US2341162A - Portable conveyer - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 8, 1944. SALyADOR 2,341,162 PORTABLE CONVEYER Filed July 25, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Ja ck. Salvador Feb. 8, 1944. J. SALVADOR 2,341,162

PORTABLE CONVEYER Filed July 25, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T i 'l INVENTOR Jack Salvador Patented Feb. 8, 1944 UNITED PORTABLE CONVEYER Jack Salvador, Toccoa, (3a., assignor to R. G.

Le Tourneau, 1110., Stockton, Caliii, a corporation of California Application Juiy 25, 1942, Serial No. 452,268

5 Claims.

a railroad car into which the shells are to be loaded.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a horizontal conveyer which includes a pair of horizontal rails mounted in side by side but spaced relation, a plurality of rail supported trolj leys from which the articles to be conveyed are suspended, and unique means to switch said trolleys from one rail to the other; the trolleys being moved in opposite directions along said rails.

A further object of the invention is to embody in a conveyer as in the preceding paragraph, a novel stop arrangement to prevent the trolleys from escaping from either of the rails when the switch units are not in cooperating position relative to the ends of said rails.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide in a portable conveyer, a frame which is wheel-supported at opposite ends; the elevation of the frame relative to the wheels at one end being variable by adjustment of the wheel mounts, whereby the trolley supporting rails may be disposed horizontally in any given working position of the conveyer.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will he exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by aperusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, foreshortened, of the conveyer.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating one end of the conveyer and the corresponding switch unit.

Figure 3 is an end section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the conveyer comprises a horizontally elongated upstanding frame, which includes transversely spaced I end posts I at each end connected together at the top by cross beams 2; the frame having diagonal bracing 3 which extends between the end posts I on both sides of the structure.

A pair of rail t, of somewhat greater length than the frame, are secured to the underside of cross beams 2 in transversely spaced parallel relation; said rails being formed from Ibeams, the flanges of which form the tracks for the trolleys, as will hereinafter appear. The rails project some distance beyond the frame at opposite ends of the latter and the outmost end portions 5 of the projecting rails are flared or curved laterally and outwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The conveyer at each end includes a switch unit which comprises the following:

A horizontal swinging bar 6 is pivoted, as at l, to cross beam 2 centrally between rails 4 and at the point of intersection of extended center lines of flared end portions 5 of rails 4. This bar 5 projects horizontally from said pivot to a termination some distance beyond end portions 5 of said rails. An arcuate plate 8, concentric to pivot T, connects the ends of rail portions 5 and is mounted atop the latter; a roller 9 mounted on bar 6 riding said plate, supporting the bar and facilitating swinging movement thereof.

A relatively short rail section Hi, likewise formed from an I-beam, is fixedly suspended from the outer end of bar 6 in position to closely aline with either one of the adjacent end portions 5 of rails 6, depending on the position of bar 6. The outer end of each rail section I0 is closed as shown at H, while the inner end is open. Stops E2 on the rails limit outward swinging movement of bar 6 and are positioned so that when the bar engages one thereof, the rail sec.- tion ID is in matching or alined relation with the corresponding rail portion 5 and forms an extension thereof.

Each I-beam rail supports a plurality of trolleys, each of which comprises a horizontal and longitudinally extending bar-like carriage i3 suspended from the rails b longitudinally spaced pairs of rollers M which engage and ride on opposite ones of the lower flanges E5 of said rails. The rollers 14 are spaced apart lengthwise of the carriages 53 a distance somewhat less than the length of rail sections ii] of the switch units, whereby the trolleys may be individually switched at either end of the conveyer from one rail to the other by the following manipulation of the corresponding switch unit.

When in use the trolleys are manually moved along the rails, said trolleys moving in one direction on one rail and in the opposite direction on the other. As a trolle reaches the end ofone rail, the bar 6 of the switch unit at such end is swung to a position with the corresponding rail section id in alinement with the end of said on rail. The trolley i then run outward until wholly suspended from said rail section, as is shown in Fig. l. Thereupon, the operator swings bar 5 horizontally to the opposite position and rail section so is then in alinement with the end of the other rail. The trolley thereafter is pushed lengthwise to move it from rail section Hi onto the otherail along which it is subse quently free to move.

