GB2166102A - Switch arrangement for overhead conveyor for garments - Google Patents

Abstract

The switch comprises a backing member 1, a single rail section 2, double rail section 3 and pivotable rail section 4. The free end of rail section 4 includes a retaining member which comprises a spring biased steel ball 13 for lockable engagement with one or other recesses 15 in member 1 for secured alignment with corresponding one or other of the sections of double rail 3. Rail section 4 includes lateral arms 16 to block the ends of the rail section not being used. A system is described which comprises two such switch points. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to transport systems This invention relates to transport systems and is concerned with an overhead transport system for the transportation of articles such as partially made garments during the course of garment manufacture.

It is known to provide an overhead transport system for transporting partially made garments between a plurality of locations at each of which various manufacturing operations are carried out on the garments. These transport systems comprise a rail linking the locations and suspending members mounted on the rail so as to be movable along the rail.

Pieces of cloth or other articles used in the manufacture of the garments are suspended from these members and by moving the members along the rail the articles are transported from one location to another until the garment manufacturing process has been completed.

It frequently happens that more than one type of garment is being produced at a time and thus not all of the articles carried by the suspending members need to be worked on at each and every location. In this case, however, the article which is not to be worked on at a given location cannot proceed past that location until work on the immediately preceeding article has been completed unless the article in question is removed from its suspending member upstream of the location and re-attached to a suspending member downstream of the location so that it may then be transported to the next location. Neither of these alternatives is satisfactory.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport system wherein the article suspending members can by-pass one or more locations without the foregoing disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided in, or for use in, an overhead transport system for transporting articles between a plurality of locations and comprising a rail linking the locations and article suspending members mounted on the rail so as to be movable along the rail, a switching means movable between first and second positions whereby when the switching means is in its first position an article suspending member can pass along a portion of the rail extending between first and second locations and when the switching means is in its second position an article suspending member can pass along a portion of the rail extending between first and third locations.

In its first position, the switching means forms a connection between first and second parts of said portion of the rail linking said first and second locations. Thus, the switching means forms a connection between that part of the rail portion which extends between said first location and said switching means and that part of the rail portion which extends between said switching means and said second location. In its second position, the switching means forms a connection between first and second parts of the portion of the rail extending between said first and third locations.

Thus, the switching means forms a connection between that part of the rail portion which extends between said first location and said switching means and that part of the rail portion which extends between said switching means and said third location.

Preferably, the switching means includes stop members so that when the switching means is in the first position, article suspending members cannot pass from said second to said first part of the rail portion extending between said first and third locations and so that when the switching means is in its second position article suspending members cannot pass from said second to said first part of the rail portion extending between the first and second locations.

In accordance with the present invention, the transport system includes such a switching means upstream of each and every location where there is likely to be a need for it to be by-passed. Then, by suitably actuating the switching means, any article suspending member can be either transported to such a location or can by-pass the location and proceed to the next location as desired.

In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, the switching means includes a section of rail which is pivotally mounted so as to perform an arcuate motion when moving between the first and second positions. In this case the switching means may be retained in its first or second position by means of a biased member (e.g. a spring loaded ball) arranged to engage in one or other of a pair of suitably located retaining recesses.

Generally, two of the switching means will be linked together between an adjacent pair of locations to form a double switching means wherein when the first switching means is in its first position article suspending members may pass from the first location to either a second or a third location depending upon which of the positions of the second switching means is in operation and when the first switching means is in its second position article suspending members may pass from a fourth location to either the second or third locations depending upon which of the positions of the second switching means is operable.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an underneath plan view of a switching means in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a section along the line Il-Il of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1, Figure 4 is an end view of a part of the switching means of Figure 1, Figures 5, 6 and 7 correspond to Figures 2, 3 and 4 respectively but illustrate a second embodiment, and Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view of an overhead transport system for garment manufacture and incorporating the switching means of Figures 1 to 4, or Figures 5 to 7.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the switching means comprises a backing member 1 in the form of a plate formed of metal such as aluminium. Mounted at one end of the backing member is a single rail section 2 in a manner such that its longitudinal axis lies along the centre line of the backing member 1. A double rail section 3 is similarly mounted at the other end of the backing member 1 but spaced from the single rail section 2. A pivotal rail section 4 is pivotally mounted between the single and double rail sections 2 and 3.

Each of the rail sections 2 and 4 is formed of extruded aluminium and includes three internal channels viz. an inner closed channel 5, an upper open channel 6 and a lower open channel-7. The double rail section 3 is essentially similar and includes closed inner channels 5' and open upper and lower channels 6' and 7'.

