the top end of the nose-over vertical tire conveyor of Figs.
43A-44 without
the belt and Fig. 46 shows the bottom end of the nose-over vertical tire
conveyor of Figs. 43A-44
without the belt. In Figs. 45 and 46 the drive pulley 4354 and the tail pulley
4360 are visible.
Additionally, the belt return rollers 4382 can be seen.
Figure 47 is a perspective view of the nose-over vertical tire conveyor of
Figs. 43A-46 with
the ramp 4405 at the end of the discharge end 4314. Here the ramp 4405 is
shown with gravity
rollers or bars 4707 to slide the tires 4400 or articles off of the conveyor
4300 and onto the
mezzanine floor 4403. One advantage of the nose-over vertical tire conveyor
4300 is that minimal
ground floor clearance is required.
Figure 48 shows another embodiment of a nose-over vertical tire conveyor 4800.
The
conveyor 4800 has a frame 4808 with a stand or base 4802 on the bottom idle
end 4812. The
conveyor 4800 also has a conveyor belt 4806 with cleats 4804 interconnected to
the belt 4806.
The top drive end 4814 has a motor 4850 and a guard 4880 covering the drive
belt or chain and
sprocket. The embodiment shown also includes a ramp (also called a "staging
platform" herein)
4805 at the end of the conveyor's top or discharge end 4814. The ramp 4805 can
have gravity
rollers or bars 4807 to slide the tires 4400 or articles off of the conveyor
4800 and onto the
mezzanine floor 4803. The conveyor 4800 includes an H-stand at the discharge
end 4814 to
position the discharge end 4814 at the proper height above the mezzanine floor
4803 and to support
the discharge end 4814. The staging platform 4805 may not extend all the way
down to the
mezzanine floor 4803 and, instead, may have a second stand 4874 on the end of
the staging
59
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
platform 4805 opposite the conveyor 4800. The staging platform 4805 can vary
in length L5
depending on the end user's needs. For example, the length L5 of the staging
platform 4805 is
between about 2.0 ft and about 5.0 ft. in some embodiments. In a preferred
embodiment, the length
L5 of the staging platform 4805 is about 36" (3 ft.). One advantage of the
staging platform 4805
is that it provides for safe unloading of articles and safe loading of
articles (i.e., loading for
descent). The staging platform 4805 also keeps operators clear of moving drive
parts in the drive
end 4814 and away from the mezzanine edge.
The height H1 of the mezzanine floor 4803 above the ground floor varies
depending on the
installation location and the conveyor 4800 can vary as well. However, in the
embodiment shown
the height H1 is between about 6.0 ft. and about 12.0 ft. In one embodiment,
the height H1 of the
mezzanine floor 4803 above the ground floor is about 8.0 ft.
Another advantage of the nose-over VTC 4800 is that it has a small base
footprint and can
be confined within a distance L4 of the mezzanine's edge, which means it is
clear of bay work
areas and is positioned around fire sprinkler water lines 4809 and other
electrical lines. In some
embodiments, the distance L4 of the edge of the base stand 4802 to the
mezzanine edge is between
about 12" and about 36". In a preferred embodiment, the distance L4 of the
edge of the base stand
4802 to the mezzanine edge is about 24". On the ground level, the conveyor
4800 has easy and
clear access to the loading face of the conveyor 4800.
In some embodiments, the conveyor 4800 has controls on both ends 4812, 4814 of
the
conveyor, e.g., up, down, and emergency stop. In various embodiments, the
motor 4850 is a 115
VAC motor with a speed reducer and safety guards 4880. Thus, the conveyor 4800
requires
minimal ground floor clearance next to the mezzanine and is also capable of
clearing existing
structures such as fire service lines and electrical lines. The top-end nose
over allows for easy
unloading (or loading for descent) of tires or other articles and keeps the
operator clear of moving
conveyor parts and the mezzanine edge.
Figure 49 shows a reverse nose-over vertical tire conveyor 4900. The conveyor
4900 has
a belt 4906 for conveying articles (e.g., tires) and a frame 4908. Cleats are
interconnected to the
belt 4906 to convey the articles vertically along the conveyor 4900. In some
embodiments, the
cleats are 6" tall cleats. Additionally, one or two cleats 4904 may be used to
convey each article.
More than two cleats 4904 can also be used in some embodiments. In some
embodiments, the
conveyor 4900 has side guides (not shown) along each frame edge 4978. The side
guides can be
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
about 2.0" to about 6.0" tall. In a preferred embodiment, the side guides are
about 4.0" tall. The
distance between side guides is dictated by largest diameter tire or other
article to be placed on the
belt 4906. The conveyor 4900 also has a spring-loaded arm 4988 pivotally
interconnected to a
square bracket 4986 at a pivot point. The spring-loaded arm 4988 is tensioned
to draw the arm
4988 toward the belt 4906 and keep the articles (e.g., tires) 4400 in place.
