US 12,434,918 B2
Method of operating an alignment station for slices, and an alignment station for performing said method
Antonius Ambrosius Jozef Sjerps, Andijk (NL); and Richard Cornelis Theodoris Wagenaar, Enkhuizen (NL)
Assigned to Automotion Systems Venhuizen B.V., Andijk (NL)
Filed by Automotion Systems Venhuizen B.V., Andijk (NL)
Filed on Feb. 12, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/438,603.
Application 18/438,603 is a continuation of application No. 17/304,477, granted, now 11,932,496, previously published as PCT/NL2019/050857, filed on Dec. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2022278 (NL), filed on Dec. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0182249 A1, Jun. 6, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B65G 47/24 (2006.01); B65G 47/244 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/2445 (2013.01) [B65G 2201/0202 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
16. An alignment station for slices, said station comprising:
a conveyor, said conveyor comprising a plurality of closed loop elements, a first roll unit and a second roll unit, wherein
the first roll unit comprises a first nose roll assembly, said first nose roll assembly
comprising a plurality of first nose rolls, and
defining an upstream end of the conveyor; and
the second roll unit comprises a second nose roll assembly, said second nose roll assembly;
comprising a plurality of second nose rolls, and
defining a downstream end of the conveyor;
the plurality of closed loop elements is capable of running over the first nose roll assembly to the second roll unit assembly; said plurality of closed loop elements comprising:
a first loop section of the plurality of closed loop elements extending from the first nose roll assembly to the second nose roll assembly, wherein said first loop section defines a slice support surface, and
a second loop section of the plurality of closed loop elements extending from the second roll unit back to the first nose roll assembly;
a control unit comprising:
a control module for correcting the orientation of the slice on the slice support surface by varying the relative speed of closed loop elements of the plurality of closed loop elements;
wherein the alignment station comprises a downstream conveyor for receiving the slice from the second roll unit; and
wherein the second roll unit and the downstream conveyor are laterally movable relative to one another independently from the first roll unit.