US2635555A

US2635555A - Conveying means

Info

Publication number: US2635555A
Application number: US750819A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hansson Elis Harry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-02-25
Filing date: 1947-05-27
Publication date: 1953-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1970-04-21

Description

April'zll, 1953 E. H., HANssoN l 2,635,555

CONVEYING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1947 Il Il u., 52

. l b N prlvzl, 1.953 E. H. HANssoN 2,635,555

CONVEYING MEANS Filed May 2 7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 21, 1953 E. H. HANssoN 2,635,555

' CONVEYING MEANS Filed may 27, 1947 "s sheets-sheet s Patented Apr. 21, -1953 CONVEYING MEANS Elis Harry Hansson, Motala, Sweden Application May 27, 1947, Serial No. 750,819

' In Sweden February 25, 1946 7 claims. (c1. 10i-ss) The present invention refers to plants for the conveyance of piece-goods or the like, and the invention may be brought into use in such cases where goods of the type in consideration are to be moved from one place to another by different channels in accordance with the treatment the pieces are to be subjected to or in consideration of the object in view. In particular, the invention maybe applied to conveying means for foundries, wherein moulds, for example, m-ay be displaced by a conveying means in accordance with the invention, for instance from one or more moulding stations, through kilns past casting stations, through one or more cooling tunnels to storing stations. However, the invention is also applicable in means for the conveyance of other goods of widely varying kinds.

The feature substantially characteristic of the invention is, above all, that the conveying members are guided on a Vclosed track system comprising a main track of the closed, loop type, and that branch tracks extend from one or more places of said main track loop, in order again to join the main track loop in other places, in addition to which the various tracks comprise driving means for the conveying members, said driving means being arranged to impart to these members a speed adapted to varying demands on differentv stretches of the tracks, said conveying members permitting of being individually coupledto or released from the driving means with the aid of arrangements operating automatically in dependence on the distance to the conveying member in front thereof.

As a plurality of conveying members, desighated as carriages in the following for the sake of4 simplicity, shall enable propelling simultaneously on the various tracks, measures may be taken to prevent the carriages from collision with each other. To this end, the coupling members may be constructed so that a carriage will be automatically caused to stop at a certain distance from a carriage in front ofthe same. By this means it may also be attained that a carriage which is on a branch track, for example, may be prevented from moving out onto the main track, when a carriage is in a certain position thereon. Furthermore, the coupling means may be so devised that the propelling of the following carriage is started automatically, when the carriage in front thereof has left, that is to say, the starting of the following carriage is dependent on the movement of the carriage in front thereof. If a stretch of thevtrack comprises a plurality of carriages that have been stopped in a row behind one another by said means, they may thus be started automatically in due order. The automatic starting may be supplemented by manual starting, for instance by the foremost carriage in a row, and the coupling means may also be so devised that the carriages may be stopped manually.

Furthermore, the carriages may be provided with control members cooperating with shifting means for switches at the branch points between the main track and the branch track for automatic shifting of the switches so that the various carriages are directed onto the proper track.

The invention will be elucidated in the following with reference to a few examples of embodiment-as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a track diagram for a plant devised according to the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic representations in a vertical projection and a horizontal projection, respectively, of the driving means on a stretch of track in an installation according to the invention. Fig. 4 shows to a larger scale a vertical central section through a stretch of track with transport carriages thereon and details of the driving means therebeneath, and Fig. 5 shows a corresponding cross section. Fig. 4a is a view in perspective similar to Fig. 4 showing more details of the organization of elements by which the carriages are coupled to and uncoupled from the driving means. Fig. 6 shows a portion of a track diagram at a number of branch points with the corresponding switches indicated diagrammatically therein. Fig. 6a is a plan view illustrating a switch mechanism between a main trackv and a branch track, and Fig. 6b is a part of a corresponding vertical elevation. Figs. 7 and 8 are a vertical elevation and an endwise view, respectively, of a carriage with shifting members for the switch, and Fig. 9 shows such a member at a switching point on a larger scale. Figs. 10 and 11 are sketches, in principle, to illustrate how the coupling means constructed as a carrier responds when a waggon enters from a certain stretch of track onto a stretch of track havinga driving means with another speed.