The parts to be conveyed are suspended from the carriages I3 by appropriate attachments of the required design, here shown as hooks to. The trolleys, as the same move alon one rail, have the articles to be conveyed suspended therefrom. As said trolleys reach the unloading end of the conveyer, the articles are removed from hooks It, and the then empty trolley is switched, as above described.

In order to prevent escape of the trolleys from the rails 4 when the rail section it! are not in alinement therewith, stop fingers i? are pivoted in connection with the frame for vertical swinging movement in a transverse plane; such fingers normall depending into the path of rollers i at the ends of rails 4, and aiso in the path of the inner ends of the upper flanges of rail sections l0. While fingers ll normally prevent es-- cape of the trolleys from rails t, a rail section M3, when swung to an operative position in alinement with one rail, strikes the corresponding finger ll. This swings the finger clear of the path of the adjacent rollers i l, permitting such rollers to move to or from the rail section.

The conveyer ma be of a fixed type, but if portable, the frame is supported at one end by wheels 58 journaled on the lower ends of corresponding posts 1, while at the other end the frame is supported by swivelly mounted wheels 59, said wheels being connected by a tie rod 2D. A pull handle 2| is pivoted to and projects forwardly from one of the wheels iii. The wheels 59 are mounted in connection with the corresponding end posts I of the frame by means of vertically adjustable screw spindles 22; these spindles permitting the frame elevation at said end to be Varied at any point of use so that rails 4 are substantially horizontal, as is desirable for ease Of movement of the trolleys along both rails and in opposite directions.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantiall fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

lNhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described m invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1 A conveyer comprising a frame, a pair of horizontal rails mounted on the frame in spaced side by side relation, a plurality of trolleys riding the rails, a rail section disposed at opposite ends of the rails for switching movement between selective positions in close alinement with adjacent ends of the rails, and means mounting each rail section for said movement in a horizontal plane; said means for each rail section comprising a swinging bar pivoted at one end in a plane between the rails and short of the adjacent ends thereof, the corresponding rail section being mounted in connection with and parallel to said bar, and said adjacent ends of the rails being substantially radial of the pivot point of said bar.

2. A conveyer comprising a frame, a pair of substantially horizontal rails mounted on the frame in spaced side by side relation, a trolley adapted to ride said rails, a rail section disposed beyond one end of the rails for switching movement between selective positions in end to end alinement with said rails, and means mounting said rail section for horizontal swinging movement between said positions about a vertical pivot point disposed between and inwardly of said one end of the rails, the rails at said one end being substantially radial of said pivot point.

3. A conveyer comprising a frame, a pair of substantially horizontal rails mounted on the frame in spaced side b side relation, a trolley adapted to ride said rails, a rail section disposed beyond one end of the rails for switching movement between selective positions in end to end alinement with said rails, and means mounting said rail section for horizontal swinging movement between said positions about a'vertical pivot point disposed between and inwardly of said one end of the rails, the rails being curved outwardly adjacent said one end thereof whereby the latter are substantially radial of said pivot point.

4. A conveyer comprising a frame, a pair of horizontal rails mounted on the frame in spaced side by side relation, a plurality of trolleys riding the rails, a rail section disposed at opposite ends of the rails for switching movement between selective positions in close alinement with adjacent ends of the rails, and means mounting each rail section for said movement in a horizontal plane; said means for mounting each rail section comprising a swinging bar pivoted at one end in a plane between the rails and short of the adjacent ends thereof, the corresponding rail section being mounted in connection with and parallel to said bar, th rails bein curved outwardly adjacent said one end thereof whereby the latter are substantially radial of said pivot point.

5. A conveyer including a pair of rails disposed in spaced side by side relation, load supporting trolleys riding said rails, switch units mounted adjacent the ends of the rails and projecting beyond said rail ends to switch trolleys from one rail to the other and a portable frame including end legs supporting said rails and movable in a direction lengthwise of the rails and switch units; the frame being disposed so that the rails at one end thereof and the corresponding switch project beyond the frame and the adjacent end legs.

JACK SALVADOR.

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