In some embodiments,
the spring-loaded arm 4988 is between about 8" and about 10" wide and is a
fiberglass C-channel
shape. The inner surface of the spring-loaded arm 4988 can be painted with an
anti-friction finish
to permit the articles 4400 to easily slide along the arm 4988. At the top end
4914 of the conveyor
4900, some embodiments include a shroud 4990 to guide the articles (e.g.,
tires) 4400 to fall back
onto another conveyor (e.g., a gravity roller conveyor).
Figures 50A-D show an embodiment of a cleat 5004 for a vertical tire conveyor
according
to embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, Fig. 50A is a
perspective view of the cleat
5004, Fig. 50B is a top plan view of the cleat 5004, Fig. 50C is a side view
of the cleat 5004, and
Fig. 50D is a rear view of the cleat 5004. In some embodiments, the cleat 5004
shown is for a
straight vertical tire conveyor; however, the cleat 5004 can be used with
other vertical and incline
or non-vertical conveyors.
In some embodiments, the cleat 5004 is a 5.0" tall cleat. In other
embodiments, the cleat
5004 is a 2.0" cleat, a 4.0" cleat, a 6.0" cleat, an 8.0" cleat, or any height
between 3.0" and 8.0".
The cleat 5004 may also include holes 5002 for bolts or other attachment or
interconnection
mechanisms. In one embodiment, the holes 5002 have a diameter between about
1/4" and 1". In a
preferred embodiment, the holes 5002 have a diameter of about 5/16". The cleat
5004 can have a
flat lower area 5024 (also called a "block" herein) or a curved block 5024. In
one embodiment,
the under surface 5034 of the block 5024 has a radius of curvature R6 between
about 5" and about
10" and the block 5024 has a width W1 between about 2" and about 4". In a
preferred embodiment
the under surface 5034 of the block 5024 has a radius of curvature R6 of about
8.5" and the block
5024 has a width of 2-7/8". The block can have a flat or a curved upper
surface 5032. In one
embodiment, the height H2 of the block 5024 (i.e., from the under surface 5034
to the upper surface
5032) is between about 1/2" and about 1.0". In a preferred embodiment, the
height H2 of the block
5024 (i.e., from the under surface 5034 to the upper surface 5032) is about
3/4". The outer edge
of the block 5024 can have a square corner or a rounded corner. In one
embodiment, the radius of
61
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
curvature R5 of the corner of the block 5024 is between about 1/16" and about
1/2". In a preferred
embodiment, the radius of curvature R5 of the corner of the block 5024 is
about 1/4".
In some embodiments, the cleat 5004 also has a curved section 5006. The curved
section
5006 has a back side 5026 (i.e., the side facing away from the article
conveyed) and an article-
supporting face (also called a "carrying surface") 5008 positioned opposite
the back side 5026. In
one embodiment, the article-supporting face 5008 has a smaller radius of
curvature R3 than the
radius of curvature R2 of the back side 5026. Thus, the radius of curvature R3
of the article-
supporting face 5008 may be between about 4" and about 6" and the radius of
curvature R2 of the
back side 5026 may be between about 4.5" and about 6.5" in some embodiments.
In a preferred
embodiment, the radius of curvature R3 of the article-supporting face 5008 is
about 5.0" and the
radius of curvature R2 of the back side 5026 is about 5.5". The cleat 5004
also has a top 5012 and
sides 5014. In one embodiment, the height H1 from the under surface 5034 to
the top of the top
5012 is between about 4" and about 6.5". In a preferred embodiment, the height
H1 from the under
surface 5034 to the top of the top 5012 is about 5.0". In one embodiment, the
length Li from one
side 5014 to the other side is between about 2" and about 6". In a preferred
embodiment, the
length Li from one side 5014 to the other side is about 3.25". Additionally,
the top 5012 may be
flat or curved. In one embodiment, the radius of curvature RI of the top 5012
is between about
3/16" and about 3/4". In a preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of
the top 5012 is
about 0.5". This portion of the cleat 5004 may be called the extended radius
5040.
In one embodiment, the entire width W2 of the cleat 5004 is between about 4.0"
and about
6.0". In a preferred embodiment, the width W2 of the cleat 5004 is about 5.0".
Further, the holes
5002 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge of the block 5024, where the
distance W3 is
between about 0.5" and about 2". In a preferred embodiment, the holes 5002 are
positioned a
distance W3 from the edge of the block 5024, where the distance W3 is about
1.375".
Additionally, the holes 5002 are positioned a distance W4, W5 from the side
5006, where the
distance W4, W5 is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a preferred embodiment,
the holes 5002
are positioned a distance W4, W5 from the side 5006, where the distance W4, W5
is about 0.469".
The cleat 5004 can be urethane or any known material in the art. The cleat
5004 can have
an extended radius 5040 at the cleat's tip that is counter to the radius R3 of
the carrying surface
5008 to deter tires from falling off of the cleat 5004. The cleat 5004 may
have a narrow width Li
and radius edges 5050 to prevent damage to the conveyed tires' inner beads.
62
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
Figures 51A-D show an embodiment of a cleat 5104 for a vertical tire conveyor
according
to embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, Fig. 51A is a
perspective view of the cleat
5104, Fig. 51B is a top plan view of the cleat 5104, Fig. 51C is a side view
of the cleat 5104, and
Fig. 51D is a rear view of the cleat 5104. In some embodiments, the cleat
shown is for a nose-
over vertical tire conveyor; however, the cleat can be used with other
vertical and incline or non-
vertical conveyors.