The diagram illustrated in Fig. 1 shows a main loop track or track way with a number of branch tracks or track ways extending from certain points of the main track loop and joining other points of the latter. The main track loop comprises the stretches I, 6, l, f8 and Il), 'and the branch tracks consist of the

stretches

2, 3, Il, 5 and 9. Generally, only certain stretches of the closed track are passed by all conveying members, when the latter are moved by one turn in the installation, certain stretches of the closed track then being devised as branch tracks, which is the case, for instance, with the stretches I and 8. In the application of the diagram shown to a foundry, the tracks may be intended for the displacement of moulds between different working stations, it being then possible to perform moulding and/or insertion of cores on the stretches |--5, whereas the stretches 6 and 1 may form pure conveying tracks, whereas the stretches 8 and 9 are each per se adapted to receive carriages with goods of a similar character from the point of view of casting while extending past casting stations, the stretch IIJ extending through a cooling tunnel.

The various demands to be fullled on the different stretches or sections of the track ways as a rule require that the carriages move at different speeds thereon. This is rendered possible, according to the invention, by driving means adapted for the various stretches of track, such driving means having the properly adapted driving speed for the stretches in consideration and being capable of entraining the carriages per se. In other words, the carriages may be coupled individually to the driving means and have the corresponding speed imparted thereto by every driving means.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate examples of the construction of the driving means in principle. For every section of track there is at least one driving means a, b, c each of which takes the form of endless chains II running over rollers I2, I3 and provided with transversely extending rods I4 which in conjunction with vertically movable rods I6, I1 depending from the carriages provide the desired disconnectable coupling between the carriages and the endless chains. The rollers at one end of the driving means are driven at a speed corresponding to the conveying speed on the corresponding track section. The driving means a, b and c may be arranged for mutually different conveying speeds, for

instance

2, 3 and 5 meters per minute. Depending on the construction of the conveying members and the track, the driving means may be placed in various ways. If the conveying members consist of four-wheeled carriages on corresponding rails, the driving means are preferably arranged underneath the rails, for instance built in beneath the oor on which the rails rest. Fig. 3 indicates a carriage c on rails or tracks I5. The carriages are provided at both ends with coupling members or rods I6, I1 adapted to cooperate with the rod I4 on the driving means. Provided in the floor is a slit I8, through which the rods I6, I1 of the carriage may be moved down into engagement with the driving means.

Fig. 3 also indicates, how the driving means are arranged at a right-angled curve of the track. The driving means c thus extends with one end thereof adjacent the end of the driving means `1:: located at right angles thereto.

Examples of an automatically operating Stopping device for the carriages are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In the construction shown, the rods I6, I1 of the carriage are each provided with an oblique lower end surface I8, said rod being displaceable in the vertical direction in a sleeve I9 on the carriage frame 2U. The upper end of the rod I E is mounted on one end of a bell crank 2|, which is carried by a pin 22 on a bracket 23 secured on the end of the carriage frame 20. The other end of the bell crank 2| is pivotally connected to a rod 24 extending in the longitudi- CII 4 nal direction of the carriage to the rod I1 at the other end of the carriage so as to permit of transferring motion to the carriage, so that the two carrier rods I6, I1 may be raised at the same time. Secured on a transverse shaft 25 mounted in the carriage frame 26 is a depending abutting rod 26, the lower end of which is adapted to cooperate with the one end of a two-armed releasing lever 21, which is mounted on a horizontal pin 28 beside the one rail I5 of the track. Secured to the transverse shaft 25 opposite the rod 2li is an upwardly projecting arm 29, which is pivotally connected to the rod 24. The other end of the rod 24 is pivotally connected to an arm 30, which is rigidly connected to a bell crank 3| intermediate its ends provided in this place. One end of the bell crank 3| is united with the vertical carrier rod I1, while the other end of this bell crank is connected through a rod 32 to an abutting device adapted to cooperate with a releasing lever 21 at the rail of the track. As at the former end of the carriage, the abutting device here consists of an arm 33 connected to the rod 32, said arm 33 being arranged on a shaft 34 mounted in the carriage frame and provided with a depending abutting rod 35. The bell crank 3| is mounted on a bracket 36 similar to the bracket 23 for rocking motion about the connection of arm 30 therewith.

