Patent GB-914044-A (GB)
IPC: B65G47/48
Abstract: 914,044. Endless conveyers. DURKOPPWERKE A.G. Dec. 7, 1959 [Dec. 6, 1958], No. 41418/59. Class 78 (1). Load carriers F, adapted to be driven past a plurality of load receiving stations, ST01-ST38, are each provided with a selector W in which a plurality of code elements, occupying positions spaced in one or more rows along the direction of carrier movement from a fixed reference element on the carrier, are selectively displaceable to designate different stations, each station being equipped with a controller having three test elements positioned for camming displacement by the reference element and by a displaced code element of each row, respectively, the controller upon simultaneous camming displacement of said test elements by the selector of a passing carrier actuating a mechanism for releasing a load-retaining means on the carrier. Each carrier F, Fig. 2, is provided with a selector W comprising two rows of push-buttons D, provided with selector daggers as described in Specification 914,043, and a fixed reference dagger Ix. Load-retaining means on each carrier comprises a pair of pivoted arms 103 which are locked in the vertical position by means of a pivoted bail 104 as described in Specification 914,043. At each station, the controller AE, Fig. 4, is mounted on supports 108 on which rods 110, 111 are mounted to form pivotal axes for the shafts 112<SP>1</SP>, 113<SP>1</SP> of a pair of cam rollers 112, 113 and for two crenelated indexing bars 114, 115, the shafts 112<SP>1</SP>, 113<SP>1</SP> being slidable along the rods 110, 111 to be positioned in positions characteristic to the particular station. The bar 114 is rigid with a lever 115 bearing a fork 116 which acts on a latch arm 117 swing- able about rod 111, the bar 119 rigid with a latch arm 120 and a third latch arm 123 carrying a cam roller 124 also being swingable about rod 111. The rollers 112, 113 lie in the paths of two daggers respectively depressed in the two rows of the selector and the roller 124 lies in the path of dagger Ix, the three latch arms having aligned extremities undercut to bear upon a release arm 125 which is urged about its pivot 127 by means of a spring 126. When the arrangement of the rollers 112, 113, 124 matches the arrangement of the two depressed daggers and the reference dagger, the rollers will be depressed by the daggers causing the three latch arms to rise simultaneously, thereby releasing the arm 125 which swings about pivot 127 to bring a roller 131 into the path of a cam member on the bail 104 to raise the bail and thereby released the load retaining arms 103. At each station a key is provided which is depressed by a load on the receiving surface of the station and which is connected by means of a Bowden cable to a pin which locks the arm 125, thereby preventing discharge of another load on to the station. At a sorting station MA, a modified controller AE<SP>1</SP> Fig. 6, is provided in which rollers 112, 113 are replaced by two banks of axially slidable rollers C1-C0, C10-C00, whose shafts 156 are fixed in a pair of swingable bars 153, 155 connected to latch arms 117<SP>1</SP>, 120<SP>1</SP>. The rollers are moved axially from their normal positions adjacent the bars 153, 155 by means of Bowden cables connected to push-buttons 160, Fig. 7 (not shown) on a stationary selector 159, whereby a supervisor can set the controller AE<SP>1</SP> to discharge any carrier at the sorting station.