Conveyor with extended motor configuration
View Patent ↗The present disclosure relates to motor-driven roller operated conveyor systems and more particularly to a roller conveyor system having a transmission arrangement for driving a series of rollers from a gearless external rotor motor so that substantially uniform torque is provided to each of the rollers. Another embodiment discloses synchronizing multiple roller conveyors from a single drive motor.
1. A roller conveyor system comprising:
a frame;
a top level of rollers having first and second rotatable rollers;
a lower level having a gearless external rotor motor having a ribbed outer surface;
at least one first lower level shaft having a first motor drive pulley attached to the shaft for causing rotation of the shaft upon rotation of the first motor drive pulley;
a timing belt operatively connected between the ribbed surface of the motor and the first motor drive pulley for driving the pulley from the motor;
an O-band pulley attached to the first lower level shaft so as to rotate with the shaft;
an O-band operatively connected between the O-band pulley and a first roller for causing rotation of the first roller upon rotation of the O-band pulley.
2. The conveyor system of claim 1 including
a second lower level shaft having a second drive pulley attached to the shaft for causing rotation of the shaft upon rotation of the second drive pulley;
a third drive pulley attached to the first lower level shaft so as to rotate with the first lower level shaft;
a timing belt operatively connected between the second and third drive pulleys for causing rotation of the third drive pulley upon rotation of the second drive pulley;
a second O-band pulley attached to the second lower level shaft so as to rotate with the second lower level shaft; and
an O-band operatively connected between the second O-band pulley and a second roller for causing rotation of the second roller upon rotation of the second O-band pulley.
3. The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein the motor drive pulley and the O-band pulley are moveable along their respective shafts.
4. The conveyor system of claim 1 wherein the motor drive pulley and the O-band pulley are attached to each other and rotate independently of the shaft they are mounted on.
5. The conveyor system of claim 1 including a second roller and a transmission for driving the second roller from the first roller.
6. The conveyor system of claim 4 wherein the transmission is an O-band.
7. The conveyor system of claim 2 wherein the rollers include a third roller and wherein the second roller drives the third roller.
8. The conveyor system of claim 2 wherein the rollers include a third roller, and wherein the first and second rollers both drive a third roller.
9. The conveyor system of claim 2 wherein the rollers include a third roller, and wherein the first, second and third rollers rotate at substantially the same speed.