JPH0419134B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a conveyor transport device having a rail system for transporting articles on trolleys between one location and another. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pivoted rail section in a rail system in which transported articles can be moved to a position diverted from a conveyor path.

(Prior art) A conveyor transport device using a ceiling rail device is
It is known in the prior art and is used to transport goods between one location and another. At least one prior art device is described in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 4,615,273. This prior art device transports pattern pieces from one work station to another in a garment factory, where the pattern pieces are sewn together in successive assembly steps to produce garments such as dresses and suits. be made possible. The rail device includes a main rail along which a trolley supporting pattern pieces is moved by a pusher on a propulsion track. Auxiliary rail loops are located at each work station located along the main rail. A diverter system is then provided to divert the trolley and pattern pieces to the appropriate work station. Once the work process has been performed on the pattern piece at the work station, the trolley and pattern piece are returned to the main rail for the next process.

Such conveyor transport devices are computer controlled and advance each pattern piece as the sewing process progresses, directing the pattern pieces to and from the appropriate work station.

At each work station, the seamstress should preferably not travel or reach very far to grasp the pattern pieces to be sewn. However, in the past, relatively large distances were required by the seamstress and the trolley and suspended pattern pieces to move the trolley and supporting pattern pieces through each work station without interference from the seamstress or other equipment. Provided between conveyor paths to be passed. Pattern pieces of various shapes and sizes must pass through the work station;
Relatively large distances were required. And it was therefore necessary for some of the seamstresses to stretch out or move.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of the present invention to have a rail system that deflects transported articles from a conveyor path and positions them within easy reach of work station personnel. An object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor transport device.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor transport device with a movable rail portion, to move one end of the movable rail portion vertically and horizontally between a position aligned with the rail device and a position separated by a predetermined distance, and to transport articles. It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor transport device capable of transporting objects to a position a predetermined distance away and returning them onto a rail device from that position.

Another object of the invention is to ensure that when one end of the movable rail portion is moved into alignment with the rail arrangement, the one end is easily guided and smoothly moved into alignment.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor transport device with an actuator in which the distance of movement of one end of the movable rail portion is easily adjustable.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor transport device with control equipment for causing the movement of one end of the movable rail section at predetermined times.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention resides in a conveyor transport device having a trolley and a rail device for transporting the articles supported by the trolley from one location to another. The conveyor transport device includes a main rail and a converter that distributes the trolleys from the main rail to the auxiliary loop. A movable rail portion is provided between the entry rail portion and the exit rail portion of the auxiliary loop. The movable rail portion has a first end adjacent the input rail portion and a second end adjacent the exit rail portion. A first end of the movable rail section is pivotally coupled to the transfer rail section. The pivot connection includes a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. The second end is movable horizontally and vertically about the pivot connection. Holding means for holding the trolley and a release for releasing the holding means are provided near the second end of the movable rail. The movable rail portion provides controlled movement by a predetermined amount by the actuator. In addition, the movable rail part is
It has a structure that can be expanded and contracted along its longitudinal axis, and is provided with an actuator that expands and contracts by a predetermined amount.

In the present invention, a conveyor transport device includes a housing assembly and a switch means. The housing assembly has actuator means and force transmitting means mounted therein and means for operatively coupling the actuator means to the power transmitting means. the actuator means produces a linear movement relative to the force transmission means;
and includes two separate actuator assemblies, the two separate actuator assemblies coupled in series and slidably disposed within the housing assembly. The switch means is actuated by movement of the two separate actuator assemblies and controls the energization and de-energization of the two separate actuator assemblies and provides two speeds for the force transmission means. generates continuous linear motion.

The conveyor transport device includes control equipment that sequentially causes vertical and horizontal movements of the pivotable arm members. The control equipment includes a first control means for sequentially lowering the arm member from an initial retracted position, and a first control means for controlling the arm member to sequentially raise the arm member from the lowered position to an initial retracted position. and a second control means for controlling. The first control means includes switch means for preventing horizontal extension of the arm member before the first downward vertical movement occurs. The second control means initially allows both upward vertical and horizontal movement of the arm member from the lowered position, but does not allow the initial movement of the arm member until complete horizontal retraction of the arm member occurs. and switch means for preventing completion of vertical retraction to the position.

The control equipment includes vertical actuator means for moving the arm member vertically at a variable speed and at selected times, and actuator means for moving the arm member horizontally. The vertical actuator means comprises first and second cylinder actuators, the second cylinder actuator having a larger volume than the first cylinder actuator. Selective energization of the first and second control means actuates the first and second cylinder actuators to cause horizontal movement of the arm member by the horizontal actuator means. Sequential vertical motion.

Advantages of the Invention According to the present invention, there is provided a conveyor transport device having a rail system that deflects the transported items from the conveyor path and positions them within easy reach of work station personnel. Ru.

According to the present invention, one end of the movable rail portion is moved vertically and horizontally between a position aligned with the rail device and a position a predetermined distance apart, and transports the transported article to a predetermined distance away position. and back onto the rail arrangement, and one end of the movable rail portion is easily guided and smoothly moved into alignment as it is moved into alignment with the rail arrangement.

