Conveyor multi-pad safety stop

Abstract

A slowing assembly, for gradually slowing an incoming article, such as a tote approaching or arriving at a conveyor workstation, includes a frame that may be secured at or near an outboard side of a conveying surface, for example, to a side wall of the workstation. The slowing assembly includes one or more bumpers having cushions coupled to the frame and extending further than the frame in an inboard direction toward the conveying surface. The cushions are deformable while making contact with the tote as the tote approaches or arrives at the workstation. Each bumper includes a damping assembly to absorb energy while simultaneously providing a biasing force, for example via a spring.

Description

PATENT RAP04 FP-846WO CONVEYOR MULTI-PAD SAFETY STOP BACKGROUND AND FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is directed to a gradual slowing assembly for use at a conveyor workstation, and in particular a multi-pad safety stop.

[0002] Articles such as totes, containers, or the like are often conveyed to transport goods around a facility, such as a warehouse or shipping center. A human operator may receive a tote at a workstation, for example, to load or unload goods to or from a tote or to perform other tasks associated with the tote or the goods contained therein. Moving totes entering a workstation may change directions and / or be brought to a stop for the operator to pick or place goods from the tote. Movement of the totes at the workstation is desired to be controlled for purposes of maintaining the safety of the operator. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention provides a gradual slowing assembly for use at a conveyor workstation.

[0004] According to one form of the present invention, a slowing assembly for gradually slowing an article arriving at a conveyor workstation of a conveyor is provided. The conveyor includes a conveying surface having a conveying direction, and the conveyor workstation has an outboard side where an operator operates on an article being conveyed on the conveying surface. The slowing assembly includes a support structure that may be secured proximate the outboard side of the conveyor workstation. A bumper includes a cushion coupled to a support structure, which extends further than the support structure in an inboard direction for extending orthogonal to the conveying direction of the conveying surface. The bumper is configured to compress while making slidable contact with the article as the article approaches or arrives at the conveyor workstation to absorb energy from the article and thereby slow the article.

[0005] In one aspect, the cushion is movably coupled to the support structure such that the cushion moves in an outboard direction opposite the inboard direction while making slidable contact with the article.

[0006] In another aspect, the bumper includes a resilient biasing member, such as a spring, which is coupled to the cushion and absorbs energy when the cushion is compressed and, further, configured to bias the cushion towards an uncompressed state from a compressed state. Optionally, the bumper further includes a low friction sleeve coupled to the support structure, and a shaft extending through the sleeve, where the spring is coiled around theshaft. A fastener may couple the cushion to the support structure, in which the sleeve extends through the support structure and encloses a portion of the fastener. Additionally, a bushing may also retain and form a complimentary fit to the sleeve, where the bushing extends through the support structure.

[0007] In yet another aspect, the slowing assembly includes multiple bumpers, which may be aligned with one another in the conveying direction. The multiple bumpers may be adjacent and independently compressible from one another.

[0008] In still another aspect, a second support structure having a second bumper is secured proximate a second outboard side of the conveying surface located opposite the outboard side of the conveyor workstation that the first support structure and first bumper are located.

[0009] In a further aspect, the cushion includes an inboard side having a middle portion located between outer portions, where the middle portion extends further in the inboard direction than the outer portions. Optionally, the inboard side of the cushion includes a curved surface.

[0010] In yet a further aspect, the cushion is elongated in the conveying direction. The cushion may have a length in the conveying direction that is greater than 4.5 inches.

[0011] According to another form of the present invention, a slowing assembly for gradually slowing an article arriving at a conveyor workstation of a conveyor is provided. The conveyor includes a conveying surface having a conveying direction, with the conveyor workstation having an outboard side where an operator operates on an article being conveyed on the conveying surface. The slowing assembly includes a support structure that may be secured proximate the outboard side of the conveyor workstation. The slowing assembly further includes plurality of bumpers, with each bumper having a cushion coupled to the support structure and extending further than the support structure in an inboard direction for extending orthogonal to the conveying direction of the conveying surface. Each of the cushions includes an inboard side having a middle portion located between outer portions, where the middle portion extends further in the inboard direction than the outer portions. The bumpers are configured to compress while making slidable contact with the article as the article approaches or arrives at the conveyor workstation to absorb energy from the article.

