US2102569A - Conveyer chain with readily detachable feed-lug - Google Patents

Description

Mi, E937., R. E. .JQHNSON Z@ CONVEYER CHAIN WITH READILY DETACHABLE FEED LUG y Filed May 22, 1935y Patented eo. lei, i923? srN Unire rss PATENT OFFICE 6 claims. (o1. 19e- 175) My present invention relates toconveyer chains suchas usedin conveying sheets of wall board and the like past edge trimmers or formers, cutting saws and surfaces, and has for its primary object 51' the provision of chains of this Ageneral character having readily detachable and interchangeable feed-lugs for engagement with the material under conveyance. Y

As is well-known, lsawing and edge forming mae.

u chines and the like are customarily provided with feed-lug-equipped conveyer chains for conveying the material past the saws or cutters. Obviously, if such machines are always to be ernployed for use vonly in oonnectionwith material lo.I of the same character and size or having the same shaped edges, then the feed-lugs of theconveyer -Y chains may be permanently formed on or an.

chored to the chains in desired spaced relation; but if the machines are to be used in connection 2"@ with materials of different character and dimensions or having different shaped edges, then it becomes necessary tointerchange the feed-lugs for some suitable in size and shape for the different material or materials and/'or to change the Spacing of the feed-lugs on the feed chains.

There has long existed a demand for feed-lugequipped conveyer' chains which couldreadily be adapted for use in connection with different materials requiring different character feed-lugs and gg; my invention has as an object the fulfillment of its ng, 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating in side elevation the portion or" the chain shown in Fig. 2; f l

Fig. Il is a transverse sectional view taken on the 501I line ll-ll of Fig. 3 andv having some partsr broken away;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the feedlugs of Figs. l to 4, inclusive; and

Fig. 6 is a View in side elevation of a feed-lug 55?? which is like the feed-lug of Figs. l to 5, inclusive,

by -means of anchoring screws l1.

ing screws Il are tightly screw-threaded into the 'links 'I and are provided with screw-driver slots in all respects, except that its material-engaging face is differently shaped.

The feed chain is made up of alternate solid block links l and laterally spaced sectional links 8. The sectional links 8 overlap the end portions of the adjacent block links 'l and are pivotally connected thereto by rivets or the like 9. The chain runs over a pair of chain sprockets l only one of which is here illustrated, and is driven by one thereof. -The sprocket lil is mounted upon a suitable shaft I I. Whereas there is but one chain here illustrated, it will be understood that in practice a lplurality of like chains will be employed in laterally spaced relation for engagement with laterally spaced portions of a sheet of'material to be conveyed. The upper portion of each chain is Ylinks'l and for a width equal to the space between the link channels I3 so that the legs i4 snugly fit and extend the full'length of the link channels. Y

For the sake of strength, the over-all width of the bfurcated lower portions of the lugs is wider than the chain links 1,' but is of no greater width than the width of the chain between opposite sides thereof at the sectional links 8. This is impor-4 tant since a chain equipped with these lugs will be Vnowiderthan one not so equipped and will, therefore, be capable of running in a skid-bar l2 having a channel'of just suflicientwidth for the chain irrespective of feed-lugs. 1

VThe legs l 4 of the feed-lugs are snugly but slidably seated in the chain link channels i3 and arev releasably held againstaccidental displacement therefrom by resilient ylatch springs I6 that are anchored at their inner ends to the block links 'l The `anchor- IB in which the inner ends of the latch springs I6 are securely driven. Y

One leg I4 of each lug l5 is formed for engagement by the free end portion of a latch spring I6 with a cam surface I9 that diverges outwardly in respect to the line of movement of the lug legs It and the link channels I3. The yielding pressure Y sheets of fibrous Wall board Vy having Vj-shaped Y lugs likeV the lug l5 ofvFig. 6 which has a rnaof the chains will varyY accordingtorthe flat d1,'

mensions of the material tobe Yconveyedjand for of the material. Vlarly desirable when the material to be conveyedV is relatively soft and easily damaged. `In the.

placement of the legs and at the'same time will Y yield readily to outward pulling `action exertjed on the lugs which permitsndisplac'ement of thek same. It is, of course, dicult tofso accuratelyY manufactureand locate the latch springs I6 that the free ends thereof will always engage the lug legs at exactly the same point, andlhence, Yit is -V desirable that the cam surfaces I9 be of suiicient length to permit considerable variation in points of engagement of the latch springs with the cam surfaces. Y

The head portions of the feed-lugs will usually project above the chains a distance approximately equal to the thickness-of the material to Ybe conveyed land the front faces thereof are preferably shaped to conform Vto the shape of engaged edges This latter feature,V is particuexample illustrated in Fig.' 1, the material underl conveyance may be Vassumed to be relatively` soft tongue-forming edges which are engaged by the feed-lugs andthe feed-lugs are formed with. V

grooves Vfor engagement With the V-tongue edges of-the wall board. VNowif itis desired to Vuse the chains for conveyance of material having different shaped edges such, for example, as the material indicated by dotted lines y in Fig. 6, the lugs maybe readily removed and replaced' with terial-engaging face corresponding to thel contour of the edge of the material y'. Y Y