The configuration of the actuator of the present invention allows the distance of movement of one end of the movable rail portion to be easily adjustable and allows movement of the one end of the movable rail portion to occur at predetermined times.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a first implementation, generally indicated by 10, for transporting a number of articles, such as garment pieces P, from one location to another in a garment manufacturing plant. 1 illustrates a conveyor transport device using an example movable rail device; The conveyor transport system of FIG. 1 includes a rail system consisting of a main rail 12. The conveyor transport system of FIG. A trolley 14 is propelled along the main rail 12 by a pusher 16. The pusher 16 is moved by a propulsion track 18. As shown in FIG. 1, main rail 12 passes between two laterally disposed work stations generally designated 20 and 22. As shown in FIG. work station 2
At 0,22, the garment fragment P is attached to the sewing machine 2.
The stitches are sewn together by seamstresses S who drive Nos. 4 and 26, respectively. Trolley 14 is a hanger
Along the main rail 12, the selected garment fragments, together with the garment fragments P suspended at 28, are transferred to a position near the work station used in the garment sewing process. In that position, the trolley with the selected garment pieces is transferred by the converter 34 onto the auxiliary rail loop 30 or 32 and lined up to await the seamstress S. Once the seamstress has finished working on the pattern piece P, the cooperating trolley 14 and hanger 28 are moved to the elevator 36.
is returned to the main rail 12 by the holder and then forwarded to another work station for the next stitching process.

A converter device suitable for use as converter 34 is disclosed in detail in the aforementioned US Pat. No. 4,615,273.

According to the invention, each of the auxiliary loops 30 and 32 diverts the trolley 14 and the suspended pattern piece P from the transport path near the seamstress S and preferably within easy reach of the seamstress. It has a movable rail section for moving it into position. The auxiliary loop and movable rail portions in each work station are substantially identical, so the following description concerns only the loop 30 of work station 20.

The auxiliary rail loop 30 is connected to the work station 2
0 near the movable rail portion 50, trolley 14 and pattern piece P to the main rail 12 and converter 34
and an exit rail section 54 for distributing the trolleys and pattern pieces P back to the main rail by an elevator 36. In the embodiment, the transfer rail portion 52
has a generally downward slope from the converter 34 to the trolley stop 56, so that the trolley and pattern pieces P move downward by gravity along the rail and are stored in alignment at the stop 56. The operation of the converter 24 and the determination of which trolleys 14 and pattern pieces P are distributed to the different work stations are all controlled by the computer control of the conveyor transport device 10.

Typically, the movable rail section 50 is placed in alignment with the input rail section 52 and the exit rail section 54, with the other rail sections also slightly inclined so that the trolley advances away from the stops 56 when the trolley is released. I forgive you. One end of the movable rail section 50 is pivotally coupled to the input rail section 53 such that the opposite free end of the movable rail section 50 is connected to the exit rail section 54 and the work station 20 .
It has two degrees of freedom that allow movement in vertical and horizontal directions. When the seamstress S is ready to work on the pattern piece P suspended from the next hanger 28 in the row of stops 56, the seamstress activates the release button on the control box 60 so that the stops 56 are connected to only one trolley and Allowing the hanger to move from the transfer rail section 52 to the movable rail section 50. Simultaneously, the movable rail section 50, which is pivoted to the end of the transfer rail section 52, pivots downwardly and laterally toward the work station, and the trolley lowers the movable rail section 50 to the lower end and is suspended. The pattern pieces P can be easily reached and handled by the seamstress S.

When the seamstress S has finished working the pattern piece P, she actuates the return button on the control box 60 and the movable rail section 50, along with the trolley and the sewn pattern piece P, is raised into alignment with the exit rail section 54. Return to the specified transport position.
The trolley 14 and pattern piece P then proceed to the elevator 36 and return to the main rail 12 by an exit rail section 54. Movable rail portion 5 of the first embodiment
0 and its associated actuators are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2-4.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the left end 74 of the movable rail section 50 has a pivot connection that couples to a connecting stub 71 of the transfer rail section 52. As shown in FIGS. In the illustrated transport position, the free right end 76 of the movable rail section 50 extends in alignment with the exit rail section 54 to a position proximate to the exit rail section 54. The pivot connection is based on the pivot axis 7
formed by pin 72 at 0 and pin 142 at axis 140. The pivot axis 70 is horizontal and movement about the axis allows vertical movement of the free end 76. To provide such vertical motion, a double acting pneumatic actuator 80 is used.
However, the upper arm 83 of the bell crank 82 and the pivot pin 72
The movable rail portion 50 is coupled to the movable rail portion 50 by a torque shaft 84 and a torque arm 86 located coaxially with the axis 70 of the rail. Torque arm 86 is pin-coupled to torque shaft 84 at one end, swings movable rail section 50 at the other end, and is connected to screw 88 as best shown in FIG.
is fixed to the movable rail portion 50 by. Torque shaft 84 is fixedly supported in angle frame 90 by journal bearings 92, and the frame members support movable rail section 50 as well as input rail section 52 and exit rail section 54. frame 9
0 serves as a bridging member between the input rail section 52 and the exit rail section 54 since the movable rail section 50 is not actually joined at its free end 76.

