Patent GB-744138-A (GB)
Title: Multiple cycle conveyor and method of operating same
IPC: B65G17/00
Filed: 1952-09-01
Abstract: 744,138. Conveyers; rope railways. BURGH, A.R. DE. Sept. 1, 1952, No. 21970/52. Classes 78 (1) and 104(2). The invention relates to a machine for conveying goods, such as furniture, during manufacture to facilitate the performance of work being done in manufacturing stages upon them and consists generally in the interposition of a storage section in the conveying cycle. As shown in Fig. 1, work is loaded at 15 on to pallets 26 which are conveyed by the conveyer 17 past various work stations A, 18a, 18b, B until they reach the run 17x of the conveyor adjacent the entrances to a plurality of storage sections 34. At this point the pallets are fed in turn into the storage sections until the latter are filled when the pallets are then fed out of the storage sections on to the run 17g of the conveyer 17 adjacent to the storage section exits. The pallets then proceed past further work stations 18c, 18d to the unloading point 16. Each pallet 26 is provided with a depending pin 25, Fig. 3, adapted to be engaged by lugs 24 provided on certain preselected blocks 20 fixed to the cable 17, the blocks 20 carrying rollers 22 moving in a guide 23 for the cable 17. At selected points of the conveyer run inclined groups of rollers 83a, 85a, Fig. 10, are positioned on either side of the run and maintain the pallet in alignment with the run. The pallets 26 are switched into the storage sections 34 by means controlled by selector plates 31, Fig. 4, one of which is positioned opposite each track 34 and adjacent to the cable run 17. In the embodiment shown, having four storage tracks, each selector plate has twelve teeth 36, adapted to engage the pins 25 of the pallets 26, and the first selector to be encountered has three upstanding pins 38, the next four, the third six, and the final plate has twelve pins. These upstanding pins make and break a control circuit by means of a switch 40 and the arrangement is such that the switch of the furthest storage track is operated first and that of the nearest last, each switch being operated in turn by every fourth pallet on the run. Operation of the switch 40 effects, through a relay solenoid 41 and switch 42, the operation of a solenoid 43 controlling a clutch 45 in the drive to a sprocket chain 57. The drive is such that on operation of the switches a hook 60 on the chain 57 engages the pallet pin 25 and pulls the pallet laterally on to the roller runway of the storage section. The chain 57 is inclined to the horizontal so that the hook 60 frees itself from the pin 25 and subsequent movement of the pallet along the storage section is effected by the pressure of oncoming pellets. The runway storage sections' 34 are provided with guide rails and rollers for the sides of the pallets and with a central guiding channel for their pins 25. On reaching the end of the section the pallet 75, Fig. 6, is temporarily detained by springs 78, and then pushed on to the main conveyer 17 by means of a lever 71 operated by another pivotally connected lever 66 when this latter lever is engaged by the pin 25 of the next oncoming pallet 67. The lever 66 is pivoted at 68 to a fixed bracket 69 and the whole controlled by a spring 80.