Patent GB-853036-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems
Inventor: SCHNEIDER FREDERICK EDWARD WIL
IPC: B65G47/48
Filed: 1957-12-17
Abstract: 853,036. Endless conveyers for delivering goods at predetermined positions. ENGEL & GIBBS Ltd. Dec. 17, 1958 [Dec. 17, 1957], No. 39249/57. Class 78 (1). A conveyer system comprises a series of endless belts, a series of unloading stations disposed between adjacent belts, and a basket or tray adapted for location on the belts for movement to a predetermined unloading station, wherein the basket is provided with electrical contact elements which co-operate with electrical contact elements at the predetermined unloading station to close one or more electrical circuits which control means for ejecting the basket from the series of belts. As shown, each unloading station, which is disposed between two adjacent belts 9, 10, comprises a frame 11 provided with a series of rollers 12, the frame 11 being pivoted about an axis 23 extending longitudinally of the belts 9, 10 and being connected by linkage 21 to crank gear 20 driven by a motor 18 so that upon operation of the motor the frame 11 may be tilted to cause discharge of a basket laterally over a series of rollers 30 on to a transversely extending receiving conveyer 32. The motor 18 is energized only upon the arrival of a basket whose contact elements have been set for that particular station. For this purpose each basket has secured at one corner upon insulating plates 43 five contact strips a, b, c, d, e, Fig. 5, these strips extending around the corner, and on top of the box is disposed a knob which rotates five switch wafers 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, Fig. 7, each wafer having a single pole 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, respectively, co-operating with twenty-four stationary contacts. These contacts are connected to the strips a, b, c, d, e in such a way that in each position of rotation of the wafers a different combination of the strips a, b, c, d, e are connected together in parallel. At a discharge station these contacts on each basket contacts a series of stationary contacts A, B, C, D, E. These stationary contacts of each station are connected in a different circuit so as to respond to only certain combinations of connections of the contact strips on the baskets. By arranging the stations in a suitable order only baskets set for delivery at a particular station will complete the electrical circuit of that station. For example, the first station, which will respond to only one combination, that is with all the contact strips on a basket connected together, comprises four relays 101, 102, 103, 104, Fig. 8, each having one end of their coil connected to a different one of the contacts B, C, D, E, while the other ends of their coils are connected together via a power supply transformer 105 to the other contact A. Upon an arrival of a basket whose contact strips are all connected together, all of the relays 101-104 are energized, causing their contacts 121, 122, 123, 124 which are arranged in series to be closed, completing a circuit to a relay 130. The latter closes contacts 131 in a hold circuit, and also closes contacts 132 and opens contacts 133. Contacts 132 complete a circuit through a change-over switch 34 to the motor 18, causing tilting of the frame 11, and to the coil 138 of the solenoid 17, Fig. 2, to project the stop 16 which arrests movement of the basket. The crank gear 18 includes a cam which changes over the contacts of the switch 34 up to 180 degrees movement of the crank gear. Since contacts 133 are now open the circuit to the motor 18 to the solenoid 17 is interrupted, so that the frame 11 is' maintained in its inclined position and the basket 28 slides down the rollers 30 on to the receiving conveyer 32. During this movement of the basket, the basket contacts the switch 36 which open contacts 142 in the whole circuit, de-energizing relay 130, causing contacts 132 to open and contacts 133 to close. The circuit to the motor 18 and solenoid 17 is now again completed so that the crank gear 18 executes another 180 degrees movement to lower the frame 11 into horizontal position, after which its associated cam again operates the change-over switch 34 so that the circuit is returned to its initial condition and the motor 18 and the solenoid 17 are both deenergized. Each of the other delivery stations have a similar circuit to that shown, Fig. 8, but of simpler form since one or more of the relays 101, 102, 103, 104 are omitted, the successive stations dealing with progressively simpler combinations of connections of the contact strips a, b, c, d, e.