US 11,813,971 B2
Trailer-mounted conveyor system and method
Harvey Stewart, West Point (CA); and Nico Den Hertog, Coleman (CA)
Assigned to TROUT RIVER INDUSTRIES INC., Coleman (CA)
Filed by Trout River Industries Inc., Coleman (CA)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/720,478.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/201,166, filed on Apr. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0332238 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 15/60 (2006.01); B60P 1/36 (2006.01); B60P 1/60 (2006.01); B65G 43/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60P 1/36 (2013.01) [B60P 1/60 (2013.01); B65G 15/60 (2013.01); B65G 43/00 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0266 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A conveyor system mounted to a trailer, comprising:
a. a frame;
b. a conveyor mounted to the frame and having a carrying surface and an opposite rear surface, the conveyor operable to move the carrying surface between a first end of the trailer and a second end of the trailer while the rear surface passes over a support surface of the frame;
c. a pressurized air system, including:
i. an air supply portion configured to be coupled to a truck-based air supply of a truck to receive pressurized air from the truck-based air supply, and
ii. an air delivery portion fluidly joined to the air supply portion to receive the pressurized air from the truck-based air supply, the air delivery portion operable to direct the pressurized air at the rear surface of the conveyor to reduce friction between the support surface of the frame and the rear surface of the conveyor; and
d. a controller operable to sense a movement initiation force needed to initiate movement of the conveyor, and the controller is operable to turn on the air delivery portion to deliver pressurized air at the rear surface of the conveyor if the movement initiation force is greater than a threshold initiation force.