Releasing levers 21 are arranged along all such track sections where it is desired that a carriage shall permit of being stopped automatically, if another carriage is standing in its way. One end of the lever 21 is provided with an outwardly directed projection 31 in the path of movement of the carriage wheels 38 on one side of the carriages, preferably opposite the path of movement of the guiding flange 39 of the wheel (Fig. 5). The lever 21 is provided at the other end thereof with an inwardly directed projection 4I) in the path of movement of the

abutting rods

26, 35. Otherwise, the releasing levers 21 are constructed and arranged in such manner that if the fore end of a lever 21 is kept depressed by the guiding ange of a wheel, the rear end will be raised so as to be permitted to actuate the abutting rods 26.

The mode of operation of the carrier and stopping device described is as follows:

If the stretch of track is free, chain engaging rods I6, I1 are lowered, so that either one or both of them are in engagement with a rod I4 on the endless chains II in the corresponding driving means, said chains being preferably driven continuously. The carriage will thus be advanced at a speed determined by the driving means. Should a carriage be standing on the stretch of track, for instance the left hand carriage in Fig. 4, the rear wheels of which have depressed the fore end of the releasing lever 21 situated at the extreme left, the abutting rod 26 of the carriage in consideration will be brought into engagement with the projection 40 of the rear end. The abutting rod 26 is then swung rearwardly at the lower end thereof, and turns the bell crank lever 2|, bymeans of the arm 29 on the shaft 25 and over the rod 24, in a manner such that the carrier rod I6 is raised out of engagement with the transversely extending rod I4 of the driving means. At the same time the carrier rod I1 is raised through the agency of the longitudinally extending rod 24. The carriage is thus stopped immediately. At the same time,

l however, one of the rear wheels of the carriage in consideration will have been brought into engagement with the fore end of the next following releasing lever v21, the fore end of said lever having thus been depressed so as to raise the rear end of the lever. Therefore, if a further carriage approaches, this carriage is also stopped automatically in the manner just described. This situation corresponds to Fig. 4. The invention also comprises means by which the carriages may be automatically switched onto definite tracks by an impulse or by direct actuation of indexing members located on the' carriages themselves. Examples of this are illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6, which shows branches from a main track to a number of branch tracks l, 2, 3, further branch tracks la, lb, |c extending in turn from the branch track The driving Vdirections are indicated byarrows. Carriages '01, v2, U3 are indicated on. the main track, said carriages being intended to be switched onto the various branch tracks 2,i 3 The indexing members have diierent positions on carriages for the different tracks, the switches of which are provided with shifting members, which for every branch track respond only to the index position of the carriages pertaining to the branch track in consideration. In the example of embodiment shown in Figs. 6-9, the indexing member comprises a roller 59 at the lower end of a holder 5|, which is removably arranged on a transverse girder 52 at the end of the carriage. Provided in the transverse girder beside one another are seats or apertures i1, i2, i3 corresponding in number to the branch tracks 2, 3 and the indexing member is placed into the aperture corresponding to the branch track to which the carriage belongs. On carriage v1, the indexing member is placed to the extreme left in Fig. 6 (viewed in the driving direction), that is to say at i1, and on carriage 'v4 to the extreme right, whereas the carriages v2 and v3 have their indexing members in intermediate positions. Provided at each branch point is a switch with a shifting device corresponding to the position of the indexing member, for instance in the form of a,

wedge

531, 532, 533 (Fig. 6), which is in the path of movement of the corresponding indexing roller. Behind the switch there may be provided a restoring device 541, 542, 543 which is also in the path of movement of the corresponding indexing roller and is adapted to restore theswitch into the initial position upon the passing of the carriage.