The pneumatic actuator 80 is a double-stroke actuator and has a first piston 98 that reciprocates within a cylinder 100 and a second piston 102 that reciprocates within a cylinder 104. Cylinders 100 and 104 are coupled in series and have a common cylinder wall with a fixed partition 106 creating a boundary between the two cylinders. piston rod 1
08 connects the piston 98 to the upper arm 8 of the bell crank 82
3, the stroke of the piston is mechanically limited by an adjusting measuring rod 110. The adjustment measuring rod includes an offset bracket 112 secured to the end of the piston rod and the cylinder 100.
It extends between offset brackets 114 secured to the ends of. The measuring rod is secured to bracket 112 and slides loosely through an opening in bracket 114. The measuring rod is also threaded and 2
Adjustment nuts 116 and 118 can be moved to different positions on the rod to define the piston stroke.

Nipple into cylinder 100
When air is introduced through 120 or 122, the piston 98 moves to one limit of its stroke or the other, and at the same time the bell crank 82 is rotated and the movable rail portion 50 is lowered or raised. be done. By appropriate adjustment of the nuts 116 and 118, the upper position of the movable rail section 50 can be made to coincide with the exit rail section 54, and the lower position allows the trolley and pattern piece P to be placed in the seamstress' hand at the work station 20. can be determined to be most appropriately suspended within the reach of the user.

The other piston 102 and cylinder 104 have essentially the same construction as cylinder 100 and piston 104, except that the stroke of the piston is more limited. Offset bracket 1
24 is fixed to the cylinder 104. An offset bracket 126 is secured to the end of a piston rod 130 that is connected to piston 102. An adjustable measuring rod 128 extends between offset brackets 124 and 126 and has an adjustment nut 132 that defines the limits of piston stroke.

Piston 102 of double-acting stroke actuator 80
And the cylinder 104 has a movable rail portion 50,
Between the projecting guide plates 136 , 138 near the free end 76 of the movable rail section 50 at the beginning of the movement of the movable rail section 50 away from the exit rail section 54 and at the end of its movement back into alignment with the exit rail section 54 , so that it has a purely vertical motion. Piston 98 and cylinder 1
00 is thus actuated in succession to the piston 102 and cylinder 104, moving the movable rail portion 5
Controls the overall vertical movement of 0 and the angle of tilt.

End 74 of movable rail section 50 is also pivotally coupled to transfer rail section 52 by a pivot pin 142 that extends generally perpendicular to pivot pin 72 . Pivot pins 72 and 140 and link 144 between the pins together form a pivot connection that provides two degrees of rotational freedom with respect to transfer rail portion 52. A first degree of freedom about pin 72 allows vertical movement of free end 76 of movable rail portion 50, and second pin 142 allows substantially horizontal movement of the free end.

A pneumatic actuator 150 extends between a lower arm 152 and a control arm 154 of bellcrank 82. A control arm is longitudinally coupled outwardly from pivot pin 142 to the underside of movable rail portion 50 . The pivot pin axis 156 between the leg and the actuator is
It is longitudinally offset from pivot pin 142 as seen most clearly in FIG. and oscillate almost horizontally as shown by the imaginary line.

The stroke of the pneumatic actuator 150 is
Offset bracket 15 fixed to the cylinder
8. Offset bracket 160 fixed to the end of the piston rod, adjustable measuring rod 16
2 and adjustment nut 164, similarly to actuator 80.

The free end portion of movable rail section 50 is coupled to the remaining base by a telescoping joint 168, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to connect free end 76 of movable rail section 50 to another pneumatic actuator. 170
Extend and retract by. Actuator 170 is suspended below rail section 50 and allows trolleys 14 and their suspended hangers 28 to pass over the rail section without interference. The actuator cylinder 176 is secured to the base by an offset bracket 178, and the piston rod is connected at its free end by an offset bracket 179. piston rod 1
The stroke of 72 can be fixed by the cylinder itself and also by the actuator 80.
and 150 can be adjusted by means of a measuring rod.

Telescoping fitting 168 and actuator 170
extends the trolley and suspended pattern piece P at the free end 76 of the movable rail section 50 beyond the length dictated by the spacing between the input rail section 52 and the exit rail section 54. possibly moved closer to the work station.

A spring-loaded stop or hook 180 attaches to the movable rail portion 50 to engage and hold the trolley as it is lowered when the movable rail portion 50 is pivoted to a deflected position near the work station. It is pivotally attached to the forked end 76 of the. In this way, the trolley and the suspended clothing remain caught at the end of the rail section and are prevented from falling.

Hook 180 is urged to the uppermost position between two or more ends 76 by leaf spring 182, as shown in FIG. When movable rail portion 50 and exit rail portion 54 are aligned, a retraction lever 184 integrally coupled to hook 180 allows end 76 to move past end 76 to allow trolley and pattern piece P to advance beyond end 76. When brought into position to align with section 54, stop block 18
8 engages adjustable stop pin 186. Lever 184 retracts stop hook 180 from its imaginary line and holds the hook in the solid line position in FIG. Sufficient clearance exists between the trolley and the hook in their retracted position to allow the trolley and suspended pattern piece P to pass freely along the conveyor path between rail sections 50 and 54.