. The requirements for spacing of the feed-lugs the purpose of obtaining a high degree of ilexilug-receiving channels i3 and latchV sprin'gs I6. Obviously, this arrangement permits substantially.

bility in this respect I have shown every second block link 'l of the Ychains as being` provided With any desiredspacing required. .A e l Y Y It iscustomary Vin practice to supplyrrthe con- Vveyerchains with material fromV a gravity fed Y hopper,- suhasV indicated by 27B,- icontaining a stack of sheets ofmaterial yorthe like.;

YWith the abovedescribed arrangement itwill beseen that the conveyer chains may beeit-V .Y

ciently employed for use in connection withmae terial of various different characters and that a minimum of time and effort will be lneeded Yto adapt the chains to different Work, it merely be-V ing necessary to pull off one set of feed-lugs and snap on in desired spaced relation another setV having the required shaped heads. As a means Y Y for Yfurther reducing the possibility of damaging the lug-engaged faces of the sheets yor the'like,V VI preferably make the upper surfaces ofthe links irregular so as to increase the frictional drag of e theV chains on the flat under`rsurfaces of the material. ways but is preferably accomplished by-forming Vthe links`f8 with transverse teeth 8a. Qbviously, Y

the links 1 couldrbe likewise formed, if desired.

This may beV accomplished in different Whereas feed lugs are essential insome classes Y of Work and in connection with some kinds and sizes of material, they are neither Ydesirable or usable for use in connection with other kinds or sizes of material. For example, it will be seen that should itvbe desired to Vconvey a piece of Vmaterial longer than the in-feed portions of the conveyer'itself, suchV asrwould project beyond the Y illustrated sprocket I0, feed-lugswould have no opportunity to contact the edge of the material, and would render the conveyerl useless for theV purpose. However, with theconveyer illustrated the'feed-lugs placeV no limitation on the usefulness ofthe conveyer since theyrmay be readily removed when desired and'when thus used, independent of'feed-lugs, the increased frictional drag' of Vthe chain onthe material, due to the chain teeth 8a,is particularly'irnportant.

Y What I claim is:Y

1. In a conveyer chain made up of Ypivotally connected links, transversely` extended parallel slots in opposite sides of a chain link, a feed-lug Vhaving laterally spaced parallel legs, said lugY legs being slidably seated inthe transverseV slots of Vsaid chainV link,v and yielding meansY forlocking the lug against accidental Vdisplacement Vfrom the chain, said yielding, means Vbeing, automatically releasable by pl-1,11, exerted on the lug.

2. In a conveyer chain made up of pivotally connected links, transversely extended parallel slots in opposite sides of a chain link, a feed-lug having laterally spaced parallel legs, said lug legs beingslidably seated in the transverse slots of said'chain link, and a yielding'latch normally retaining the lugV against accidental displacement fromthe chain, Ysaid latch loeingrreleasableV by pull'ex'erted on the lug. Y

3. In a conveyer chain made connected links, transversely extended parallel slots in opposite sides of a chain link, a feed-lug having` laterally spaced parallel legs, said lug legs being slidably seated in thetransverse slots of said chain link,'and a spring'latchdevice carried by one ofthe slidablyengaged parts and having yielding'engageinent"with the other thereof, said latch being Vreleasab'le by pull exerted on the lug.

4. In a conveyerV chain made up of pivotally connected links, transversely. extended parallel slots in opposite sides of a chainlink, a feed-lug having laterally spaced Yparallel legs, said lug legs being slidably seated iny theA transverse slots of said chain 'link,.and'means for ,releasably lockingY Ythe feed-lugrto the chainV link, said means comprising acam surface on one of the slidably engagedparts and yielding latch device carried by Vthe other thereof and yieldingly engaging the cam Ysurfaca'tlie action of the spring latchY on Ythe cam surface beingsuch as to normally maintain thelfeed lug -Lllder the feedchain. Y e Y v5; In a conveyer, a chain madeV up of alternate single section links and laterally spacedrsectional links overlapping the end portions of'the single tension to move toward Vsection links and pivote'd thereto, at least one of said single section links being provided at opposite sides with transverse channels, a feed-lug having laterally spaced legs slidably seated in the lug channels, and yielding means automatically releasable tov pull o n the Ylug for normally locking the lug againstacci'dental displacements.

Y6. Y'I'he structure defined claim 5 in which VVthe over-all width of the lug and locking meansV is no greater than the maximum width ofthe chain at points below the top of the chain.

up of pivotallyV ROY E. JOHNSON. 7'5`

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