[0012] In one aspect, the inboard side of each of the cushions has a curved surface.Optionally, each of the cushions is elongated in the conveying direction.

[0013] In another aspect, the bumpers have resilient biasing members that are coupled the cushions, where the resilient biasing members are configured to bias the cushions towards an uncompressed state from a compressed state. Optionally, the resilient biasing members aresprings. The bumpers may also include a low friction sleeve coupled to the support structure, and a shaft extending through the sleeve, where the springs are coiled around the shafts. Additionally, a number of fasteners may couple the cushions to the support structure, where the sleeves extend through the support structure and enclose a portion of a respective one of the fasteners. The bumpers may also have a bushing that retains and fits complimentary to a respective one of the sleeves, where each of the bushings extends through the support structure.

[0014] Accordingly, the slowing assembly of the present invention provides one or more bumpers that are configured to make contact with an article nearing or arriving at a conveyor workstation to thereby slow the article via frictional engagement. The bumpers may sequentially make contact with the moving article, where a damping assembly that includes a resilient biasing member and that connects the bumpers to a support structure, such as a side wall of the conveyor workstation, allows the bumpers to move inwards and outwards, for example, in a cascading sequence. Therefore, the bumpers physically contact and frictionally engage the article to slow down and / or stop the article at the conveyor workstation, thus relieving a human operator from having to arrest the motion of the article arriving at the conveyor workstation.

[0015] These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG.1 is a perspective view of a conveyor workstation equipped with a gradual slowing assembly having a series of movable pads in accordance with the present invention;

[0017] FIG.2 is another perspective view of the slowing assembly of FIG.1;

[0018] FIG.3 is another perspective view of the slowing assembly of FIG.1, where an upper portion of the slowing assembly is cutaway to reveal internal structures of the slowing assembly;

[0019] FIG.4 is an upper perspective view of the slowing assembly of FIG.1 shown in isolation;

[0020] FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the slowing assembly of FIG. 4;

[0021] FIG.6 is a top plan view of the slowing assembly of FIG.4;

[0022] FIG.7 is an end elevation view of the slowing assembly of FIG.4; and

[0023] FIG.8 is a bottom plan cutaway view along the line VIII-VIII of FIG.5, showing one of the movable pads of the slowing assembly of FIG.1.DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein the numbered elements in the following written description correspond to like-numbered elements in the figures. With reference to FIGS.1 and 2, a conveyor workstation 20 configured to receive an article such as tote 22 may include a slowing assembly 24 to safely and gradually reduce the speed of tote 22 as tote 22 approaches and / or arrives at workstation 20, including for purposes of maintaining operator safety, such as when a tote 22 is slowed, stopped or changes direction as tote 22 approaches and arrives at workstation 20. Slowing assembly 24 is securable to a structure such as side wall 26 of workstation 20 such that slowing assembly 24 is located at or near an outer side of a conveyor or conveying surface 28 that includes a series of rotatable conveyor rollers 30. Slowing assembly 24 includes a series of frictional engagement members or bumpers 32a-f (bumper 32f being shown in the embodiment of FIGS.4-6) that are coupled to a support structure, more fully described below, and which are spaced-apart from one another and aligned in a direction of travel or conveying direction of tote 22 (FIG.1).

[0025] Each bumper 32a-f includes a pad or cushion 36 (FIGS.1 and 2) that may be deformable and that is capable of linear movement in an inbound or inboard direction (FIG. 3) perpendicular to the conveying direction in response to making sliding contact with tote 22. Such an inbound conveyor (not shown) may, for example, be located perpendicularly or at an angle with respect to conveyor 28, where such an inbound conveyor may be arranged in the manner of conveyor 29 shown in FIG.2. Cushions 36 may, for example, comprise a rigid material, such as metal or plastic material, or an elastic material, such as an elastomeric material or rubber, to absorb some of the incoming force. The linear movement of each cushion 36 is guided and facilitated by an internal damping assembly 50. In the illustrated embodiment, internal damping assembly 50 includes a resilient biasing member 38 to absorb energy from a tote 22 and, further, a stop to limit compression movement of cushion 36, as will be more fully described below. In the illustrated embodiment, resilient biasing member 38 comprises a coil spring 39. The linear movement of bumpers 32a-f in response to bumpers 32a-f coming into contact with tote 22 causes bumpers 32a-f to move from an uncompressed state where bumpers 32a-f are positioned further in an inboard direction (FIG. 3) relative to a compressed state where bumpers 32a-f are positioned further in an outboard direction relative to the uncompressed state. As discussed in more detail below, the multi-pad stop of bumpers 32a-f increases the time to stop of incoming totes or product, thus reducing the force potentially transmitted to an operator. The bumpers 32a-f are designed to each beslightly larger than the largest human hand. Moreover, a cushion 36 with an operator’s hands or fingers thereon will compress at a greater rate than surrounding cushions 36 of other bumpers 32a-f. This faster rate of compression will bring surrounding cushions 36 into contact thus distributing the force across a greater area and reducing the force to the operator’s hand / fingers.

