Abstract:
An automatic stabilizing unit for a free trolley and a load carriage in an inverted power and free conveyor system is connected to the free trolley. The stabilizing unit includes a stabilizer actuator which extends above a free track containing the free trolley from beneath the floor of a building which houses the conveyor, and a stabilizing gear mounted on the load carriage. At locations in an assembly plant, such as robotic welders or riveting stations where load shifting tolerances are critical, there must be additional stabilization of the load carriage. At these locations, stabilizing rails are positioned on top of the free track in line with stabilizing trucks on the stabilizing actuator. When the stabilizing trucks contact the rails, the trucks are urged upward, pushing an attached piston upward against a spring which causes a pair of stabilizing wheels on the stabilizing gear to rotate downward into contact with the factory floor, thus stabilizing the carriage only when needed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an automatic stabilizer unit for free trolleys and attached load carriages in an inverted power and free conveyor system. 
     Power and free conveyor systems for moving bulky items through a manufacturing or assembly plant are well known. In a power and free conveyor, there are a power and a free conveyor track, generally disposed vertically with respect to each other. The &#34;power&#34; track is generally an endless chain with pusher members periodically inserted within the chain. These pusher members are closely confined within the power track and each one includes a driving &#34;dog&#34; which is oriented to engage a &#34;free&#34; trolley. The dog may or may not be selectively retractable. 
     A plurality of free trolleys travel within the &#34;free&#34; or carrier track which follows the same path as the power track but is spaced vertically relative thereto. At least some of the free trolleys include a driving member which can selectively engage the dog on a corresponding pusher member within the power track. The original power and free conveyor systems were suspension systems with the power track disposed above the free track. Loads to be carried on the conveyor system were suspended beneath the free trolleys in the free track. These suspension systems have reached a high degree of sophistication and can include features such as the ability to stop and accumulate free trolleys in specific accumulating areas and transfer zones which include intersections where loads can be transferred between conveyor systems. 
     More recently, in response to the specific requirements of the automobile industry, floor mounted or &#34;inverted&#34; power and free systems have been developed. In these inverted systems, the power track and the free track are disposed beneath the floor of the factory, with the free track positioned above the power track. A plurality of load carriages are attached to the free trolleys through a slot in the floor. Each load carriage is usually attached to two or more free trolleys with the load carriage being disposed above the floor and driven along the conveyor path by associated free trolleys. 
     These inverted systems have the capability of handling bulkier and heavier loads, such as automobile chassis, while minimizing many dangerous conditions found in suspension systems. For example, inverted systems allow workers to safely climb on and off of the load carriages and they eliminate the danger inherent in the swinging loads of suspension systems. 
     At the same time, the development of inverted systems has presented a new and unique series of problems to designers. In a large factory, a single power and free conveyor can run for a mile or more. In a conveyor of this length there may be literally hundreds of power members and associated free trolleys and load carriages. In such a system, even a small amount of unnecessary drag in each trolley and carriage has an enormous cumulative effect on the system. Thus, even the provision of free castering stabilizing wheels on each load carriage would add an unacceptable amount of drag to the system. Thus, load carriages are often connected directly to the trolleys via shafts extending through the slot in the floor and disposed along the center line of the load carriages with the load carriages themselves not contacting the floor at all. 
     However, manufacturing facilities, such as automobile assembly plants, which use inverted power and free systems often include numerous automated assembly stations such as robotic welders and riveters. At such stations, alignment between the automobile chassis to be welded and the robotic equipment is critical, often With tolerances within thousandths of an inch. At such points, it is absolutely necessary for the load carriages in the conveyor to be stabilized. This is particularly true since, at these same stations, it is common for workers to climb onto and off of the carriages, thus introducing destabilizing forces which are multiplied by the moment arm presented by any displacement of the worker&#39;s position from the centerline of the carriages. 
     A designer, then, is faced with a dilemma. Stabilizing wheels which contact the floor surface under the outboard load components of a carriage add an unacceptable amount of drag to a conveyor system, but stabilization is needed when the load carriages and loads are positioned at critical assembly line stations such as robotic welders and riveters. 
     It is clear then, that a need exists for a stabilizing system for an inverted power and free conveyor which can be selectively engaged to provide stabilization for the loads and load carriages as they approach conveyor stations which include robotic assembly stations or the like with consequent close stabilization tolerance requirements. At the same time, such a stabilizing system should not include carriage wheels which constantly contact the floor surface, since the cumulative drag from wheels on all of the load carriages would be unacceptable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a stabilizing unit for a free trolley and attached load carriage in an inverted power and free conveyor system including a stabilizer actuator. 
