GB1312094A - Conveyor system - Google Patents

Abstract

1312094 Endless conveyer systems for supplying work stations H W MARLOW 17 Nov 1971 [19 Nov 1970] 55003/70 Heading B8A Work containers 34 are conveyed on a conveyer belt 20 to a vacant one of a plurality of work surfaces 33. A vacancy at a surface 33 is indicated by a lamp (not shown) on an indicator panel by the action of a spring loaded auxiliary surface member 37. The latter also actuates, via a Bowden cable 61, the movement of an arm 45 (Figs. 5 and 6) to an operative position in which it is able to transmit movement from an operating rod 47. The arm 45 is connected to a plough member 39, and movement of the rod 47 against a return spring (60) (Fig. 18, not shown), causes the plough to be swung out into an operative (container discharging) position. The arm 39 is displaced back to its inoperative position by the action of the container engaging a portion 39c of the plough member, assisted by the gravity action of a rising-butt type hinge mechanism 40, 42 (Fig. 5). The operating rod 47 is actuated by the operator energizing a cylinder or solenoid 63 (Fig. 9, not shown). The rod 47 acts via pivoted rods 52, 53 (Fig. 5), the rod 52 having a pin 59 which is engageable with a forked portion of the arm 45 (when the latter is in its operative position). In a modification (Figs. 10-14, not shown), there are two operating rods (69), (69) respective to the plough members on each side of the conveyer. These are operated by the action of an electric moto (72) (Fig. 14, not shown). Each rod (69) is connected to the motor (72) via a respective rotating disc (76) having a notch (76a) for operation of a microswitch (84). This stops the motor (72) at the end of the travel of the rods (69), (69). In operation, when the operator sees from the panel that there are work stations without containers, he actuates the rod 47 (or rods (69), (69)), and this puts the respective plough members in operative position. He then loads the conveyer with the appropriate number of containers which are carried round and successively ploughed off at the vacant stations.