[0026] As best seen in FIG.8, internal damping assembly 50 includes a bolt 56, such as a shoulder bolt, with spring 39 coiled around bolt 56. Bolt 56 may be formed with a precision ground shaft 40 (FIGS.3 and 8). Accordingly, when tote 22 comes into contact with a cushion or cushions 36, the cushion or cushions 36 frictionally engage tote 22 and deform and compress spring 39 to absorb some of the energy of tote 22 to thereby reduce the speed of tote 22. While frictionally engaged, cushions 36 are able to deform and move to allow tote 22, as well as articles of different shapes and sizes such as tote 22a of FIG.3, to experience a more gradual reduction in speed in order to reduce the likelihood of damage or disorder to products contained within tote 22.

[0027] Slowing assembly 24 may include a support structure, such as a frame or a housing, such as tray 34 shown in the illustrated embodiment. Tray 34 includes an outboard base wall 34a (FIGS.6 and 7) that is securable to a structure proximate an outboard side 28a (FIG.3) of conveying surface 28, such as side wall 26. Tray 34 further includes a pair of elongated opposed side walls 34b, 34c, which extend from base wall 34a generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the conveyor, and a pair of opposed end walls 34d, 34e that extend from base wall 34a transversely to a conveying direction of the conveyor (FIGS.1 and 3). End walls 34d, 34e each have a flange 42 extending from the respective end wall 34d, 34e, where flanges 42 include mounting holes 44 through which a fastener may extend to mount slowing assembly 24 to side wall 26 of conveyor workstation 20. Collectively, walls 34a-e define a pocket or cavity 46 (FIG. 8) that receives and partially encloses or houses bumpers 32a-f. It should be appreciated that the shape and size of a support structure may vary within the scope of the present invention, and that an alternative slowing assembly may include multiple support structures that each correspond to an individual bumper.

[0028] As noted above, each bumper 32a-f includes a cushion 36. Cushions 36 may be formed from an elastic, flexible, non-rigid, and / or deformable material, and protrude from the tray 34 in a direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the conveying surface 28— in this manner, the cushions are deformable in the outboard direction when the cushion 36 is contacted by a tote 22 or when compressed by a human operators hand or finger. It shouldbe appreciated that bumpers could also include cushions made from a more rigid material such that the cushions of the bumpers do not deform or only deform slightly.

[0029] As shown in FIGS.3 and 8, each cushion 36 is mounted in tray 34 by internal damping assembly 50. As noted, each internal damping assembly 50 includes resilient biasing member 38, such as coil spring 39, and bolt 56. For ease of description, reference hereinafter will be made to one internal damping assembly 50, though it should be understood that the following description applies to each internal damping assembly 50.

[0030] Resilient biasing member 38 is mounted to bolt 56 about shaft 40, which then mounts the resilient biasing member 38 in cushion 36. As best seen in FIG.8, each cushion 36 includes a cavity 48 into which one end of internal damping assembly 50 extends such that resilient biasing member 38 is in the uncompressed state. The other end of internal damping assembly 50 is extended though and mounted to tray 34 by the bolt’s head 56a. Bolt 56 extends through and is captured in wall 34a of tray 34 by head 56a, washer 64, and by bushing 52, as will be more fully described below.

[0031] To limit and guide the compression of each cushion 36, shaft 40 of each internal damping assembly 50 is mounted in bushing 52. To reduce friction and wear between shaft 40 and bushing 52 and to allow bolt 56 to move relative to tray 34 (up and down as shown in FIG 8), bushing 52 includes an inner sleeve 51 made of a low friction high wear resistant plastic located between shaft 40 and bushing 52.

