AU724807B2 - Roller track connector improvements - Google Patents

Description

47026 HKS:LJF P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

S.

Name of Applicant: LANCE MALCOLM VATER Name of inventor(s): LANCE MALCOLM VATER Address for Service: COLLISON CO.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: ROLLER TRACK CONNECTOR IMPROVEMENTS Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PO3771 dated 22nd November 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: ROLE TRC CONCO IMROEMNT Deal*fAscae rvsoa plctos *077 dae 22n Noebr1 Th folwn sttmn safl ecipino hsivnin inluin th etmto*fpromn tkont e 2 This invention relates to a roller track connection improvement and in particular a method, a bracket and an assemblage with which to effect connection of roller track.

It is now conventional to use roller track in a variety of applications where two and four wheel carriages are used to support various loads.

Such loads might be one or more leaves of a door, or the application might be a conveyor line to assist in manufacturing assembly.

i The track in each case however is conventionally constructed from sheet metal usually by use of cold-roll forming and these are conventionally of U- S1 0 shape in cross-section with inturned ends which provide thereby inner support :i surfaces onto which the wheels of the carriage will engage.

The problem however is to join two lengths of track so as to provide for a continuous and smooth passage of the respective carriages across the join.

The problem in the first instance is that the manufacturing tolerance for any 15 track is such that there will be differences in height and width of one track from another. If alignment uses one surface only to gauge alignment for the whole of the track then this can cause a perceptible interference with smooth transfer of carriages over the joined area.

In order therefore to get an effectively accurately aligned inner surface of the tracking surfaces, in one procedure the tracks are welded together.

Welding allows for the alignment to be first adjusted and then to be held while actual welding takes place.

Unfortunately however, by the time one has aligned the tracks and then brought in a welder, the costs associated with joining the tracks become substantial.

Further, welding of itself is a time consuming technique and it further more has the disadvantage that it is much more difficult subsequently to change the track or modify this. Of even more importance is the difficulty that welding will usually distort the track making smooth transition difficult to achieve.

Further, welding implicitly destroys corrosion protection of the track and will require subsequent treatment or coating to re-protect any surfaces.

Perhaps finally, the appearance of weld is not always acceptable in a number of applications.

The problem which this invention addresses then is to provide means by which conveyor track can be more conveniently joined considering the difficulty of dimension variations that do exist and which are required to be taken into account where any solution is also practical and economic.

1 0 At the least, an object of this invention is to provide the public with a useful *alternative.

In accord with this invention, there is proposed a roller track assemblage with an end of each of two respective track sections joined together by a bracket into which each of the ends has been located and adjustment means with the 1 5 bracket adapted to adjust independently for at least one end a position of the end of a track section relative to the bracket to enable alignment with the end of the other track section..

preference there is a roller track assemblage with an end of each of two respective track sections joined together by a bracket into which each of the ends has been located and adjustment means with the bracket adapted to adjust independently for each end a position of the end of a track section relative to the bracket to enable alignment with the end of the other track section.

In preference the position adjustment of the respective end includes means to provide adjustment of inclination of each respective end of the track relative to the bracket.

In preference the bracket has a shape in cross-section of U-shape with a back and two legs extending from the back with each of the legs having an inturned end.

In preference the adjustment means include at least two screw threaded members for each track section, where a first member is located closer to the end of the respective section than the other.

In preference each screw threaded member is a screw.

In preference the bracket has a plurality of apertures through its back and, for each aperture, a screw adapted to screw through the engaged respective aperture to effect pressure on a track end, where the bracket is surrounding the respective track end.

1 0 In another way the invention can be said to reside in a roller track assemblage including a bracket comprised of a member formed from sheet metal and having a shape that is of a constant cross sectional shape and size along its length and the shape including a back, two sides extending from each respective side of the back, and at a lower edge of each side an inturned lip, four apertures positioned in spaced alignment along the length of the back and a screw in each aperture having a flat outer end to engage against a respective track end, and the ends of two roller track sections being located within the bracket with an end to end abutting position and each being of a size and shape such that the respective end nests within the bracket with lowermost inturned lips of each respective end engaging along an inner side of the inturned lips of the bracket and the position and inclination of each S-respective end being controlled by an extent that each screw extends through the back of the bracket.

