US2200116A - Case conveyer - Google Patents

Description

y 1940. WVR. MAGUIRE El AL I 2,200,116

CASE CONVEYEH Filed Jan. 3, 1938 Mam? Patented May 7, 1940 1 UNITED STATES CASE CONVEYER,

Walter R. Maguire, .Manhasset, and Edwin J. Lockwood, Peekskill, N. Y., assignors to Walter Maguire Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January a, 1938, Serial No. 183,050

6 Claims.

v The present invention relates to conveyers and more particularly to a novel and improved case conveyer adapted to convey the cases which are customarily used in the handling of milk bottles. The accompanying drawing, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrates one embodiment" of the invention, and together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawing:

Figure '1 is a side elevation of a typical and illustrative embodiment of the present invention and showing one section or length of conveyer;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line I 2- -2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlargedfragmentary elevation of one of the lclips for joining two conveyer sections together.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved case conveyer which is inexpensive to manufacture and can be installed with a minimum amount of labor; providing a light but very strong construction which can be easily kept clean. A further object of the invention is to providea case conveyer which is uniform in its operation and is not subject to obstruction, and has a minimum of wearing parts all of which can be easily and quickly replaced.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the invention, as shown in the ac companying drawing, the conveyer comprises a trough l which is formed from. a relatively long i and narrow sheet of metal which is sharply bent to the form clearly shown in Figure 2. This trough comprises a flat bottom portion l I having upwardly divergent narrow walls I 2, narrow slideways l4, vertical portions l6, and horizontal edge portions l8, being of substantially uniform' crosssection throughout itslengt'h. This formation of the trough provides a long member which has a maximum of rigidity and is not greatly defiected when it is loaded with cases being conveyed. The trough ill is further strengthened and supported by means of vertically extending legs 20, and four such legs are preferably provided for each conveyer section, two on each side 24, and these portions areheld together by means (o1. lee-4.04)

of the bolts 26 passing through slots 28 in the portion 24, thereby providing for different lengths which may be needed and permitting the legs to compensate for unevenness in the floor. A foot 38 is welded to the lower end of the portion 24.

Gussets 32, of substantially triangular shape are welded to the trough l0 preferably being welded at the outer side of the vertical portion [6, and the leg Zfl'is attached to its gusset by means of a pivot bolt 34 passing through regis-lll tering apertures in the gusset and angle portion 22, while the leg is held in the proper angular position by means of the bolt 36 passing through the crossed slots 38 and 40, one slot being formed in the gusset while the other slot is formed in the upper leg portion 22.

The structure is braced and rendered rigid by means of the cross angle bar 44 which extends from one gusset to the other and is welded to the inner lower edges of these gussets. Adjacent sections also give rigidity to the structure and these are joined together by means of the angle clips 46 which are welded to the extreme ends of each section so that the sections can be joined together by a bolt through each clip.

The conveyer of the illustrative embodiment can be used with many different forms of conveyer chain, but as shown the chain 50 is of the type which'frictionally engages the lower surface of the case and propels it along the trough. A channel 52 is provided which is bolted to the upper surface of the trough bottom II, and a similar channel 54 is supported on the angle bars 44 to support the return reach of the chain.

The conveyer thus provides an unbroken smooth upper surface, having narrow slideways l4 along which the cases may be slid by engagement with the chain 50, and there are no openings into which loose or broken wires, splinters or other case parts may project and become caught. Furthermore, the unbroken upper surface tends to confine any dirt thereby facilitating cleaning or washing of the conveyer, at the same time keeping the floor of the plant clean. The structure as a whole is extremely rigid due to the mutual bracing 'of the parts, as well as the stiffness imparted by the long relatively sharp angubrought up against it and in line with it, and the bolts are passed through the clips 46 at the ends iii of each section. By tightening the bolts, the sections are firmly held together and the conveyer chain may then be installed in the usual manner. As the legs are spaced from the section end onequarter the length of the section, when the sections are joined together, the legs of the assembled conveyer are equally spaced and all parts are of substantially equal strength.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What we claim is:

l. A conveyer section comprising a trough member rigidly formed of a single relatively long sheet of metal bent into a modified U-shape, with vertical sides, horizontal portions adjacent the bottom of said vertical sides forming slideways projecting inwardly from said sides, and a central portion between said guideways having its upper surface below the level of said slideways, a chain channel disposed in said central portion, apertured clips arranged at each end of said trough member by which the section may be bolted to adjacent duplicate sections, gusset plates rigidly joined to the vertical sides opposite each other and depending downwardly from the sides, a leg secured to each gusset plate and means to adjust said leg on said plate in a vertical plane parallel to the sides of the trough comprising a bolt about which the leg may be pivoted and a second bolt operable through a slot in one or" the members to lock the leg in adjusted position on the plate.

