Patent GB-801189-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record card controlled conveyor systems
Inventor: AULIFFE FRANK COMPSON
IPC: B65G47/48
Filed: 1956-03-20
Abstract: 801,189. Conveyers delivering goods at predetermined positions. POWERS-SAMAS ACCOUNTING MACHINES, Ltd. Feb. 4, 1957 [March 20, 1956], No. 8733/56. Class 78 (1). Goods carriers are discharged at selected positions along a travelling conveyer on which the carriers are releasably suspended, by the provision at each such position of a sensing device including sensing pins adapted to sense a statistical record card movable with the article carrier, the sensing pins being supported on a carriage for movement with and relative to a passing carrier to permit sensing of a card by the pins and-being adapted to control a trip member for disengaging the carrier from the conveyer. As shown, Figs. 1-3, the conveyer consists of an endless chain equipped with trolleys 4 which have lugs 5 from which the carriers are suspended by means of a hook 7 on each carrier. The trolleys 4 run in tracks 1 and include rollers 3 engaging a track 2 to prevent tipping of the carriers. Each carrier consists of a, housing 6 and a bag or skip 8 which is fastened to it by studs 9. A cassette 10 is inserted into the housing 6 where it is retained by locating means and a spring 23. Within the cassette is a platform 13 urged upwardly by a spring 14, on which is placed a pack of record cards such that the top card is pressed by the spring 14 against the upper wall 16 of the cassette. The top card is then moved through an opening 11 in the cassette by a slidable picker 18 having a picking edge 19, to bring its end containing the last, e.g. fortieth, column into position upon a platform 12 of the housing 6, the platform 12 having a number of holes registering with the punching positions on this last column of the card. The sensing device may be either of two constructions. In one construction, Figs. 1-3, it consists of a number of sensing pins 59 which are inserted in aligned holes in a plate 55 having a bent-over portion 57, being retained by a spring 58 and collars 60 on the pins. The plate 55 is pivoted at 56 on a carriage 26 slidable along rods 27 and 28 arranged longitudinally of the conveyer in an articulated frame consisting of a pair of arms 35, 36 which depend from a pair of levers 39, 40. The frame normally rests in a position determined by stops 46, 48 which are engaged by the lever 40 and an arm 47 secured to the arm 35, respectively. When a carrier passes the sensing device it engages a guide bar 50 on the latter which positions the carriage, lifting the articulated frame off its stops. The position is maintained by a tongue 51 on the bar 50 entering a groove 52 on the carrier housing. The carriage is now engaged by a transport lever 53 pivoted at 54 on the housing 6 and urged downwardly by a spring to the operative position shown, Fig. 2. During further movement of the carrier, the carriage is moved against the restoring force of a spring 30 passed around a pulley 33 on the articulated frame and secured at 31, 32 to the frame and carriage respectively, during which movement an extension 61 of the plate 55 moved into a dwell 63 in a cam track 62 carried between the frame arms 35, 36 causing the pins 59 to be lowered on to the card on the platform 12 of the carrier housing 6. A switch ES is arranged to be actuated by the tail 64 of extension 61 only if the pins 59 register with holes in the card. After passing the dwell 63, pins 59 are again raised and the tail 64 slips under the actuating arm 65 of switch ES such that on the return of the carriage, switch ES will not be again actuated. Return of the carriage is effected by the trailing end 79 of bar 50 engaging the transport lever 53 and raising it to release the carriage. Actuation of switch ES energizes a solenoid 66 which acts through a link 68 on a latch 69 pivoted at 70 causing a weighted release hook 74, pivoted at 75, to be released so as to fall into a position in which it engages the hook 7 of the carrier and dislodges it from the lug 5 to discharge the carrier. The hook 74 is restored by the lug 5 of the next carrier engaging a cam 78 on the underside of the hook 74. In a modification, Figs. 6, 8 and 9, the sensing device is arranged at a location remote from that of the solenoid 66 and trip hook 74, electrical connection between the two units being by cable from a socket 95 on the sensing device. The carriage 26a is suspended by parallel links 80 from a longitudinally arranged bar 82 provided with trunnions 84 journalled in split bearings 85, 86 which are vertically slidable in forks.87 of a frame 83. The bar 82 is normally held in a lowered position against adjustable screw stops 88 by a spring 89 acting on the bearings 85. Also the carriage is normally held in rearward position by a spring 30a. On the carriage are mounted a set of holes for the sensing pins 59a, the latter being allowed limited vertical movement against frictional resistance, and a corresponding set of switch contacts 90, 91 forming a set of switches which are adapted to be closed by contacts 59b, Fig. 9, carried by the pins 59a, when the latter are in normal pushed-down position. At each sensing station, selected ones of the contacts 90 are grouped together and interconnected by printed connections 93, and further printed connections connect the various contacts 91 to the groups of contacts 90, the arrangement being such that when the sensing pins are in pushed-down position a circuit is completed through the switches to the socket 95 via a switch CCS which is normally opened and is arranged to be closed as the sensing operation takes place by contact of the hook 7 on a carrier with the actuating lever 65a of this switch. When a carrier approaches the sensing device a roller 52a mounted on the hook 7 engages the leading edge 51b of a tongue 51a secured to the carriage 26a swinging the carriage forwardly and downwardly into the chain line position, Fig. 6, where the pins 59a register with the holes in the card on the carrier, if the card is for that station. The switches on the carriage remaining closed, a circuit is completed to the solenoid of the trip mechanism. Should a pin not register with a hole on the card this pin is pushed up sufficiently to open the corresponding contacts on the carriage and a circuit to the solenoid is not completed. On further -movement of the carriage such pin is pushed back into position by a restoring element 98 carried by the bar 82. On completion of the forward swinging motion of the carriage the roller 52a on the carrier passes along the lower edge 51c of the tongue 51a the spring 30a returning the carriage, the bar 82 moving upwards against the action of the spring 89.