Patent GB-914043-A (GB)
Title: Distributing system for an endless conveyor having load-receiving stations along itspath
Inventor: BAUMANN ALBERT
IPC: B65G47/48
Filed: 1959-12-05
Abstract: 914,043. Endless conveyers for delivering at desired positions. DURKOPPWERKE A.G. Dec. 5, 1959, No. 41391/59. Class 78 (1). Load carriers 105 adapted to be driven past a plurality of work stations by means of a driven endless chain 103 are each provided with releasable load retaining means and with a selector in which a plurality of code elements, arranged in one or more rows extending in the direction of carrier movement, are individually displaceable into station designating patterns, each station being provided with a controller adapted to be momentarily advanced towards the selector of a passing carrier for ascertaining the presence or absence of a selector pattern matching preset elements on the controller, the controller in the presence of a matching pattern releasing the load-retaining means. Each carrier 105 comprises a sloping load supporting platform secured to a channel member 104, Fig. 1, to which a driven endless chain 103 is pivotally attached and which is provided with pivoted brackets supporting guide-wheels 110 which ride on a track 111, a further guide wheel 119 being provided to ride on a track 120. A selector 124 provided on each carrier comprises two rows of push buttons 126, which, as shown, allow any of a hundred settings to be selected, each button being provided with an individual selector dagger 127, Figs. 2, 4, and means being provided to prevent depression of more than one button in each row. The load retaining means on the carrier comprises two arms 143<SP>1</SP> extending through slots in the carrier surface and pivoted to the carrier at 144, counterweights 146 urging them towards the vertical position, and a bail 147 pivoted at 148 engaging the lower end of each arm to prevent the arm from pivoting in a clockwise direction, Fig. 2, to release the load. The controller at each work station, comprises a frame 156, pivotally urged inwardly about lugs 157 secured to the conveyer framework by means of a spring 159, and supporting a test pattern 161 which comprises two rows of ten elements 162 bearing the same designations as the corresponding selector buttons 126, each element 162 being adapted to be pivoted out of the path of the daggers 127 to constitute a controller pattern, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. A blade 152 on each carrier engages a roller 153 on the frame 156, thereby depressing the frame until the roller engages a notch 151 when the selector is aligned with the work station controller, the frame then rising under the action of spring 159 until the selected daggers 127 contact the elements 162 if the selector and controller patterns do not match. If the patterns do match, the daggers are not blocked by elements 162 and the frame 156 rises until an arm 166 trips the bail 147, thereby freeing the arms 143<SP>1</SP> and releasing the load from the carrier, the load rolling under gravity on rollers 121. In a modification, Fig. 5,when the controller frame 256 rises in the presence of a matching pattern, a cam 273 closes contacts 276 thereby, if contacts 272 are closed, closing a circuit to a solenoid 275 which causes arm 247 to move down against the action of a spring 278 to free the load-retaining arms 243. The contacts 272 are normally closed but are opened if a load at the station depresses lever 258. A guard rail 167 is provided to prevent loads from passing from one run of the carriers to the other run. Specifications 789,579, 836,518 and 914,044 are referred to.