An alternative embodiment of the free end of movable rail portion 50 for use in conjunction with the first embodiment is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The free end 190 is pivotally connected to the remainder of the movable rail section 50 by a pin 192 and is resiliently pressed against a stop block (not visible) by a coil spring 194. Coil spring 194 connects end 190 to movable rail portion 50
is held in general axial alignment with the rest of the.

End section 190 also has a swivel 196 for rotating the end section about a longitudinal axis 198 relative to the rest of the rail section. The swivel joint is preferably the pivot pin arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Because,
The swivel joint rotates around pin 192 by end 190 when the remaining portion of rail portion 50 is pivoted about pin 142 and the rail portion is in the tilted position.
This is because it is held in a horizontal direction. In such a tilted position, the pin 142 is not vertical and therefore the pivot movement about the pin 142 is completed by a slight rotation about the longitudinal axis of the rail section.

When end 190, and more particularly pin 192, is held in a horizontal position, a weight 200 is suspended from end 190 by lever rod 202.
Any tilting of the pin 192 is accompanied by a return torque due to the hanging position of the weight. end 190
The maintenance of the horizontal position of the trolley is to ensure that the wheels of the trolley engage the smooth upper surface area of the rail and that the trolley is not caught by other parts of the rail section, such as the stop platter 210 described below. desirable.

The weight 200 is attached to the end 19 when the movable rail section 50 is at a steep angle of inclination as shown in FIG.
0 in a nearly horizontal position. Weight 200 attempts to maintain its position generally below pivot pin 192, thereby opposing coil spring 194 and holding end 190 in a generally horizontal position.
The horizontal position is desirable because it allows the stop latch 210 to securely hold the engaged trolley.

Stop latch 210 performs the same basic holding function as hook 180 in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3. However, the stop latch is constituted by two hooks 212 (only one visible) located on each lateral side of the end 190 and pivotally connected to the end 190 by a pin 214. Contact block 216 is placed between two hooks 212 and stop block 1 is moved when movable rail section 50 is moved into alignment with exit rail section 54 as shown in FIG.
88 engages a contact dowel 218.
In this condition, the hook 212 is retracted to the lower position and the trolley passes freely between the rail sections 50 and 54 by gravity.

FIG. 7 shows a conveyor using a second embodiment of a movable rail device for transporting a number of articles, such as garment pieces P, from one location to another in a garment manufacturing process as described above. A transportation device is shown. The apparatus includes an exit rail section 54 for returning the trolleys to the main rail 12 by means of the elevator 36, as well as a similar input rail section 52 for distributing the trolleys 14 to the work stations. As shown in FIG. 7, the movable rail portion 5
0 is cooperatively mounted to the vertical actuator such that the pivoting coupling of the actuator and rail is coincident with respect to the fixed transfer rail portion 52. FIG. 7 further shows an alternative to the pivot joint that provides a non-rotatable transition of the free end of the movable rail section 50 when the movable rail section 50 is lowered into the work station 20.

FIG. 8 illustrates a second embodiment of the actuator and movable rail assembly. As seen in FIG. 8, an actuator assembly, indicated generally by the numeral 40', is spaced parallel and fixed to the movable rail portion 50. The spacer member 46' is
The end of the actuator assembly is connected to the link member 14.
It is fixed to the side surface 43' of 4'. The side surface 43' is correspondingly cut to match the cut surface of the spacer 46'. Aperture 42' is formed in the side of link 144' in alignment with an aperture in spacer 46' that receives bolt 45'. Thus, when the nut 47' is threaded onto the end of the bolt 45', the cutout surface 43' of the link member 144' is axially retained and secured within the stepped portion of the spacer 46', thereby connecting the link and actuator. Provide a non-rotatable joint between the assemblies.

Link 144' connects actuator assembly 4
0' and the movable rail section 50 are transferred to the rail section 5.
2 or the exit rail section 54. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the end of the link 144' opposite the end pivotally coupled to the movable rail section 50 via a connection with the end of the transfer rail section 52. Supports the entire actuator and movable rail assembly. One way to make this connection effective is to insert a portion of the link end telescopically within the rail section and to secure this link end by means of suitable attachment means. In general, links 144' allow movable rail portion 50 to have two degrees of freedom, as in the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, the arrangement of the pivot joints is reversed. Vertical pin member assembly 142' is initially placed on link member 144' to permit horizontal movement of both movable rail portion 50 and actuator assembly 40'. The pin 72' is then placed on the link 144' and the movable rail portion 5
Only 0 allows movement in the vertical direction. As seen in FIG. 9, one of this arrangement of pivot pins
One advantage is that the horizontally operating cylinder 150'
Rather than being swung in a vertical arc as is done in the first embodiment, it can be arranged to operate in a single plane. Movable rail portion 50 is thus the only member that swings in a vertical arc with respect to the actuator assembly.