In some embodiments, the cleat 5104 is a 4.0" tall cleat. In other
embodiments, the cleat
5104 is a 2.0" cleat, a 5.0" cleat, a 6.0" cleat, an 8.0" cleat, or any height
between 3.0" and 8.0".
The cleat 5104 may also include holes 5102 for bolts or other attachment or
interconnection
mechanisms. In one embodiment, the holes 5102 have a diameter between about
1/8" and 1". In
a preferred embodiment, the holes 5102 have a diameter of about 0.28". The
cleat 5104 can have
a flat lower area 5124 (also called a "block" herein) or a curved block 5124.
In one embodiment,
the under surface 5134 of the block 5124 has a radius of curvature R6 between
about 4" and about
8" and the block 5124 has a width W1 between about 1.5" and about 3.5". In a
preferred
embodiment the under surface 5134 of the block 5124 has a radius of curvature
R6 of about 6.0"
and the block 5124 has a width of 2.5". The block can have a flat or a curved
upper surface 5132.
In one embodiment, the height H2 of the block 5124 (i.e., from the under
surface 5134 to the upper
surface 5132) is between about 1/2" and about 1.0". In a preferred embodiment,
the height H2 of
the block 5124 (i.e., from the under surface 5134 to the upper surface 5132)
is about 3/4". The
outer edge of the block 5124 can have a square corner or a rounded corner. In
one embodiment,
the radius of curvature R5 of the corner of the block 5124 is between about
1/16" and about 1/2".
In a preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R5 of the corner of the
block 5124 is about
1/4".
In some embodiments, the cleat 5104 also has a curved section 5106. The curved
section
5106 has a back side 5126 (i.e., the side facing away from the article
conveyed) and an article-
supporting face (also called a "carrying surface") 5108 positioned opposite
the back side 5126. In
one embodiment, the article-supporting face 5108 has a larger radius of
curvature R7 than the
radius of curvature R8 of the back side 5126. Thus, the radius of curvature R7
of the article-
supporting face 5108 may be between about 5.0" and about 12.0" and the radius
of curvature R8
of the back side 5126 may be between about 4.0" and about 12.0" in some
embodiments. In a
63
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
preferred embodiment, the radius of curvature R7 of the article-supporting
face 5108 is about 9.0"
and the radius of curvature R8 of the back side 5126 is about 8.0".
The cleat 5104 also has atop 5112 and sides 5114. In one embodiment, the
height H1 from
the under surface 5134 to the top of the top 5112 is between about 3.0" and
about 6.0". In a
preferred embodiment, the height H1 from the under surface 5134 to the top of
the top 5112 is
about 4.0". In one embodiment, the length L 1 from one side 5114 to the other
side is between
about 2" and about 5". In a preferred embodiment, the length Li from one side
5114 to the other
side is about 3.25". Additionally, the top 5112 may be flat or curved.
In one embodiment, the entire width W2 of the cleat 5104 is between about 1.0"
and about
5.0". In a preferred embodiment, the width W2 of the cleat 5104 is about
2.98". Further, the holes
5102 are positioned a distance W3 from the edge of the block 5124, where the
distance W3 is
between about 0.5" and about 2". In a preferred embodiment, the holes 5102 are
positioned a
distance W3 from the edge of the block 5124, where the distance W3 is about
1.13". Additionally,
the holes 5102 are positioned a distance W4, W5 from the side 5106, where the
distance W4, W5
is between about 1/4" and about 1". In a preferred embodiment, the holes 5102
are positioned a
distance W4, W5 from the side 5106, where the distance W4, W5 isabout 0.56".
The cleat 5104
can be urethane or any known material in the art. The cleat 5104 may have a
narrow width Li and
radius edges 5150 to prevent damage to the conveyed tires' inner beads.
The VTC (straight or nose over) can be positioned on a movable stand to
facilitate usage
and storage, similar to the conveyor shown in Fig. 2.
While various embodiment of the present invention have been described in
detail, it is
apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to
those skilled in the
art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and
alterations are within
the scope and spirit of the present disclosure, as set forth in the following
claims.
The foregoing discussion of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of
illustration
and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the
form or forms disclosed
herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of
the disclosure are
grouped together in one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining
the disclosure. This
method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that
the claimed disclosure
requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as
the following claims
reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing
disclosed embodiment.
64
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-02-13
Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed
Description, with each claim
standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure.
Moreover, though the present disclosure has included descriptions of one or
more
embodiments and certain variations and modifications, other variations and
modifications are
within the scope of the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and
knowledge of those in the
art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain
rights which include
alternative embodiments to the extent permitted, including alternate,
interchangeable and/or
equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or
not such alternate,
interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are
disclosed herein, and
without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter. Further,
the invention(s)
described herein is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of
being carried out in
various ways. It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used
herein is for the
purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Date Regue/Date Received 2023-02-13
