Article unscrambler with high speed tapered roller

Abstract

An unscrambler conveyor including a frame, a plurality of tapered rollers rotatably supported by the frame for unscrambling packages, and means for driving the rollers. Each of the rollers has a longitudinal axis and a polyurethane body that extends along the longitudinal axis to form a tapered outer surface. The tapered outer surfaces of the rollers define a conveying surface and have variations in concentricity of less than 0.01 inches.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property right or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . An unscrambler conveyor assembly comprising: 
 a frame;    a plurality of tapered rollers rotatably supported by said frame for unscrambling packages; and    means for driving said rollers, each of said rollers having a longitudinal extent extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximate first end to a distal second end, each of said rollers having a polyurethane body extending along said longitudinal axis substantially across said longitudinal extent and forming a tapered outer surface, said tapered outer surfaces of said rollers defining a conveying surface and having variations in concentricity of less than 0.01 inch.    
     
     
         2 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said variations are less than 0.008 inches.  
     
     
         3 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said variations are about 0.005 inches or less.  
     
     
         4 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said rollers includes a base, said polyurethane bodies being one of adhered to and molded on said bases.  
     
     
         5 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein said bases comprise straight rollers, said polyurethane body of each respective tapered roller comprising a polyurethane body having a thickness, said thicknesses increasing at a generally uniform rate along said longitudinal axes of said tapered rollers to form said tapered outer surfaces.  
     
     
         6 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said polyurethane body of each of said rollers comprises a sleeve.  
     
     
         7 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 900 rpm.  
     
     
         8 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said wherein said rollers have a high side and a low side, packages being unscrambled by said rollers moving toward said low side when unscrambled, and said means driving said high side thereby minimizing interference between said means and the packages being unscrambled.  
     
     
         9 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said longitudinal axes of said rollers lie in a non-horizontal plane whereby said conveying surface defined by said tapered outer surfaces is angled at a greater angle than a taper angle of the tapered outer surfaces of said rollers.  
     
     
         10 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said tapered outer surfaces comprise tapered outer polyurethane surfaces.  
     
     
         11 . An unscrambler conveyor assembly comprising: 
 a frame;    a plurality of tapered rollers rotatably supported by said frame, each of said rollers having a longitudinal axis and a longitudinal extend extending from a proximal first end to a distal second end, each of said rollers including a polyurethane body extending along said longitudinal axis from adjacent said distal end to adjacent said proximal end and forming a tapered outer surface, said tapered outer surfaces defining a conveying surface; and    means for driving said rollers, when operated said means driving said rollers at a speed of at least 900 rpm.    
     
     
         12 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 1000 rpm.  
     
     
         13 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 1100 rpm.  
     
     
         14 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said means comprises a belt drive system.  
     
     
         15 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said rollers have a high side and a low side, packages being unscrambled by said rollers moving toward said low side when unscrambled, and said means driving said high side thereby minimizing interference between said means and the packages being unscrambled.  
     
     
         16 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said outer surfaces of said rollers have variations in concentricity of less than 0.01 inch.  
     
     
         17 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein said variations are about 0.005 inches or less.  
     
     
         18 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein said longitudinal axes of said rollers lie in a non-horizontal plane whereby said conveying surface defined by said tapered outer surfaces of said rollers is angled at a greater angle than a taper angle of the tapered outer surfaces.  
     
     
         19 . An unscrambler conveyor assembly comprising: 
 a frame;    a plurality of tapered rollers rotatably supported by said frame, each of said rollers having a conveying surface having a conveying width between a proximal first end to a distal second end, and each of said rollers having a polyurethane body forming a tapered outer surface extending across the full width of said conveying surface, said rollers having a high side and a low side, packages being unscrambled by said rollers moving toward said low side when unscrambled; and    means for driving said rollers at said high side to thereby minimize interference between said means and the packages being unscrambled.    
     
     
         20 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein each of said rollers includes a base, said polyurethane bodies being one of adhered to and molded on said bases.  
     
     
         21 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein said bases comprise straight rollers, said polyurethane body of each respective tapered roller having a thickness, said thicknesses increasing at a generally uniform rate along said longitudinal axes of said tapered rollers to form said tapered outer surfaces.  
     
     
         22 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein said tapered outer surfaces comprise tapered outer polyurethane surfaces.  
     
     
         23 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein said outer surfaces of said rollers have variations in concentricity of less than 0.01 inch.  
     
     
         24 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein said polyurethane bodies comprise polyurethane sleeves.  
     