Vertical motion imparted to the movable rail section 50 is caused by pressurization of a double acting cylinder pneumatic actuator 80', as shown in FIG. In response to this air pressure, actuator structure 80' actuates piston rod 108' to axially move connecting rod 109', thereby imparting rotation to torque shaft 84' via crank 82'. As seen in Figure 8, crank 8
2' is a bifurcated arm structure 8 sized and shaped to receive a correspondingly shaped end of the connecting rod 109' at one end;
Including 3'. The arm member 83' is connected to the connecting rod 109'
It also has a coaxial opening that aligns and receives the coupling pin 107'. The coupling pin 107' is
It is retained against axial displacement by a branch retaining ring 105'. As seen in FIG. 10, the other end of the crank 82' is connected to the torque shaft 8 in cross section.
It has a through hole for receiving 4'. Torque shaft 84' is housed within this hole. Similarly, torque sleeve member 85' telescopically receives torque shaft 84' and therefore serves as a spacing means.
The key member 60' is connected to the crank 82' and the torque shaft 8.
4' are rigidly connected in a rotation transmission relationship. Thus piston rod 108' and connecting rod 10
9' is the axis of rotation 10' of the torque shaft 84'.
It can be seen from FIG. 10 that the rotational torque is offset from the torque axis and produces a rotational torque on the torque shaft via the moment arm created by crank 82'.

Torque shaft 84' and torque sleeve member 85'
is held in a fixed alignment position by cooperating with key member 60' and by cooperating with a journal bearing, as shown in FIG. 8, like crank 82'. Ru. The journal bearing 92' is attached to the actuator housing 1.
1' and fit tightly into aligned openings made at 1'. Journal bearing member 92' is prevented from moving into the housing by outer retaining ring 91'. An outer retaining ring 91' is mounted around the journal bearing member. The torque shaft 84' is connected to the journal bearing member 9
2' aligned openings. However, the torque sleeve member 85' is sized such that each outer end of the sleeve member simply abuts each inner surface of the journal bearing, spacing these members inwardly. As seen in FIG. 8, outer retaining ring 91' prevents any lateral movement of the shaft assembly. This is because they are held at a fixed spacing by torque sleeve member 85'.

The rotation finally transmitted to the torque shaft 84' is
The torque is transmitted to the movable rail arm 50 by the torque arm 86'.

One end of the torque arm 86' is non-rotatably attached to the torque shaft 84' by suitable attachment means, such as welded or, for example, a transverse pin type connection, as seen in FIG. The other end of the torque arm 86' is connected to the cutout portion 55' of the movable rail section 50.
sized and shaped to be received within. A screw 56' or other suitable attachment means is used to connect the other end of the torque arm 86' to the movable rail portion 50. The location of this connection between the torque arm and the movable rail portion 50 is arranged to be significantly spaced from the pivot axis 70' to effectively impart a lifting or lowering moment to the movable rail portion 50. .

As previously mentioned, actuator assembly 40'
and the movable rail portion 50 are integrally coupled to each other via a link member 144'. Because the vertically oriented pin assembly 142' allows for horizontal pivoting coupling of the links 144' and the components coupled thereto, attachment of the horizontal actuator means to a point on this link facilitates these couplings. Performs horizontal movement of the moved member. As shown in FIG. 9, link 144' has a vertically downwardly descending portion 444'. The vertically downwardly descending portion 444' is connected to the horizontal actuator assembly 1.
Pivotal coupling means are provided at that end for coupling with one end of 50'. The other end of horizontal actuator assembly 150' is pivotally coupled to support block 101'. Support block 101' is secured to frame member 90. The retaining member 10 is used in conjunction with the horizontal actuator 150'.
2', which is also attached to the support block 101'. The retaining member 102' has a spring member 40 with which it cooperates between the adjusting stops 103'.
When swung into the stop by 4', it acts to absorb the moment of the assembly in order to absorb excess energy. Since the end of retaining member 102' is threaded at 162' in FIG.
It will be appreciated that the arc through which the movable rail assembly is moved outwardly is controlled by adjustment of the stop nut 103' by the operator. Conversely, it will be appreciated that the arc through which the assembly is swung back inward is controlled by adjustment of the measuring bolt 163'. Measuring bolt 163' is attached to frame 9
0, the measuring bolt abuts and spaces the actuator housing 11' from the frame 90 so that the mounted movable rail section 50 is axially aligned with the fixed exit rail section 54. will put it.

Similarly, the vertical arc through which the movable rail portion 50 passes is adjusted and controlled either by the measuring bolt 110' shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 or alternatively by the limiting structure shown in FIG. can be done. The measuring bolt 110' in FIGS. 8 and 10 is
An adjustable, but fixed, stop surface is provided on the end surface of the mating connecting rod member 109' that is threadedly engaged with the actuator housing assembly 11'. In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 12, the connecting rod assembly 109' has a downwardly extending rod extension 209'. Rod extension 209' projects through a cutout 210 made in lower housing element 211' for operation with a stop limit assembly secured to double acting actuator structure 80'. Rod extension part 20
The lower free end of 9' has a through hole 183'. Through hole 1
83' is sized to receive threaded rod 505' without engagement. Connecting rod 10
The movement of 9' is therefore limited by the placement of nut member 106' along threaded rod 505' to control the swinging arc of movable rail portion 50.

