Patent GB-731455-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems
IPC: B65G37/00
Filed: 1952-10-28
Abstract: 731,455. Conveyers. KING, D. M. Oct. 27, 1953 [Oct. 28, 1952], No. 27107/52. Class. 78(1). A conveyer comprises a plurality of parallel endless chains driven at different speeds, a plurality of trays or pallets supported on the chains and means whereby any tray or pallet may be drivingly connected with either, or any of said chains, to move therewith. As shown, Figs. 1, 4 and 5, pallets 19 rest on a pair of endless driven chains 10, 11 guided in respective tracks 23, 24, and are guided laterally by rollers 22 at their corners engaging vertical extensions of the tracks 23, 24. Each chain has horizontal and vertical guiding rollers 13, 12 so that it can be bent in either horizontal or vertical planes, and the chains are driven in the same. direction at two different speeds. The chains may also be driven in opposite directions. The pallets may rest on rollers 20, 21 on the chains, or rollers on the pallets may engage running surfaces on the chains. To cause a pallet to move at the speed of either chain as desired retractable dogs' 14, 15 are provided on the respective chains 10, 11 and ramps such as 17, 18 are provided at appropriate points along the tracks where the pallets are to be coupled to one of the chains. In the zones intermediate the ramps the pallets may be temporarily stopped by projectable stops at the sides of the tracks. To prevent the pallets running on when dogs 15 are projected owing to being dragged by the faster chain retarder dogs 16 are also projected with the dogs 15 to engage the forward edges of the pallets. The pallets or loads on the pallets are discharged by lateral pushers 29, Fig. 5, and in the case of the pallets being discharged these are raised by a fluid pressure ram 25 having a table preferably provided with rollers 28 engaging the underside of the pallets. The rollers 28 may be driven to discharge the pallets in which case the pushers are dispensed with. Alternatively discharge is accomplished by providing a tilting head 27, Fig. 4, on the ram which engages in an aperture in a pallet such that after raising the pallet it can be tilted to discharge its load. Discharging at desired' points may be effected by suitable means (not shown) on the pallets capable of being set to effect automatic stoppage of any pallet at a selected point along the conveyer path. A pallet carrying a workpiece may be turned by first stopping it, then raising it by a ram 25 having a rotatable table, after which it can be rotated through one or more right angles and subsequently lowered back on to the chains. Pallets may be distributed to branch conveyers, Fig. 7, by continuing the fast and slow chains 101 and 11 at 10<SP>1</SP> and 11<SP>1</SP> and providing a fresh pair of slow and fast chains 31, 32 respectively to form two pairs of fast and slow chains, switching at the junction being accomplished by providing retractable sets of rollers 33, 34 and guides 35, 36, one of the sets of rollers and corresponding guide being projected to cause the pallets to move to one or other of the branch conveyers. Arrangements (not shown) are also disclosed for causing the chains 10, 11 to return in their return runs without inversion; by an arrangement of vertical and horizontal bends. Specification 701,610 is referred to.