     The stabilizing actuator is normally disposed above the free track, but below the floor surface of the factory and comprises a pair of stabilizer trucks, each of which includes a free castering wheel, with the two stabilizer trucks connected at opposite ends of an axle disposed within an axle housing. The axle housing is connected to a piston which extends upward through a slot in the factory floor. The stabilizing actuator is attached to an upper portion of an associated free trolley which is directly connected to a lower portion of the free trolley in the free track via a vertically oriented shaft. Each stabilizer truck is pivotally connected to the upper portion of said free trolley via a pivot arm. A fixed arm connects the free trolley upper portion to a vertically oriented sleeve which surrounds the piston which is free to travel vertically within the sleeve. 
     A load carriage is disposed above the factory floor and is designed to carry an item in an assembly line, e.g. an automobile chassis. The load carriage is connected to the free trolley upper portion via a shaft which is vertically aligned with the shaft connecting the upper portion with the lower portion of the free trolley. Under normal conditions, the load carriage is wholly supported by the shaft, i.e. no portion of the carriage contacts the factory floor. 
     The stabilizing unit also includes a stabilizer gear attached to the load carriage and disposed above the floor. The stabilizer gear comprises a pair of stabilizer wheels disposed on either end of an axle. The axle is contained within an axle housing which is, in turn, connected to an arm. The arm is affixed to a shaft which shaft which is rotatably connected to the load carriage. A lever arm is also affixed to the shaft with the lever arm terminating in a cam head which is disposed above the top of the piston in the stabilizer unit. A coil spring is placed between the top Of the cam head and the bottom of the load carriage to urge the cam head downward. The action of the spring urges the cam head downward which causes the lever arm to rotate the shaft. This, in turn, urges the axle and connected stabilizer Wheels upward and out of contact with the factory floor during carriage operation which does not require stabilization. 
     At positions in the conveyor where load carriage and free trolley stabilization is required, such as in machine or robotic assembly stations, a pair of stabilizer rails are positioned in an alignment so as to engage the stabilizer trucks on the stabilizer actuator. The stabilizer rails are normally positioned on top of the free track but below the factory floor and each rail is vertically tapered at the leading and trailing edge. 
     When the stabilizer trucks encounter the stabilizer rails, the trucks ride up the tapered leading edge and roll along the rail. This action forces the connected piston upward. The piston, which has a cam surface at its upper end, in turn, urges the cam head of the stabilizer gear upward against the action of the coil spring. This causes the lever arm to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction which causes the axle and connected stabilizer wheels to rotate downward and into contact with the factory floor. Thus, as long as the stabilizer rails continue, the load carriage is effectively stabilized by the stabilizer wheels. 
     Subsequent to passage of the carriage past the robotic assembly station, the stabilizer rails are ended, with the trailing edge also being tapered to allow a smooth transition. At this point, the stabilizer trucks are again lowered, thus lowering the piston and allowing the coil spring to urge the cam head downward, raising and removing the stabilizer wheels from contact with the factory floor. 
     The inventive stabilizer unit incorporates a minimal number of working parts, is relatively inexpensive, acts to relieve the effects of centrifugal forces on the load carriages and free trolleys of the inverted power and free conveyor system, while providing stabilization in the conveyor system only at needed points, thus greatly reducing drag within the system. 
     OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
     The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide an improved stabilizer unit for an inverted power and free conveyor system; to provide such a stabilizer unit which includes a minimal number of separate working parts; to provide such a stabilizer unit which reliably provides stabilization as needed within the conveyor system while minimizing drag; to provide such a stabilizer unit in which a pair of stabilizing trucks each contact a selectively placed stabilizing rail so as to operably urge a pair of stabilizing wheels into contact with an associated factory floor to provide additional support; to provide such a stabilizer unit which is inexpensive to manufacture and produce and which is easily repairable; and to provide such a stabilizer unit which is particularly well adapted for its intended purpose. 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. 
     The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an inverted power and free conveyor system with a stabilizer unit in accordance with the present invention connected to a free trolley and to a load carriage, and with portions broken away to show detail thereof. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a pair of load carriages, one of which is shown in phantom lines and is traversing a critical robotic assembly station in the inverted power and free conveyor system, with the view of the load carriage traversing the critical assembly station being a cross-section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and with the floor partially out away to show the top of the free track. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the stabilizer unit and free trolley, with the load carriage in a non-stabilized condition and with portions broken away to show detail thereof. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the stabilizer unit and free trolley, with the load carriage in a stabilized condition, and with portions broken away to show detail thereof. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the stabilizer unit and free trolley, taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 3, with the load carriage in a stabilized condition and with a piston thereof shown in phantom lines within the vertically oriented sleeve. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1 generally indicates a stabilizer unit which comprises a stabilizing actuator 9 connected to a stabilizing free trolley 2 and a biased bell crank or stabilizing gear assembly 111 which is attached to a load carriage 3 in an inverted power and free conveyor system, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 1, and which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 4. 
