GB1373759A - Overhead conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

1373759 Overhead conveyers DAVIES PRITCHARD & RICHMOND Ltd 23 Feb 1972 [4 Dec 1970] 57847/70 Heading B7L In an overhead conveyer system having drive dogs 14 of a drive means such as an endless chain 15 engageable with retractable dogs 13 of carriages 11 travelling along a rail 12, the carriages 11 have feelers 29 on their leading ends, abutments 32 on their trailing ends and linkage such as pin 30 and slot 30a joining each feeler 29 to a respective dog 13 so that this dog 13 is retracted vertically from the path of the drive dogs 14 when the feeler 29 contacts an abutment, the feelers 29 being disposed between the rail 12 and the drive means 15. When two carriages meet, they become positively engaged while a feeler 29 rides up a ramped abutment 32, by a spring-biased catch member 50 which pivots about a pin 51 on the carriage so as to under-ride and engage with the lower end of the ramped abutment 32, so that a disengagement force is required to separate the carriages. At rest or storage positions, Fig. 3, levers 36 pivoted to the rail 12 at 37 project into the path of the carriages 11 so that a roller 20 of a carriage 11 engages a lever 36. The rotation of this lever 36 moves a displaceable abutment 40 pivoted at 39 into the path of the following carriage 11 to engage the feeler 29 thereof and retract its dog 13. A mechanically or electrically operable displaceable abutment 40' is positioned to stop a first carriage 11 thus causing sequential halting of successive carriages.