US2783962A

US2783962A - Article carrying means

Info

Publication number: US2783962A
Application number: US411149A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lyon George Albert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-12-29
Filing date: 1954-02-18
Publication date: 1957-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1974-03-05

Description

March 5, 1957 G. A. LYON ARTICLE CARRYING MEANS Original Filed Dec. 29. 1950 2 Sheets-heet l ..Inva niks? e arye /brf yn I (zt w@ Er a l March 5, 1957 G.A.LYON

ARTICLE CARRYING MEANS Original Filed Dec. 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tm antar Geo/ye flerz Lyon ARTICLE CARRYING MEANS George Albert Lyon, Detroit, Micl.

Original application December 29, 1950, Serial No. 203,419. Divided and this application February 18, 1954, Serial No. 1,149

4 Claims. (Ci. 248-318) The present application is a division of my copending application entitled "System for Conveying and Heat Treating Stampings, Serial No. 203,419, filed December 29, 1950, now Patent No. 2,689,578.

This invention relates to an article holding means for supporting articles during movement through work performing Operations, and particularly to an article holding means for conveying cup-shaped articles through a liquid bath.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel article holding means for cup-shaped articles.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide novel article holding means accommodatng opposite tilting of the cup-shaped article.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an economical yet rugged article holding means for securely retaining cup-shaped articles during a series of work operations thereon.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view illustrating the work carrying means of the present invention as it would be employed in moving a cup-shaped article from one station through a heat treating bath to an adjoining station, with certain of the work supports broken away so as to more clearly illustrate the remaining supports;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longtudinal sectional view similar to Figure 1 but taken at the discharge end of the heat treating bath;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on substantially the line IIl-lll of Figure 1 through the salt bath turnace and showing the relation of the conveying means thereto;

Figure 4 is a plan view, partly in section, taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 1 looking downwardly and showing how the support diagonally carries the cup-shaped article; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on substantially the line V-V of Figure 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and illustrating how the article is engaged by the support.

The reference numeral 12 desgnates a conveyor for transferring articles from one station through a heated fused salt bath 14 to a second station. The conveyor 12 includes an I-beam track 19 of an I cross-section from which is Suspended a plurality of spaced article supports or hangers 20. 'Ihe hangers are all identical in construction so that a description of one will sutfice for all. Each of these article supports includes a vertical bar 21 having Secured to its upper end a yoke 22, the spaced arms of which (Fig. 3) carry spaced aligned rolls 23-23 adapted to roll along and on the lower fiange of the v track 19.

:The lower end of the bar 21 (Figs. 4 and 5) has suit- 24-25 for detachablyreceiving and carrying the cup: shaped article or Cartridge casing C. The arm 24 has a turned extremity 26 engaging over and inside of the outeredge of the casing at its open end. ,The other arm has its lower end formed into an eye 27 through which the cartridge casing exte'ndsythe casing testing on the lower portion of the eye. The bottom of the eye 27 has a longitudinal arm 28 with a turned extremity 29 adapted to engage and abut the outer surface of the bottom of the casing C. v

It will be noted from Figures 4 and 5 that the arms 24 and 25 are connected to the bar 21 at such an angle as to carry the casing in a diagonal position with reference to the direction of movement or direction of the track or rail 19. This arrangement enables the articles to be positioned in closed parallel relation and also facilitates'the filling and emptying of 'the casings.

The support or hanger bars 21 are rigid throughout their entire extentand are all connected adjacent their upper ends in spaced vertically articulated relation for movement together along the track 19 by a series of nonbuckling links 30 which are of a construction co-operable i with any conventional drive means such as sprockets or the like (not shown). To this end, the hanger bars 21 have rigid with the upper end portions thereof forwardly and rearwardly directed cross-arm structure a to which the links 30 are respectively'pivotally connected about vertical aXes. Thereby the bars 20 are enabled to move about the transverse turns in the conveyor 12 but are held against free pivoting about a transverse or horizontal axs.

Also it will be preceived from Figures 1 and 2 that the track or rail 19 is so curved that it descends downwar'dly toward the inlet of the fused salt bath 14 (Fig. 1) and ascends at the outlet end (Fig. 2) of the bath. In other words, the track has an intermediate downward bend over the top of the fused salt bath 14. By vitrue of the non-buckling character of the links 30 and the manner in which the rigid bars 21 are controlled by the links, the major lower end portions of the bars below the links will swing rearwardly as the bars move down the curved descending portion of the track 19, whereby to tilt upwardly the open ends of the casings C supported thereby, while at the ascending portion of the track the bars 20 Swing forwardly and thereby move the casings C toward upended position.

This arrangement is such that the articles enter the bath bottom first and must likewise ascend out of the bath bottom first. This feature, together with the diagonal positioning of each of the articles, enables a proper filling and emptying of the articles with heated liquid as they traverse the length of the bath. It is very desirable that eacharticle be completelyemptied of any of the bath liquid so as to minimize the likelihood of the adherence of any of the salts thereto'.

The fused salt bath 14 may be of any suitable construction and include a central container 35 for the liquid, a refractorylining 31 'and an outer brick or ceramic material 32. The bath 33 may be made up of any suitable fused salts such, for example, as that disclosed in my own issued Patent No. 2,059,468.

Any suitable means may be employed for heating up the fused salts to maintain the same in heated liquid form suitable for the heat conditioning desired. The extent to which the bath is heated depends upon the character of the steel being treated, although, for illustration, excellent results may be attained by maintaining the bath at a temperature of about 1250 F.

The time during which the casings are in the bath depends upon the size of thecasing and the character of the steel, although it should only require a few minutes &783362 *3 to effect the "conditonng as "distinguished 'from `hours now used in a heated atmosphere type furnace.

