US1810417A

US1810417A - Trolley conveyer

Info

Publication number: US1810417A
Application number: US446068A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earle V Francis
Original assignee: Jeffrey Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Jeffrey Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1930-04-21
Filing date: 1930-04-21
Publication date: 1931-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 1948-06-16

Description

June 16, 1931. E. v. FRANCIS l 1,810,417

TROLLEY CONVEYER Filed April 21,v 1930 5, Serial No. 416,187, filed Dec. 23, 1929, in

Patented June 16, 19131' UNITED srm'as PATENT orFlcE EARLE V. FRANCIS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE JEFFREY MANUFACTUR- ING- COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO TROLLEY CONVEYER Application led April 21,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in trolley conveyers ofthe t pe disclosed in my co-pending applications,

erial No. 275,212, filed May 4, 1928 and which a series of load supports or trolley hangers are connected with an endless draft device which propels the series of load sup'- ports along a trackway.

An important object of the invention 1s to provide a trolley conveyer capable of traversing horizontal and vertical curves in a trackway without causing undue friction or imposing stresses upon the parts constituting the conveyer and is accomplished, as in the aforesaid co-pending applications, by providing a construction which will kcause the center lines of the trolley hangers to lie in the lines yof re-action normal to the trackway in passing about curves, so that the hangers are maintained radial to the curve of the trackway.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a conveyer of this class in which the draft device does not necessarily depend upon the trolley hangers to form connections between various sections of the draft device.

Another important object of the invention is to provide the unitary draft device with means for cooperation with the trolley hangers for causing the portions of the draft device at opposite sides of each hanger to assume corresponding angular relationship with the hangers when traversing curves in the trackway to maintain the hangers radial to the curve of the trackway.

Other objects and advantages of the`invention will become apparent during the course of the :following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the description and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation yof a trolley hanger showing the position of the draft device at opposite sides thereof when passing around a curve. p

Figure 2 is a similar View on an enlarged scale with a part broken away showing the position of the draft device at opposite sides 1930, serial No. 446,068.

of the same when traversing straight trackway.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing a hanger supported by an overhead track, and

consists generally of an inverted U-shaped t hanger 6 upon'which are supported, angle bars 7 forming the trackway. Adapted to move along this trackway are a plurality of trolley hangers indicated in their entirety by the numeral 8. Each of these trolley hangers includes a body 9 having a pair of rollers 10 adapted to engage and move on the trackway 7 to support a load supporting arm 11 pivotally connected to the lower end of the hanger body by means of a bolt 12. As in my co-pending applications, an antifriction and guide roller 13 is mounted on a vertical axis within a slot of the hanger body to engage the depending flanges of the trackway 7 to reduce friction and to assist in retaining the hangers radially disposed relative to the trackway.

Below the guide roller 13, the hanger body 9 is pierced with a slot 14. The two sides of the hanger body forming the side walls of this slot extend laterally to provide ears 15 and 17 at opposite sides of the hanger, the ears 15 being perforated with aligned round openings 16, while the ears 17 at the opposite side of the hanger are provided with registering horizontally disposed elongated openings 18, for a purpose which will presently appear.

In order to connect the various trolley hangers in series and to propel them along the trackway 7, a draft device is provided. This draft device may assumemany different forms, but is here illustrated as being composed of a series of links 19 consisting of pairs of side straps held in spaced relation by barrels 20 mounted upon pintles 21 connecting the various links of the chain on vertical axes. At certain intervals throughout the length of the chain where it is to be connected to the trolley hangers, the chain includes a pair of

clevises

22 and 23 forming links of the chain. The outer end of each clevis is bifurcated as at 24 and apertured to receive the adjacent links 19 of the chain to be pivotally connected thereto on vertical axes, by means of the pintles 21. Cotter pins 25 or other releasable means are extended through the ends of the pintles 21 to prevent accidental displacement thereof The inner end of the clevis link 23 is bifurcated as at 26 to receive a projection 27 of the clevis link 22 and a pivot pin 28 extends through apertures in these interfitting ends of the clevises for pivotally connecting the same on a horizontal axis. Thus the clevises being pivotally connected together and to the links 19, it Will b e seen that the draft chain is a complete unit in itself and is not dependent upon the. hangers to form connection between the various links thereof.

In order to connect the trolley hangers Wi th the draft chain, one of the pintles 21 is removed and the

clevis links

22 and 23 are slipped through the slot 14 in the hanger. so that the pivot pin 28 is disposed therein at approximately the longitudinal center line of the hanger. This pin 28 is held against displacement from the clevis links by reason of the fact that its ends abut the side walls of the slot 14. The pintle is then re-placed to connect the two ends `of the chain, so that the links constituting one portion of the chain are arranged at one side of the hanger and designated A, while another portion of the chain designated B is disposed at the oppossite side of the hanger. Each of the

clevis links

22 and 23 is apertured for the projection of a pivot pin 29 therethrough and through the

openings

16 and 18 in the trolley hanger. Cotter pins or other suitable means 30. are extended llthrough the ends of these pins to prevent accidental displacement thereof and a washer 3l is placed on the free end of the pin 29, which extends through the elongated openings 18 of the trolley hanger to prevent 115 dislocation of the parts and free movement of the pin 29 in the openings or slots 18.