     
         25 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 24 , wherein said sleeves extend across said rollers along said longitudinal axes to define the width of the conveying surface of the unscrambler conveyor assembly.  
     
     
         26 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 21 , wherein said wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 900 rpm.  
     
     
         27 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein said longitudinal axes of said rollers lie in a non-horizontal plane whereby the conveying surface defined by said tapered outer surfaces of said rollers is angled at a greater angle than a taper angle of the tapered outer surfaces.  
     
     
         28 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 900 rpm.  
     
     
         29 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 28 , wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 1000 rpm.  
     
     
         30 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 20 , wherein said means drives said rollers to generate a conveying speed of at least 500 ft/minute.  
     
     
         31 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 30 , wherein said means drives said rollers to generate a conveyor speed of at least 600 ft/minute.  
     
     
         32 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein said means comprises a belt drive system.  
     
     
         33 . An unscrambler conveyor assembly comprising: 
 a frame;    a plurality of tapered rollers rotatably supported by said frame, each of said tapered rollers having a longitudinal axis and defining a substantially continuous tapered conveying surface, each of said rollers including a base roller having a monolithic polyurethane body extending along said longitudinal axis to form said tapered conveying surface; and    means for driving said tapered rollers.    
     
     
         34 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 33 , wherein each of said outer surfaces has a variation in concentricity of less than 0.01 inches.  
     
     
         35 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 34 , wherein said variations are less than 0.008 inches.  
     
     
         36 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 33 , wherein said polyurethane bodies are one of adhered to and molded on said base rollers.  
     
     
         37 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 36 , wherein said base rollers comprise straight base rollers, said polyurethane body of each respective tapered roller having a thickness, said thicknesses increasing at a generally uniform rate along said longitudinal axes of said tapered rollers to form said tapered outer surface.  
     
     
         38 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 37 , wherein each of said polyurethane bodies comprises a sleeve.  
     
     
         39 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 38 , wherein said wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 900 rpm.  
     
     
         40 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 33 , wherein said wherein said rollers have a high side and a low side, packages being unscrambled by said rollers moving toward said low side when unscrambled, and said means driving said high side thereby minimizing interference between said means and the packages being unscrambled.  
     
     
         41 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 37 , wherein said longitudinal axes of said rollers lie in a non-horizontal plane whereby the conveying surface defined by said tapered outer surfaces of said rollers is angled at a greater angle than a taper angle of the tapered outer surfaces.  
     
     
         42 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 33 , wherein said means for driving comprises a drive belt, said drive belt drivingly engaging said base rollers to thereby drive said rollers.  
     
     
         43 . An unscrambler conveyor assembly comprising: 
 a frame;    a plurality of tapered rollers rotatably supported by said frame, each of said tapered rollers having a longitudinal axis and comprising a straight base roller with an outer surface with terminal ends and a monolithic polyurethane body extending along said longitudinal axis from adjacent one of said terminal ends to adjacent to another of said terminal ends, each of said polyurethane bodies having a thickness, said thicknesses increasing across said longitudinal axes at a generally uniform rate to form continuous tapered outer surfaces; and    means for driving said tapered rollers.    
     
     
         44 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 43 , wherein said polyurethane bodies are one of adhered to and molded on said base rollers.  
     
     
         45 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 44 , wherein said polyurethane bodies extend across said rollers along said longitudinal axes to define the width of the conveying surface of the unscrambler conveyor assembly.  
     
     
         46 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 44 , wherein said wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 900 rpm.  
     
     
         47 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 44 , wherein said outer surfaces of said rollers have variations in concentricities of less than 0.01 inch.  
     
     
         48 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 43 , wherein said longitudinal axes of said rollers lie in a non-horizontal plane whereby the conveying surface defined by said tapered outer surfaces of said rollers is angled at a greater angle than a taper angle of the tapered outer surfaces.  
     
     
         49 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 48 , wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 900 rpm.  
     
     
         50 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 49 , wherein said means drives said rollers at a speed of at least 1000 rpm.  
     
     
         51 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 43 , wherein said means drives said rollers to generate a conveying speed of at least 500 ft/minute.  
     
     
         52 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 51 , wherein said means drives said rollers to generate a conveying speed of at least 600 ft/minute.  
     
     
         53 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 43 , wherein said means comprises a belt drive system.  
     
     
         54 . The unscrambler conveyor assembly according to  claim 53 , wherein said belt drive system includes a drive belt, said drive belt drivingly engaging said base rollers to thereby drive said tapered rollers.