GB713547A - Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems - Google Patents

Abstract

713,547. Overhead conveyers. KING, D. M. Sept. 8, 1952 [Sept. 12, 1951; Sept. 12, 1951], Nos. 21470/51 and 21472/51. Class 104 (2) In a conveyer system in which load carrying trolleys are propelled along a track by pusher dogs carried by a chain running on a track disposed above the load carrying track each trolley has a movable element mounted thereon which in the normal position is in driving engagement with a pusher dog and means are provided at one or more selected points to move the element out of driving engagement with the pusher dog. A trolley 11 is propelled along a track 10 by a pusher dog 12 engaging an upwardly spring-biased T-shaped member 16, pivotally mounted on the trolley top. The member 16 is depressed out of driving engagement with the dog 12 by a plunger or plungers 18, 18<SP>1</SP> operated, on the closure of a switch 22 by a pin 23 on the trolley load carrying arm, by a solenoid disposed in a box 20. The trolley is held stationary by a recessed end of the plunger 18, Fig. 3 (not shown), engaging the T- shaped head of the member 16 or by a plunger 19, spring-biased to the inoperative position, projected into the path of the trolley by a linkage 25 and bell crank lever 26 operated from the plunger 18. The plungers 18, 19 may be retracted by another solenoid in the box 20 energized by a manually operated switch or automatically from some outside source as the result of closure of a switch by a trolley further along the conveyer path. The plunger 18 may be operated electricially, hydraulically or mechanically. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 a trolley depresses a counter-balanced ramp 46 thereby imparting a downward movement to a latch bar 38, through a toe-piece 45 pivotally mounted on the bar 38, so as to, pull, over a dead centre position, spring (43) loaded levers 34, 41 thus causing a release bar 39 to depress a member mounted on the trolley out of engagement with the pusher dog. Simultaneously with the operation of the dead centre mechanism a stop 49 is moved through a lever 50 into trolley blocking position. The trolley is released on operation of a solenoid 30 which raises the bar 39 whilst simultaneously moving the stop 49 upwards. The solenoid operation will also result in a roller 37 moving upwards over a cam surface on the bar 38 to rotate the bar 38 in a clockwise direction into a position in which the ramp 46 will, on being released by the trolley, engage the tce-piece 45. In a modification, Fig. 8 (not shown), the stop 49 is omitted, the trolley being stopped by a recessed member mounted on the underside of the bar 39 engaging the retractable member on the trolley. In a further modification, Figs. 9-11 (not shown), the solenoid 30 is replaced by a roller operated by one of the trolleys. A similar roller may also be mounted at the point of attachment 44 of the spring 43 to operate a release mechanism in a preceding station.