Patent GB-796935-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems
Inventor: BURROWS ARTHUR THOMAS CHARLES
IPC: B65G17/48
Filed: 1956-03-19
Abstract: 796,935. Endless-chain conveyers. KING, Ltd., G. W. March 19, 1957 [March 19, 1956], No. 8502/56. Class 78 (1). In a conveyer system of the kind including load carriers which are provided with shoes by which they are supported on an endless conveyer chain so that they can be stopped without interrupting the drive to the chain, the load carriers extend above the level of the chain 10 and are supported by stems 17 extending upwardly from the shoes, these stems being guided by the upper part of the conveyer track 11 to prevent tilting of the carriers. In one embodiment, Figs. 1 and 2, each load carrier is in the form of a tray or basket 25 which is mounted for lateral tilting about a pivot 27 on a pair of longitudinal bars 18 secured between two of the stems 17 which extend upwardly from shoes 15, 16, the shoes resting on a series of rollers 12 carried by the chain 10, which is of universibly flexible construction including guide rollers 13 in addition to supporting rollers. Each shoe is pivoted about a transverse axis to its associated stem 17 and includes a pair of guide rollers 19 engaging the track 11. Lateral tilting of the structure formed by the members 17, 18 is prevented by further rollers 23 on the stems 17 engaging the track 11, while fore and aft tilting is prevented by rollers 21 carried by the stems engaging the underside of a rail 22 secured to one side of the track 11. The tray or basket 25 is maintained in a normal conveying position by a toggle linkage 29 which may be broken by a ramp or solenoid-operated plunger to tilt the tray or basket into a discharging position. Several ramps or plungers may be arranged along the conveyer and brought into operation selectively, e.g. by an index device 32, Fig. 4, on the carrier. In the latter embodiment, the carrier consists of an inclined tray having a front wall 33 to retain the goods which rest on a floor 34 pivoted at 35 to the carrier. Discharge is effected by raising the floor to the level of the top of wall 33, mechanism for raising the floor being again disposed at several positions along the conveyer and controlled by the index device 32. In this embodiment also, the rollers 12 on the chain are replaced by plates 14, and the track 11 is provided with guide strips 20, 24 for the rollers 19 and 23 respectively. In either embodiment the shoes may be positively coupled to the chain prior to entering inclined sections of the conveyer by providing vertically slidable dogs 35 on the chain which are spring-loaded to engage apertures in the shoes, but are normally held retracted by control rails 37 which engage rollers 36 on the lower ends of the dogs. To engage a carrier with a dog the carrier is stopped by an arm adapted to be released upon engagement of the dog with the carrier. In one form, Fig. 5, the arm 38 is carried on a shaft 39 to which a plate 41 is secured. The plate 41 is moved aside by the roller 36 on a dog as the latter engages the carrier, so moving aside the arm 38. In another form, Fig. 7, the arm 42 is pivoted at 43 on a slide 44 and engages a stop 47 by the action of a spring (not shown), a further spring 46 urging the slide rearwardly of the conveyer. When the arm 42 is engaged by a free carrier the latter is stopped, but when the carrier has been engaged by a dog the arm 42 is forced rearwardly and moved aside by the stop 47 to release the carrier. Carriers may be transferred from one conveyer track 48 to a second conveyer track 49 by a pair of deflector blades 50 pivoted at 51 and movable by fluid pressure cylinders 52 between inoperative and operative positions. In the operative position of the blades 50 a carrier is deflected from the track 48 over a series of ball castors 53 on to the track 49. Specifications 781,733 and 785,801 are referred to.