An embodiment of a switch between the main track formed by

rails

14, 14 and a branch track together with shifting and restoring means for said switch is illustrated in Figs. 6a, and 6b. The shifting wedge 53 is secured to one end of a double-armed lever 10 pivoted at 1| and having its other end connected to a switch rail member 13 by a link 12. Rail member 13 is pivoted at 13 to allow shifting thereof from the full line position to the dotted line position and vice versa. Connected to rail 13 by a further link 15 is one end of a vertical double-armed lever 16 pivoted at 11 and having its other end connected with' a rod 18 extending horizontally below the switch. One end of rod 18 is connected with the lower arm of a lever having a weight 19 secured to its top end and being journalled on a horizontal pin 80 so as to be able to tilt in a vertical plane from one position at one side of a vertical plane through the axis of pin 80 as indicated in full lines in Fig. 6b to another position at the opposite side ofthe latter vertical plane as indicated in! dotted lines. The other end of rod 18 is connected by an angular lever 8| pivoted' at 82 and a link83 to one end of a double-armed lever 84 pivoted at 85 and carrying the restoring wedge 54 at its other end.

Articulated to rod 18 is further a double-armed lever 86 pivoted at 81 and having its opposite end connected by a link 88 to a double-armed lever 89 pivoted to a vertical pin or bolt 90. Journalled on pin 90 is also one end of a switch member 9|forming part of the rail 14 of the main track. Lever 89 is connected with switch member 9| so as to be able to turn said member from the illustrated position on a line with the rail 14' to a position indicated in dotted lines in which the chain engaging rods I3, |1 of the carriage are permitted to pass through the opening established in rail 14. Located in the extension of the curved switch member 13 is a rail member above the slot I8 for the rods I6, |1 in the middle of the main track, said member being pivoted at 96 and connected to one end of a double-armed lever 92 by a, link 94. The other end of lever 92 is articulated to the rail member 13 and lever 92 has a slot 92 engaged by a xed pivot pin 93.

Support members

91 and 98 are provided for the rail switch members 9| and 95 respectively, the rail switch members engaging said support members in their track closing position, i. e. when the rail members are located on a line with the corresponding rail. In rail crossing points such as that indicated at 99 a plate |00 is provided to carry the rim of the carriage wheels passing thereover. A support plate |0| is also provided in the gap |82 at the branch point |93 to carry the rim of the wheel passing along the straight rail 14. At the same time the opposite wheel of the carriage is guided by the free end of the rail member 13 so that the carriage does not escape from its path.

In operation when a carriage passes the switch, the index roller thereon responsive to the position of the wedge 53 engages said wedge to swing lever 10 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 6a and turn switch rail member 13, which is spaced from the main rail 14, to engage the latter as indicated by dotted lines. At the same time rod 18 is moved by link 15 and lever 16 in the opposite direction to turn angular lever 8| in a clockwise direction and push link 83 to move lever 84 and wedge 54 to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6a. Weight 19 is simultaneously tilted to the dotted position and keeps the switch positively in the shifted position. When turning to engage rail 14 switch member 13 also displaces and turns lever 92 relatively to its pivot pin 93 whereby rail member 95 is turned from its full line position to close the rail in the prolongation of the curved rail member 13. Lever 86 is turned by rod 18 about its pivot 81 in a clockwise direction which results in turning .of rail' member 9| on pivot 98 from its full line position to the open position indicated in dotted lines so that the carrier members of the carriage are allowed to pass. The carriage will now be guided by rail member 13 onto the branch track and its index roller will engage the oblique surface of wedge 54. As a result lever 84 is returned to the position indicated in full lines and the switch is restored to its original position indicated also in full lines. Simultaneously rail member 9| is restored to its closed position and rail member 95 to its open position due to their connection with rod 18 and switch member 13 respectively.