Referring to FIG. 11, FIG. 11 shows the free end used in a second embodiment of the movable rail section 50. The hook 212' is pivotally coupled about a pin 214' and inwardly connected via a torsion spring 194' so that the trolley transitioning to the end of the rail is caught by the hook 212' and prevented from rolling off. biased toward Retraction of hook 212' is accomplished by interaction of stop latch 210' with stop block 188' in a manner similar to that previously described in the description of the first embodiment. It should be understood from FIG. 11 that the connection between the hook means and the movable rail portion 50 is made in this embodiment using only a single pivot pin 192'. second actuator assembly
In this embodiment, it is not desirable to use a swivel joint between these members since there is no slope of the free ends of the rail members that existed in the first embodiment.
As previously mentioned, the vertical actuator assembly is translated horizontally along the movable rail portion 50 because the pivot pin assembly member is a common pivot coupling mechanism for both elements. Thus, the actuator can be displaced vertically while swinging the movable rail portion 50 through a horizontal arc. Link 14 of actuator assembly 40'
4' is attached using pivot pins 142' and 72'.
It will be appreciated that, together with the arrangement of , allows the movable rail section 50 to be displaced in purely vertical and horizontal arcs, thus eliminating any slope progression of the free end of the movable rail section 50. Should.

FIG. 10 shows the boundary wall 10 in the cut section.
6' shows a double-acting stroke actuator consisting of an actuator cylinder structure 80' having a first cylinder 104' and two large cylinders 100' separated by 6'. As can be seen, the first cylinder 104' is longer than the second cylinder 104'.
shorter than 0'. The difference in cylinder length allows the actuator to have two speeds. The first slow speed occurs when only one cylinder is energized, and the second high speed occurs when both cylinders are energized. A piston rod 130' corresponding to the first cylinder 104' is secured to the rear wall of the housing 11' by a threaded bolt 12'. Piston 9 corresponding to cylinder 100'
8' is connected to the piston rod 108' and transmits the axial movement generated by the air pressure to the torque arm and subsequently to the movable rail portion 50. Since the piston rods are respectively supported at each outer end, the entire surrounding actuator cylinder structure is allowed to slide within the rectangular confines of the actuator housing 11'. By allowing the cylinder housing to slide relative to the actuator housing, control in the sequence of motion between the horizontal and vertical actuators can be achieved.

As best seen in FIG.
controlled by. Each of the three switch valves is normally biased outward to a closed position. The switch valve 23' is connected to the lower housing element 2
11' is fixed to the lower hanging portion. Switch valve 22' is secured to piston rod 108' by support bracket 25'. Support bracket 25' is threadedly engaged with piston rod 108'. Each of the switch valves 22' and 23' is opened by sliding movement of the actuator cylinder structure of the actuator 80' and closed by the loss of contact therebetween. The switch valve 21' is mounted on an extension of the frame 90 and the actuator housing 1
1' is placed in contact with an L-shaped trigger mechanism 14' mounted on the top of the trigger mechanism 14'. Please refer to the diagram in FIG. FIG. 13 shows a pneumatic control system that sequentially operates a vertical actuator and a horizontal actuator. Generally, it is desirable to displace movable rail portion 50 only in a vertical arc from its original resting point lying alongside fixed rails 52 and 54. vice versa,
It is also desirable that the movable rail portion returning to the bridging position has a final movement of only a vertical arc. The control device shown in the diagram of FIG.
When coupled to the appropriate nipple elements designated 1', 2', 3' and 4' of the double-acting actuator cylinder structure 80' shown in FIG. 8, and the horizontal actuator shown in FIG. When connected to the nipple elements 5' and 6' of the invention, the desired result of continuous horizontal and vertical movement is achieved.
The diagram in FIG. 13 displays two different flow paths. The controller selectively energizes the two flow paths to position the movable rail portion 50 in its normal bridging condition or to position the movable rail portion 50 with its free end proximate the work station. descend to the point. First input line (line; piping) A
The lines forming the branch network depending on represent the rise control means. The movement is continued by upward control means. Lines dependent on input line B control the continuous downward movement of the movable rail section 50. As shown in FIG. 8, the movable rail portion 5
In the normal bridge position of 0, the actuator housing 11' is aligned generally parallel to the frame member 90. A first switch valve 21' depends from the frame member 90. Trigger element 1 mounted on the upper surface of the housing 11' when the movable rail part is in its normal bridging position
4' engages the first switch valve 21', thereby opening the switch valve 21'. The housing assembly 11' is held abutting both the end of the metering nut 163' and the first switch valve 21'. This is because in the normal bridging position, circuit A is always energized and thus always energizes the variable chamber of horizontal actuator 150'. The role of switch valve 21' will be explained in more detail when upward continuous movement is described.

