US 12,084,300 B2
Conveyor having opposed upper and lower decks and laterally shiftable lower deck
Dalton Hege, Weyers Cave, VA (US); Joseph Wunder, Lexington, VA (US); and Eric Stempihar, Rockingham, VA (US)
Assigned to A.G. STACKER INC., Weyers Cave, VA (US)
Filed by A. G. Stacker Inc., Weyers Cave, VA (US)
Filed on Aug. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/879,131.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/228,690, filed on Aug. 3, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0044752 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. B65H 29/12 (2006.01); B65H 5/02 (2006.01); B65H 29/20 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 29/12 (2013.01) [B65H 29/20 (2013.01); B65H 2404/152 (2013.01); B65H 2404/1532 (2013.01); B65H 2404/261 (2013.01); B65H 2801/42 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A conveyor configured to transport sheets along a transport path from an input end to a discharge end, the conveyor comprising:
a main frame;
an upper conveyor deck supported by the main frame and comprising a plurality of belts each having a contact surface movable around a first closed path from a first contact region to a first non-contact region, the first contact regions lying in a first plane or being bounded by the first plane;
a lower conveyor deck supported by the main frame and comprising a plurality of wheels each having a contact surface movable around a second closed path from a second contact region to a second non-contact region, the second contact regions lying in a second plane or being bounded by the second plane,
wherein the first plane is coextensive with the second plane or is spaced from the second plane in a first direction,
wherein a direction from the input end to the output end and perpendicular to the first direction is a second direction,
wherein a direction perpendicular to the first direction and to the second direction is a third direction,
wherein the transport path of the conveyor is defined by the contact surfaces of the plurality of belts in the first contact region and the contact surfaces of the plurality of wheels in the second contact region,
wherein the conveyor is configured such that the sheets make direct contact with the contact surfaces of the plurality of belts and make direct contact with the contact surfaces of the plurality of wheels when the sheets move along the transport path,
wherein the lower conveyor deck is shiftable in the third direction relative to the upper conveyor deck and relative to the main frame,
wherein the main frame includes at least one support rail extending in the third direction, and
wherein the lower conveyor deck is supported by the at least one support rail for movement therealong.