' For 'switching onto thevarious branch ltracks I, 2, 3, '4, the position of the indexing member ink the horizontal direction has thus been utilized. Differences between the positions of the indexing member in the vertical direction may also be utilized for the same purpose, which is also the case with a combination of both facilities. In the example shown, this is conceived as applied to the branch track I, from which extend three branch tracks Ia., Ib, Ic. For every index device there is then, in addition to the roller 50 at the lowermost point of the holder I, an upper roller adapted to cooperate with one of the shifting members 56a, 56h, 56e at the switches for the branch tracks Ia, Ib, Ic. Carriages which are to enter the branch track la have the upper roller located in the vertical position 55a (indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 9), whereas carriages for the branch track Ib have this roller in the vertical position 55b and carriages for this branch tracklc have the roller at the level 55o. The switches for the branch tracks also have restoring devices 51 provided therefor. Obviously, it is possible for all carriages to use indexing devices of the same construction but with the rollers adjustable in the vertical direction. Inasmuch as there is a roller '50 in all carriages for the branch track I, all of these carriages may actuate the switch shifting member 531, but after they have moved past this switch, they are distributed over the various branch tracks in accordance with the level of the roller 55.

A carriage cannot shift the switches for a branch track other than that for which its index device is adjusted, inasmuch as the shifting wedges 54, 56 of the switches are outside the path of movement of the index device in question of all other carriages. A carriage with an index device in the horizontal position i2 will thus pass the switch with the shifting wedge 531, without actuating the latter, and continues further on the main track, until it reaches the switch with the shifting wedge 532, the roller 50 on the index device provided at i2 then strikingv against this wedge to shift the switch, so that the carriage is guided onto the branch track 2. The switching is thus entirely automatic, and likewise the switch is restored automatically by means of the restoring device 51, as soon as the carriage that shifted the switch has passed the latter.

|The stopping device described hereinbefore is intended to be so constructed so that a following carriage remains at a standstill in front of the shifting wedge of a switch, until a preceding carriage, which is about to move past the switch, has come entirely past the latter. Only after the switch has been restored to a straight track will the following carriage be permitted to pass. If vthe following carriage is intended for the same stretch of track as the preceding one, it will shift the switch anew, but otherwise it moves past the switch without actuating the same.

Figs. l0 and 11 show how the chain engaging rods I6, I1k of a carriage respond when the carriage passes over from one stretch with a certain speed to another stretch having another speed. According to Fig. 10, the driving means a for that stretch of track from which the carriage comes has a greater speed than the driving means b for that stretch of track onto which the carriage is to pass over, whereas according to Fig. 11 the former driving means has a lower speed than the latter. With the conditions prevailing in Fig. 10, the rear chain engaging rod lII is in driving engagement with the driving means a, while the front chain engaging rod I6 may, owing to the oblique end surface I8, slide past the transverse rods I4 propelled at a lower speed in the driving means.

In order here to render possible the necessary movement of the chain engaging rods in the vertical direction independently of each other, the connection between the upper end of the rod and the bell crank lever (2|, 3|) may consist of a vertical slit 62 in the rod and a pin 6I secured on the bell crank 2| and adapted to slide along the rod.

In the example shown in Fig. 1l, the carriage is entrained by the driving means b having the greatest speed, whereas the rod I'I will, owing to the oblique surface I8, slide past the transverse rods I4 of the driving means a, which are moving at a slower rate.

A number of needs may be covered by conveying plants of the type described. For example, conveying members may be stored or accumulated on a predetermined vpart of track, or may be advanced at a very slow rate relatively to the previous speed, or may be advanced in steps as individual carriages, or in groups comprising a predetermined number of carriages. These desiderata may be satisfied either by a manual service or by a timed service.

