Conveyor motor having bellows

Abstract

A differential impulse conveyor having a conveyor motor which uses bellows to provide the driving force for the conveyor. The conveyor includes a housing within which is mounted the conveyor motor. The conveyor motor has a pair of bellows, a drive plate and a fluid control system. The drive plate is movably mounted between the bellows. The conveyor plate is mounted to the top end of the drive plate. The fluid control system includes a main control valve, a pair of limit switches, a pair of valves and a flow control valve. The fluid control system allows for inflation of one bellow at a greater rate than inflation of the other bellow.

1 - 40 . (canceled)  
   
   
       41 . A pneumatically actuated, beltless conveyor assembly comprising: 
 a housing, a drive system supported by said housing, and at least one transport tray supported by said housing and operatively connected to said drive system;    said drive system including a seal-less pneumatic engine including at least one pair of opposed pneumatic drive bellow assemblies, wherein one of said pair of pneumatic drive bellow assemblies acts to drive said transport tray in one direction at a first predetermined speed to advance materials supported on said transport tray in the direction of the length of said tray and the other of said pair of pneumatic drive bellow assemblies acts to drive said transport tray in a second direction opposite to said first direction at a second predetermined speed that is different from the first predetermined speed such that the transport tray moves relative to the material supported thereon.    
   
   
       42 . A pnuematically actuated beltless conveyor assembly as set forth in  claim 41  wherein said drive system further includes a pair of end manifolds, each manifold includes an air inlet that is operatively connected to a source of pressurized air, said pair of end manifolds providing fluid communication between the source of pressurized air and said pair of pneumatic drive bellow assemblies.  
   
   
       43 . A pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor assembly as set forth in  claim 42  wherein each of said pneumatic drive bellow assemblies includes a fixed plate operatively mounted to said housing, a moveable plate operatively connected to said transport tray and a flexible membrane extending therebetween, said flexible membrane being in fluid communication with said source of pressurized air through said manifolds to expand and contract thereby imparting repeated rectilinear movement to said transport tray through said moveable plate.  
   
   
       44 . A pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor assembly as set forth in  claim 43  wherein said drive system further includes a control valve assembly that operates to sequentially cycle pressurized air to alternating ones of said pair of opposed pneumatic bellow assemblies to act on said flexible membranes so as to induce repeated, rectilinear movement of said moveable plates.  
   
   
       45 . A pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor assembly as set forth in  claim 44  wherein said control valve assembly includes a pneumatic valve and a pneumatic switch, said pneumatic switch being operable to send signals to said pneumatic valve to change the delivery path of pressurized air from one pneumatic drive bellow assembly to the other.  
   
   
       46 . A pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor assembly as set forth in  claim 41  further including a pneumatic exhaust valve in fluid communication with each one of said pair of pneumatic drive bellow assemblies to vent pneumatic pressure from said drive bellow assemblies.  
   
   
       47 . A pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor assembly as set forth in  claim 42  wherein said housing includes a bottom plate, a top plate operatively connected to said drive system, said transport tray operatively connected to said top plate so as to be moved in repeated rectilinear fashion by said drive system.  
   
   
       48 . A pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor assembly as set forth in  claim 47  wherein said housing further includes at least one linear bearing assembly operatively supported by said housing and acting to support said top plate in such a way so as to provide repeatable, smooth rectilinear movement relative to said bottom plate.  
   
   
       49 . A pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor which comprises: 
 a) a housing;    b) a conveyor tray supported by the housing; and    c) at least one pair of opposed pneumatic bellows supported by the housing and operatively connected to the conveyor tray wherein one of the pneumatic bellows acts to slowly move the conveyor tray in a first direction to move objects supported on the conveyor tray in the direction along a length of the conveyor tray and the other of the pair of pneumatic bellows acts to quickly move the conveyor tray in a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the conveyor tray moves relative to the objects supported on the conveyor tray.    
   
   
       50 . The pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor of claims  49  wherein a pair of end plates are provided each end plate having a hole that is connected to a compressed air supply, wherein the end plates provide fluid communication between the compressed air supply and the pair of pneumatic bellows.  
   
   
       51 . The pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor of  claim 50  wherein each pneumatic bellows includes a first end operatively mounted to the housing, a second end operatively connected to the conveyor tray and a flexible bellow extending therebetween the flexible bellow in fluid communication with the compressed air supply through the end plates to inflate and deflate the flexible bellow of the pneumatic bellows to repeatedly move the conveyor tray linearly by moving the second ends of the pneumatic bellows.  
   
   
       52 . The pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor of  claim 51  wherein a fluid control system is provided which sequentially distributes compressed air to alternating ones of the pair of opposed pneumatic bellows to inflate or deflate the flexible bellow of the pneumatic bellows to produce repeated linear movement of the second ends of the pneumatic bellows.  
   
   
       53 . The pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor of  claim 52  wherein the fluid control system includes a pneumatic control valve and a pneumatic switch, the pneumatic switch operates to send signals to the pneumatic control valve to switch a flow of compressed air from one pneumatic bellow to the other pneumatic bellow.  
   
   
       54 . The pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor of  claim 49  wherein a pneumatic exhaust valve is provided in fluid communication with each one of the pair of pneumatic bellows to exhaust compressed air from the pneumatic bellows.  
   
   
       55 . The pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor of  claim 50  wherein the housing includes a bottom wall and a conveyor plate operatively connected to the pair of pneumatic bellows and wherein the conveyor tray is operatively connected to the conveyor plate so as to be moved in a repeated linear movement by the pair of pneumatic bellows.  
   
   
       56 . The pneumatically actuated beltless conveyor of  claim 55  wherein the housing includes at least one linear bearing assembly operatively supported by the housing and acting to support the conveyor plate to provide repeatable smooth linear movement relative to the bottom wall.