General actuation of continuous downward motion occurs by first selectively deactivating input A and activating input B. Once the lower control pneumatic circuit B is energized, the expansion chambers of the actuator cylinders 100' and 104' begin to fill via the nipple elements 2' and 3'. piston 1
02' is fixed to the rear wall of the housing 11', and the air fluid fills the chamber supplied by the nipple 2', the entire actuator cylinder structure 80' is moved to the left, thus turning the switch off. Valve 23' is energized. As the cylindrical actuator structure 80 moves to the left, the cylinder 1
00' is also filled, moving the piston rod 108' to the left at an increased speed than would occur if only a single chamber were energized. Piston 10 occurs before switch valve 23' is opened by contact of actuator cylindrical structure 80'
The movement 8' is the movement that produces the first descending arc of the movable rail section. Once the switch valve 23' is contacted and opened, the expansion chamber of the horizontal actuator 150' is therefore biased through the nipple 5' and begins to move the rail assembly out of the frame 90. After the actuator cylinder structure 80' abuts the switch valve 23', it no longer moves to the left. Pressurization of cylinder 104' is complete. However, the larger cylinder 100' continues to be pressurized and fully extends the movable rail section downward to the desired position.
On the other hand, it is also displaced horizontally by actuator 150'.

As shown in FIG. 13, the housing 80' of the actuator cylinder structure is configured such that when the movable rail portion 50 is in its normal bridging position,
The position of the piston member within each cylinder is shown.
Thus, when the arm is displaced to its downwardly extending position, the face of the cylinder assembly abuts the switch valve 23', and the switch valve 22' attached to the piston rod 108' moves together with the piston rod to the cylinder assembly. It will be noticed that it is axially displaced out of engagement with the left face of the volume. When the switch valve is placed in a downwardly extending position of the actuator, actuation to effect upward movement of the arm back to the bridging position involves selective deenergization of the first circuit B and energization of the circuit A. It is done by hand. Once circuit A is energized with pressure fluid, the variable chamber of horizontal actuator 150' is energized via nipple element 6'. At the same time, the vertical actuator cylinder structure 80'
The variable chamber of the cylinder 100' is biased via the nipple element 4', thereby retracting the piston rod 108' back into the actuator cylinder.

It should be noted that the initial movement of the arm from the work station position below is horizontal and vertical. However, the final approach to the bridging position of the arm
Because of the selective dimensioning of the relative lengths between 00' and 104', there is only vertical movement. The length of the cylinder 100' itself is the length of the piston rod 1
08 to fully retract or lower the arm 50. The entire retraction or lowering is carried out by both cylinders 10
This is done only by the combined effect of 0' and 104'. Referring to FIG. 13, switch valve 2
1' is located in series with the switch valve 22,
and that the second switch valve 22' is energized only by the actuator assembly 40' being pulled horizontally into engagement with the switch valve 21' by the actuator 150'.
You will understand. In this way, switch valve 2
It should be understood that when 1' is contacted by trigger mechanism 14', bulb 22' is energized.
Also, in this position, the movable rail portion 50 is accurately aligned axially with the ends of the entry rail portion 52 and the exit rail portion 54, thereby ensuring that the vertical direction of the arm on its final approach to the bridging position. Requires only exercise. cylinder 10
The variable chamber at 0' continues to be filled with air fluid, pulling the piston rod 108' to the right and the switch valve 22' being pulled into engagement with the front face of the actuator cylinder structure housing 80'. ' is opened and the retraction chamber of the cylinder 104' is energized via the nipple 1'. This retraction chamber biasing therefore allows the actuator cylinder structure 80' to be moved slightly to the right to effect final vertical movement of the movable rail portion into the rail gap.

The movable rail section therefore moves the conveyor between a transport position and a deflected position that facilitates processing of the transported goods and prevents interference between the goods and the surrounding environment during the movement of transport. Disclosed in a transportation device.