The conveying members may, the same as the tracks, be devised in many different ways within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

i. In a conveyor plant, a main trackway of the loop type, branch trackways extending from selected switching out points on said main trackway to other selected switching in points thereon, conveying carriages adapted to run on said trackways, driving means eiective respectively over different sections of said trackways adapted to drive said carriages at different speeds, means mounted upon each said carriage normally coupling the latter to the driving means of the trackway section on which the carriage is then located, and trip lever means in the pathway of said carriage conditioned upon stoppage of a rst carriage for releasing the coupling means on a second carriage next behind when the latter overtakes said rst, stopped carriage.

2. A conveyor plant as deiined in claim 1 wherein said trackways include a plurality of said trip lever means mounted therealong in spaced relation and adapted-to cooperate with the coupling release means on consecutive carriages on the trackways.

3. For use in a conveyor plant including a main looped trackway, branch trackways extending from selected switching points on said main trackway to other points thereof, conveying wheeled rcarriages running on said trackways, and driving means at said trackways Vfor imparting motion of various speed to the carriages, coupling means to connect and disconnect the carriages in lrelation to the driving means, said coupling means comprising a lever system and vertically movable coupling rods controlled thereby on each carriage, said rods being movable downwardly to effect engagement with said driving means and upwardly to disengage the same from said driving means and double-armed levers pivoted at the trackways in spaced relation to one another, one arm of each lever being formed for engagement by the wheels of the carriages and the other arm to engage the lever system of one carriage after actuation on the first arm by a carriage positioned in front thereof to raise the coupling rod of the former carriage for the disengagement of said coupling rod with relation to the driving means.

4. In a conveyor plant, a main trackway, of the loop type, branch trackways extending from selected switching out points on said main trackway to other selected switching in points thereon, conveying carriages adapted to run on said trackways, driving means effective respectively over different sections of said trackways adapted to drive said carriages at different speeds over the diiierent sections, a track switch at each of said switching points for said branch trackways, each said switch including shifting means therefor before the branch point and restoring means therefor after the branch point, control means mounted upon said carriages for actuating the said shifting and restoring means of each switch, the said control means of dierent carriages and the said switch shifting and restoring means of different switches being mutually but differently indexed such that different carriages are automatically switched from said main trackway to different branch trackways, means mounted upon each said carriage normally coupling the latter to the driving means of the trackway section on which the carriage is then located, and coupling release means conditioned upon stoppage of a first carriage for releasing the coupling means on a second carriage next behind when the latter overtakes said rst stopped carriage.

5. A conveyor plant as defined in claim 4 wherein the switch actuating control means mounted upon each carriage is comprised of a roller adjustable to different index positions transversely of the carriage.

6. A conveyor plant as defined in claim 5 wherein each roller is adjustable to different heights for each transverse index position.

7. In conveyor apparatus, a trackway system comprising a main trackway, branch trackways extending from selected switching points thereon; carriages adapted to be run along said trackways, a track switch at each of said switching points, each said switch including a shifting lever before the branch point and a restoring lever after the branch point, control means comprising a roller mounted upon said carriage for engaging and actuating said shifting and restoring levers, and means for adjusting said roller to different index positions to accord with diiierent index positions of said shifting and restoring levers 'thereby adapting different ones of said carriages to select different ones of said switches for switching purposes.

ELIS HARRY HANSSON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 389,947 Tryner et a1. Sep-t. 25, 1888 623,320 Kunz Apr. 18, 1899 1,000,146 Morris Aug. 8, 191'1 1,004,735 Borgstede Oct. 3, 1911 1,243,457 Stuart Oct. 16, l'1917 1,487,968 Monroe Mar. 25, 1924 1,504,705 Olson Aug. 12, 1924 1,804,154 Cowley et al May 5, 193i 2,040,353 Wilson May 12, 1936 2,093,795 Bartlett Sept. 21, 1937 2,234,620 Botley Mar. 11, 194'1 2,292,284 Ogden Aug. 4, 1942 2,318,180 Morse May 4, 1943 2,320,150 Loughridge May 25, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 477,656 Germany June 14, '1929