     The portion of the conveyor system illustrated in FIG. 1 is at a point just prior to entering a robotic assembly station, with the stabilizing free trolley 2 traveling within a free track 15 and being pulled by a driven free trolley 25 in a direction right to left in the Figure. The load carriage 3 is supported by the stabilizing free trolley 2 and by a trailing free trolley 18. A power track 19 is shown in FIG. 1 beneath the driver free trolley 25 and runs generally the length of the free track 15. In FIG. 1 the free track 15, is broken away to illustrate an engagement between a driving dog 20 extending upward from a driven endless chain 21 of the power track 19 and a hold back dog 28 on the driven free trolley 25. The hold back dog 28 can be selectively moved upward and out of contact with the driving dog 20 in a conventional fashion, when it is desired to leave the load carriage 3 stationary. 
     In the inverted power and free conveyor 4, the load carriage 3 comprises a platform 7 with a front load supporting outrigger 8 and a rear load engaging peg 38. A pair of support plates 16 and 17 are welded or otherwise attached beneath the platform 7. The front support plate 16 is connected to a universal joint 6 on the stabilizing free trolley 2 via a first vertically oriented shaft 5. The universal joint 6 is pivotally connected to a solid frame 63 on the stabilizing free trolley 2 via a second vertically oriented shaft 11 which is aligned with the shaft 5. The first shaft 5 extends through a slot 12 (FIG. 5) in the floor 13 of a factory or other facility. A pair of flaps 26 and 27 cover the slot 12 to prevent dirt and debris from falling into the slot, but are resilient enough to allow the first shaft 5 to advance along the conveyor path 4 with minimal resistance. Thus, the load carriage 3 is disposed above the factory floor 13 while the stabilizer actuator 9 is positioned beneath the floor 13 and above the top surface 14 of the free track 15. The load carriage 3 is connected to the trailing free trolley 18 via the rear support plate 17 which is connected to a third vertically oriented shaft 22. The trailing free trolley 18 includes a rear universal joint 23 connected to the third shaft 22 and a fourth vertically oriented shaft 24 connected to a Wheeled platform 39. 
     The stabilizing free trolley 2 is connected to the driven free trolley 25 via a horizontally oriented shaft 31. Each of the free trolleys 2, 18, and 25 travel within the free track 15 which comprises opposing &#34;C&#34; shaped channel members 31 and 32 which are separated to form a top slot 33 and a bottom slot 34. Each of the free trolleys 2, 18, and 25, operate in essentially the same manner, and only the stabilizing free trolley 2 will be described in detail with respect to FIGS. 2-5. 
     FIG. 2 shows a portion of the power and free conveyor 4 which includes a robotic assembly station 30 or other critical tolerance position in the conveyor, such as a curved track section of the conveyor 4. A load carriage 3 is shown being pulled from right to left, in phantom traversing the robotic assembly station position on the right side. The carriage 3 is shown in solid lines on the left carrying a load 37, illustrated in phantom lines. The load 37 may be an automobile chassis, for example. Note that the load 37 extends laterally to the limits of the outrigger 8, thus presenting considerable weight outboard of the center line of the carriage 3. The carriage 3 On the right is shown in phantom lines and the factory floor 13 shown partially broken away to show the free track 15. A pair of functional cams or stabilizing rails 35 and 36 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are shown mounted on the top of the free track 15 and extending through the robotic assembly station position. The leading ends of the stabilizing rails 35 and 36 include tapered portions 41 and 42 to permit a pair of cam followers or stabilizing trucks 43 and 44, respectively, to achieve a smooth transition between the top of the free track 15 and the stabilizing rails 35 and 36. Likewise, the trailing ends of the rails 35 and 36 include the tapered portions 41 and 42. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the stabilizing free trolley 2 is shown traveling within the free track 15. The stabilizing free trolley 2 comprises a pair of spaced side plates 51 and 52, each of which has a pair of axle supporting attachments 53 and 54. A pair of axles 55 and 56 extend through the supporting attachments 53 and 54. A pair of wheel sets 61 and 62 are supported by the axles 55 and 56, respectively. The wheel sets 61 and 62 are closely confined within the C channels 31 and 32 and are operative to roll freely as the trolley 2 is pulled along the free track 15. A solid frame 63 is supported by the spaced side plates 51 and 52, and front and rear guide rollers 64 and 65 are supported on corresponding stub axles 71 (shown on the driven free trolley 25 in FIG. 1) mounted on frame extension 73 of an upper block 72. The guide rollers 64 and 65 have a diameter slightly less than the width of the free track upper slot 33 and they engage the inner surfaces of the slot 33 to give lateral stability to the trolley 2. 
