Patent ID: 6378423
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A friction drive system floor conveyor comprising:a tubular guide rail laid along a conveyor line, the guide rail having left and right sides; a tubular support rail disposed directly above the guide rail and in parallel relation therewith, the tubular support rail having an upper side; multiple, inverted, J-shaped carriers disposed at intervals along the conveyor line, each having an upper end with a support roller freely pivoted thereon and arranged to roll on the upper side of the tubular support rail, a lower end with a pair of guide rollers freely pivoted thereon and arranged to embrace the guide rail respectively on the left and right sides thereof, and a base; a driven bar linking each inverted J-shaped carrier with a next inverted J-shaped carrier in the conveyor, the driven bar being connected to the bases of the carriers which it links, and being disposed at a level between the tubular guide rail and the tubular support rail; a carriage support bracket disposed on, and extending upward from each driven bar, the carriage support bracket supporting a carriage above a floor on which the conveyor is situated; and friction drive means disposed along the conveyor line, the friction drive means frictionally engaging the driven bars on both sides thereof and imparting a conveying force thereto for moving the bars in a conveying direction along the guide and support rails.