GB2161442A

GB2161442A - Conveyor

Info

Publication number: GB2161442A
Application number: GB08415267A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence John Spooner; Nigel Ian Clegg
Original assignee: P V H ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: P V H ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 1984-06-15
Filing date: 1984-06-15
Publication date: 1986-01-15
Also published as: GB8415267D0

Abstract

A conveyor for conveying articles such as clothing supported on hangers includes conveyor units 21 to which the articles are attached and an endless tubular support 10 defining a conveying path along which the conveyor units are propelled. The support is slotted to receive the conveyor units, each of which includes at least one roller 24 rotatably mounted thereto and engageable with the interior of the support so that the unit can move along the support with the roller rolling inside the support. The units are propelled by means of an endless cord within the support. The conveyor is particularly suitable for applications where the conveying path includes tight corners and can be readily assembled from modular units. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Conveyor This invention relates to conveyors for conveying articles.

The invention provides an endless conveyor comprising an elongate and generally tubular support having a longitudinal aperture therein, at least one conveyor unit having at least one roller rotatably mounted thereto and engageable with the interior of the support so that the unit can move along the support with the or each roller rolling inside the support, means associated with the said one unit and projecting, in use, through the aperture for conveying articles by movement of the unit, and means for propelling the or each unit along the support.

The support may be conveniently composed of a plurality of generally tubular elements joined end to end. In one version the outer surface of the support provides a support surface for the articles as they are conveyed. Thus for example the articles may slide along the support while being driven along by the conveyor unit or units.

The aperture may be located along the upper side of the support. Alternatively, the aperture may be formed along the lower side in which case articles could for example be suspended from the conveyor unit or units.

Preferably, the or each conveyor unit has two rollers rotatably mounted thereto. In this case, the support is preferably formed on the interior thereof with means for retaining the two rollers in respective lateral portions of the interior. Such retaining means may conveniently comprise a protrusion formed longitudinally of the support.

The or each roller may be generally triangular in cross-section so as to provide three discrete areas which can contact the interior of the support.

Typically, the propelling means comprises a cord arranged within and along the tube. Adjacent conveyor units might be connected together by a respective length of cord but it is preferred that the cord is continuous; the or each conveyor unit having means to attach that unit to the cord.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a transverse cross-section of a conveyor embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a partially sectional plan view of part of the conveyor of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a partially sectional side elevation of a part of the conveyor of Figure 1.

The conveyor comprises an elongate and generally tubular support 10 arranged in a closed circuit, so that the conveyor is "endless", tracing an appropriate path for the conveyance of articles from one location to another as desired. In the present example, the articles to be conveyed are articles of clothing which are carried on coat hangers, the hook of one coat hanger being shown schematically at 11 in Figure 1. The support may be arranged around corners, up and down inclines and so forth, just as required.

The support 10, which in cross-section is generally round with substantially circular interior and exterior, is composed of a plurality of similar elements joined end to end. The ends of the elements may be flat, so that adjacent elements are butted together with some suitable means of attachment, but it is preferred that the ends of the elements are stepped for each of connection. Such a preferred arrangement is illustrated in Figure 3, where two adjacent elements 10a and 10b are shown joined together.

The support elements are of extruded plastic, having the cross-section shown in Figure 1. Typically, the interior diameter of the support might be about 25 mm with a 2 or 3 metre length of element. The cross-section of the extrusion includes a dove tail 12 providing a means for mounting the support 10. The dove tail can be slid into a correspondingly shaped slot in a mounting bracket 13 which in turn is mounted by means of nuts 14 and bolts 15 to a wall 16, or to a ceiling or floor etc, as appropriate.

To convey the coat hangers along the support 10, a plurality of conveyor or trolley units 20 are provided. Each conveyor unit 20 comprises a central member 21 which projects through a longitudinal slot 22 formed along the upper side of the support 10. Each member 21 has secured thereto a pair of stub shafts 23 on which are rotatably mounted respective roller 24. The stub shafts 23 are formed with circumferential ridges 25 which locate in channels 26 formed in the bores of the rollers 24. When the conveyor units are assembled, before inserting into the support 10, the rollers are merely pressed onto the stub shafts 23 and are retained thereon by the ridges 25. The rollers 24 are sufficiently resilient for this purpose, being made of acetal which is self-lubricating.As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, each roller is generally triangular in cross-section so as to provide three discrete areas which can contact the interior of the support 10. In practice it will be understood that sufficient clearance will be provided so that for the most part only one or two of the areas are in contact with the support at a particular time.

In order to help maintain the lateral orientation of the conveyor units 20, the support element extrusion includes a protrusion 18 which, as can be seen from Figure 1, confines the rollers 24 to respective lateral portions of the interior of the support 10. The upper portion of the sides of the member 21 are curved (as shown in Figure 2) so that the conveyor units can easily negotiate curves and corners in the support 10.

The conveyor units 20 are propelled along the support 10 by means of a continuous cord 30 which is preferably of synthetic material. The cord 30 passes through a hole 31 in each member 21 and each unit 20 is secured relative to the cord 30 by means of a pair of collets 32 which grip the cord 30 by crimping. Thus each member 21 is retained between a pair of the collets 32. There is therefore formed a continuous train of conveyor units which travel around the circuit of support 10.

As indicated in Figure 1, the coat hangers 11-are arranged to slide along the upper surface of the support 10 while being supported thereby, each coat hanger being conveyed by being urged along by a respective member 21. It would of course also be possible for several coat hangers abutting each other to be drivenby a single conveyor unit 20.

As an alternative, the conveyor as seen-in Figure 1 could be inverted so that the slot 22 were on the underside of the support 10. Each conveyor unit could then be provided with for example a hook from which articles could suspended. Indeed, the slot 22 could be anywhere around the support 10.

The above described embodiment of the invention has the great advantage that the conveyor can negotiate much tighter corners than conveyors of the conventional helical type or the type with trolley units running on rails. The embodiment also has the advantage of being simple and cheap to manufacture by virture of its modular construction, and is quick and straightforward to assemble.

Claims

1. An endless conveyor comprising an elongate and generally tubular support having a longitudinal aperture therein, at least one conveyor unit having at least one roller rotatably mounted thereto and engageable with the interior of the support so that the unit can move along the support with the or each roller rolling inside the support, means associated with the said one unit and projecting, in use, through the aperture for conveying articles by movement of the unit, and means for propelling the or each unit along the support.

2. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the support is composed of a plurality of generally tubular elements joined end to end.

3. A conveyor as claimed in either preceding claim wherein the outer surface of the support provides a support surface for the articles as they are conveyed.

4. A conveyor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the aperture is located along the upper side ofthe support.

5. A conveyor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each conveyor unit has two rollers rotatably mounted thereto.

6. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the support is formed on the interior thereof with means for retaining the two rollers in respective lateral portions of the interior.

7. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the retaining means comprises a protrusion formed longitudinally of the support.

8. A conveyor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each roller is generally triangular in cross-section so as to provide three discrete areas which can contact the interior of the support.

9. A conveyor as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the propelling means comprises a cord arranged within and along the tube.

10. A conveyor as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the cord is continuous, the or each conveyor unit having means two attach that unit to the cord.

11. An endless conveyor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.