US1367081A - Elevator-loader - Google Patents

Description

S. OLSON.

ELEVATOR LOADER. APPLICATIONVHLED MR. 6. 1919.

Patented Feb. 1,1921.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL OLSON, OE'CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOB-LOADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application filed. March 6, 1919. Serial No. 2280,8535.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL OLsoN, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator-Loaders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

a The purpose of this invention is to provide means for controlling and regulating the movement of packages, cars, containers, or the like over a track or runway for feeding them onto a certain portion thereof at regular or predetermined times, as for example, in loading them one at a time onto the trays or platforms of a continuously traveling elevator. trated as associated with such an elevator and itself consists of the various features and elements hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a package or container in its initial position in relation to the devices of this invention, being arrested by the first of a series of stop devices.

' Fig. 2 illustrates the package or container passing the first stop and approaching the second. I i

Fig. 3 shows the. package between the first and second stops.

Fig. 4 shows the next position of the package passing the second stop.

Fig. 5 illustrates the package or container after passing the third stop and arriving at a loading or transfer station. This view is also in the nature of a side elevation showing various features of construction of the track or runway with its associated stop devices and also of the elevator.

Fig. 6 is a plan. view of the runway and a horizontal sectional view of the elevator shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail section taken as indicated at line, 7--7, on Fig. 5.

- Fig. 8 is a detail section taken as indicated at line, '8-8, on Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a detail section of a modified construction taken substantially at the same plane as Fig. 8, and showing parts to be substituted for those illustrated in the latter view.

Fig. 10 is an additional diagram similar The invention is illusr to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, illustrating a package or container passing over one of the stops durlng the upward movement of the latter.

This invention presupposes that the packages, cars, containers, or the like, which are to be handled over the track or runway. are of uniform length, and for purposes of illustration such load units or packages are shown as rectangular trays of the familiar type commonly employed in restaurants,

and especially in cafeterias, and which are formed with upwardly-flaring marginal flanges, usually surmounted with an exterior bead. This construction insures that when two or more trays are placed end-toend in contact with each other, the contact will occur only at the bead, and a space will be provided by virtue of the flare of the flanges, so that a stop member can be interposed between two adjacent trays, even when their beads are in actual contact. For the purpose of illustration the trays are shown without any load, but it may be understood that ordinarily they willor may carry loads of food or dishes, if used in restaurant service, or they can be equally well employed to carry ordinary packages on a store service conveyer or. in factory work, the uniform dimensions of the trays permitting the automatic action of the stop devices which are involved in this invention, even though the goods actually handled may be of various sizes ,and dimensions. I

In the diagrammatic views, Figs. 1, 2, 3

and 4, the track surface or runway is illustrated at X, and may be understood as either a traveling belt ora series of transverse rollers or any other suitable support upgn which the trays or packages can travel. sociated with such track or runway, X, there are shown three stops, 1, 2 and 3. A tray or container, A, is seen in Fig. 1 at initial position engaging the stop, 1, which projects above the track surface, X, as does also the stop, 3, while at this time the sto 2, is lowered below said track surface. y any suitable means, the relation of these stops is periodically reversed,--that is, the stops, 1 and 3, are simultaneously lowered while the stop, 2, is raised to project above the track, and when this occurs, the track, X, being either slightly inclined, or being a cosstantly moving belt which frictionally engages the tray, A, the latter will move for- .sist of a pair of ward over the stop, 1, which has been withdrawn, as shown in Fig. 2, and into engagement with the stop, 2, substantially to the position shown in Fig. 3. Now if the tray, A, is immediately followed by second tray, B, whose marginal bead is in contact with that of the tray, A, the space formed at 4 (see Fig. 3), will permit the sto 1, to be raised just ahead of the tray, upon the nextalternation of the stop position, and it will be thus raised far enough to prevent forward travel of the tray, B, before the stop, 2, is fully withdrawn from the tray, A, so that when said stop, 2, has been finally withdrawn, as shown in Fig. 4, the tray, A, will move forward to the stop, 3, but the tray, B, will be detained at stop, 1, during this interval. It will be evident that upon the next alternation of the stops, the tray, A, will be allowed to proceed past the stop, 3, and finally onto the loading or transfer section, 5, of the runway as illustrated in Fig. '5, while the tray, B, will advance to the stop, 2, with the trays, C and D, which follow it, positioned as shown in Fig. 5, and for the time being held back of the stop, 1, merely by the length of the tray, B, which is substantially equal to the distance between stops, 1 and 2.