[0032] Interposed between spring 39 and an end wall 48a of cavity 48 may be washer 54, which is mounted about bolt 56 to provide a bearing surface for spring 39 and which distributes forces caused by the cushion 36 on spring 39. The inboard end or distal end of bushing 52 forms the stop and limits the compression of spring 39.

[0033] With particular reference to FIG.8, bushing 52 includes shoulders or annular flanges 52a that receive and / or physically contact an outboard end 39a of spring 39, and that also physically contact base wall 34a of tray 34 to couple bushing 52 to tray 34 while allowing bolt 56 to move relative to bushing 52 in response to cushion 36 compressing and compressing spring 39. Flange 52, therefore, secures internal damping assembly 50 in base wall 34a of tray 34 and prevents bushing 52 from falling out or being pushed completely through the opening of base wall 34a of tray 34. Thus, bushing 52 also provides guidance of bolt 56 during movement and / or compression of spring 39 in response to compression and movement of cushion 36 to absorb force distributed through the respective bumper 32a-f. A flat washer 54 is adjacent end wall 48a of cavity 48, and receives and / or physically contacts an inboard end 39b of spring 39.

[0034] As noted, bolt 56—which includes the previously discussed shaft 40 and head 56a— is located so that head 56a is at an outboard side 57 of tray 34, such that shaft 40 extends though bushing 52. As best understood from FIG.8, bolt 56 also includes a threaded end 56b that is received and secured via threaded engagement with a nut 58 located at an inboard recessed portion 60 of cushion 36 proximate an inboard side of cushion 36.

[0035] As understood, spring 39 is retained between bushing 52 and washer 54. Recessed portion 60 is formed in cushion 36 to have a depth that accommodates nut 58 such that nut 58 does not protrude past an inboard side 62 of cushion 36. As noted, outboard washer 64 is disposed between head 56a of bolt 56 and bushing 52, while an inboard washer 66 is disposed between flat washer 54 and cushion 36, where washers 54, 64, and 66 collectively facilitate load and force distribution between the components of damping assembly 50, and between damping assembly 50 and cushion 36 more generally. As explained in further detail below, flat washer 54 acts as a spring-backed plate to dampen and distribute the impact and / or kinetic force associated with tote 22 as tote 22 is moving towards and / or into workstation 20.

[0036] Optionally, each cushion 36 includes a pair of outboard recessed portions 68 (FIGS.3 and 8) defined by cushions 36 at an outboard side 36a of cushions 36. Recessed portions 68 may receive retention features or protrusions extending from tray 34, with tray 34 providing guidance and alignment to cushions 36 for maintaining proper alignment and preventing cushions 36 from becoming overly skewed under a load exerted by tote 22. Additionally, each cushion 36 has a top side 36b located opposite a bottom side 36c, and opposed side sides 36d, 36e that are each spaced from a respective side 36d or 36e (FIG.7) of an adjacent cushion 36. With reference to FIG.6, inboard side 62 of each cushion 36 includes a middle portion 62a located between an outer portion 62b and an opposite outer portion 62c, where middle portion 62a extends further in the inboard direction than outer portions 62b, 62c. In the illustrated embodiment, inboard side 62 is continuously curved between sides 36d and 36e. However, it should be appreciated that a pad or cushion may be alternatively shaped or sized within the scope of the present invention.

[0037] As tote 22 enters workstation 20, tote 22 comes into contact with and engages one or more of the bumpers 32a-32e, and in particular, tote 22 may initially come into contact with the middle portions 62a of the inboard sides 62 of the cushions 36. Upon contact with tote 22, inboard side 62 of the bumpers 32a-32e may begin to deform in such a way that a greater proportion of the surface area of inboard side 62 comes into contact with and / or conforms to tote 22 to thereby gradually distribute the forces between tote 22 and the bumpers 32a-32e.In addition, based on the forces, damping assembly 50 enables cushion 36 to move where spring 39 imparts a counteracting biasing force or spring force that increases in proportion to the distance that cushion 36 is pushed in by tote 22. Spring 39 is coiled around shaft 40, where the movement of shaft 40 is slidable relative to, but partially constrained by, the low friction inner sleeve 51 and bushing 52. In particular, shaft 40 has a running sliding fit with inner sleeve 51. The combination of shaft 40, inner sleeve 51, and bushing 52 help to guide and ensure linear and / or straight motion of bumpers 32a-32e as spring 39 compresses and expands. As spring 39 is compressed, nut 58, flat washer 54, and bolt 56, which includes shaft 40 and head 56a, move in an outboard direction, where shaft 40 slides relative to inner sleeve 51 in the outboard direction in a lower friction manner.

