US3621980A

US3621980A - Conveyors

Info

Publication number: US3621980A
Application number: US5490A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh L Folkes
Original assignee: Dunlop Co Ltd
Current assignee: Dunlop Co Ltd
Priority date: 1969-02-04
Filing date: 1970-01-26
Publication date: 1971-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-23
Also published as: GB1311844A; FR2059993B1; DE2004864A1; FR2059993A1; SE367986B; JPS4818790B1

Abstract

A variable speed conveyor on which passengers or goods are accelerated or decelerated between high-speed zones and low-speed zones, the conveyor comprising pairs of complementary curved elements arranged to slide relative to one another.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Hugh L. Folkes St. Leonards-On-Sea, England 5,490

Jan. 26, 1970 Nov. 23, 1971 The Dunlop Company Limited London, England Great Britain Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority CONVEYORS 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

us. cu...- 198/110 865g 21/12 1 1m nova 2' l 2 v I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,783 10/1905 Adkins et a1 198/1 10 X 1,973,750 9/1934 De Kay .1 198/181 X 3,433,176 3/1969 Fujita 104/25 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,127,433 9/1968 Great Britain 198/110 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant ExaminerHadd S. Lane Anorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher ABSTRACT: A variable speed conveyor on which passengers or goods are accelerated or decelerated between high-speed zones and low-speed zones, the conveyor comprising pairs of complementary curved elements arranged to slide relative to one another.

the conveyor having high- CONVEYORS This invention relates to conveyors and in particular to variable speed conveyors for the carrying of passengers or goods.

It has been proposed to form a variable speed conveyor from a plurality of oblong rectangular plates or platforms held adjacent to one another, when carrying passengers or goods, and slow-speed zones. The mean direction of travel of the conveyor in the slow-speed zone is normal to the longitudinal axis of the platforms or plates. To increase speed, the platforms slide in relation to one another along their long sides and the mean direction of travel of the conveyor is altered, being at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the platforms, the angle being dependent upon the extent of relative sliding of the platforms. To decrease speed from the fastto the slow speed, the sliding movement and direction of travel is the opposite to that described above.

According to the invention, a variable speed conveyor comprises a plurality of pairs of elongated conveyor elements, each element having two long side edges and two shorter side edges, the elements of each pair being capable of being arranged in sliding edge-to-edge engagement with each other to form a load-carrying surface, one element of each pair having a convex curved long side edge, the other element of each pair having a concave curved long side edge for sliding engagement with said convex side edge.

The invention will be understood by the following description of certain embodiments, by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a short section of a conveyor, illustrating pairs of conveyor elements, and with one element separated to illustrate a jointing device;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a conveyor illustrating the transition from slow speed to high speed;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a conveyor system using a conveyor in accordance with the present invention in combination with embarking and disembarking belts or conveyors;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a conveyor system using a belt conveyor as the main conveyor and conveyors in accordance with the present invention as embarking and disembarking conveyor s, and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a horizontal turn round of a conveyor in accordance with the present invention, and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a horizontal bend.

As seen in FIG. I, a conveyor 10 comprises pairs of conveyor elements 11 and 12. Each element, which is in the form of a platform, is of elongated or oblong plan form with short and long sides. Considering one pair of elements 11 and 12 each element has short sides Band 14. Ofthe long sides, each element has one straight long side 15. These straight long sides slidingly cooperate with similar straight long sides of adjacent pairs of elements. Each element also has a curved long side, one element, [1 in the present example, having a concave long side 16 and the other element I2 having a convex long side 17. The curvatures of the sides 16 and 17 are the same and the two sides 16 and I7 slidingly cooperate.

The platforms are-supported by any convenient means, for example wheels or rollers, not shown, running on a flat surface. The elements are guided by guide wheels 20 and 21 mounted beneath the elements to rotate about vertical axes. In the example illustrated two guide wheels 20 are mounted on each element 12, toward each short side 13 and 14, while one guide wheel 21 is mounted on each element 11. The guide wheels 20 and 21 engage with guide rails 22and 23 respectively. If desired, one guide wheel can be provided for each element, at opposite ends.

The platforms are connected at the straight long sides by hinge means comprising tubular hinge members 24 at each end of the side 15 of element 12 and a tubular hinge member 25 at the center of the side 15 of element 11. A pivot pin 26 passes through the hinge members 24 and 25. The hinge permits movement of one element relative to another about a horizontal axis. Also the axial length of the hinge member 25 is less than the gap between hinge members 24, permitting relative sideways sliding of elements 11 relative to elements 12.

The elements, or platforms, may be driven by various means. For example toothed racks (not shown) may be attached to the under surface of each element, and engaged by toothed wheels positioned where the elements are so relatively positioned that the racks are in alignment, for example at the low-speed zone. Other forms of driving means can readily be provided.