In the illustrated structure shown, the track or runway consists of a pair of conveyer belts, 6, 6, traveling over supporting rollers, 7, which are journaled in longitudinal frame members, 8. The elevator is of a familiar type in which the platforms conarms, 9, connected to vertical traveling chains, 10, and provided at their rear ends with guide rollers, 11, which run in guide channels, 12, for maintaining the horizontal position of the arms, 9, in their upward travel. The loading station or transfer section, 5, of the runway consists' of three sets f rollers, 13, carried in suitable frames, 14, and the arms, 9, are positioned to pass between these sets of rollers for picking up the tray from them.-

he arms, 9, are connected to their chains, 10, by a cross-rod, 15. and a roller, 16, on said rod, serves to actuate a lever arm, 17, on a rock shaft, 18, whose rocker arms, 19, are connected by links, 20, with rocker arms, 21, of a second rock shaft, 22, carried at the front of the elevator structure and just below the runway. The stops, 1, 2 and 3, are,

formed as shown in Fig. 8, each comprising a piece of rod with a right-angle bend. from which one portion extends upwardly between the two belts, 6, of the runway, while the other portion extends laterally in a fitting, 23, carried on one of 24, which are journaled parallel to each other under the two side rails, 8, respectively. of the runway frame. As shown in Fig. 7, the two shafts, .24, are operatively connected by a link, 25, engaging their the rock shafts, 7

rocker arms. 26, at its opposite ends, and one of the shafts. 24, carries an additional arm, 27, connected to a rocker arm, 28, on shaft. 22. by a link, 29, so that each movement of the lever, 17. is transmitted through links, 20, and 29. to cause limited rotation of the two rock shafts, 24, thus alternately raising and depressing the stops, 1 and 3, and the stop, 2, said stops, 1 and 3, being both mounted on the same rock shaft, 24, and the stop, 2. being carried by the other shaft, 24.

Shortly after the arms, 9, of an elevator platform have picked up a tray from the rollers, 13, of the loading station, and have traveled far enough above said station to make room for another tray thereon, the roller. 16, of the cross rod, 15, comes in contact with the lever. 17, extending slant-wise across its path, and forces the lever to the position shown in Fig. 5; here it remains while the roller. 16. traverses the straight end portion of the lever, 17, and in this interval. a tray released by the stop, 1, will move onto the loading station in plenty of time for the next pair of elevator platform arms. 9. By holding the stop, 2, up and holding down the stops, 1 and 3, during the passage of the roller, 16, along the straight end portion of the lever, 17, time is afforded for a second tray to arrive at the stop, 2, if there was not one already waiting at stop, 1, when the latter was epressed. Under these circumstances, however, the second tray may arrive so late that the stop, 1. will begin to rise even while the tray is passing over it, as indicated in Fig. 10, at Z.

If the tray, Z, remains frictionally engaged with the stop, 1, it will not advance farther until the stops are reversed and the stop, 1, is withdrawn below the runway, X, when it will travel forward in proper engagement with the stop, 2. However, if the tray, Z, does not remain on the stop, 1, but is dragged off. it can travel forward over the depressed stop, 2, into engagement with stop, 3, in the interval between reversal of the stops.

