Patent GB-1102732-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems
Inventor: BURROWS ARTHUR THOMAS CHARLES
IPC: B61B10/02
Filed: 1965-08-04
Abstract: 1,102,732. Conveyer systems. GEO. W. KING Ltd. 1 Nov., 1966 [4 Aug., 1965], No. 33448/65. Heading B7L. In a conveyer system including two conveyers each of the kind wherein load carrying trolleys are propelled along a fixed trolley track by virtue of the engagement therewith of pusher dogs which depend from an endless driving chain arranged to travel along a path vertically above the trolley track, the main track 10 and a branch track 12, Fig. 1, are interconnected through a switch (not shown) and for transferring trolleys from one conveyer to the other there is provided a transfer arm assembly 16, 17, 18, Fig. 3, movable angularly about the shaft 14 of a terminal wheel 13 disposed at the junction of the tracks and around which the driving chain of the branch conveyer passes, there being a roller 32 on the arm assembly coacting with a fixed cam ring 33 concentric with the shaft 14 and adapted on transfer of a trolley from one track to the other to cause a friction pad 20 on the arm assembly to be frictionally coupled to the wheel 13 to move angularly therewith thereby positively to propel the trolley into a position on the other track such that it will be engaged by a pusher dog on the chain passing around the wheel 13. The arm assembly comprises a main supporting arm 16 movable by means of a collar 16a about the shaft 14, a second arm 17 pivotally connected at 19 to the arm 16 and resiliently carrying the pad 20 and a third arm 18 also pivoted at 19 relative to both arms 16 and 17, the arm 18 resiliently pivotally supporting at 36a further arm 37 effectively forming an extension of the arm 18 and having a roller 34 coactable with a fixed cam ring 35 also concentric with the shaft 14, the arm 37 being adapted during operation of the assembly to engage the trolley and also to be engaged by a pusher dog on the chain passing around the wheel 13. The arm 16 also carries an outwardly directed arm 41, via a bracket 42, which arm 41 is angularly displaced relative to the arms 18, 37. On actuating the switch (not shown) in the track 10, a trolley will be diverted to the track 12 and will abut the arm 41 and due to the dog on the main driving chain 11 the trolley will thus rotate the arm assembly 16, 17, 18. The roller 32 will ride up out of a V-shaped recess in the cam ring 33 to lift the arm 17 and thus the pad 20 into contact with the wheel 13. The whole arm assembly is then moved by the wheel by the branch driving chain. The roller 34 is thus moved round the cam ring 35 which is so formed to cause the arms 18, 37 to lift so that the arm 37 is in the path of the dogs of the branch conveyer. As the dog on the main chain leaves the trolley the latter will stop and further movement will be prevented by a stop 43, Fig. 1, and reverse movement prevented by the arm 37. At this position the cam ring 33 causes the part 20 to be disengaged from the wheel 13. The next dog on the branch chain engages the arm 37 to rotate the assembly and move the trolley along the branch line. The arm 37 will actuate a stop release 44 to unlatch the stop 43 to allow forward movement of the trolley along the branch track 12. The arm 37 finally disengages from the trolley which will then be propelled by the dog on the branch chain. At this position the ring 33 will have an upward ramp to re-engage the pad 20 with the wheel 13 so that the arm assembly is moved to the initial position. The cam 35 will cause the arm 18 to be lowered to its initial position. The invention is also applicable for transferring trolleys from the track 12 to the track 10.