Telescopic Conveyor Reorientation and Stacking Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orienting and stacking equipment for fibrous structures is inefficient and requires multiple process steps and equipment, leading to reduced reliability and increased capital costs, space usage, and maintenance, especially when changing product orientations from more stable to less stable positions.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that reorient and stack products by advancing them on a telescopic infeed conveyor, where the transfer end retracts and extends to change product orientation and pitch distance, allowing products to land on a shiftable landing surface at different elevations, facilitating efficient reorientation and stacking in a single operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate upending and stacking equipment is used, then reorientation can be performed, but process complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the upending function and stacking function into a single integrated apparatus. The conveyor system performs both reorientation (by controlling product discharge orientation) and stacking (by positioning products at designated locations) in one continuous operation, eliminating the need for separate upending equipment and reducing process steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor apparatus is designed to perform multiple functions: it conveys products, reorients them during transport, and positions them for stacking. This multi-functional design allows a single piece of equipment to replace what would traditionally require separate specialized machines for each operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate upending and stacking equipment is used, then reorientation can be performed, but space requirements and capital costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the upending and stacking operations into one integrated conveyor system, the patent eliminates the need for separate equipment footprints. The single apparatus performs both functions within one operational envelope, significantly reducing the total floor space required compared to having dedicated separate machines.
3Reliability
If additional process steps are added to ensure product stability during reorientation, then reliability improves, but efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary reorientation actions during the conveyor transport phase, before products reach the stacking location. By controlling the discharge orientation and using guide surfaces during transport, the products are pre-positioned and stabilized in the desired orientation, ensuring reliability without requiring additional corrective steps at the stacking point.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for reorienting products includes providing one or more products in a first orientation on a surface; advancing the one or more products in the machine direction at a nominal advance rate; and retracting an end of the surface in a reverse machine direction at a nominal retract rate, such that the one or more products are advanced beyond said end into a landing region. Said end is disposed at a first elevation. The method further comprises deflecting a leading end of at least one product, such that the at least one product lands in a second orientation on a landing surface disposed in the landing region at a second elevation. The first orientation is different than the second orientation, and the first elevation is higher than the second elevation.