After the rollers, 16, have traversed the straight portion, 30, of the lever, 17 the return movement of the parts is effected by springs, 31, and after such return the parts will remain at this position for a considerable interval until the arrival of the next elevator platform in position to engage the lever. 17. The rangev of movement of the stops may be rendered adjustable by providing on the links. 20, the adjustable stop screws. 32, which coiiperate with fixed stops, 33. on the elevator frame work. Each of the fittings, 23, in which the stop arms are carried on the rock shaft, 24, is adjustable both angularly and longitudinally thereon, being retained in adjusted position by set screws. 34. Thus to accommotate the feeding device to trays'or packages of diflz'erent size, it is merely necessary to readjust the stops, 1, 2 and 3, longitudinally upon their shafts, 24, so as to be spaced apart by a definite distance substantially equal to the length of the packages to be handled.

Fig. 9 shows a modified form of stop device associated with three conveyer belts, 35, instead of two. The stops consist'of pairs of upright posts, 2 and 3, respectively carried in horizontal bars, 36 and 37, suspended below the track or runway from rocker arms, 38, on the shaft, 24. Limited cases than the one-point stops shown in 1% claim:

1. In combination with a track or, run way, the means for regulating the travel of packages thereon comprising a plurality of stops distributed longitudinally on the runway, each mounted for movement into and out of the path of said packages, with connections for causing such movement of the stops in timed relation to each other, said stops being individually adjustable longitudinally of the runway.

2. In the combination defined in claim 1, one of said stops being carried on a rock shaft extending longitudinally of the runway and constituting means for moving the stop, the latter being slidably mounted on .said shaft for adjustment therealong and provided with securing means for holding it in adjusted position.

3. In combination with a track or runway,

means for regulating'the travel of packages thereon, comprising a plurality of stops dis- ,tributed longitudinally of the runway, one

of said stops being carried on a rock'shaft disposed longitudinally of the runway, means for rocking the shaft through a limit: ed angle, said stop being carried by a sleeve on the shaft from which it extends radially for protrusion into the path of packages at one limit of the rock shaft movement, said sleeve being angularly adjustable on the shaft. for varying the amount of such protrusion of the stop.

4;. In the combination defined in. claim 3, said rock shaft being positioned below the path of travel of the packages, and the stop comprising an arm bent at right angles,'having one 'ortion extending from the sleeve on the sha under the runway, and the other portion bent upwardly therefrom to project in the path of the packages, the angular movement of the shaft being sufficient to withdraw said upstanding portion of the stop arm from said path.

' 5. In combination with a track or runway, means for regulating the travel of packages thereon, comprising a series of three stops distributed longitudinally of the runway. the middle stop of the series being carried by a rock shaft mounted at one side of the runway with the stop extending radially for projection into the path of packages and the other two stops being carried by a second rock shaft mounted at the other side of the runway, said stops projecting into the path of packages, and means for alternately rocki-ng the two shafts to withdraw their associated stops from said path.

6. In combination with a track or runway and load-carrying trays traveling thereon, formed at their ends with exteriorly beaded marginal flanges adapted to abut each other at the beads to form spaces between adjacent trays on the runway, stop devices mounted for movement into and out of the path of travel of said trays dimensioned for insertion in saidspaces.

7. In combination with a track or runway and load-carrying trays traveling thereon, formed with upwardly-flaring marginal flanges adapted to abut and form spaces between the lower portions of the flanges at the adjacent ends of abutting trays, stop devices mounted for movement into and out of said spaces for controlling the travel of. said trays on the runway.

8. In combination with a track or runway and load-carrying receptacles adapted for travel thereon, one end of each receptacle having a portion which extends beyond ,the remainder of the end surface for abutting engagement with the adjacent end of the nextreceptacle on the runway, thus forming a space between certain portions of the end surfaces of such abutting receptacles, means for regulating the travel of said receptacles on the runway having a series of three stops distributed -lon itudlnally of the runway, each mounted or movement into and out of the path of travel of said receptacles thereon, dimensioned for insertion in the said spaces between the surfaces of abutting receptacles, and means for. moving said stops relatively so timed that at a time when the middle stop of the series stands in the path of travel, the other two stops are clear of said path, and-vice versa.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set to hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 4th day of arch, 1919.

SAMUEL OLSON.

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