Patent GB-381642-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems
IPC: B65G51/46
Filed: 1931-08-01
Abstract: 381,642. Electric and rope railways. POLLAK, J. E., 20, Holborn, London. -(Zwietusch & Co. Ges., E. ; 6, Salzufer, Charlottenburg, Berlin.) Aug. 1, 1931, No. 22000. [Classes 104 (ii) and 104 (iii).] An automatic electricallycontrolled conveyer system comprises a track divided into sections each of which accommodates not more than one carrier at a time, each section having a step-by-step switch set according to the destination or state (if empty) of the carrier in the section and restored to normal when it has transferred its record to the switch in the next section. At sections which also comprise dispatching stations, a second switch is provided to respond to dialled impulses indicative of the station at which the carrier is to be unloaded, the record of this switch being transferred to the ordinary destination switch in the dispatching section when an empty carrier next enters the section. In an electrical system in which the carriers have individual driving motors, means are provided for preventing a carrier entering an occupied track section. In a rope-driven system, the distance between carriers is greater than the longest section. Elevators for loading the carriers are controlled by the stepping switches. General operation of system. Fig. 1 shows sufficient of the circuits to enable the general working to be understood, detailed description of a station section and a non-station section will appear in a subsequent paragraph. The system comprises ten sections, four dispatching stations A .. D being provided, two of which are shown in sections 2 and 5 respectively. Each section is provided with a stepby-step switch W1 .. W10 which has a normal contact r, a contact o for indicating an empty carrier, and contacts a .. d, one for each station, and the station sections each have a second switch E2, E5 on which the destination of a carrier dispatched from that station is registered. A transmission from station A to station B will first be described, for which purpose the operator at A will dial 2 impulses to switch E2, and contacts t2 will operate. It will be assumed (1) that the system is already operating and consequently contacts similar to t2 at another station will have been operated and relay An energized to connect the electric supply to the upper horizontal conductor and (2) that the first carrier entering section 2 (station A) is destined for a station other than B. When the carrier FW operates contacts ek2, there will be no circuit for relay X2 since switch W1 of section 1 must be standing on a contact other than o, a, or b, but as soon as the carrier operates contacts ak2, switch W2 is set to correspond with switch W1 in the preceding section, and relays P2, H1 pull up. Relay P2 causes switch W1 to go home, and H1 opens the supply circuit to rail section O1 to prevent another truck entering section 2. When this carrier passes into section 3, W2 transfers its record to W3 and goes home, the destination being sent forward over other sections in similar manner. Suppose now that the next truck entering section 2 is unloaded. Switch W1 is on contact o so that relay X2 is energized by contacts ek2 and operates an elevator to move a container into the path of the carrier to load the carrier. When the carrier now operates contacts ak2, switch W2 takes up the record from switch E2 instead of from W1, and relay P2 pulls up to send W1 home. The carrier proceeds, as previously described, to section 5 (station B) and as switch W4 in the preceding section is standing on b, relay X5 is energized over contacts ek5, operates the elevator to remove the load, and as it is presumed there is no load ready at B for further transmission, E5 is standing on o and as soon as the truck operates ak5, W5 is rotated to o. In a rope system, control by sections 01 .. 010 is unnecessary and the corresponding equipment H1 .. H10 is not required. Detailed circuit arrangements. A " station " section is shown in Fig. 2 with the interconnected circuits of a preceding and succeeding section. It will be assumed that a consignment is to be sent from station B to D and consequently the operator at B dials four impulses which are sent over dial springs nsi and are repeated by relay I to magnet EM which steps switch E to contacts d. Relay T pulls up, lights lamp KL and operates relay An which connects power to the carrier motors or to the rope motor in a rope system. The first empty truck entering station B operates contacts ek so that relay X pulls up over wiper WIII and contact o of the preceding switch W and starts the elevator motor M. The elevator takes up a consignment and carries it into the path of the carrier which seizes the consignment. Contacts fk operated by the elevator release X which stops the elevator motor, and when the carrier operates contacts ak, relay H pulls up to connect interrupter Un to the magnet WM of switch W. When W reaches contacts d (corresponding to switch E) relay P pulls up over (i) and holds over (ii), H being held over WIV. Relay P transfers the interrupter circuit to switch E which goes home to contacts o, where T falls back but motor relay An holds over WVI. A homing circuit for switch W of the preceding section is also completed over p2, and relay Y is operated over p4 to connect up motor M which restores the elevator, Y being released by elevatoroperated contacts sk, when the elevator reaches normal, to open its driving circuit. When the carrier enters the next section and operates contacts ak (non-station section, Fig. 3) and magnet WM of the switch in that section is stepped by interrupter Un until P(i) pulls up over its wiper WI and wiper WII of the preceding section standing on contact d. Relay P connects the interrupter to the magnet WM of the switch at the preceding station which thus goes home. The control of the carrier over other sections takes place in like manner. If the carrier incoming to station B had not been empty but had a consignment for station D, relay X would still have operated over EI(d) and WIII(d) of the preceding section so that the consignment at B would be added to the carrier. When the carrier arrives at station D (circuits same as in Fig. 3 but with ek connected to contact d of EI instead of contact b), relay X pulls up over WITI (d) of the preceding section when the truck operates contacts ek at station D.