Patent GB-191321056-A (GB)
Title: Improved Means for Handling, Sorting and Distributing Parcels, Bales, and Loads of Goods, and the like.
IPC: B65G35/06
Filed: 1913-02-17
Granted: 1914-05-18
Abstract: 21,056. Cox, H. A., Lloyd, G. E., Rottenburg, L., and New Transport Co. Feb. 17. Mechanical dispatch apparatus. - In apparatus for distributing and sorting parcels &c. in clearing houses, as described in Specifications 17, 344 / 08, 18,208 / 08, 15,920 / 10, and 12,027/11, in which the floor is divided into a number of bays grouped together, each group being served by' an endless train of travelling truckers, and communication being effected between the groups by a main train of truckers, and in which the parcels contained in a tray at any bay can be automatically despatched to any other bay and deposited thereon, the trays are constrained and propelled in their paths between the bays and truckers by coacting bodies on the trays and the bays and truckers, with or without the assistance of handling arms. Fig. 4 shows one form in which the transfer of a tray is effected by the engagement, during the passage, of pins P<1>, P<2> depending from the tray with cam-shaped slots C<3>, C<4> beneath the trucker deck F<1> and slots C<1>, C<2>, C<5>, C<6> beneath the decks of the despatching and receiving bays F<2>, F<3> respectively. The ends of the cams are normally closed by spring tongues and are opened when a transfer has to be effected, by pins such as 0<1>, 0<2> on the bays or on the truckers. in a modification shown in Fig. 7, in which the tray T<1> has only a central pin P<1>, four cams C<2> on the trucker D are carried by spindles 0<10> and normally hold the pin between the locking members L'. At the despatching bay D<2>, the tray is positioned by slides L<6>, L<7> between the cams C<5>, C<6>. The cam C‹ is normally retracted out of the path of passing truckers but is projected when a transfer is to be effected, by locking an arm 0<5> to its spindle 0<13> by a magnet M<3>, the spindle being connected by links 0<7>, 0<8> to the arm C<6>, and by the engagement of a pin 0<2> on the arm 0<5> with a pilot cam S<2> on the trucker. On the trucker, the cams are normally retracted by springs C<7>, but one cam is shown projected by locking an arm 0<3> carrying a pin 0<1> engaging a pilot cam S<1> on the bay to the spindle 0<10> by selectively energizing the magnet M'. In a modification of this form, the goods are carried depending from the cam pin. In a further modification, the bay cams are arranged at an elevation above the deck, while on the trucker the cams are beneath slots in the deck. The rollers on the pins on the trays are linked together so as to be normally projected to engage the cams. At a dispatching bay the rollers are held out of engagement with the cams by a bolt which is retracted when a transfer is to take place by energizing a magnet on the bay to make it move with a pin engaging a pilot cam. At the same time, locking devices on the trucker are retracted and, after the transfer, are released to hold the tray by the lower pin in position on the trucker, the upper pin being simultaneously retracted out of the path of the bay cams. Fig. 21 shows a modification in which a circular tray T' with a depending pin P<1> is held at the centre of the four cams C<2> beneath the trucker deck by four arms A<1>, A<2>, A<3>, A<4>, the opposite arms being linked together. When a transfer is to be effected, say to a bay on the right-hand side, the arm A' is displaced while the arm A<2> pushes the tray along the proper cam C<2> into the aperture of the bay cam C', whereupon the transfer is completed by the cams alone. Where the tray has two pins, the cams and arms are duplicated. Fig. 53 shows an arrangement in which are employed rectangular trays having four curved cam slots C<1> ... C<4> engaged by pairs of pins P<1>, P1<1> on the trucker and bv further pins upon the bay or other trucker during a transfer. The pins are raised to engage the slots in pairs such as P2<1>, P<4> to effect any desired transfer simultaneously with the retraction of spring bolts normally locking the tray in position. The pins are in the form of three rollers, and the outer pins are connected to swivel simultaneously on vertical axes during the end of a transfer into a position parallel to the direction of motion as the particular outer pin in action moves on the curved portion of the cam slots. Series of pilot cams and pins are described, certain of which are put into action by selecting electromagnets during any desired transfer. Fig, 59 shows four stages in the transfer of a tray, provided on its lower surface with four crossed cams and four outer cams C<1> ... C<4>, from a group trucker D' to an overtaking main trucker D<2>. The truckers have four fixed pins p<5> ... p<8> engaging the crossed cams and four pins P<1> ... P' connected in pairs to move longitudinally. In the arrangement shown, the pins P<1>, P<2> on the trucker D' are moved forwards to effect part of the transfer. The middle part of the transfer is effected by the fixed pins on both truckers engaging the crossed cams, while the transfer is completed by the pins p<2>, P<4> of the main trucker D<2>. In this form, the movable pins are carried on a pair of longitudinallysliding frames on the truckers operated by cam gear and put into action by selecting electromagnets. In modifications of this form, the cam slots are on the truckers and the pins upon the trays, and the transfer is initiated and completed by handling-arms such as are shown in Fig. 21. These modifications employing the handling-arms may be inverted so that the pins are on the truckers and the cams upon the trays. Specifications 3979/13, 9872/14, and 9873/14 are referred to.