     The upper block 72 is connected to the solid frame 63 via a shaft 74 which extends through the upper slot 33. The upper block 72 is also connected to the universal joint 6 via the second vertical shaft 11 which, in turn, supports the carriage 3 via the first vertical shaft 5 and the front support plate 16. 
     The frame extension 73 comprises a pair of spaced elongated plates 81 and 82 attached to either side of the block 72. Each plate 81 and 82 includes an upward angled portion 83 and 84, respectively. The angled portions 83 and 84 terminate in inward facing brackets 85 and 86, respectively, which form a portion of the stabilizer actuator 9. The brackets 85 and 86 support a vertically oriented sleeve 91 between them. The pair of stabilizer trucks 43 and 44 are attached to an axle 94 supported within an axle housing 95. The axle housing 95 is rigidly attached to one end of a pair of arms 96 and 97, which are pivotally attached at their other ends to the frame extension 73 via a through bolt 101, a washer 102 and a nut 103. Thus, the sleeve 91 is fixed relative to the frame extension 73, but the arms 96 and 97 are free to pivot relative thereto. A piston 104 is attached to the top center of the axle housing 95 and extends upward through the sleeve 91 and the slot 12 in the floor 13, terminating in a cam surface 105. 
     The load carriage 3 includes a stabilizer gear 111 which comprises a pair of stabilizer wheels 112 and 113 which are connected at either end of an axle 114 extending through an axle housing 115. The axle housing 115 is rigidly attached to one end of a pair of arms 121 and 122. The other end of each of the arms 121 and 122 is rigidly attached to a rotatable shaft 123 which extends through a pair of plates 125 and 126. The plates 125 and 126 are each attached to the platform 7 of the carriage 3 via bolts 131 and 132 and mating nuts 133 and 134. A lever arm 135 which terminates in a cam head 141 is also rigidly attached near the center of the rotatable shaft 123. The cam head 141 has a lower cam surface 143 which engages the cam surface 105 of the piston 104 and an upper surface 144. A coil spring 142 is attached to the bottom of the platform 7 and is aligned with the top of the Cam head 141 so as to contact and bias against the upper surface 144. The coil spring 142 normally urges the cam head 141 downward, causing the lever arm 135 to rotate the shaft 123 clockwise, as shown in FIG. 3, which raises the stabilizer gear 111 out of contact with the floor 13. 
     The operation of the stabilizer unit 2 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-5. At points in the conveyor path where stabilization is needed, such as at the robotic assembly station position depicted in FIG. 2, the stabilizing rails 35 and 36 are placed on the top surface 14 of the free track 15. The trailing and leading edges of the rails 35 and 36 include the tapered edges as shown at 41 and 42 in FIG. 2. As the stabilizing free trolley 2 is pulled past the robotic assembly station, the stabilizing trucks 43 and 44 roll up the tapered ends 41 and 42 and onto the stabilizing rails 35 and 36, respectively. The stabilizer trucks 43 and 44 urge the connected piston 104 upward, causing the cam surface 105 to engage the lower cam surface 143 of the cam head 141, pushing the cam head 141 upward against the action of the coil spring 142. This causes the lever arm 135 to rotate the rotatable shaft 123 counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 4. The rotatable shaft 123 then forces the arms 121 and 122 downward, causing the stabilizing wheels 112 and 113 to contact the floor 13, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The substantial length of the axle 114 places the stabilizer wheels 112 and 113 on the floor 13 considerably outside of the free trolley 2. The wheels 112 and 113 thus stabilize the load carriage 3 against any shifts which could compromise an assembly step being accomplished at the robotic assembly station. As the carriage 3 exits the robotic assembly station, the stabilizing rails 35 and 36 are terminated, allowing the stabilizer wheels 112 and 113 to roll back down to the level of the top surface 14 of the free track 15, and lowering the piston 104. This causes the coil spring 142 to again urge the cam head 141 downward, causing the lever arm 133 to rotate the shaft 123 clockwise, again as shown in FIG. 3, which raises the stabilizer gear 111 out of contact with the floor 13. With the stabilizing gear 111 thus raised, it presents no drag to the conveyor 4, thus greatly increasing the efficiency and lowering the power required to run the conveyor 4. While the stabilizer trucks 43 and 44 have been illustrated as in contact with the top surface 14 of the free track 15, the trucks 43 and 44 could be positioned just above the top surface 14, when not needed to lower the stabilizer wheels 112 and 113, so as to eliminate drag from them as well. 
     While the stabilizer unit 1 has been shown and described in connection with an inverted power and free conveyor system, it could readily be adapted to a conventional power and free system where stabilizing wheels or other elements are employed. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.