Patent ID: 8186278

Claim:
A conveyor comprising: a drive chain carrying a pusher dog moveable above a rail and a trolley riding on the rail engagable with the pusher dog for movement along the rail, the drive chain and pusher dog forming a first travel path above the rail and parallel to the rail; a switch assembly having a rail section secured to the rail, the rail section having a gate receptor adapted to receive a gate, the gate receptor being formed by a recess defined by first and second sidewalls spaced by a lower wall, a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate being laterally spaced apart and secured to a side surface of the rail section between the first and second sidewalls and not extending above the lower wall of the recess, the mounting plates having first and second apertures forming first and second pivot axis that are parallel with the rail, a first gear assembly carried by the first apertures of the mounting plates and pivotable about the first pivot axis, the first gear assembly formed by a first gear having a plurality of gear teeth and a front pivot spacer carrying a first gate, and a second gear assembly carried by the second apertures of the mounting plates and pivotable about the second pivot axis, the second gear assembly having a second gear having a plurality of gear teeth and a gate lever with an arm carrying a second gate, the second gear continuously meshed with the first gear, the second pivot axis being positioned below a plane extending from a lower edge of the rail section perpendicular to the rail section, the second gate being moveable between two extremes including an engaged position with the rail section and an open position in which the second gate is positioned a maximum allowed distance away from the rail, an arc between the two extremes forming a second travel path of the second gate which does not intersect the first travel path, whereby the second gate avoids interference with the pusher dog and drive chain.