Refem'ngto Figures 4 and 5 in more detail, it will be observed that 'the article 'carrying means of the present inventioncomprises'a flat hanger' 'bar`j2-1, a"first red-like arm '24having a rearwardly and downwardly extending portion terminating in. an'inturned extremity 26 adapted for engaging in the open 'endof a cup-shaped article and having an oblique opposite 'endjportion 40 securedto the broad face 'of the'barzl, the downwar'dly extending portion' of` the' arm 24-eXtending obliquely to the plane of' the bar, The article holding means also .includes a second red-like arn25 Secured to 'thelbroad faceof the bar'21`at 'an obliquely extending end .portion "42 and fonned 'into an eye`27 through which the cup-'shaped article 'is'adapted to extend, ,the eyehaving a longitudinal member 28"w`ith a' turned extremity 29 adapted to abut the 'closed'end of the`;ar ticle carried at its open end. by the first arm. By this-means,` the horizontal orientation of the articleis eifectively controlled, the lower portion 43 of the arm24 cooperating with the inturnedcextremity 26 to' retain the" open end ofthe article against vertical movement and the eye 27 substanti allyretaining the closed end of the article against lvertical movement,-while the portion 44 of the arm 24 pr'events movement' of ,the article in one axial direction. and the turnedvextremity 29 prevents movement' of the article in the .other axial direction. V,

'As se'en'in 'Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6, 'the eye27`is :of a 'somewhat larger diameter than the VarticleCso 'thatthe open end of the article can' be inserted 'through the. eye 27and into'engagement with the turned extremity 26 'whilethe closed'end is then lowered into engagement with the turned extremity-29. Alternatively, of course, the'closd endmay be inserted through the eye`27in the oppo'site'direction riding over' the turned extremity-29 to allow the'open end of the article to be engaged with the turned extremity 26.

`It will be understood that modifications andvvariations may be eifected without departing from the scope of the nove] concepts of the present invention.

I claim`as my invention:

1. Article support means ,comprising a' flat ;hanger bar, a first red-like arm having a rearwardly and downwardly extending portion'terminating in an inturned extremity for engagng theinterier wall portion ofran open ended' cylindric al'article torsupport thearticle. at one end againstdownward movement and against axial movement in one direction while leaving thetopen end substantially unobstructed, said first radi-like arm having an opposite end portion 'Secured to said bar, anda second rod-like arm secured at oneend to :said bar and formed into,an'eye' througlrwhich the article ,is adapted to ;ex-

position ofthe inturned extremity of, said first 'rod like arm'and having a turned-up extremity adapted to' abut the other end of the article whensaid article is resting in said eye and on said inturned' extremity; ther'eby preventing axial movement of the article in` either direction.

2. Article supportmeans comprising a firstarnhaving a-lateral. projection for engaging'within anopen'ing -in one end of acylindrical:article-Land .a second arm "theretdforbtting the other end of the article, said eye being of larger cross-section than said article and the upward projection on said longitudinal extension being of relatively small upward extent whereby said eye and upward projection accommodate insertion of the article through the eye and over the upward projection to permit engagement of the said one end of the article with said first arm and accommodate axial confinement of the article between the first arm and said projection after engagement of the one end with the first arm to .thereby prevent horizontal movement 'of the article relative'to the said arms.

3. A hanger for a cup-shaped article of generally constant external diameter having an open end and a closed end, comprising a first arm having an extremity of crosssection small in comparison with the interior crosssection of the article 'and engaging an interier `wall portionof the ,article at the open end thereof when 'the articlej is placed' in generally horizontal position, andja second arm carried with said'first arm and encircling at least a major portion of said article adjacent the closed end `thereof. and of rigid non-expansible Construction to limit lateral 'or' vertical movement of the article within the'secondarm, thesecond arm having a longitudinally extendingmemberrigidly Secured to the encircling portion thereof andhavng a short upward projectionabutting the closed 'end of the article to prevent axal 'displacemeht of "the article ,out of engagement 'withthe extremity of saidfirst arm, and means connected to said first and second arms 'for rigidly interconnecting and supporting said arms, the encir'cling of said second arm being suliicien'tly free to permit vertically upward movement of 'said articleto a position above said shortupward projection' to permt axial disengagement of said article from the said extremity and from the hanger.

`4. In combination with a hanger bar, means for .supporting a 'cylindrical article having an open end ina fixed relation to saidhanger har comprising, a" first arm Secured to said hanger bar' and extending across one wall ofsaid article and turned into the open endofsaid article for supporting the article, against axial ?movement in'onedirection and against downward movement of said open end, a second arm Secured to said .hanger bar and having portions extending horizontally and vertically for supporting the article adjacent theotherend ,thereof againstllateraland downward movemenna third arm ,Secured to-said second arm and extendinglaterally away from said first arm and having an upwardly extending portion forengaging the other end? ofthearticle toretain the article against axial displacement .in .the .other dire'ction' without impeding upward movementof the article' to a position above said upwardly extending portion `of the third arm ,to thereby permit disengagement of the article therefrom to permit axial movementiof therartcle 'away-from said first arm andtherebypermit 'generally axial removal of said articlefrom .said supporting means.

;ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,()82,808` Hubbard Dec. 30, '1913 1,`187,189 Shell 'June 13, 1916 1,'192,170 Devenny July 26, 1916 1226355 B'radley May 22, 1917 1,4S,O,829' Moran Jan. 15,- 1924 13415937 v Hill 'Dec. 31,1929 `:13792049 Krueger Mar. -31, 1931 `11326310 Morishita Oct. 13, ^l931