US2847944A - Cross-over switch - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 19, 1958 Filed Aug. 30, 1957 5. LE FIELL CROSS-OVER swrrcn 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 2,847,944 Patented Aug. 19, 1958 i 2,847,944 CROSS-OVER SWITCH Sidney Le Fiell, San Francisco, Calif. Application August 30, 1957, Serial No. 681,317 1 Claim. (Cl. 104-100) This invention relates to improvements in switches and has particular reference to overhead switches such as are used on conveyor systems, particularly in warehouses, cold storage plants, slaughter houses, and the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an automatic switch whereby a carrier proceeding along the track will enter and operate a switch mechanism permitting the carrier to continue on its way across a track positioned at substantially right angles thereto.

Another object is to provide a mechanism wherein it is impossible for the carrier to run off of the end of the track at a point of intersection.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numbers are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a top plan view of my cross-over switch;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, portions thereof being broken away and showing the cross over, as for instance from front to rear of the drawing; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the cross-over switch as arranged for travel from one side of the drawing to the other.

In slaughter houses, cold storage plants and the like, it is common practice to hang sides of beef or other meat products from books suspended from flanged wheels which travel along overhead tracks suspended from the ceiling.

It is often necessary to provide for a cross-over arrangement wherein two tracks on the same level pass each other and at substantially right angles to each other. Heretofore it has been the custom to employ pivoted switches which are manually operated to accommodate for the travel in whatever direction is desired. It has often occurred that through negligence or the wrong setting of the switch that the rollers would roll off the end of the track or would jam and bend portions thereof so that major repairs had to be made.

Applicant has therefore devised a cross-over arrangement wherein such difliculties are avoided. In the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numerals 5 and 6 designate track sections of the switch unit traveling in one direction, and the numerals 7 and 8 designate similar track sections of the switch unit and arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to the sections 5 and 6.

In order to maintain these sections in proper alignment, applicant provides a supporting framework 9 having depending arms 11, 12, 13 and 14. It is of course obvious that continuing tracks are secured to the ends of the sections 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that applicant has secured to section 5 an ofliset bracket 16 which has pivoted thereto a lever 17 which lever in turn is secured to a switch section 18 through the medium of a bracket 19. A similar switch section 21 is secured through the medium of a bracket 22 to a lever 23 pivoted to the section 6 by a bracket 24.

In order to actuate each of these sections 18 and 21 applicant provides a cross-rod 26 pivoted to the support 9 as at 27 and 28, which rod has levers 29 and 31 secured thereto whereby pull rods 32 and 33 extend between the levers 29 and 17 respectively, and the levers 31 and 23 respectively.

Similar switch sections 34 and 36 are pivotally secured to the rail sections 7 and 8 and are in turn actuated by pull rods 37 and 38 in the same manner as that described for the switch sections 18 and 21.

The cross rod 39 similar to the cross rod 26 has levers 41 and 42 which are connected to the pull rods 37 and 38. The cross rod 26 has a finger 43 extending therefrom and adapted to engage a finger 44 connected to the cross rod 39.

The result of this construction is that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, a wheeled carrier may proceed in either direction over the track sections 7 and 8 and switch sections 34 or 36, thus passing from one rail section to the other.

When a wheeled carrier is moving, as for instance on the section 5, it will engage the switch section 18, moving it in a downward direction to the position shown in Fig. 3 and in so doing pull on the pull rod 32 will cause the lever 29 to rotate the rod 26, thus lowering the switch section 21, and at the same time the finger 43 will press upon the finger 44, thus rotating the rod 39, actuating the levers 41 and 42, pull rods 37 and 38 and thus pivoted the switch sections 34 and 36 upwardly and into the position as shown in Fig. 3.

The wheeled carrier may be moved across the switch sections 18 and 21 on to the track section 6 and proceed upon its way. It will be noted in Fig. 2 that applicant has shown at 46 a stop, one of which is attached to each of the depending arms and will limit the upward movement of each of the pivoted switch portions.

It is apparent that no matter which direction the carrier moves, it will engage which ever switch sections are open, thus closing the gap between one rail section and the next rail section in alignment therewith and thus allowing for transit and preventing any possibility of the carrier falling off and spilling its load. The switch unit is supported by being bolted or otherwise fastened to the end of the main tracks to which the unit is attached.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

It will 'be seen that my invention will accomplish all of the objects above set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A cross-over switch for suspended tracks and comprising a unit having a substantially rectangular supporting frame, depending arms carried by said frame, track sections securedto the lower ends of each of said arms, two of said track sections being in end to end alignment, the other of said track sections being in end to end alignment and angularly spaced with relation to said first mentioned aligned track sections, all of said track sections lying in the same horizontal plane, a switch section pivoted to each of said track sections whereby the lowering downwardly pivotal action of a set of two switch sections on aligned track sections will form a continuous track for a carrier, and linkage connecting all of said switch sections, said linkage comprising a pair of pivoted cross-bars carried by said frame, a finger carried by each of said cross-bars and adapted to engage each other and a pull rod pivotally connected to each switch section and to a lever formed on said cross-bars whereby the moving to close one set of switch members will actuate said crossbars to effect an opening of the other set of switch sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,535,541 LeFiell Dec. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,713 Great Britain Nov. 23, 1901

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