Although the invention has been described in several preferred embodiments, it should be understood that many modifications and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the actuator means used to deflect and extend the movable rail portions may be hydraulic rather than pneumatic, and the positioning of each actuator may be made precise by closed rope control. Other types of actuators may be used including magnetic and electric motors. The arrangement of the pivot pins forming the pivot connection between the stationary and movable rail sections can be varied, and in particular the vertical and horizontal pivot pins can be interconverted, so that during horizontal movement of the rail section Slight rotation of the free end can be eliminated. Although movable rail portion 50 has been shown and described as having a pivoting connection with transfer rail portion 52, alternatively,
It may be pivotally coupled to the exit rail portion 54. The invention has therefore been described in a manner of illustration rather than limitation in several preferred embodiments.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a ceiling perspective view of a portion of a conveyor transport system including a first embodiment of the invention and two laterally opposed work stations in which the system is used; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transport system; FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the first embodiment showing the movable rail portion with the vertical movement actuator removed, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the first embodiment showing the movable rail portion and the actuator that moves the rail portion. An end view of the first embodiment showing the rail section and actuator, FIG. 5 a partial view showing an alternative embodiment of the free end of the movable rail section in a transport position near an adjacent rail section, and FIG. 6 deflected. 7 is a ceiling perspective view of the second embodiment of the conveyor transport device, and FIG. 8 shows the actuator mechanism of the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the movable rail attached to the actuator in the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a side view showing the internal mechanism of the actuator assembly; 11 is a side view of the free end of the movable rail used in the second embodiment of the invention; FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 10--10 of FIG. cross-sectional view showing an alternative stop mechanism for vertically adjusting the rail member, first
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic control device used to sequentially energize a vertical actuator and a horizontal actuator. 11'...Housing assembly, 12...Rail device, 14...Trolley, 21', 22', 23'...
...Switch valve, 50...Movable rail part, 5
2...Transfer rail part (adjacent rail part), 54
...Exit rail part (adjacent rail part), 72,
72'... Pivot pin, 80, 80'... Actuator, 82'... Crank, 84'... Torque shaft,
109'...Connection rod, 100', 104'...
Actuator assembly, 107'...coupling pin,
142, 142', 192'... Pivot pin, 14
4'... Pivoting link, 150, 150', 170...
...actuator, 180, 212'... hook,
210... Cutout portion (stop), 404'... Spring member.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A conveyor transport device having a trolley 14 and a rail device 12 for transporting a supported article P from one location to another, comprising a first end 74 and a second end disposed oppositely. end 76
and a movable rail section 50 comprising a pivot connection 72, 72', 142, 142' with an adjacent rail section 52 at a first end, the pivot connection allowing movement of the second end. , an actuator 80, 80', 150, 150', 170 coupled to the movable rail section for controlling the second end 76 by a predetermined amount; and a trolley 1 adjacent the second end 76 of the movable rail section.
4 holding means 180, 212, 212'
A conveyor transport device comprising: a movable rail section pivotally coupled to an adjacent rail section about two substantially perpendicular axes. 2. The conveyor transport device according to claim 1, in which the movable rail portion 50 is located at the first end 74.
between an adjacent rail portion 52 at a second end 76 and another adjacent rail portion 54 at a second end 76 and moved out of alignment and back into alignment with another adjacent rail portion 54 at a second end 76 . A conveyor transport device characterized by being able to. 3. A conveyor transport device according to claim 2, characterized in that it includes guides 136, 138 for guiding the second end 76 of the movable rail section into alignment with another adjacent rail section 54. Conveyor transport equipment. 4. A conveyor transport device according to claim 1, comprising: another adjacent rail portion 54 aligned in a predetermined horizontal and vertical position with the second end 76 of the movable rail portion 50; Releases 184, 186, 210', 216, 218 engageable with retaining means 180, 212, 212' to release trolley 14 in position.
A conveyor transport device comprising: 5. In the conveyor transport device according to claim 1, the movable rail portion 50 has a first end 74.
a first rail portion at the end and a second rail portion at the second end.
a rail portion and a longitudinal axis extending between the first and second rail portions;
A conveyor characterized in that the rail portions are longitudinally movable relative to each other to extend and retract the movable rail portion, and another actuator 170 is coupled to the first and second rail portions to extend and retract the movable rail portion. transport equipment. 6. A conveyor transport device according to claim 1, in which the pivot connections 72', 142' include a pivot link 1 having a downward extension 444' for securing the actuator 150' to the movable rail section 50.
44' and the second end 76 of the movable rail portion 50.
are two substantially perpendicular pivot connections 72', 14
Conveyor transport device, characterized in that it pivots about the axis 2' without tilting relative to the vertical plane. 7 a conveyor transport device having a trolley 14 and a rail device 12 for transporting the supported articles P from one location to another, housing assembly 11' and switch means 2;
2', 23'; the actuator means 80' having means 108' for coupling in motion to the force transmitting means; the actuator means 80' for producing linear motion relative to the force transmitting means and for connecting two separate actuator assemblies 100', 104'; the two separate actuator assemblies are connected in series and slidably arranged within the housing assembly; actuated by movement;
A conveyor transport device characterized in that said two separate actuator assemblies are energized and deenergized to produce continuous linear motion at two speeds for said force transmission means. 8. A conveyor transport device having a trolley 14 and a rail device 12 for transporting the supported articles P from one position to another, control equipment for producing vertical and horizontal movements of the pivotable arm members. The control equipment includes a first control means for controlling the arm member to descend from an initial retracted position;
and second control means for controlling the raising of the arm member from the lowered position to the initial retracted position, the first control means controlling the raising of the arm member from the lowered position to the initial retracted position, the first control means controlling the raising of the arm member from the lowered position to the initial retracted position; comprising switch means 23' for preventing horizontal extension of the arm member, said second control means initially allowing both vertical and horizontal movement of said arm member upward from the lowered position; Conveyor transport device characterized in that it comprises switch means 21', 22' for preventing completion of vertical retraction of the arm into its initial position until complete horizontal retraction of the arm has occurred. . 9. A conveyor transport device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control equipment includes vertical actuator means 80' for moving the arm member vertically at a variable speed and at selected times; Actuator means 15 for horizontally moving the arm member
0', the vertical actuator means comprising:
first and second cylinder actuators 100',
104', the second cylinder actuator 100' is connected to the first cylinder actuator 10
4', selective biasing of the first and second control means actuates the first and second cylinder actuators and is caused by the horizontal actuator means. A conveyor transport device characterized in that horizontal movement of the arm member sequentially causes vertical movement.