Patent ID: 6032785
Filing Date: 2000-03-07
Classification: B61B,B65G

Abstract:
A conveyor system for moving a plurality of loads along an overhead conveyor between stations, comprising:a stationary support;a rotatable elongated drive shaft having a generally cylindrical outer peripheral surface and central axis of symmetry;bearing supports rotatably mounting and axially fixing said drive shaft with respect to said stationary support;a drive drivingly connected to said drive shaft for rotating said drive shaft about said central axis of symmetry;a plurality of carriages engaging said drive shaft for supporting respective ones of the loads;each of said carriages including at least two driven rollers on opposite sides of and engaging respective upwardly facing peripheral portions of said drive shaft cylindrical outer peripheral surface;said driven rollers being mounted for rotation about respective axes that are each skewed at an acute angle with respect to said central axis of symmetry of said drive shaft so that as said drive shaft rotates, a loci of contact between each of said driven rollers and said drive shaft is a helical line on said cylindrical outer peripheral surface and said carriages move along said central axis of symmetry in a direction dependent upon the direction of rotation of said drive shaft; andeach of said carriages further including an elongated member passing through a corresponding one of each of said driven rollers along an axis that is skewed with respect to the corresponding axis of rotation of the driven roller.