Patent GB-595599-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems
IPC: B65G17/34
Filed: 1944-08-23
Abstract: 595,599. Belt conveyers; controlling overhead points. KING, Ltd., G. W., and KING, D. M. Aug. 23, 1944, No.. 11995. [Classes 78(i) and 104(i)] A conveyer system comprises a main conveyer, load supporting carriers or trolleys connected to the main conveyer and each having an auxiliary conveyer which is automatically operated to feed a load thereto or discharge a load therefrom at preselected positions of the carrier along its travel. As shown in Fig. 2, the main conveyer comprises endless chains or cables 10 to which are secured trolleys 11 each having wheels 14 running on tracks 15 and carrying an endless belt 18 which has its upper surface supported by rollers 19. Between the tracks 15 is a channelled rail 32, Figs. 6 and 7, which is divided into oppositely deflected portions 33, 34 adjacent loading or discharging stations LI, LII, LIII, LIV, RI, RII, RIII, RIV. Each trolley is provided with a roller 31 engaging the rail 32 and mounted on a wheeled carriage 28 which is supported by the lower run of an endless chain 25. The roller is deflected into the appropriate track section 33 or 34 for one station by a spring- pressed pivoted gate 35 which is operated by the engagement of one of a pair of depending pins 45, 46 at the front of each trolley with the ends of a trip lever 43 adjacent one of the tracks 15. The selection of the track section is made by turning a knob 50, Fig. 5, at the top of a spindle 48 carrying the pins 45, 46 until a keeper engages one orother of two notches on a quadrant. Once set say to collect a load at station RIV a particular trolley will be deflected to stations RI, RII, RIII but means are provided whereby the belt 18 is only operated at station RIV. This is effected by a dog clutch 55, 57 providedbetween a chain wheel 27, which is rotated by the carriage 28 during deflection of the roller 33, and the shaft of a drum 17 driving- the belt 18. The clutch 55, 57 is engaged by a lever 60 having an arm 63 carrying a roller 65 which engages one of a plurality of staggered ramps 66 along the track 15. The arm 63 is raised or lowered by a knob 67 to position the roller 65 to engage the ramp 66 at the selected station and a pointer 68 sliding over a scale 69 indicates the station at which the conveyer 18 is to be operated. In a modified construction each trolley may be provided with a horizontal shaft carrying a friction wheel which drives the belt 18 by engaging the upper or lower surface of a ramp at the selected station, either the wheel or the ramp being moved to select the station at which the belt 18 is operated. To maintain the trolleys horizontal at all positions of their travel, guides 75, 76, Fig. 9, are provided at each end of the horizontal travel of the main conveyer to receive the rollers 14 and guides 78 to receive rollers 79 mounted at a lower level than the rollers 14. When the main conveyer passes from one floor to another the rollers 79 and rollers 81 immediately above them traverse a vertical track 80. To facilitate the transfer of loads, rollers may be arranged between the main conveyer and the loading and unloading stations, the rollers being driven positively or by the feeding of the load. In Fig. 10, the loads are suspended by bars from hooks 87 on the auxiliary conveyer 85. The bars are removed by notches 90 in spaced discs 89 and delivered to hooks 88 on a branch conveyer 86 at a station. These branch conveyers may be driven from the preselected trolleys when they reach the unloading or loading stations. Instead of using a mechanical conveyer the trolleys in Fig. 15 may, be driven along rails 99 by an electric motor 95 and the conveyer 18 operated by a second electric motor 96 when forward or reverse switches 107, 108 are engaged by one pair of staggered ramps 106. The switches 107, 108 are moved laterally to select the pair of ramps 106 and thus the loading or discharging station. Alternatively the motor 96 may be set in operation by live sections provided only at the stations, the live sections being staggered and the collectors on the conveyers 18 adjusted to preselected positions to contact the desired live sections. In a modified construction the two motors 95, 96 are replaced by a single motor which drives the trolley and is connected to the auxiliary conveyer through clutches thrown in and out by shift levers engaging staggered ramps at the stations. The trolleys may be stopped for loading or unloading; this is effected in the case of mechanically or chain driven conveyers without stopping the conveyer chains by freely supporting the carriers on the chains by rollers and arresting them by operator-controlled abutments on the track.