GB1572340A - Apparatus for loading trolleys - Google Patents

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR LOADING TROLLEYS (71) We, ANDREW DENHOLM LIMITED, a British Company, of Lochend Industrial Estate, Newbridge, Midlothian, Scotland, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the follow ing statement:- This invention relates to trolley loading apparatus.

Movable trolleys or racks are used extensively in the baking industry and other industries for transporting pans, trays, tins and the like, hereinafter referred to as pans. For instance, trolleys loaded with pans may be placed in an oven for baking, cooking or curing.

Trolleys are usually loaded manually, and this may involve delays and unwanted costs.

According to this invention, there is provid ed ed apparatus for loading apparatus for loading a trolley with pans, including an elevator including two conveyors with facing surfaces to receive pans in succession at a receiving zone and operative to index the pans generally vertically after each pan is received until a column of pans is established in the elevator, the apparatus also including means for moving all the pans in a generally horizontal direction out of the elevator and into a trolley positioned adjacent to the apparatus, the said means for moving being a substantially vertical arm, plate or rod movable bodily in a substantially horizontal direction between and parallel to the facing surfaces of the conveyors.

Preferably, there is an input conveyor to pass the successive pans to the elevator at the receiving zone. The receiving zone can be at the top or bottom of the elevator. The elevator can be automatically operable to index vertically upon receipt of a pan at the receiving zone.

The elevator may comprise two opposed endless conveyors passing round vertically spaced apart rollers or sprockets, with support ledges fixed thereto to extend generally horizontally towards each other from the vertical runs of the conveyor. In use, pans are supported on opposite sides by two such ledges, the pans then being lifted on the ledges when the elevator is indexed.

The vertical arm, plate or rod can be arranged to urge the pans straight out of the elevator to a trolley positioned adjacent thereto. The arm can be driven by one or more hydraulic or pneumatic rams or by any other form of linear motor.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of apparatus of the invention with no input conveyor shown, and with a trolley shown in a position to receive pans; Figure 2 is a view in direction A of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view in direction B of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a partial side view of apparatus of Figure 1 showing an input conveyor; ; and Figure 5 is a partial~pfin view of thewmput conveyor of Figure 4.

Shown at 10 in Figures 1 and 3 is a movable trolley positioned adjacent the apparatus according to the invention of which an elevator is shown generally at 12. It may be desirable to attach the trolley to the elevator for instance by a lock link connection shown at 11, hooked both to the trolley and the elevator, or by a mechanical transfer system. The trolley is a wheeled trolley and has shelves or ledges to receive a vertical array of pans.

As best seen in Figure 2, the elevator 12 includes two endless belts 13 passing round vertically spaced apart rollers or sprockets 14, the upper ones of which are drivable. Extending perpendicular to the vertical runs of the belts 13 are ledges 15 equally spaced apart. These extend generally horizontally. In the embodiment shown pans are fed successively to be supported on the ledges shown at 15A at Figure 2. After each pan is received, the conveyors formed by belts 13 are indexed to move the received pan and any other pans thereon upwardly through a distance corresponding to the vertical distance between adjacent ledges. In this way, successive levels of the elevator are filled with pans. When the elevator is full, the pans are all pushed out of it simultaneously in a horizontal direction into the trolley 10 by means of a vertical bar 17 movable between the conveyor run.The bar 17 is supported by a piston-cylinder arrangement 18. The elevator is supported within a rectangular framework to which are attached motors under common control for operating the conveyors. Shown in Figure 4 is an input conveyor 39 to convey pans to the receiving point on the elevator. The input conveyor 39 includes a horizontal framework with rotatable sprockets or drums to support an endless chain belt 40 running around drums 48, Figures 4 and 5. Along its bottom run, the chain belt is guided by rollers 41. Tensioning of the belt can be adjusted by a threaded arrangement 42 or any conventional belt tensioner.

The belt is provided with pushers 47. These are spaced to suit the pans with an operational clearance. The belt is supported on adjustable feet 43.

A micro-switch 44 is provided on the input conveyor 39 and is adapted to energise the input conveyor to forward a pan into the elevator after each indexing stage, or to stop the advance of a succeeding pan. The forward ing movement of the input conveyor may be activated by actuation of a magnetic or other form of clutch 49, or a motor. The elevator 12 has a support formed by rollers 51 (Figures 2 and 4) to receive the pans and to guide them onto the support ledges 1 so. A further micro switch 45 can be provided on the elevator to cause vertical indexing when a pan is received in the elevator at the receiving position. Again a magnetic or other clutch or motor arrangement (not shown) can be used for moving the elevator.

Although the apparatus is primarily for loading trolleys, and has been described as such, it can be readily adapted for unloading trolleys.