[0038] As previously discussed, the curvature of inboard side 62 of cushion 36 is such that middle portion 62a extends further in the inboard direction than outer portions 62b, 62c. This curved geometry of inboard side 62 allows tote 22 to more gradually come into increasing contact with cushion 36 as it enters workstation 20. Moreover, as tote 22 subsequently moves in the conveying direction on conveyor 28 perpendicularly to the bumpers 32a-32e, the smaller contact area of tote 22 with middle portions 62a of bumpers 32a-32e after the cushions 36 have rebounded from the initial contact with tote 22 provides reduced friction from subsequent movement along conveyor 28 as compared to, for example, a cushion having a surface substantially parallel to the conveying direction. Additionally, the curved geometry of inboard side 62 may allow for totes or articles of different shapes and sizes to make sufficient with contact bumpers 32a-f to cause the deformation and / or linear motion of bumpers 32a-f as described above with regard to first bumper 32a, thus enabling slowing assembly 24 to accommodate or gradually slow a greater variety of articles approaching and / or arriving at workstation 20.

[0039] The above configuration and function of slowing assembly 24 provides various benefits to a human operator at working station 20. As previously noted, slowing assembly 24 functions in part to gradually reduce the kinetic energy of incoming tote 22 and thereby gradually reduce the speed and even stop tote 22 as it arrives at workstation 20. This may aid in preventing or inhibiting the human operator from inadvertently injuring themselves, for example, due to their hand becoming pinched or crushed between incoming tote 22 and side wall 26 of workstation 20. Stopping assembly 24 is designed to mitigate and / or reduce the risk of this type of injury to the human operator. Optionally, the length of each bumper 32a-f in the conveying direction is greater than the width of a human hand such that whatever bumper 32a-f the operator’s hand may be on will deform and / or deflect in the outboarddirection at a greater rate than the other bumpers 32a-f that tote 22 may be in contact with while tote 22 is also in contact with the operator’s hand. In particular, the length of each bumper 32a-f is approximately 5 inches. As a result, the force of tote 22 will be distributed across a greater area as opposed to just the operator’s hand, thereby lessening the force and / or impact between tote 22 and the operator’s hand. It should be appreciated that an alternative slowing assembly may include bumpers of different lengths, for example, within a range of 4.5 to 5.5 inches long in a conveying direction.

[0040] It should be appreciated that a slowing assembly may have more or less bumpers apart from what has been discussed herein, and may have bumpers that are configured in alternative arrangements. For example, a series of bumpers could be arranged in a grid-like pattern or an alternating pattern in which adjacent bumpers are offset from one another in a vertical direction. Furthermore, a workstation could be equipped with more than one slowing assembly, where for example a second slowing assembly could be secured to a wall or support structure located on an opposing side of a conveying surface. Additionally, a slowing assembly may include pneumatic mechanisms to assist with force absorption and distribution, as well as bumpers that are also rotatably coupled to a tray or frame. It should also be appreciated that a slowing assembly could be used at any location where an operator is stationed, and in particular where a possible pinch-point may present a risk of injury to an operator.

[0041] Accordingly, the slowing assembly of the present invention may be used as a safety feature by increasing the time to stop of incoming product, thus reducing the force transmitted to the operator, and includes one or more bumpers, which include pads or cushions that may be positioned at a side of a conveying surface. A damping assembly which includes a biasing member supported by one or more shafts and / or sleeves, couples the bumper to a support structure that is mounted to a side structure of a conveyance assembly, and allows the bumper to move inwardly and outwardly relative to the support structure. The article comes into contact with the bumper as the article approaches and / or arrives at the workstation, thus causing engagement between the article and the bumper and gradually slowing down, as well as allowing for unobstructed motion or transfer of the product or tote at a right angle as it is transferred and continues to move in a conveying direction at or near the workstation.

