Patent GB-779405-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to discharging and loading means for hoists and elevators
Inventor: BURTON ROY CHARLES
IPC: B66B11/00
Filed: 1952-05-26
Abstract: 779,405. Endless platform elevators; rollerways. BRITISH WEDGE WIRE CO., Ltd. Aug. 26, 1953 [May 26, 1952], No. 23575/53. Divided out of 775,095. Class 78 (1). Packages are discharged from or loaded on to an elevator, of the kind comprising an endless chain or chains to which brackets or platforms are attached at intervals for supporting the packages, by the provision of a transverse conveyer, e.g. a gravity rollerway, which is pivoted at one end and has its free end co-operating with the elevator so as to follow the movement of the brackets or platforms during discharging or loading of the packages, the pivotal movements of the transverse conveyer being controlled by damper means. As shown, the elevator comprises a pair of chains 2 carrying a set of platforms 8, each of which is the full width of the packages and comprises a plurality of fingers formed by rollers 9 carried on cantilever supports 13, 14, the supports increasing in height from one end to the other of the platform so that the rollers 9 are disposed in an inclined plane. The supports 13, 14 are carried at each side by a strip 16 having a hole 17 and a slot 20 for mounting on two cross-bars of the chains with allowance for reduced spacing of the bars at the sprockets as in the previous embodiment. The lower station consists of a rollerway 33 feeding to a set of roller fingers 32 arranged in interdigital relationship with the rollers 9. The upper station consists of a pivoted rollerway 22 constructed and arranged as described in Specification 775,095, but arranged on the same side of the elevator as the rollerway 33 of the lower station. For elevating, stops 36, 37, operated by cams driven from the elevator as in the previous embodiment, allow the packages to pass one at a time to the platforms 8, which are oppositely inclined to the rollerway 33. As each package passes on to a platform, it raises a pivoted flap 43 which drops down behind it, a tail 44 on the flap engaging a stop 45 to retain the package on the platform. As the platform rises guides (not shown) prevent the package running off until rollerway 22 is reached, the lag (not shown) on the platform engaging the extension 24 of rollerway 22 as in the previous embodiment. The pivoted flap 43 serves to prevent jamming at the lower station since if a package is incorrectly positioned on the platform 8 it raises the flap 43 as it is elevated whereupon the tail 44 of the flap actuates a switch 48 arranged to switch off the elevator driving motor. A switch 49 also for switching off the motor is actuated by packages remaining beyond a certain length of time on the platforms 8 at the upper station. The elevator may lower packages simultaneously with elevating other packages by arranging a pivoted rollerway on the return run of the chains 2, similar to rollerway 22 but arranged to follow the platforms downwardly and return upwardly, and a rollerway at the lower end of the return run sloping oppositely to the rollerway 33. The elevating run may deliver to an upper station on the opposite side to the lower station as disclosed in the previous embodiment, or to either of two upper stations arranged on opposite sides of the elevator by having the platforms 8 pivotally mounted, also as disclosed in the previous embodiment. When delivering only to a station on the opposite side of the elevator, flap 43 is dispensed with.