The elements, or platforms, are also slidingly connected on their curved long sides by suitable joints, for example dove-tail joints as indicated at 27. Various forms of sliding connection between the elements of a pair can be provided, and the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 is by way of example only.

FIG. 2 illustrates the variation in relative positions of elements, or platforms, as the conveyor passes through the transition from the slow speed zone to the high-speed zone. In FIG. 2, the conveyor is moving from left to right. As the platforms 11 and 12 move, the guide-rails 22 and 23 (FIG. 1) by engagement with the guide wheels 20 and 21 (FIG. 1) cause lateral sliding of the platforms relative to each other. Because of the curved sides 16 and 17, this lateral sliding results in the platfonns taking up an inclined position, as the relative sliding of one element of a pair relative to the other, along the curved long sides, produces an angular variation in the attitude of the platforms. The combined sliding on the straight long sides and on the curved long sides enables the platforms to move from a position at which they extend normal to the direction of movement at the slow zone, to a position at which the platforms extend at an inclination to the direction of movement, at the high-speed zone. The elements, or platforms, of each pair have their short sides level at the slow speed zone and at the high-speed zone. Also the long sides of the elements are parallel at the slow speed zone and at the high-speed zone. Between these zones occurs the related sliding and turning and in the transition zone, the long sides of the elements of a pair are not parallel, the relative inclination varying along the zone from a minimum to a maximum and back to a minimum. The actual width of the conveyor for passengers is indicated by lines 29, which, for example could be handrails and support panels.

FIG. 3 illustrates a conveyor system in which the main conveyor 30 is of platforms, of the form of FIG. I, and loading, and unloading, of the main conveyor 30 is by

belt conveyors

31 and 32. The belt 31 is the loading belt, and access is provided at 33. Depending on whether the main conveyor 30 is at the same level, as the access 33, or higher or lower, the access can be a level platform or a ramp or stairs. The belt 31 moves at a constant speed, corresponding to the speed of conveyor 30 at its slow speed zone.

Belt 32 also moves at a constant speed corresponding to the speed of conveyor 30 at its slow-speed zone and an exit 34 is provided, being a level platform, ramp or stairs as required.

It may be desirable to provide a safety exit for the loading belt 31. Thus for passengers, if the main conveyor 30 is very crowded, passengers unable to move on the main conveyor 30 can move off the belt 31 by an exit 35.

A deceleration zone 36 occurs before loading

belts

30 and 31,

belts

30 and 31.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative arrangement, in which a main, high-speed, conveyor 40 is of belt form. The main conveyor 40 moves at a constant high speed and loading and unloading, of the conveyor 40 is by a conveyor 41 in accordance with the present invention. In this instance, the conveyor 41 is arranged to move round curves and comprises a slow speed entry zone 42, an accelerator zone 43, a constant speed highspeed zone 44, a deceleration zone 45 and a slow speed exit zone 46. The conveyor 41 is endless and at the end of the slow-speed zone 46 the platforms rotate about a horizontal axis, turning through and return to the slow-speed entry zone 42, following a path similar to that through

zones

45, 44 and 43. The high-speed zone moves at substantially the same speed as the main conveyor 40.

the loading and unand an acceleration zone 37 after the FIG. 5 illustrates an arrangement for the end of a conveyor, in which the platforms move round a bend, in a horizontal plane, to return in an opposite direction. Conveyor 50 is moving at its high speed at 51, moves through a deceleration zone 52, passes round the curve 53 to an acceleration zone 54 and then to the return high-speed zone at 55. Exit and entry positions are provided at 56 and 57. These can comprise stationary platforms below which the conveyor moves, as in conventional belt conveyors and escalators. The radius of the curve 53 will depend upon the amount of relative movement between the elements of a pair and on the radius of curvature of the curved long sides of the elements or platforms.

The particular construction of the conveyor enables horizontal curves to be negotiated as well as vertical curves. This is illustrated in FIG. 6. It will be seen that relative lateral sliding between pairs of elements 11 and 12 occurs as they, travel round the curve. Handrails and support panels which define the sides of the conveyor are indicated at 29, as in FIG. 2.

In a further embodiment, not illustrated, a conveyor system may incorporate a main conveyor, having a high-speed zone and a low-speed zone, a first subsidiary conveyor of the kind illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 positioned alongside the slowspeed zone of the main conveyor and a second subsidiary conveyor of the kind illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 positioned alongside the high-speed zone of the main conveyor to provide entry to and exit from the high-speed zone of the main conveyor.

In another embodiment, not illustrated, a conveyor system may comprise two main constant-speed load-transporting conveyors arranged to travel at different speeds and at least one subsidiary conveyor comprising a conveyor of the kind illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 having a relatively low-speed zone positioned adjacent the lower speed main conveyor and a relatively high-speed zone positioned alongside the higher speed main conveyor.

