GB653496A - Improvements in and relating to mechanical storage equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

653,496. Travelers. AUGER, H. Aug. 7, 1946, No. 23377. [Class 104 (ii)] [Also in Group XXXII] The invention relates to conveyerplatform storage systems in which the stored objects, such as motor cars, are carried on platforms arranged in sideby-side ranks, the platforms being movable along the ranks and transferred from one rank to another at convenient locations, preferably at the two ends of the ranks. The invention consists in that the crossover carriage is driven by a connection to a flexible band (chain) passing round spaced supports (sprockets) so that at the start of the traversing movement the velocity of the carriage gradually rises, as the point of connection moves around the end support, to the speed of the " flat " of the band; at the end of the traversing movement a corresponding slowing-down occurs when the point of connection moves around the other support for the flexible band. For the cross-over traversing movement the supports for the flexible band may be bodily movable as described in Specification 653,492, but for movement along the ranks only a band with fixed supports is to be employed. As shown, the cross-over traverser consists of three carriages 5a, 5b, 5c, Fig. 2, with rollers 6 engaging cross-girders 4a, 4b, 4c and provided with seatings 16a, 16b for the platforms, the carriages being connected by arms 11 to endless chains 9 passing around sprocket-wheels 7, 8. The sprocket-wheels 7 are mounted on a shaft 13 driven through gearing 14 by a constantspeed electric motor 15 which may be used to propel the platforms, as described in Specification 653,492. The platforms have rollers engaging the channel rails 19a, 19b of the main tracks and are received by angle-rails 17b, Fig. 5a, which are then lowered to deposit the two platforms la, 1b (shown dotted) on the seatings 16a, 16b. The two platforms 1a, 1b are for the near and offside wheels. The rails 17b are gapped to allow the passage of the seatings 16a, 16b of the cross-over carriage, and are carried by arms 21 mounted on shafts 23, 24, the latter being carried by slides 25 connected by rods 30 and cranks 29 to a motordriven shaft 28. When each rank has a vacant space, the cross-over carriages at each end may be operated simultaneously. The platforms uncouple and couple automatically at the crossover locations (see Group XXXII).