Rotary guide device

Abstract

A rotary guide device is used in conjunction with a conveyor belt adapted to have a plurality of randomly positioned articles thereon which must be aligned with each other in a plurality of rows lengthwise of and spaced across the conveyor belt by a plurality of guide plates positioned in essentially parallel lanes across and suspended above the moving conveyor belt. The rotary guide device is comprised of a plurality of rotating spindles disposed directly in front of each guide plate adjacent the upstream end thereof relative to the direction of movement of the belt. Each spindle is motor driven so that when contacted by an article on the moving conveyor belt the rotating spindle will direct the article into an adjacent channel between the guide plates to prevent jamming of the articles at the entrance to the channel. Each rotating spindle may be provided with a suitable friction surface to assist in positively directing an article in engagement therewith. The spindles and associated guide plates may be positioned along a line normal to the direction of belt travel or, preferably, are positioned along at least one skew line slanting across the belt.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A guide device for alinging a plurality of substantially flat articles on a moving conveyor into a plurality of columns on the conveyor without jamming said articles, comprising; plural stationary guide plates positioned over said conveyor and extending in the direction of movement of said conveyor and defining plural unidirectional guide channels, a plurality of rotating spindles provided in spaced relation to each other and forming a series of spindles extending across said conveyor, with a spindle positioned at the upstream end of each of the guide plates in direct alignment with respective guide plates, means for rotatably supporting each spindle immediately above and adjacent to the conveyor, and drive means for rotating each spindle so as to forcibly divert an article on said moving conveyor which comes into engagement with a rotating spindle into a specific adjacent one of said guide channels, each guide channel being associated with a respecitve spindle, said guide plates having forward ends positioned along a line extending generally transversely to the direction of belt travel and defining therebetween gate widths, and said spindles being arranged upstream of the forward ends of said guides plates, and being positioned along at least one line skewed to the direction of belt travel to thereby icrease lengths of said gates, said skewed line forming an angle of 30 to 75 degrees with a line orthogonal to the direction of belt travel. 
     
     
       2. A guide device as in claim 1 wherein there are at least two series of spindles positioned along two skew lines, with the spindles of each series being spaced from one another along the length of the conveyor. 
     
     
       3. A guide device as in claim 2 wherein said two series of spindles include a common spindle. 
     
     
       4. A guide device as in any of claims 1, 2 and 3, further comprising friction means secured to the lower end of each spindle for engagement with artiles on said conveyor. 
     
     
       5. A guide device as in any of claims 1, 2 and 3, said drive means comprising common drive means for simultaneously rotating each of said spindles in the same direction. 
     
     
       6. A guide device as in claim 5 wherein said common drive means includes an electric motor mounted on said support means, said motor having a drive shaft disposed parallel to said spindles, sprocket means secured to said shaft and said spindles in a common plane and a sprocket chain engaging each of said sprockets for imparting the rotation of said motor shaft to each of said spindles. 
     
     
       7. A process for aligning and advancing a plurality of randomly positioned substantially flat articles along a moving conveyor belt, comprising; positioning at least three stationary, parallel guide plates across a moving conveyor belt such that forward ends of said guide plates are positioned along a line generally transverse to said conveyor belt and defining therebetween gate widths, said guide plates extending substantially only in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, thereby defining at least three guide channels on said belt, disposing a rotating spindle having a vertically disposed axis of rotation in front of each of said guide plates, said spindles being collectively disposed along at least one line skewed to the direction of conveyor belt travel, to increase lengths of said gates, feeding a plurality of randomly positioned articles along said belt toward said guide channels, allowing said spindles to each direct said articles into one specific adjacent channel, respectively, without jamming said channels, aligning said articles into columns of articles by passage through said guide channels and then continuing to advance said columns of articles by said conveyor belt in the same direction of movement.