초록 ▼

A conveyor system in which loads supported by forwardly driven carriers of an overhead power and free conveyor are automatically transferred to a second conveyor arranged below the overhead conveyor at a transfer zone and driven at the same forward speed. The vertical spacing between the overhead an

A conveyor system in which loads supported by forwardly driven carriers of an overhead power and free conveyor are automatically transferred to a second conveyor arranged below the overhead conveyor at a transfer zone and driven at the same forward speed. The vertical spacing between the overhead and second conveyors is decreased from a greater spacing at which a load is engaged and supported by downwardly extending structure of a carrier to a lesser spacing at which the load is disengaged from the carrier structure and is supported by the second conveyor. As the disengaged carrier and load move forwardly in unison on their respective overhead and second conveyors, the carrier is engaged and moved by a transfer conveyor obliquely to the second conveyor at an increased speed such that the carrier continues to move forwardly in unison with the load while simultaneously moving laterally out of alignment therewith.

대표청구항 ▼

In a conveyor system having an overhead conveyor including a carrier track, a plurality of carriers each including a forward and a rearward trolley mounted on the carrier track, a power track positioned adjacent to the carrier track, and driven power means carried by the power track for moving the c

In a conveyor system having an overhead conveyor including a carrier track, a plurality of carriers each including a forward and a rearward trolley mounted on the carrier track, a power track positioned adjacent to the carrier track, and driven power means carried by the power track for moving the carriers along the carrier track in a forward direction, the improvement wherein: each carrier is provided with a load supporting structure suspended from said trolleys and having forward and rearward portions extending downwardly and adapted to be engageable with and disengageable from front and rear portions of a load in response to relative vertical movement between said carrier and load portions; a second conveyor is arranged in longitudinally parallel relation with and is spaced vertically below said overhead conveyor at a load transfer zone, means for driving said second conveyor in synchronism with said power means of said overhead conveyor, said overhead and second conveyors having a vertical spacing which changes through said transfer zone between a greater spacing at which a load is engaged and supported by said forward and rearward portions of a carrier and a lesser spacing at which said forward and rearward portions of a carrier are disengaged from such load and such load is supported by said second conveyor; and carrier positioning means is operative at said lesser vertical spacing for moving a carrier laterally between an aligned position and a clearance position relative to a load, said carrier positioning means comprising a pair of parallel carrier track portions extending obliquely relative to said second conveyor and adapted to support said forward and rearward load carrying trolleys of each carrier, transfer power means associated with one of said parallel carrier track portions for moving each carrier therealong, and means for driving said transfer power means in synchronism with said power means and at a speed proportional to the speed of said second conveyor and to the obliquity between said parallel track portions and said second conveyor whereby relative movement between a carrier on said parallel track portions and a load on said second conveyor is substantially confined to lateral movement.