For instance, the bar 17 can be adapted to enga engage pans on the trolley and to draw them back into the elevator. Thereafter, by the reverse process the pans could be discharged singularly from the top or bottom of the elevator as desired.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for loading a trolley with pans, including an elevator including two conveyors with facing surfaces to receive pans in succession at a receiving zone and operative to index the pans generally vertically after each pan is received until a column of pans is established in the elevator, the apparatus also including means for moving all the pans in a generally horizontal direction out of the elevator and into a trolley positioned adjacent to the apparatus, the said means for moving being a substantially vertical arm, plate or rod movable bodily in a substantially horizontal direction between and parallel to the facing surfaces of the conveyors.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the elevator includes two opposed endless conveyors, each passing around a vertically-spaced pair of rollers, drums or sprockets, and each having support ledges which extend towards each other from the facing vertical runs of the two conveyors.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 in combination with an input conveyor positioned and operable to deliver pans in succession to the receiving zone.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3 in which the pans are lifted to establish the column.

5. Apparatus according to any one of dalms 1-3 in which the pans are lowered to establish the column.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the input conveyor includes a pan-sensing switch capable of stopping the forwarding movement of the input conveyor includes a pan-sensing switch capable of stopping the forwarding movement of a succeeding pan when a given pan has been fed into the elevator, and the elevator includes a pan-sensing switch capable of causing a vertical indexing movement of the elevator when a pan is fully fed thereinto.

7. Apparatus for loading or unloading trolleys substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. extend generally horizontally. In the embodiment shown pans are fed successively to be supported on the ledges shown at 15A at Figure 2. After each pan is received, the conveyors formed by belts 13 are indexed to move the received pan and any other pans thereon upwardly through a distance corresponding to the vertical distance between adjacent ledges. In this way, successive levels of the elevator are filled with pans. When the elevator is full, the pans are all pushed out of it simultaneously in a horizontal direction into the trolley 10 by means of a vertical bar 17 movable between the conveyor run. The bar 17 is supported by a piston-cylinder arrangement 18. The elevator is supported within a rectangular framework to which are attached motors under common control for operating the conveyors.Shown in Figure 4 is an input conveyor 39 to convey pans to the receiving point on the elevator. The input conveyor 39 includes a horizontal framework with rotatable sprockets or drums to support an endless chain belt 40 running around drums 48, Figures 4 and 5. Along its bottom run, the chain belt is guided by rollers 41. Tensioning of the belt can be adjusted by a threaded arrangement 42 or any conventional belt tensioner. The belt is provided with pushers 47. These are spaced to suit the pans with an operational clearance. The belt is supported on adjustable feet 43. A micro-switch 44 is provided on the input conveyor 39 and is adapted to energise the input conveyor to forward a pan into the elevator after each indexing stage, or to stop the advance of a succeeding pan. The forward ing movement of the input conveyor may be activated by actuation of a magnetic or other form of clutch 49, or a motor. The elevator 12 has a support formed by rollers 51 (Figures 2 and 4) to receive the pans and to guide them onto the support ledges 1 so. A further micro switch 45 can be provided on the elevator to cause vertical indexing when a pan is received in the elevator at the receiving position. Again a magnetic or other clutch or motor arrangement (not shown) can be used for moving the elevator. Although the apparatus is primarily for loading trolleys, and has been described as such, it can be readily adapted for unloading trolleys. For instance, the bar 17 can be adapted to enga engage pans on the trolley and to draw them back into the elevator. Thereafter, by the reverse process the pans could be discharged singularly from the top or bottom of the elevator as desired. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for loading a trolley with pans, including an elevator including two conveyors with facing surfaces to receive pans in succession at a receiving zone and operative to index the pans generally vertically after each pan is received until a column of pans is established in the elevator, the apparatus also including means for moving all the pans in a generally horizontal direction out of the elevator and into a trolley positioned adjacent to the apparatus, the said means for moving being a substantially vertical arm, plate or rod movable bodily in a substantially horizontal direction between and parallel to the facing surfaces of the conveyors.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the elevator includes two opposed endless conveyors, each passing around a vertically-spaced pair of rollers, drums or sprockets, and each having support ledges which extend towards each other from the facing vertical runs of the two conveyors.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 in combination with an input conveyor positioned and operable to deliver pans in succession to the receiving zone.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3 in which the pans are lifted to establish the column.

5. Apparatus according to any one of dalms 1-3 in which the pans are lowered to establish the column.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the input conveyor includes a pan-sensing switch capable of stopping the forwarding movement of the input conveyor includes a pan-sensing switch capable of stopping the forwarding movement of a succeeding pan when a given pan has been fed into the elevator, and the elevator includes a pan-sensing switch capable of causing a vertical indexing movement of the elevator when a pan is fully fed thereinto.

7. Apparatus for loading or unloading trolleys substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.