The top surfaces of the platforms can be ribbed, to cooperate with combs at entry and exit, in the conventional manner. Conveyors in accordance with the present invention can be used for conveying passengers and/or freight, and the rate of acceleration, and deceleration, can be made suitable for the particular use of the conveyor.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A variable speed conveyor, comprising: a plurality of pairs of elongated conveyor elements, each element having two long side edges and two shorter side edges, one element of each pair having a convex curved long side edge, the other element of each pair having a complementary concave curved long side edge for sliding engagement with the said convex curved edge, the other long side of each element being straight; means for connecting the elements of each pair to permit lateral sliding ofone element relative to the other along said curved sides; means for connecting the pairs of elements to adjacent pairs at the straight long sides to permit lateral relative sliding of the adjacent elements of adjacent pairs; and guide means for the elements mounted beneath the elements, the guide means controlling the lateral sliding of the elements and also including means to change the angle between the direction of the straight side edges of the elements and the direction of the path of the conveyor in the variable speed portion of the conveyor so that the angle is smaller in the higher speed portion than in the slower speed portion.

2. A conveyor as claimed in claim I, wherein the means connecting the elements of each pair comprises joint means permitting relative lateral sliding of the elements.

3. A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for connecting the pairs of elements to adjacent pairs comprises pivotal joint means permitting lateral sliding of the element of one pair relative to the adjacent element of the adjacent pair and also permitting rotation about an axis parallel to the straight long sides.

4. A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, the guide means comprising rails, and wheels mounted on the elements for cooperation with the rails.

5. A conveyor as claimed in claim I, at least part of the conveyor being arranged so that the elements travel in a horizontal plane around a bend.

6. A conveyor system for conveying loads, comprising; a main load transporting conveyor and at least one subsidiary conveyor for providing entry to, and exit from, said main eonveyor, the main conveyor comprising a conveyor as claimed in claim 1, and having at least one high-speed zone, and at least one slow-speed zone, the subsidiary conveyor positioned alongside the slow-speed zone of the main conveyor.

7. A conveyor system according to claim 6, comprising a second subsidiary conveyor to provide entry to and exit from the high-speed zone of the main conveyor.

8. A conveyor system for conveying loads comprising; a main constant-speed load-transporting conveyor and at least one subsidiary conveyor for providing entry to, and exit from said main conveyor, the subsidiary conveyor comprising a conveyor as claimed in claim 1, and having a first low-speed zone, a high-speed zone, and a second low-speed zone, the high-speed zone positioned alongside the main conveyor.

9. A conveyor system for conveying loads comprising two main constant-speed load-transporting conveyors arranged to travel at different speeds and at least one subsidiary conveyor comprising a conveyor as claimed in claim I, having a relatively low-speed zone positioned alongside the lower speed main conveyor and a relatively high-speed zone positioned alongside the higher speed main conveyor.

10. A conveyor system for conveying loads, comprising; a conveyor as claimed in claim I, the conveyor having at least one main high-speed section, and at least a low-speed section, and platform means extending over the conveyor at the lowspeed zone for entry on to, and exit from, the conveyor.

Claims

1. A variable speed conveyor, comprising: a plurality of pairs of elongated conveyor elements, each element having two long side edges and two shorter side edges, one element of each pair having a convex curved long side edge, the other element of each pair having a complementary concave curved long side edge for sliding engagement with the said convex curved edge, the other lonG side of each element being straight; means for connecting the elements of each pair to permit lateral sliding of one element relative to the other along said curved sides; means for connecting the pairs of elements to adjacent pairs at the straight long sides to permit lateral relative sliding of the adjacent elements of adjacent pairs; and guide means for the elements mounted beneath the elements, the guide means controlling the lateral sliding of the elements and also including means to change the angle between the direction of the straight side edges of the elements and the direction of the path of the conveyor in the variable speed portion of the conveyor so that the angle is smaller in the higher speed portion than in the slower speed portion.

2. A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means connecting the elements of each pair comprises joint means permitting relative lateral sliding of the elements.

5. A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, at least part of the conveyor being arranged so that the elements travel in a horizontal plane around a bend.

6. A conveyor system for conveying loads, comprising; a main load transporting conveyor and at least one subsidiary conveyor for providing entry to, and exit from, said main conveyor, the main conveyor comprising a conveyor as claimed in claim 1, and having at least one high-speed zone, and at least one slow-speed zone, the subsidiary conveyor positioned alongside the slow-speed zone of the main conveyor.

9. A conveyor system for conveying loads comprising two main constant-speed load-transporting conveyors arranged to travel at different speeds and at least one subsidiary conveyor comprising a conveyor as claimed in claim 1, having a relatively low-speed zone positioned alongside the lower speed main conveyor and a relatively high speed zone positioned alongside the higher speed main conveyor.

10. A conveyor system for conveying loads, comprising; a conveyor as claimed in claim 1, the conveyor having at least one main high-speed section, and at least a low-speed section, and platform means extending over the conveyor at the low-speed zone for entry on to, and exit from, the conveyor.