US1351215A - Tray-elevator - Google Patents

Description

S. OLSON.

TRAY ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 1M5, 1914.

1,35 1,21 5. Patented'Aug. 31, 1920.

Jul/921,2 5:

j amzzeZOZsan ill ' ing UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

' smunnonson, or on rcneo, ILLINOIS.

TRAY-ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 5, 1914. Serial No. 810,357.

ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relatesto certain features of a package conveyer of the type commonly known as a tray elevator, having to do particularly'with improved means for discharg-' ing loads therefrom. It comprises the features and combinations of elements described herein and shown in the drawings as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an elevator and certain appurtenances thereto embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken as indicated at line 2-2 on Fig. 1.

'lhe conveyer illustrated in the drawings consists'essentially of one or more endless chains, A, mounted for travel over head wheels indicated at B, and foot wheels not shown, together with trays, C, carried by the chains and guided as hereinafter described. As illustrated in .the drawings, this conveyer" is designed primarily for use as an elevator, its trays being symmetrically designed so as to be available for carrying loads upward along one ply of the chain, A, and adapted for transferring other loads downward along the other ply of the chain, notwithstanding the fact that such trays are inverted in passing around the head wheels at' B. With this object in view each tray is designed to extend to one side of its pivotal point'of engagement with the chain at C, but is provided with arms, 2 and G which extend to the other side of such point of enagement and are fitted with guide rollers, D and C, respectively, for which guide channels are formed by oppositely facin angle rails, D and D, fixedly positione with respect to the path of travel of the chain, A. As indicated in the drawings, the arms, from the medial plane of the tray, C, and are exactly similar in formation, thus adaptthe tray to support a load with equal efliciency upon ply of the traveling belt, A. For automatically discharging the contents of a tray as C and C,- diverge simultaneously the other face and at either the latter passes the particular floor, E, at which the load is to bedelivered the guide rail, D, is iormed with an outwardly deflected portion, D, so that in following this Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

portion of the track the tray will assume a tilted position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and will gravitationally discharge the load. This deflected portion, D, of the rail, D is preferably a permanent and fixed feature, but me be thrown out of service by the insertion 0 a bridge piece, D, which is hinged to the fixed rail, D, so as to be laterally movable into and out of bridgin position, as more clearly indicated in ig. 2. From this view it will be understood that similar guide devices are provided at each side ofthe path of travel of the trays and that the two hinged bridge sections, D, D, are connected together for simultaneous movement by a link, F, extending transversely of the conveyer between the two plies of the chain and pivotally connected with bell cranks, F which in turn are-linked, respectively, to the operating arms, D of the bridge members, D. ()ne ofthe bell cranks, F is provided with an operating lever, G, working over a notched segment, G with the lever in the position. shown it will be seen that the bridge members, D, positioned as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, render the guide channel perfectly straight so as to avoid tilting the trays, C, as they pass but that when the lever is moved to the segment notch, G the bridge members will assume the positions indicated in dotted lines, swinging clear of the path of the guide rollers and permitting them to follow the deflected track, D. This feature is illustrated on the up-going side of the elevator but is obviously applicable to the descending side as well.

It should be notedthat the deflected rail, D being bent outwardly in the direction in which the load is to be discharged from the trays, 0, causes the tray to move bodily in that direction a short distance as it is tilted, thus tending to give its load an impulse which will assist the tray.

It will be seen from the plan viewthat the' trays are preferably composed of a series of arms or fingers, C transversely spaced apart, and for removing loads from the trays in their downward travel there may be provided at each floor, H, an inclined runway, J, of bars, J", positioned to intermember with the arms, C", of the conveyer trays.

This run-way is pivotally mounted in an opening, K in the vertical wall, K, which a tray pivotedthereto upon a horizontal axis,

said tray being adapted to extend horizontally and having both its faces arranged to support a load, two guide rollers associated with the tray and mounted at equal distances above and below the pivotal axis respec-- tively and'at a substantlal distance from the axis in the direction opposite to that in which the tray extends, togethervwith means for mounting and driving the belt, and a guide channel-positioned back of the plane of the belt to receive the reaction of the said rollers upon its opposite walls respectively.

2. In combination with a continuous belt, a tray pivoted thereto upon a horizontal axis, said tray being adapted to extend horizontally and having both its faces'arranged to support a load, two guide rollers associated with the tray and mounted at equal distances above and below the pivotal axis respectively and entirely beyond the plane of the belt in the direction opposite to that in which the tray extends, together with means for mounting and driving the'belt, and a guide channel positioned back of the plane of the belt to receive the reaction of the said rollers upon its opposite walls respectively.

3. In a conveyer comprising a belt mounted for vertical travel, a tra pivotally engaged therewith and extending to one side of the axis of engagement, upper and lower guide rollers rigidly associated with said tray, and a guide channel positioned to receive the reactions of said rollers upon its opposite walls respectively, said lower roller being positioned to engage such guide below the plane of the tray, and the vertically extending part of the wall of the guide channel which supports the upper roller having a portion which is deflected away from the opposite wall for tilting the tray in its travel thereover whereby said tilting of the tray is accompanied by a slight bodily movement thereof about the lower roller in a direction for discharge of the load.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 31st day of December, 1913.

. SAMUEL OLSON.

Witnesses: v

Rom. N. BURTON, EDNA M. Macln'rosrr.

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