Patent GB-885414-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to endless conveyors
Inventor: BENTLEY JAMES SYDNEY
IPC: B61B10/02
Filed: 1959-04-20
Abstract: 885,414. Overhead conveyers. TELEFLEX PRODUCTS Ltd. June 29, 1960 [April 20, 1959], No. 13451/59. Class 104 (2). In a conveyer comprising an endless chain running in a track 13 of cruciform cross-section and provided with downwardly directed pins 20 for detachable driving engagement with trolleys running along an underlying track 14, each trolley has a forwardly projecting buffering device comprising a part 48, 42 which can be moved rearwardly and is connected with a member 33 for engaging a driving pin 20 and the arrangement is such that when the part 48, 42 is moved rearwardly the member 33 is disengaged from the driving pin 20 and is held disengaged until the part 48, 42 is returned to its forward position. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the member 32, 37 provided at its upper end with a slotted member 33 to receive the driving pin 20 and at its lower end with a roller 38, is pivotally mounted about a horizontally mounted pin 31 on the trolley supported and guided on the track 14 by wheels 17, 18. The member 32, 37 is normally held in a vertical position by a leaf spring 39. The roller 38 rides over an inclined cam surface 43 on the member 42 mounted on a spindle 45 horizontally slidably mounted in tubes 49, 46 carrying rubber buffers 50, 47. The spindle 45 and member 42 are normally held by a spring 51 in a position in which the spindle end 48 projects beyond the face of the buffer 47 so that an oncoming trolley buffer 50 strikes the spindle end 48 and the member 42 is moved rearwardly to cause the roller 38 to ride up the inclined cam surface 43 to tilt the members 32, 37 and move the member 33 out of driving engagement with the pin 20. Alternatively, a solenoid fixed to the track may project a pin 54, Fig. 5, into the path of a projection 44 on the member 42 to move the member 42 rearwardly to effect disengagement of the pin 20 with the member 33. In an arrangement shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 10, which enables any trolley selectively to carry out one of a number of functions, each trolley is provided with a number of spring-loaded pins 57 which are normally held in the retracted position by pivoted latch member 62, provided at their outer ends with outwardly bent portions 63, engaging grooves 60 in the pins 57. A casing secured to the tracks, is provided with a number of solenoidoperated pins 56 which can be projected to engage, as the trolley moves forward, beneath, so as to lift the portion 63 of one of the levers 62 to release a pin 57 at a certain level which pin 57 in the course of the travel of the trolley, operates a suitably disposed electric switch to cause the trolley to carry out the selected purpose such as the transfer from one track to another. The pins 57 are returned to their normal inoperative position by cams suitably disposed along the trolley track, which lift the lever 62, depress and hold depressed the pin 57 until another cam lowers the pivoted lever 62 into the groove 60, Fig. 12 (not shown). The pins 56 may be remotely operated. Each trolley may also be provided with a fixed projecting pin 67 to engage switches throughout the length of the track which are so interconnected that the trolleys are automatically stopped upon any pre-arranged switching set up.