This inter-connection between the

clevises

22 and 23 and their connection with the trolley hangers provides a toggle mechanism in 120 the draft chain which is normally straightened out, as shown in Figure 2, when the hangers are traversing a straight portion of the trackway 7 The vertical pintles 21 enable the draft chain to flex when traversing 125 horizontal curves, While the toggle mechanism enables the draft chain to Hex properly without unduly stressing any of the parts when the draft chain and hangers traverse vertical curves in the trackway, due to the fact that 130 the trolley hangers are maintained in the lines of re-action normal to the trackway and therefore radial with respect to the curve they traverse to relieve the parts from undue breaking stresses which would otherwise be imposed thereon when traversing a vertical curve. The elongated openings or slots 18 in the hanger permit of the toggle flexing on its pivot 28 when traversing vertical curves and enables the toggle mechanism to cause the portions of the chain A and B at opposite sides of the trolley hanger to de disposed at equal angles with respect to the hanger at opposite sides thereof and upon the same side of the pivot pins 29 to maintain the hangers in the desired radial relation. This flexing movement of the toggle joint moves the pins 29 and the portion of the Ichain B inwardly toward the center of the hanger as the hanger moves around a vertical curve in the trackway. y

Having thus fully described the invention, it will be evident that various changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: f

1. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device having portions connected thereto and to each other and extending from opposite sides of said hanger, and means causing one of said portions of the draft device to shift longitudinally thereof upon movement of the other portion of the draft device relative to haid hanger.

2. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device having interconnected portions connected to the hanger and extending from opposite sides of said hanger, and a sliding connection between one of said portions an'd said hanger for causing the portions of the draft device to be arranged at equal angles with respect to said hanger at opposite'sides thereof.

3. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device having portions pivotally connected thereto and to each other and extending from opposite sides of said hanger, and a sliding connection between one of said portions and said hanger for causing the portions of the draft device to be arranged at equal angles with respect to' said hanger at opposite sides thereof.

4. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device having portions connected to the hanger and to each other and extending from opposite sides of the hanger, and one of said connections of the draft portions with the hanger being movable inwardly of the latter.

5. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device having portions connected to the hanger and to each other and extending from opposite sides of the hanger, and

with the hanger being relatively fixed) with respect to the hanger and the other of said connections being movable inwardly of said hanger.

6. Ina trolley conveyer, the combination with al trolleyl hanger having an opening therethrough; of a draft chain including a pair of clevises pivotally connected together within said opening, means for pivotally connecting said clevises to said hanger, and one of said last ynamed pivotal connections being movable inwardly of said hanger.

7. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger having a slot; of a draft chain including a pair of clevises pivotally connected together, pins extending through said clevises and said hanger for pivotally connecting the same thereto, and

one of said pins being movable in said slot.

8. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device exible in one direction, said draft device having portions pivotally connected together and to said hanger to permit iexing of said4 draft device in a direction at right angles to the aforesaid direction, and one of said last named connections being movable inwardly of said hanger'forcausing portions of said draft device at opposite sides of saidhanger to be arranged at equal angles with respect to said hanger.

9. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft chain com-` posed of links connected on vertical axes, said chain including a pair of links pivotally connected to said hanger on horizontal axes, a pin pivotally connecting said pair of links,

and the pivot of one of said links being movable inwardly of said hanger.

' 10. The combination with a trolley hanger having slots therein; of a-pair of links extending through the hanger and pivotally connected together on a horizontal axis, a

horizontal pivot pin pivotally mounting one of said links in said hanger, and a second horizontal pivot pin pivotally mounting the other link in said hanger-and being slidably mounted in said slotsf 11. In a trolley conveyer including a trackway, thecombination with a trolley y hanger; of a draft device connected therewith and having portions extending from opposite sides thereof, and sliding means associated with said hanger for causing said portions of the draft device ton be disposed 'symmetrically and atequal angles relative to said hangers when traversing a vertical curve in a trackway.

12. In a trolley conveyer including a trackway, the combination with a trolley hanger;

of a draft device connected therewith and having portions extending from opposite sides thereof, and sliding means associated with said hanger for causing said hangers to be disposed radial with respect to the of a draft device having portions connected with said hanger and extending from opposite sides thereof to swing vertically, and a sliding element associated with said hanger and having connections with said portions for causing equal angular movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto'set m hand.

y EARLE- v. FRANCIS.