GB1165910A - Improvements in or relating to Conveyor Systems - Google Patents

Abstract

1,165,910. Conveyer systems; track apparatus. GEO. W. KING Ltd. 14 Dec., 1967 [14 Dec., 1966], No. 56085/66. Headings B7L and B7N. In a conveyer system of the kind in which wheeled load-carrying trolleys, e.g. T, Fig. 1, are supported on a floor, and each trolley has an upstanding mast 10, 12, engageable with abutment means on an overhead driven chain (not shown), the mast 10, 12 is downwardly retractable against a spring 13 to disconnect the mast from the chain when a roller 16, on an arm 17 pivoted to the trolley and connected by a pin-and-slot connection 17a to the part 12 of the mast, engages a ramp 15 movable into an operative position shown in full lines, at a trolley holding station. The mast has a roller 10a adapted at position A to co-operate with guide rails associated with the drive chain and to be disconnected from the chain at position B. The mast may be moved manually to a disengaged position C by means of a locking bolt 14 as described with reference to Fig. 2 (not shown). The trolley also has a safety bar 18 mounted on an arm 19 pivoted to a bracket 20 on the trolley and connected by a link 21, fixed to the arm 19, and a pin-and-slot connection 22 to the part 12 of the mast, whereby when the bar 18 abuts an obstructing trolley the mast is disconnected from the drive chain. Trolleys are divertable into any one of a number of different branch lines by switch points operable by a selector mechanism. The latter comprises a circular plate 23, Fig. 3, slidable on the mast part 10 into selected positions by a rod 24 having a finger 25 engageable with slots in a selector plate 26 on the trolley. At each of selected stations associated with the switch points and at differing levels corresponding to the settings of the plate there is provided a pair of light sources 27 focused on to a photo-electric cell 28. When both light beams are interrupted by the plate 23 the cell 28 will be effective to give a signal to actuate the associated switch point. The passage of a mast past the light sources will result in the interruption of only one light beam at a time and thus will not cause operation of a switch point.