In another way the invention can be said to reside in a bracket for joining ends of separate roller track sections adapted to inter-engage with respective ends of conveyor tracks, and including adjustment means to relatively adjust the position in height of one end of track section within the bracket as compared to the height of the end of the other track section held within the bracket.

3 0 It has been found that it is not simply sufficient to provide a sleeve by which one end of the track can be inserted at one end, and the other track at the other end, and that this will then provide for sufficient alignment.

The problem previously discussed namely of dimension tolerances being too much, makes this an inappropriate simple answer.

One of the problems with such an arrangement however is that it is not only that one track should accurately align its end edges with the other track, but should also have an alignment so that for instance in the case of a curved track, the angle of the curve approaching the end can be to some extent adjusted with respect to each end of the joining tracks.

In accord with a further preferred feature of this invention then, there are also provided with respect to two ends, a closer adjustment means and a more distant adjustment means for each of the ends of the track.

In preference, the bracket itself matches approximately the external circumferential shape of the track to which it is to be used and has an inturned leg whereby a bottom of the respective track inserted therethrough will be engaged.

In preference however, the bracket will have a slightly longer distance from the inner top surface to the inner bottom surface than the respective outer surfaces of the track and this then allows for respective screws to be engaging with a screw-thread through a top of the bracket but such as to engage with a pressing force, the top of an end of a track.

This can then allow for easy and very economic adjustment with clamping pressure easily achieved by a relative tightening of any one or more of the 2 0 screws.

The invention can also apply to a method of joining tracks which comprises the steps of engaging a matching bracket around respective ends of a track and then providing adjustment means whereby to apply selected pressure on a top of the end of a track to be joined to effect an alignment.

For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with respect to a preferred embodiment which shall be described with the assistance of drawings wherein: FIG 1 is a cross-sectional view of a track and a view from an end of a bracket being used to join the two ends of a track and in an exploded position, 3 0 a screw about to be used to engage through a bracket; FIG 2 is a plan view of a bracket according to the embodiment; FIG 3 is a side elevation of a bracket of the embodiment; FIG 4 is a perspective view showing two tracks brought together and being held by a bracket and there being four screws in exploded alignment adapted to be used through appropriate apertures in the top of the bracket to effect clamping adjustable pressures; FIG 5 is a view from above as generally shown in FIG 4 but in this case with the screws engaging through the bracket; So FIG 6 is a view matching that of FIG 4 in so far that the bracket here is 10 shown separately from the tracks; °oo.

FIG 7 is a perspective view from above of the same arrangement as in FIG 6, it being noted that the track in this case is one particular style of track where the inwardly directed ends are inclined one with respect to the other; ~FIG 8 is a perspective view of the type of screw that is being used in this 1 5 embodiment, this including a cut-out at an end to facilitate cutting of a thread through an existing aperture but also having a flat bottom so as to engage with pressure only against the top of a track to adjust this in position; o FIG 9 is a view matching that of FIG 1 except it applies now to a different track in which the inturned ends are firstly aligned one with respect to the other and then have a further inturn which is a style of track used for bigger applications than those shown in FIGS 1 through 7; FIG 10 is a perspective view showing the embodiment being applied to curved track and to track of this second type; and FIG 11 is a perspective view from beneath a joined track according to the embodiment.

Now referring to the embodiment in detail and referring specifically to the drawings, a bracket 1 is manufactured by being pressed from sheet steel into a shape in which the shape in cross-section is generally of U-shape having an

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7 upper end or back at 2, legs at 3 and 4, and inturned ends of the legs at 5 and 6, leaving thereby a gap7 therebetween.

The shape itself is selected so as to match relatively closely the shape of a corresponding roller track such as is shown at 8 except that the dimensions chosen in order to accommodate a nesting shape of the track 8 therein, have to be that the bracket 1 would have dimensions which match only the outer surface dimensions of the track 8 and further, there will be a matching of distance between inner surface 9 of the inturn of the lip 6 and inner surface of the inturn of the lip 5 as compared to underneath side 11 of the back 2 of the bracket 1.