Each of the single and double rail sections is secured to the backing member 1 by screws 8 passing through holes in the backing member 1 into threaded engagement with aluminium retaining blocks 9 located in the upper channels 6 and 6' of the sections. The blocks 9 are of such a dimension that they can slide along the channels 6 and 6' when the screws 8 are slackened in order to enable the position of the sections 2 and 3 to be adjusted when assembling the switching means.

The pivotal rail section 4 is pivotally mounted on the single rail section 2 by means of an insert 10 formed of a linear polyamide (nylon). One end of the insert 10 is located in the upper channel 6 of the pivotal rail section and secured thereto. The other end of the insert 10 protrudes into the upper channel 6 of the single rail section 2 and serves as a hinge about which the pivotal rail section 4 can pivot. The other end of the pivotal rail section 4 also includes a linear polyamide insert 11 which is similarly locted in and secured to the upper channel 6. This insert 11 extends into the upper channel 6' of the dou ble rail section 3 to assist in locating the pivotal rail section 4 as it pivots about the insert 10.The free end of the pivotal rail section 4 also includes a retaining member comprising a cylinder 12 of brass or the like which is closed at one end and from the other end of which protrudes a steel ball 13 which is urged away from the closed end by means of a spring 14. A pair of recesses 15 is provided in the backing member 1 to be engaged by the ball 13. The recesses 15 are so located with respect to the double rail section 3 that when the ball 13 is located in one of the recesses the lower channel 7 of the pivotal member 4 is in registry with one of the lower channels 7' of the double rail section 3 and when the ball 13 is located in the other recess the lower channel 7 of the pivotal member 4 is in registry with the other of the lower channels 7' of the double rail section 3.

The free end of the pivotal rail section 4 carries a pair of lateral arms 16. These arms are arranged so that when the pivotal rail section 4 is in a first of its two positions in which it is in registry with one half of the double rail section 3, one of the arms extends across the open lower channel 7' of the other half and vice versa.

The rail sections are such that the lower channels 7 and 7' can receive and support article suspending members. One such member is shown in Figure 2 and is denoted by reference numeral 17. This member includes a body portion 18 of a construction such that it will fit within the lower channel sections 7 and 7' and be readily slidable there along the member 17 also including a ring-like structure to which articles can be secured. It is particularly preferred for the articles to be secured to the ring by means of a flexible cord, chain or the like carrying, at one end, a connector capable of securing the cord to the ring and at its other end a connector capable of securing the cord, chain or the like to a garment hanger or the like to which the garment can be attached.

Connecting members 19 are secured within the inner channels 5 and 5' of the single and double rail sections 2 and 3 in a manner such that they extend beyond the ends of the rail sections to enable rails having a similar crosssection to the single rail section 2 to be secured to the single and double rail sections 2 and 3 in a manner such that their lower channels are in registry with the lower channels 7 and 7' of the single and double rail sections 2 and 3.

In use, article suspending members moving along the single rail section 2 towards the double rail section 3 can be passed to either half of the double rail section 3 as desired merely by moving the pivotal rail section 4 from its first to its second position or vice versa as appropriate. Advantageously, two such switching means may be utilised together to form a double switching means.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 7, parts corresponding to parts of Figures 1 to 4 are denoted by like reference numerals. In this embodiment the free end of the inner closed channel 5 of the pivotal rail section 4 is fitted with an insert 20 accommodating a cylinder 21 of brass or the like which is closed at one end and from the other end of which protrudes a steel ball 22 which is urged away from the closed end by means of a spring 23.

At the free end of the double rail section 3, the wall between the closed inner channels 5' is removed and a steel insert 24 is fitted into the aperture thereby formed at the free end.

A pair of recesses 25 is provided in the insert 24 to be engaged by the ball 22. The recesses 25 and the ball 22 are so located that when the ball 22 is located in one of the recesses 25 the lower channel 7 of the pivotal member 4 is in registry with one of the lower channels 7' of the double rail section 3 and when the ball 22 is located in the other of the recesses 25 the lower channel 7 of the pivotal member 4 is in registry with the other of the lower channels 7' of the double rail section 3.

Referring now to Figure 8, there is shown an overhead transport system incorporating switching means as described in Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 7. The system is arranged so that partially formed garments or like articles may be carried by the system from location 29 to location 32 via locations 30 and 31 as desired at which locations processing operations may be carried out on the articles as appropriate. The system includes a rail linking the locations. The rail generally extends past locations 30 and 31 and at each of these locations a rail loop is provided around the location. The switching means are denoted by dotted boxes. A double switching means 34 is provided between locations 30 and 31, a single switching means 33 is provided before location 30 and a single switching means 35 is provided after location 31.

