Controllable length conveyor

Abstract

A controllable length conveyor suitable for use in a packaging machine comprises a pair of conveyor belts which are continuously driven in a given direction at a selected speed. The conveyor belts are mounted on a reciprocable frame and are arranged such that the product being conveyed resides between the belts and a run of each belt firmly engages and transports the product. The belt runs engaging the product can be made to extend and retract in correspondence with the product reaching a succeeding stage of packaging such as sealing.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A belt conveyor apparatus for conveying products along a horizontal path, comprising: (a) a pair of opposed continuous conveyor belts .Iadd.having fixed upstream ends and positionable downstream ends, .Iaddend.each .Iadd.of said belts .Iaddend.having a defined length and width and at least one side formed with a product engaging surface disposed in a vertical plane for engaging and moving said products along a defined horizontal path corresponding to a run of the belt, said belts being positioned such that said products are .Iadd.received by said pair of belts at the fixed upstream ends thereof and .Iaddend.gripped between said pair of belts while being conveyed thereby;   (b) belt guiding and frame means portions of which are reciprocable mounting said belts for substantially slack free travel and in a manner to form substantially the entire length of each said belt into a plurality of non-coplanar runs some of which are parallel and some of which are permitted to vary in length and position dependent on reciprocation of the reciprocable portions of said belt guiding and frame means;   (c) means operatively associated with said belts for simultaneously driving said belts continuously in the same direction and at a selected speed;   (d) means .Iadd.operable independent of actuation by an operator of said conveyor apparatus .Iaddend.for .Iadd.cyclically .Iaddend.reciprocating the reciprocable portions of said belt guiding and frame means to vary the length and position of those runs permitted to vary while maintaining said belts including those runs permitted to vary moving in said direction and at said speed; and   (e) a horizontal conveyor belt driven at the same said selected speed and in the same direction as said pair of opposed belts, mounted on said belt guiding and frame means and located between said pair of vertical belts and operative to support said products while being conveyed by said vertical belts.   
     
     
       2. A belt conveyor apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for driving said belts maintains said selected speed fixed during reciprocating of said belt guiding and frame means reciprocable portions. 
     
     
       3. A belt conveyor apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein leading ends of said pair of vertical belts are continuously maintained forward of the horizontal conveyor belt leading end by the positioning of said belt guiding and frame means reciprocable portion. 
     
     
       4. A belt conveyor apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of which runs remains fixed in both length and position. 
     
     
       5. A belt conveyor apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including an auxiliary reciprocable mechanism and wherein said means for reciprocating the reciprocable portions of said belt guiding and frame means operates in synchronism with said auxiliary reciprocable mechanism. .Iadd. 
     
     
       6.  A belt conveyor apparatus for conveying products along a horizontal path, comprising: (a) a first driven horizontal belt conveyor positioned and adapted to receive, support and convey products in a direction of travel extending from an upstream to a downstream position and at such downstream position to transfer said products to belt conveyor apparatus associated with further conveving of said products;   (b) a pair of opposed vertically disposed continuous conveyor belts having fixed upstream ends and positionable downstream ends, said fixed upstream ends being disposed along opposite sides of said first horizontal belt conveyor at said first horizonal belt conveyor's downstream position, each said vertically disposed belt having a defined length and width and at least one side located between its said upstream and downstream ends formed for engaging and moving said products along a defined path corresponding to a run of the said vertically disposed belt, said vertically disposed belts being positioned such that said products upon reaching said downstream position of said horizontal belt are directed from said first horizontal belt conveyor at its said downstream position into the said upstream ends of said vertically disposed belts and are gripped between said pair of vertically disposed belts while being further conveyed thereby in said same direction of travel;   (c) belt guiding and frame means portions of which are reciprocable mounting said vertically disposed belts for substantially slack free travel and in a manner to form substantially the entire length of each said vertically disposed belt into a plurality of non-coplanar runs some of which extend in a downstream direction from said first horizontal belt conveyor and are positioned for engaging said products and are permitted to vary in length and position dependent on reciprocation of the reciprocable portions of said belt guiding and frame means;   (d) means operatively associated with said vertically disposed belts for simultaneously driving said vertically disposed belts continuously in the same said direction of travel as that of said first horizontal belt conveyor and at a selected speed;   (e) a second horizontal conveyor belt driven at the same said selected speed and in the same direction as said pair of opposed vertical belts mounted on said belt guiding and frame means and located between said pair of vertical belts and operative to support said products while being conveyed by said vertical belts; and   (f) means operable independent of actuation by an operator of said conveyor apparatus for cyclically reciprocating said belt guiding and frame means to vary the length and position of those vertically disposed belt runs extending downstream of said first horizontal belt conveyor which engage the products and which are permitted to vary while driving said vertically disposed belts including those runs permitted to vary in length in said same direction of travel and at a selected speed. .Iaddend.