Fin Belt Dump Gate System for Item Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dump gates face issues such as misalignment of items, limited capacity due to stack height interference, slow operation requiring reset, and safety concerns for personnel due to the need for guarding.
Innovation Solution
A dump gate system featuring interlocking belts with tapered sections and extendable fins that rotate to support and align items, allowing for efficient stacking and quick reconfiguration to receive additional items without needing to reset, thus enhancing operational speed and safety by eliminating the need for guarding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional dump gates stack items, then items are transferred and formed into stacks, but items are not generally aligned with each other making it difficult to drop items into tight spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different surface characteristics on the belts - specifically tapered sections that provide alignment surfaces for items. The tapered sections have a different geometric quality (sloped surface) compared to the rest of the belt, which locally enhances item alignment without affecting the entire system structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses curved/tapered surfaces on the belts to guide and align items. The tapered sections create a curved transition that naturally directs items into proper alignment as they are deposited, using geometric curvature to achieve precise positioning.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional dump gates stack a relatively large number of items, then stacking capacity increases, but the height of the stack interferes with movement of the dump gate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the stacking function by using multiple discrete fins on each belt instead of a single continuous gate surface. This allows items to be stacked in organized layers between the fins, increasing capacity while maintaining gate mobility since the fins are attached to rotating belts rather than a single large moving gate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional gate surface to a three-dimensional finned structure. The fins extend outward from the belts, creating vertical stacking zones that increase capacity without requiring the gate itself to move higher, thus avoiding interference with gate movement.
3Ease of operation
If conventional dump gates use a gate structure that needs to be reset after dumping, then the gate can receive additional items, but the system becomes relatively slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves continuous operation by having multiple fins on rotating belts that can load, hold, and dump items in a continuous cycle. While one fin is dumping items, another fin is already positioned to receive the next item, eliminating the reset delay inherent in single-gate systems. The rotation of the belts provides continuous useful action without interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by positioning multiple fins in advance around the belt rotation path. As one fin completes its cycle, another fin is already in the loading position ready to receive items, and a third fin is positioned to begin its loading sequence. This preliminary positioning of multiple fins eliminates waiting time between operations.
4Reliability
If conventional dump gates require guarding to prevent injury to personnel, then safety is improved, but device complexity and operational convenience are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible belts with attached fins instead of rigid gate structures. The flexibility of the belts allows them to be enclosed within protective housings more easily, and the thin-film nature of the belts reduces the need for complex guarding mechanisms. The flexible structure can be contained within a enclosed chamber that protects personnel without requiring additional guarding components.
Data Source
AI summary
A dump gate system having a pair of belts configured for rotation in opposite directions and spaced apart to define a gap between the belts. Fins extend outward from the belts. The fins may support an item in the gap when the belts are in a loading position. Each belt may have a tapered section extending from the top of the belt to a lower section of the belt. Each belt may taper toward the other belt in the tapered section to gradually reduce the width of a gap between the belts from the top of each belt to the lower section. The lower sections of the belts may be generally parallel to each other. A drive system may be configured to rotate the belts to move the fins from an initial loading position to a final loading position while items are fed into the gap for support by the fins.