Accumulation device
An accumulation device for placement within a stream of articles upstream of an independent article handling device, including an infeed conveyor for receiving articles and an outfeed conveyor for returning articles. A transfer device movable along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor is included. Each of an infeed drive and an outfeed drive drives the conveyors. A speed of the outfeed drive controlled at least in part by the independent article handling device; an infeed sensor for detecting an article flow rate upstream of the infeed conveyor and generating an infeed signal based on the article flow rate. A controller is included for controlling a speed of the infeed drive based at least in part on the infeed signal.
1. An accumulation device for placement within a stream of articles upstream of an independent article handling device, the accumulation device comprising:
an infeed conveyor for receiving articles from the stream;
an outfeed conveyor for returning articles to the stream toward the independent article handling device;
a transfer device movable along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor as a function of a speed of the infeed conveyor and a speed of the outfeed conveyor, the transfer device transferring articles from the infeed conveyor to the outfeed conveyor, wherein the transfer device is movable between an empty position and a full position, the accumulating device further including a position sensor for generating a position signal when the transfer device nears the empty position;
an infeed drive for driving the infeed conveyor;
an outfeed drive for driving the outfeed conveyor, a speed of the outfeed drive being controlled at least in part by the independent article handling device;
an infeed sensor for detecting an article flow rate upstream of the infeed conveyor and generating an infeed signal based on the article flow rate detected, wherein the infeed sensor includes an optical sensor that senses a depth of articles passing along a fixed member;
a controller for controlling a speed of the infeed drive based at least in part on the infeed signal;
a differential drive mechanism for moving the transfer device along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor based at least in part on an infeed input related to the speed of the infeed conveyor and an outfeed input related to the speed of the outfeed conveyor; and
a disconnect mechanism, the controller causing the disconnect mechanism to selectively disengage the outfeed input without stopping the outfeed drive upon receipt of the position signal.
2. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein the disconnect mechanism includes an intermediate drive, the controller operating the intermediate drive so as to drive the outfeed input at a speed related to a speed of the outfeed conveyor when the position signal has not been received, the controller stopping the intermediate drive upon receipt of the position signal.
3. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein the disconnect mechanism includes a clutch, the controller causing a transmission of rotation via the clutch from a shaft rotating at a speed related to a speed of the outfeed conveyor to the outfeed input when the position signal has not been received, the controller precluding the transmission upon receipt of the position signal.
4. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein the differential drive mechanism includes a gearing mechanism driven by the infeed input and the outfeed input.
5. The accumulation device of claim 4 , further including a transfer loop connected to the transfer device and driven by an output of the gearing mechanism.
6. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein the infeed input is located within and is rotatable with the infeed conveyor, and wherein the outfeed input is located within and is rotatable with the outfeed conveyer.
7. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein the infeed input is located external to and is drivable via a loop rotatable with the infeed conveyor, and wherein the outfeed input is located external to and is drivable via a loop rotatable with the outfeed conveyer.
8. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein the infeed sensor senses an article flow rate measured in articles per amount of time.
9. The accumulation device of claim 1 , further including an auxiliary infeed conveyor upstream of the infeed conveyor, the fixed member being located along a lateral side of the auxiliary infeed conveyor.
10. The accumulation device of claim 1 , further including a flow rate tuning sensor located upstream of the infeed conveyor and downstream of the infeed sensor for generating a tuning signal related to a flow rate of articles passing the flow rate tuning sensor, the controller controlling the speed of the infeed drive based at least in part on the tuning signal.
11. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein if the infeed sensor senses an article flow rate of 0 for more than a predetermined period of time, the controller stops the infeed drive.
12. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein the speed of the outfeed drive is controlled directly by the independent article handling device.
13. The accumulation device of claim 1 , wherein the speed of the outfeed drive is controlled indirectly by the independent article handling device.
14. The accumulation device of claim 13 , further including an external speed sensor for sensing a speed of a drive within the independent article handling device and for generating an external speed signal, the controller causing the outfeed drive to operate at a speed based on the external speed signal.
15. An accumulation device for placement within a stream of articles upstream of an independent article handling device, the accumulation device comprising:
an infeed conveyor for receiving articles from the stream;
an outfeed conveyor for returning articles to the stream toward the independent article handling device;
a transfer device for transferring articles from the infeed conveyor to the outfeed conveyor;
an infeed drive for driving the infeed conveyor;
an outfeed drive for driving the outfeed conveyor;
an infeed sensor for detecting an article flow rate upstream of the infeed conveyor and generating an infeed signal based on the article flow rate detected, wherein the infeed sensor includes an optical sensor that senses a depth of articles passing along a fixed member;
a controller for controlling a speed of the infeed drive based at least in part on the infeed signal;
a differential drive mechanism for moving the transfer device along the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor, the transfer device having an infeed input related to the speed of the infeed conveyor and an outfeed input related to the speed of the outfeed conveyor; and
a disconnect mechanism, the controller causing the disconnect mechanism to selectively disengage the outfeed input without stopping the outfeed drive, wherein the transfer device is movable between an empty position and a full position, the accumulating device further including a position sensor for generating a position signal when the transfer device nears the empty position, the controller causing the disconnect mechanism to selectively disengage the outfeed input upon receipt of the position signal.
16. The accumulation device of claim 15 , wherein the disconnect mechanism includes an intermediate drive, the controller operating the intermediate drive so as to drive the outfeed input at a speed related to a speed of the outfeed conveyor when the position signal has not been received, the controller stopping the intermediate drive upon receipt of the position signal.
17. The accumulation device of claim 15 , wherein the disconnect mechanism includes a clutch, the controller causing a transmission of rotation via the clutch from a shaft rotating at a speed related to a speed of the outfeed conveyor to the outfeed input when the position signal has not been received, the controller precluding the transmission upon receipt of the position signal.