2. A conveyer section comprising a trough member rigidly formed of a single relatively long sheet of metal bent into a modified U-shape, with vertical sides, horizontal portions adjacent the bottom of said vertical sides forming slideways projecting inwardly from said sides and a central portion between said guideways having its upper surface below the level of said slide-ways, a chain channel disposed in said central portion, apertured clips arranged at each end of said trough member by which the section may be bolted to adjacent duplicate sections, gusset plates rigidly joined to the vertical sides opposite each other and depending downwardly from the sides, cross bars extendin between and rigidly fastened to said oppositely disposed gusset plates below the trough member to laterally brace the depending plates, a leg secured to each gusset plate and means to adjust said leg on said plate in a vertical plane parallel to the sides of the trough comprising a bolt about which the leg may be pivoted and a second bolt operable through a slot in one of the members to lock the leg in adjusted position on the plate.

3. A conveyer section comprising a trough member rigidly formed of a single relatively long sheet of metal bent into a modified U-shape, with vertical sides, horizontal portions adjacent the bottom of said vertical sides forming slideways projecting inwardly from said sides and a central "portion between said slideways having its upper surface below the level of said slideways, a chain channel disposed in said central portion, apertured clips arranged at each end of said trough member by which the section may be bolted to adjacent duplicate sections, gusset plates rigidly joined to the vertical sides opposite each other, and depending downwardly from the sides, a leg secured to each gusset plate and means to adjust said leg on said plate in a vertical plane par allel to the sides of the trough comprising a bolt about which the leg may be pivoted, a short slot in the leg disposed longitudinally thereof andv below said bolt, an arcuate slot in said gusset plate, and a second bolt projecting through said slots to lock said leg in adjusted position on said gusset plate and trough, the arrangement of I the slots permitting the locking bolt suficient bottom of said vertical sides. forming slideways projecting inwardly from said sides and a central, portion between said slideways having itsupper surface below the level of said slideways, a chain channel disposed in said centralportion, apertured clips arranged at each end of said trough member by whichv the section may be bolted to adjacent duplicate sections, gusset plates rigidly joined to the vertical sides opposite each other, and depending downwardly from the sides, a leg secured to each gusset plate and means to adjust said leg on said plate in a vertical plane parallel to the sides of the -trough comprising a bolt about which the leg may bepivoted and a second bolt operable through a slot in one of the members to lock the leg in adjusted position on the plate, each side having two gusset plates and legs attached thereto, thesame being spaced from the ends of the trough: a distance substantially one-fourth the length of the trough, whereby when a plurality of said sec vertical sides, horizontal portions adjacent the bottom of said vertical sides forming slideways projecting inwardly from said sides and a central portion between said slideways having its upper surface below the level of said slideways, a chain channel disposed in said central portion, apertured clips arranged: at each end of said trough member by which the section may be bolted to adjacent duplicate sections, gusset plates rigidly joined to the vertical sides opposite one-fourth the length of the trough, whereby when a plurality of said sections are joined the legs will be evenly spaced longitudinally of'the 5 joined sections, each leg being formed of a plu rality of telescoping members whereby the section may be mounted at the proper elevated level, and

means to lock the telescoping members at the desired position.

6. A conveyer section comprising a trough member rigidly formed of a single relatively long sheet of metal bent into a modified U-shape, with vertical sides, horizontal portions adjacent the bottom of said vertical sides forming slideways projecting inwardly from said sides and a com tral portion between. said slideways having its upper surface below the level of said slideways, a chain channel disposed in said central portion, apertured clips arranged at each end of said trough member by which the section may be bolted to adjacent duplicate sections, gusset plates rigidly joined to the vertical sides opposite each other and depending downwardly from the sides, cross bars extending between and rigidly fastened to said oppositely disposed gusset plates below the trough member to laterally brace the depending plates, a leg secured to each gusset plate and means to adjust said leg on said plate in a vertical plane parallel to the sides of the trough comprising a bolt about which the leg may be pivoted and a second bolt operable through a slot in one of the members to lock the leg in adjusted position on the plate, and a second chain channel arranged below and of the same length as the trough member, said channel being adjustably bolted to the cross bars between the legs whereby the channel further braces the assembly. 10

WALTER R. MAGUIRE. EDWIN J. LOCKWOOD.

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