Considering the case of switching means 33, when its pivotal rail section is in its first position, it forms a connection between a first part 40 and a second part 41,43, and 45 of that portion of the rail linking locations 29 and 31. When its pivotal rail section is, however, in its second position, the switching means 33 forms a connection between a first part 40 and a second part 42 of that portion of the rail linking locations 29 and 30.Thus, when an article suspending member is travelling from location 29 along rail part 40 of the rail and is approaching the switching means 33, if it is desired that the article carried by the member is to be subjected to the processing operation at location 30, the pivotal rail section of the switching means 33 is moved to its second position so that the member proceeds to location 30 via rail part 42 rather than passing along rail part 41 which by-passes the location 30. The article can then be worked on at location 30. This is facilitated in the case where the article is attached to the article suspending member by a flexible cord, chain or the like as above described since the processing operation can then be readily carried out without disconnecting the article from the member.

After being worked on at location 30, the article can be moved on so as to enter the first section of the double switching means 34 and, by suitably moving the pivotal rail section of the first section of the double switching means 34, the member can enter rail part 43.

Alternatively, if it had not been desired to subject the article carried by the member to a processing operation at location 30, the pivotal rail section of switching means 33 would have been moved to its first position so that the member would proceed from rail part 40, along rail part 41 and, by suitably moving the pivotal rail section of the first section of the switching means of the double switching means 34, along rail part 43.

In the event that an article suspending member approaches the first section of the switching means 34 when the pivotal rail section of that first section is not in position to receive it, the corresponding lateral arm 16 (see Figures 1 and 4 or 7) will effectively prevent the member passing beyond the end of the rail and becoming disengaged.

As the member approaches the second section of the double switching means 34 it may be caused to pass around rail part 45 to be worked on at location 31 or to travel along rail part 44 and by-pass location 31 by suitably moving the pivotal rail section of the second section of the double switching means 34.

The double switching means 34 enables articie carrying members travelling along either rail part 41 or rail part 42 to pass either along part 44 and omit location 31 or along part 45 to location 31. Thus, when the pivotal rail section of the first section of double switching means 34 is in its first position, this allows an article suspending member coming from location 29 along part 41 to pass either to location 31 via part 45 or to by-pass location 31 and proceed via part 44 depending upon the position to which the pivotal rail section of the second section of the double switching means 34 is switched. Similarly, when the pivotal rail section of the first section of double switching means 34 is in its second position, this allows an article suspending member which has been worked on at location 30 to pass from rail part 42 and then to proceed either along rail part 45 to location 31 or along part 44 to by-pass location 31 depending upon the position to which the pivotal rail section of the second section of double switching means 34 is switched.

Claims (8)

1. In, or for use in, an overhead transport system for transporting articles between a plurality of locations and comprising a rail linking the locations and article suspending members mounted on the rail so as to be movable along the rail, a switching means movable between first and second positions whereby when the switching means is in its first position an article suspending member can pass along a portion of the rail extending between first and second locations and when the switching means is in its second position an article suspending member can pass along a portion of the rail extending betwen first and third locations.

2. A switching means as claimed in claim 1 which includes stop members so that when the switching means is in the first position, article suspending members cannot pass from said second to said first part of the rail portion extending between said first and third locations and so that when the switching means is in its second postion article suspending members cannot pass from said second to said first part of the rail portion extending between the first and second locations.

3. A switching means as claimed in claim 1 or 2 which includes a section of rail which is pivotally mounted so as to perform an arcuate motion when moving between the first and second positions.

4. A switching means as claimed in claim 3 wherein it is retained in its first or second position by means of a biased member arranged to engage in one or other of a pair of retaining recesses.

5. A switching means as claimed in claim 4 wherein said biased member is a spring loaded ball.

6. A switching means as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 1, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

7. An overhead transport system incorporating a switching means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein two of said switching means are linked together between an adjacent pair of locations to form a double switching means wherein when the first switching means is in its first position article suspending members may pass from the first location to either a second or a third location depending upon which of the positions of the second switching means is in operation and when the first switching means is in its second position article suspending members may pass from a fourth location to either the second or third locations depending upon which of the positions of the second switching means is operable.

8. An overhead transport system as claimed in claim 7 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.