GB1371059A - Work transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1371059 Conveyer systems J BODET 8 Nov 1971 [6 Nov 1970] 51848/71 Heading B7L In work transfer apparatus, comprising carriages 1 which can travel around a closed circuit conveyer formed by an upper horizontal run 3 having work stations A, B, C ... Z and a lower horizontal return run 4 directly below the upper run 3 and interconnected therewith by semicircular sections 5 and 6, drive means such as a wheel 13 having arms 12 engage carriages 1 at the downstream end of the lower run 4 and transfer them up the ascent section 6 to further drive means such as an endless chain 7 having V-shaped forks 9 which engage the carriages 1 to drive them along the upper run to its downstream end at which the carriages fall under their own weight along the descent section 5 and are carried by their momentum along the lower run 4, such that the carriages 1 may be lifted vertically above the upper run 3 by lifting means 17 at a work station. The arrangement is preferably such that the lower run 4 carries at most two carriages 1, and more preferably carries only one or zero according to the instant' of time. The carriages 1 may each have axial extensions 8 to one of their axles for engagement by the drive forks 9 and arms 12, and have rollers 10 on the axles to run on rails 11 and 21 around the closed circuit. At certain 'of the work stations A, B, C ... Z, a carriage may be lifted by a piston 17, Fig. 4, to apply a cavity (2) formed in each carriage 1, Fig. 2 (not shown), vertically against a die 18 arranged above it so as to mould into the cavity a sheet of material interposed between the carriage and die. A sealing joint 19 may be provided between the die and the peripheral rim of the cavity (2). In a second embodiment, Fig. 5, some of the carriages 1 are juxtaposed one behind another in a continuous line for propulsion by a lug 26, on an endless, chain 27, engaging the -rear carriage of the line at its axle extension 8. A retractable barrier 22 in front of the first carriage of the line is retracted while'the lug 26 pushes the line one step' forward, i.e. a distance p equal to the longitudinal dimension of a carriage 1. Simultaneously, further retractable barriers 39 have been retracted while another endless chain 37 having lugs 38 propels each carriage engaged thereby a distance greater than p so that these carriages become spaced and the farthest downstream carriage in the upper run 3 falls along section 5. The lug 26 then returns to its initial position without causing any further movement of the carriages, since it is mounted to be elastically deflected when it meets extension 8 while being displaced rearwardly. A carriage returning along the lower run 4 contacts a microswitch 29 to actuate drive wheel 31 causing reascent of that carriage along section 6.