Patent ID: 6358472
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A shuttle device comprisinga) a shuttle conveyor including a conveyor belt for moving objects back and forth to first and second conveyor locations, b) a carrier device secured to said conveyor belt for holding objects to be moved back and forth to said first and second conveyor locations, c) said carrier device including a carrier housing and a latch device mounted on said carrier housing for slideable movement back and forth relative to said carrier housing from an unlock position free from engagement with an object being carried by said carrier housing to a lock position in locking engagement with an object being carried by said carrier housing, said latch device being normally biased to said lock position, d) said latch device including an actuator member for effecting movement of said latch device from the lock position to the unlock position, e) said conveyor including a first immovable actuator member engagement surface at said first conveyor location and a second immovable actuator member engagement surface at said second conveyor location, f) said first immovable actuator member engagement surface being positioned for engagement with said actuator member when said carrier device is at said first conveyor location to hold the latch device of said carrier device in the unlock position, said second immovable actuator member engagement surface being positioned for non-engagement with said actuator member when said carrier device is at said second location and said latch device is in the unlock position, the position of said second immovable actuator member engagement surface permitting surface engagement with said actuator member when said carrier housing is at said second conveyor location and said latch device is in said unlock position, whereby conveyor movement of said carrier housing toward said second conveyor location enables said second immovable actuator member engagement surface to urge said actuator member to move said latch device from the unlock position to the lock position.