[0042] Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention which is intended to belimited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A slowing assembly for gradually slowing and / or stopping an article arriving at a conveyor workstation of a conveyor having a conveying surface, the conveyor workstation having an outboard side at which an operator is able to operate on an article being conveyed on the conveying surface, said slowing assembly comprising: a support structure securable proximate the outboard side of the conveyor workstation; a bumper comprising a cushion coupled to said support structure and extending in an inboard direction toward the conveying surface; and wherein said bumper is configured to compress when contacted by an article as the article approaches or arrives at the conveyor workstation on the conveying surface.

2. The slowing assembly of claim 1, wherein said bumper further comprises a resilient biasing member coupled to said cushion and configured to bias said cushion towards an uncompressed state from a compressed state. The slowing assembly of claim 2, wherein said resilient biasing member comprises a spring.

4. The slowing assembly of claim 3, wherein said bumper further comprises a sleeve coupled to said support structure, and a shaft extending through said sleeve, and wherein said spring is coiled around said shaft.

5. The slowing assembly of claim 4, further comprising a fastener coupling said cushion to said support structure, wherein said sleeve extends through said support structure and encloses a portion of said fastener.

6. The slowing assembly of claim 5, further comprising a bushing, said bushing retaining and having a complimentary fit with said sleeve, said bushing extending through said support structure.

7. The slowing assembly of any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a plurality of bumpers.

8. The slowing assembly of claim 7, wherein at least a group of said plurality of bumpers are aligned with one another in the conveying direction.

9. The slowing assembly of claim 8, wherein each bumper of said plurality of bumpers is independently compressible from the other bumpers.

10. The slowing assembly of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said cushion comprises an inboard side having a middle portion located between outer portions, said middle portion extending further in said inboard direction than said outer portions.

11. The slowing assembly of claim 10, wherein said inboard side of said cushion comprises a curved surface.

12. The slowing assembly of 10, further comprising a plurality of bumpers.

13. The slowing assembly of claim 1, wherein said cushion is elongated in the conveying direction.

14. The slowing assembly of claim 13, wherein said cushion has a length in the conveying direction that is greater than 4.5 inches.

15. A slowing assembly for gradually slowing an / or stopping an article arriving at a conveyor workstation of a conveyor having a conveying surface, the conveyor workstation having an outboard side at which an operator is able to operate on an article being conveyed on the conveying surface, said slowing assembly comprising: a support structure securable proximate the outboard side of the conveyor workstation; a plurality of bumpers, each bumper of said plurality of bumpers comprising a cushion coupled to said support structure, each cushion of said cushions extending in an inboard direction toward the conveying surface, each cushion of said cushions comprising aninboard side having a middle portion located between outer portions, said middle portion extending further in said inboard direction than said outer portions; and wherein each bumper of said bumpers is configured to compress when contacted by the article as the article approaches or arrives at the conveyor workstation.

16. The slowing assembly of claim 15, wherein said inboard side of each of said cushions comprises a curved surface.

17. The slowing assembly of claim 17, wherein each cushion of said cushions is elongated in the conveying direction.

18. The slowing assembly of any of claims 15 to 16, wherein each bumper of said plurality of bumpers further comprises a resilient biasing member coupled to a respective one of said cushions, and wherein each resilient biasing member of said resilient biasing members is configured to bias a respective one of said cushions towards an uncompressed state from a compressed state.

19. The slowing assembly of claim 18, wherein each resilient biasing member of said resilient biasing members comprises a spring.

20. The slowing assembly of claim 19, wherein each bumper of said plurality of bumpers further comprises a sleeve coupled to said support structure and a shaft extending through said sleeve, and wherein each spring of said springs is coiled around a respective shaft of said shafts.

21. The slowing assembly of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of fasteners that couple each cushion of said cushions to said support structure, wherein each sleeve of said sleeves extends through said support structure and encloses a portion of a respective fastener of said plurality of fasteners.

22. The slowing assembly of claim 21, wherein each bumper of said plurality of bumpers further comprises a bushing that retains and has a complimentary fit to a respective sleeve of said sleeves, wherein each bushing of said bushings extends through said support structure.

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