@0 0 The effect then is to allow for a gap 12 which together with available pressures from each of the screws which are shown generally at 14 but in particular at 15 and 16 in one case and 17 and 18 in the other to engage through apertures shown typically at 19 results in a relative clamping pressure 1 5 between the end 2 of the bracket 1 and the top of the track shown at 20 which will cause the end of the track to be pressed against and align with the lips and 6 without substantial concern regarding relative manufacturers •tolerances.

•O 0 The screw 14 is a screw adapted to form its own thread by having, as is most specifically shown in FIG 8, a cutting edge at 21 and a tapering thread shape at 22 but nonetheless having a flat bottom at 23.

This then has the effect of cutting its own thread through the aperture first formed in the upper end or back 2 of the bracket 1 but once through, will then simply apply a pressure by way of the end 23 against the top of the track relative to the bracket 1.

Further however, there are four such screws which are aligned along a middle position of the back 2 of the bracket 1iso that there are for a respective end of each of a track section, a closer screw to the end of a track section and one that is further away from an end of the track section.

3 0 The effect then will be that by relative adjustment of one of the screws say 16 as compared to 15, this will have the effect of enabling an adjustment of the relative approaching alignment to the end of the track as well as providing an actual alignment of the ends so that they coincide of two tracks. Alignment is acheived both because the track end is pushed down against inturned lips and 6 but because these are made from metal sheet they can be subject to bending so that the use of two screws allows for additional control of orientation of the track end in comparison to the bracket 1. For instance if the track is approaching the bracket from an offset direction then there is more chance of correction of both position and alignment with the two screws for each track end.

It will be seen that with sufficient pressure exerted by the screws, there will be 0 some potential for bending of the inturned tongues 5 and 6 but nonetheless, it ~will be seen now that there can be two tracks which can have different height tolerances and can be approaching from slightly different alignments which can then be to a large extent still corrected by the bracket of this embodiment.

The location of the screws and their respective apertures in the bracket are 1 5 selected so as to be appropriate for the adjustments described and in particular, the screws closer to the middle of the bracket will provide assistance in bringing the edges themselves to coincident alignment and the :screws slightly further away, will be available to assist in this effect but more also to adjust the approaching alignment.

The embodiment shown as applied to the alternate track in FIGS 9, 10 and 11 will now be seen to be the same as in the first embodiment in so far that the bracket 24 is of U-shape having a top at 25, legs at 26 and 27, and having inturned ends at 28 and 29.

In this case, the inturned ends 28 and 29 are aligned to be defining a common plane between them and leaving a gap at 30 for passage therethrough of support stems for carriages carrying loads.

The screws shown generally at 30 in this case are again aligned along a middle of the back and include two closer screws at 31 and two screws further away at 32 and 33 so that again the adjustment both in absolute position of the ends of track shown at 34 and 35 can be aligned but also because of the screws 32 and 33, there can be some relative approach angular alignment as well.

Again in this case, the screw 30 is of a type which is intended to cut its own thread in a previously cut circular aperture as is shown at 34 but thereafter because the bottom of the screw 30 is flat, simply to apply pressure between the top of the track at 35 and the bracket 24.

A number of variations can be contemplated within the general description given so far.

It is therefore not intended that the invention should be necessarily limited to the precise description and generally the purpose of the description has been given for purposes of illustration and not for limitation.

S1 0 The invention could for instance be said to reside in the method of joining the ends of two roller tracks comprising the steps of engaging around respective ends of roller tracks, a joining bracket having a shape in cross-section of Ushape with a back and two legs extending from the back with each of the legs having an inturned end, the back having a plurality of apertures and for each aperture a screw and the method of joining including the step of screwing through each respective aperture to effect pressure on a track and relative to the bracket whereby to adjust relative alignments of the respective tracks.

In another form, the invention could be said to reside in a roller track assemblage where there are ends of respective tracks joining and abutting 20 and there is a bracket having a shape in cross-section of U-shape with a back and two legs extending from the back with each of the legs having an inturned end, the back having a plurality of apertures and for each aperture, a screw adapted to screw the engaged respective aperture to effect pressure on a track end, where the bracket is surrounding the respective track ends.

In another form, the invention could be said to reside in a bracket having a shape in cross-section of U-shape with a back and two legs extending from the back with each of the legs having an inturned end, and there being a plurality of apertures for each aperture, a screw adapted to screwably engage the respective aperture to effect pressure on a track end.