Patent GB-864890-A (GB)
Title: Equipment for moving from one level to another the units of mechanically operated conveyor tables
IPC: B65G35/00
Filed: 1959-01-01
Abstract: 864,890. Transferring vehicles from one level to another. ATELIERS HEUZE, MALEVEZ ET S. REUNIS S.A. Jan. 1, 1959 [Dec. 15, 1958], No. 83/59. Class 104 (2). In equipment for moving units, forming the feed-table of a mechanically-operated conveyer, from one level to another, the equipment comprises sets of four synchronized cranks which are mounted in two parallel planes of rotation and on two parallel axes and carry on crank-pins, directed towards the opposite planes of rotation, rollers which support a table unit to be moved from one level to another by a half turn rotation of the cranks which are operated by a mechanism transmitting to them, alternately, a working rotational cycle followed by an in. active phase. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3 pairs of spaced discs 7, integrally mounted on meshing gears 13 and carried by shafts 10 and support-rollers 12, carry axially slidable spindles 8, 8<SP>1</SP>, each provided with a roller 9, 9<SP>1</SP> to support a table unit I, 1<SP>1</SP>. The table units 1 are slidably propelled along conveyer rails 3 by racks 5 and pinions 4 on to the rollers 9 or 9<SP>1</SP> and the discs 7 are then rotated to lift or lower the table units for transfer to the upper or lower conveyer tracks. The table unit 1, Fig. 3, is lowered on to plain or geared driving wheels 6 prior to the transfer to the lower conveyer track. Spigots 18 provided on the outer ends of the spindles 8, 81 engage grooves 17 in fixed cam members 15 to move the spindles 8 or 8<SP>1</SP> out of the path of the ascending or descending table units 1. The gears 13 are intermittently driven, to provide a working and a non-working cycle for the table units 1, by gears 24, 25 through a crank 23 and Maltese cross 22 and gears 26, 27 and 14. Table unit lifting and lowering arrangements provided at each end of the conveyer are interconnected by bevel gears 47, 46 and the flexible shaft 45 to ensure synchronous operation. In an alternative arrangement, Fig. 6 (not shown), the spindles 8, 8<SP>1</SP> are moved axially by pistons fitted on the spindles 8, 8<SP>1</SP> and actuated by fluid under pressure entering cylinders mounted on the gear-wheels 13. The fluid supply is governed by a system of cams integral with the shafts 10 working in conjunction with the bracket 16. In a further modification shown in Fig. 4, the gears 13 are intermittently rotated by gears 24, 25 through a crank 29 engaging a slide 31 of a rocking-lever 30 articulated to an arm 32 connected to a rack 33 which transmits a to-and-. fro movement to a pinion 34. The rotary motion of the pinion 34 is transmitted to the gears 14 through a unidirectional free-wheel device 37 meshing with a gear 27. The gears 13 are held stationary during the non-driving movement of the rack 33 by pawls 39 engaging pegs 38 provided on the gear 13 and by a roller 40 engaging between a pair of pegs 38 and moved to the operative position by a pivoted cam 41 actuated by a push-rod 42 mounted, via an arm, on an extension 44 of the rack 33.