Turning Block Alignment for Conveyor Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conveyor systems for animal carcasses in processing lines risk accidental misalignment due to external obstructions, leading to potential damage or defective products, especially in open poultry processing lines where the rotational position of suspension hangers may be unintentionally altered.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system with a turning block alignment device that includes an aligning station with pins to engage and rotate the turning blocks and article supports into a predetermined orientation, ensuring correct positioning and preventing damage by utilizing magnetic indexing means for precise rotational positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If side guides are interrupted between processing stations to allow turning block rotation, then the turning gear can be rotated to predetermined positions, but the turning block may be accidentally misaligned by external obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
An aligning station is positioned upstream of the treatment station to pre-align the turning block and article support to a predetermined orientation before they reach the treatment station. This preliminary alignment ensures correct positioning even if accidental misalignment occurs during transport between stations.
Solution Approach 2:
The aligning station acts as an intermediary device between the turning gear and the treatment station. It includes pins that selectively engage with the turning block to correct and maintain the predetermined orientation, serving as a mediator that ensures proper alignment regardless of conditions during transport.
2Reliability
If continuous side guides are used to prevent misalignment, then turning block alignment is maintained, but the turning gear cannot be rotated between processing stations
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding function is segmented into two parts: continuous side guides that provide overall guidance, and an aligning station with pins that provide selective alignment correction. This segmentation allows the turning block to rotate when needed while ensuring proper alignment before treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The aligning station provides localized alignment correction at a specific position upstream of the treatment station. The pins in the aligning station engage with the turning block only when needed to correct orientation, providing local quality adjustment without requiring continuous side guides throughout the entire path.
3Ease of operation
If yieldable indexing means are used to retain rotational position, then the turning block position is maintained between stations, but accidental external obstructions can still alter the rotational position
Solution Approach 1:
The aligning station performs preliminary alignment action upstream of the treatment station, ensuring the turning block is correctly positioned before it reaches the treatment area. This pre-alignment compensates for any accidental misalignment that may occur during transport, even though the yieldable indexing means are providing position retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The aligning station with its engagement pins serves as an intermediary correction mechanism that overrides any accidental misalignment. While the yieldable indexing means provide passive position retention, the aligning station actively corrects and ensures the predetermined orientation is achieved.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively maintains the correct orientation of animal carcasses as they move along the processing path, preventing damage to treatment stations and ensuring the quality of the treated product by ensuring shackles are correctly positioned, even in the absence of continuous side guides.
Implementation Method 1
an aligning station in the path of the turning block for rotating the turning block and article support to a predetermined orientation
Implementation Method 2
utilizing magnetic indexing means for precise rotational positioning
Data Source
AI summary
Conveyor for moving and positioning objects along a conveyor path, the conveyor including:a conveyor rail extending through a predefined conveying path;at least one carriage having a rotatable article support; anda turning block associated with the rotatable article support, to allow rotatable movement of the article support relative to the at least one carriage,wherein the conveyor further includes an aligning station for rotating the article support into a predetermined position,wherein the turning block has first disk with a first perimeter contour and a second disk with a second perimeter contour, andwherein the alignment station has means for engaging the second disk for rotatingly aligning the article support into the predetermined position.