GB1099205A - Improvements in or relating to trolley conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

1,099,205. Conveyer systems. INVENTIO A.G. April 19, 1966 [April 28, 1965], No. 17180/66. Heading B7L. A shopping basket trolley conveyer for transporting such trolleys between floors of a shop comprises an inlet track section 1.2, Fig. 1, slightly downwardly inclined towards an inclined conveyer track section 1.1 provided with a drive chain 8 having distributed over its whole length drive members, e.g. 9, 10, for engaging engagement members, e.g. 2 or 3 or 4, provided one on each trolley. In order to prevent trolleys nested one into another from arriving at the conveyer section 1.1 and causing derailment or jamming, a blocking pawl 13 pivotably mounted at 13.2 in the section 1.2 and a start lever 18 (temporarily holding a trolley on the section 1.1) pivotably mounted at 18.1 in the section 1.1 are urged by spring force 16, 21, to pivot into the path of movement 5 of the members 2, 3, 4 and the pawl 13 is pivotable from the path 5 in response to pivoting of the lever 18 by one of the engagement members, a release pawl 12 normally retaining the pawl 13 out of the path 5 but releasing the pawl 13 for movement back into the path 5 when the pawl 12 is actuated by one of the trolleys. The pawl 12 is pivoted at 12.3 in the section 1.2 between the pawl 13 and the lever 18 and is displaced from the point at which the pawl 13 blocks the trolleys, by a distance which is less than the spacing between engagement members, e.g. 4, 3, of two nested trolleys. As shown the release pawl 12 has a nose 12.2 to normally engage a nose 13.3 on the blocking pawl 13 and is urged by a spring 14 against an abutment 15. The start lever 18 is connected by a rod 19 to a plate 20 pivoted at 20.1 and urged by a spring 21 against an abutment 22. The plate has a notch 20.4 normally engaged by a roller 23.1 on a pivoted lever 23 under the urge of a spring 24. The plate has a slot 20.2 providing a lostmotion connection between the plate and a return rod 17 connected to the pawl 13. In operation the pawl 12 is tripped by a trolley member, e.g. 3, to release the blocking pawl 13 as described with reference to Fig. 2 (not shown) and block the next trolley member 4. The member 3 then moves into engagement with the start lever 18 and is held thereby due to the roller 23.1 and spring 24 until a chain drive member, e.g. 10, engages the member 3 and causes it to be driven to actuate the lever 18. The latter thereby pivots the plate 20 and causes the pawl 13 to be pivoted out of the trolley blocking position, Fig. 3 (not shown), whereafter the parts return to positions shown in Fig. 1 under the actions of the springs 14, 16, 21 and 24.