Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Surge control or accumulator apparatus and corresponding method include a relative downstream shift operation of a particular distance in combination with stopping the inflow of products at a particular upstream point such that product shear points are positively eliminated for accumulator product removal operations. An infeed stop mechanism traps the leading edge of an appropriate package while permitting other packages to be advanced beyond known shear points during the downstream shift operation. The infeed stop mechanism uses a slidable stop plate and upstream therefrom a wedge shaped guide member to cooperatively trap the leading edge of an approaching product in a pinchless operation, i.e., without applying clamping force to such product or to other products permitted to pass by the slidable stop plate. An outfeed mechanism includes an adjustable downstream shift feature for controllably shifting a row of products to be removed from a conveyor. The adjustable amount of downstream shift is related to the nominal length of individual products advancing along the conveyor and an additional predetermined distance added thereto. By shifting products downstream, for example, by about 150 percent of the nominal product length while setting the pinchless infeed trap, an appropriate row of products for removal are isolated from potential shear points, without depending on the precise number of products contained in such row. The surge control or accumulator method and apparatus results in safe handling of products regardless of the cumulative effect of unpredictable variations in the sizes of individual products being handled.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim