US2021505A - Traveling worktable and supply rack - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 19, 1935. H. A. GREEN 2,021,505

TRAVELING WORKTABLE AND SUI PLY RACK Filed Nov. 30, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 HIM m k. INVENTOR.

ARRY A. GREEN A TTORNEYS.

1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 19, 1935. H, A. GREEN TRAVELING WORKTABLE AND SUPPLY RACK Filed Nov. 50,

Nov. 19, 1935. H. A. GREEN 2,021,505

TRAVELING WORKTABLE AND SUPPLY RACK Filed Nov. 50, 1934 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 F1 5. J/W INVENTOR. q HARR YA. GREEN M WM ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES tenses:

FATENT Q-F-F-IQE TRAVELING WORKTABLE AND SUPPLY RACK 5 Claims.

This invention relates to conveyor apparatus and more particularly to a type which renders possible continuous flow production of various articles of manufacture and particularly furniture.

One of the-principal objects of the invention is the provision of apparatus of this character which may be arranged and operated in a continuous tortuous path either from end to end or side to side of a building or from one building to or through any number of others. Moreover, the apparatus is likewise equally adaptable to intercommunicate between buildings or floor spaces of different levels, whereby articles being dealt with may be conveyed from floor to floor throughout the height of a building. Likewise the work, being handled by the conveyor may be directed to pass a permanent inspectors station which greatly facilitates inspecting the work as compared with conventional conveyors of the so called straight line type wherein the inspector or supervisor is compelled to follow the work from end to end thereof to observe the condition of the articles in their various stages of manufacture.

Another object is the provision of means for causing the apparatus to travel smoothly at all speeds with no operating pulsations whatever in the operating mechanisms and particularly the power transmission means for the traveling tables upon which the work is conveyed.

Still another object is the provision of means enabling a workman to accomplish a maximum days work with a minimum amount offatigue. This same means-enabling a workman to remain at his permanent station to which all necessary supplies are conveyed .and brought within his convenient reach.

By arranging the apparatus, as above pointed out, through a predetermined course, the articles may be conveyed over what might be termed an idle portion where sufiicient traveling time is allotted them for spray painting, drying, etc.

A still further object of the: invention is the provision of means for regulating the operating r: speed of the conveyor, which may vary according to the work being dealt with, from approximately eighteen inches to eighteen feet per minute. Throughout its entire operative speed range a minimum of power is required due to the provision of new and novel power transmissionmeans working in conjunction with sheaves relatively large in diameter to provide low degree curves at the turns to thus reduce the bending stresses on the conveyor cable. These curves are also made cars to negotiate the turns over or around the sheaves, which sheaves .are provided on their upper surfaces with a circular carrying plateto receive the cars as they leave one of the tracks which is arranged tangentially of the sheave at 5- its approach and departure.

One of the other important features of the invention is the provision of means for tightening the operating cables in the direction of their length and providing extensible joints in the 10" Figure 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of the upper portion of- Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary viewof a typical section of track used inmy conveyor, and showing particularly the extensible joints in the 30 track.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view showing in top plan one of the pivots upon which the sheaves are rotatably mounted, and also showing in asso-- ciation therewith, adjusting means for tightening the conveyor cable in the direction of its length.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of Figure 5, and in this view is also shown a'portion of the track supported by the structure.

Figure '7is a side: elevation of the pivot and its channel formation. These tracks are held in proper spaced relation with respect to each other at regular intervals by ties or transverse members 4. At these same points, legs or supports are provided and are secured at their uppermost ends to the ties 4. To stabilize the tracks I provide struts 6 which are secured to the under side of the tracks as at I and to the legs as at 8. To each of the ties 4 I rotatably mount a pulley 9 by means of brackets I!) to support .an endless cable I I which runs centrally of the track and on substantially the same plane therewith throughout its length.

As previously pointed out, the conveyor may be arranged in any direction and through any degrees of .a circle in view of certain new and novel instrumentalities to be more fully hereinafter pointed out. At each of the turns regardless of its degree, I provide sheaves l2 which may be of a single or double flanged type and which are in the form of a wheel l3 provided on its upper surface with a carrying plate l4 which rotates with the wheel. The surface of this carrying plate lies in the same plane with that of the track. The outer periphery of each sheave is formed with a cable receiving groove I5 which also lies substantialy in the same plane as that of the track and which is adapted to receive the cable tangentially from the center of the track. This also means that the periphery of the sheave is tangentially in alignment with the center line of the track. These sheaves are rotatably mounted on shafts I6 which, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, are mounted on supporting structures, generally indicated at IT. Each of the these supporting structures consists of a base l8 of channel formation provided at each of its ends with transverse angle bars 19 which extend beyond the side walls of the base it. Superimposed upon the base I8 is a superstructure 20 supporting a bearing plate 2| upon which one surface of the sheave is rotatably supported. The uppermost end of the shaft I6 is provided with any suitable form of retaining disc, or its equivalent, for maintaining the sheave on the shaft.

This sheave supporting structure is associated with the adjusting, or cable tightening mechanism which consists of two channel members 23 and 24 which are held apart in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other by means of angle bars 25. The spacing between the channel members 23 and 24 is substantialy equal to the width of the base member if: which is adapted to be slidably embraced by these channel members in such a position that the overhanging portions of the angle bars l9, disposed at opposite ends of the base, may ride upon the top flanges of the channel members 23 and 24, while the sides of the base member iii are slidably disposed between the channel members 23 and 24.

To one leg of one of the angle bars I9 I rigidly secure an internally threaded nut 26 which is adapted to threadedly receive an elongated threaded shaft 2'! which extends through a collar 28 which is secured to the upright leg of the angle bar 2'5, and terminates in an actuating head 29, which is provided with recesses 30 to receive a rod or the like (not shown) for actuating purposes. Upon rotation of the threaded shaft 27 by means of its head 29, either in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, the shaft will advance or retard through the nut 26 and. cause an advancing or retarding of the sheave supporting structure lengthwise of the channel members 23 and 24, which are of course secured to the floor by any suitable means such, for'instance as, lag screws, bolts or the like.

The tracks 2 and 3, as previously pointed out, are superimposed above the sheave supporting structure just described and are thus supported 5 by means of standards 3 l, 32, 33 and 34, by mounting to, and extending upwardly from, a pair of longitudinally parallel channel members 35 and 36 which are secured to the superstructure 253 by means of bolts or the like as at til, the standard 1 32 being mounted to the base i 8 by means of one of the angle bars i9 transversely disposed thereon. By this arrangement it is apparent that in the adjusting operations the track and sheave support will move together as a unit.

To permit simultaneous take-up of the cable and the track, I provide extensible joints in the tracks generally indicated at 38 which consist of an enlarged portion 39 of one track of suffipient width to slidably support the end of the companion track, as best illustrated in Figure 4.

Any one of the sheave supporting structures may be provided with the take-up mechanism where its use would be most effective in tightening the cable, but in such places throughout the system where the take-up mechanism is not required, a single standard, as shown in Figure 7 may be used.

Power transimssion means for driving the cable and the sheaves is provided through the use of any suitable form of prime mover, such for instance, as an electric motor 40 which is operatively connected through any suitable driving mechanism, such for instance, as a pulley 4i and belt 42, with any approved form of speed reducing mechanism 43, which in turn drives a further train of reduction gears, preferably of the worm and worm gear type, located as at 4-4 and suitably enclosed in any approved form of greasetight housing. Rotatably mounted upon the housing 44 and extending upwardly therefrom is a Vertical shaft 45 operatively engaged at its lowermost end with the driven gear within the housing 44. The shaft 45 performs the function of a drive shaft for the entire conveyor system. 45 At the track level, the shaft 45, which might be termed the driving shaft, is operatively engaged with one of the sheaves 46, which drives the remainder of the sheaves by means-of the endless cable H, which operatively embraces all of the sheaves. The shaft 45 continues on upwardly from the sheave 46, as shown in Figure 2, and is provided at its uppermost end with a driving sprocket wheel 41, to be hereinafter more fully described. 65 Upon the tracks 2 and 3 I provide a plurality of traveling work tables 48 which consist of a car 49 having casters 5% which run along the tracks 2 and 3. Upon the main body of the car 49 I pivotally mount a platform or work table 5! which may be rotated through 360 degrees of a circle in any direction. These platforms carry the work being dealt with and greatly facilitate handling of the work by the workman since the articles may be readily rotated from end to end in either direction to render easy access to all of its sides. These cars are arranged in predetermined spaced relation and are con nected with the tracks by means of a drag-link 52. These cars and their connections with the cables, etc., are best shown and described in my United States Patent No. 1,928,934, dated October 3, 1933 and entitled Traveling work tables. As pointed out in the objects .of the invention, I provide an overhead system of traveling supply racks which are synchronized in their: travel with the travelingwork. tablesso that eaich'table and the workman stationed at its=side*will! have within convenientfireach: a supplyof materials:

To accomplish this end I ar-range an" overhead track 53 which parallelsthe. conveyor tracks. 2 and 3 throughout theirlength. The track: 53

is of I- beam construction to rotatably receive horizontally disposed rollers 54 which by means of downwardly extending brackets 55 are secured to a chain 56 and are held in proper spaced relation therewith. Immediately below each of said brackets I swingably suspend a supply rack 51 consisting of a tray open at one of its ends and formed with side walls 58 and 59, and a back wall 60. The trays are secured to the chain 55 immediately below the brackets 55 by means of hanger straps 6!. These straps may be loosely mounted to the chain 56, or they may be made of sufficiently resilient material to allow them to flex as they follow the course of the track.

The chain 56 operatively embraces a plurality of sprocket wheels 62 which are located and pivotally mounted above each of the sheaves. Immediately above the sheave 45, however, two of these sprocket wheels are provided to accommodate a driving mechanism for the operation of the chain. This driving mechanism consists of a sprocket wheel 53 secured to the driving sprocket wheel 64. The sprocket wheel 63 and its related parts are driven by the sprocket wheel ll through the medium of a sprocket chain 66, as previously pointed out. The sprocket wheel 4'! is keyed or otherwise secured to the uppermost end of the drive shaft 45 so that upon rotation of this shaft, corresponding rotation will be imparted to the sprocket wheel 64 with a resultant travel or operation of the entire supply rack chain 55. All of the overhead sprocket wheels 62 and 64 may be suitably rotatably mounted to, and suspended from, any approved form of overhead structure consisting of conventional longitudinal and transverse beams.

While I have shown my conveyor system laid out in a single horizontal plane, it is to be understood that the system may be directed from one floor level to another or through any number of different levels. This may be readily accomplished by reason of the novel relation of the tracks and conveyor to the sheaves. With the sheaves arranged in a horizontal plane as shown, it is obvious that the system may be arranged and extended through any degrees of a circle by reason of the tangential approach and de parture of the tracks and cable to the sheaves. Likewise, by these same characteristics the system may be, as aforesaid arranged to extend through different levels of operation by tilting the sheaves to either side.

As an aid to directing the cars, or rather their caster wheels from the carrying plate of each sheave back onto the track I extend the outside flange of the track as indicated at 69 and curve it outwardly as shown to function as a deflector in directing the caster wheels back on the track. It is to be understood, of course, that any form of deflector may be used whether it is an integral part of the track or an accessory thereto.

Referring to Figure 1, I provide an endless cable 59A to rotatably embrace two opposed sheaves within the system. This cable serves as an equalizer by absorbing any operating pulsations which would otherwise occur. in; the sys tem: mount-arr adgiustabl'e idling ortightening. pulley indicated at 19. This pulley is pivotally mounted t'o-a fork- H which issecured' to one end of a threaded shaft-l2; The threaded shaft is threadedly supported by an-angle bar l3 mounted on a support? 74, and is-provided with a lockenut '35 for securing the shaft in any of its adjusted positions; The bracket is secured to the floor, or it may be mounted to any convenient part of the structure of the conveyor system.

While I have shown a particular form of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a conveyor having an endless track, an endless cable running parallel with and centrally of the track, rotatably mounted grooved sheaves operatively embraced by said cables, one wall of said grooves being wider than the other Midway between, the sheaves I rotatably.

wall thereof to permit the cable to maintain its central position with respect to the tracks, carrying plates disposed upon the upper surface of said sheaves, said tracks adapted to guide the cars onto said sheaves and to receive them after their passage thereover, and means associated with said track for directing the wheels of the cars thereonto after passing over said sheaves.

2. In a conveyor having endless track and cars movable therealong, an endless cable running parallel with and centrally of the track, rotatably mounted grooved sheaves operatively embraced by said cables, one wall of said groove being wider than the other wall thereof to permit the cable to maintain its central position with respect to the tracks, one of said tracks uninterrupted throughout its length, the other of said tracks being discontinued at points adjacent the periphery of the sheaves, carrying-plates disposed upon the upper surface of said sheaves, said tracks adapted to guide the cars onto said sheaves and to receive them after their passage thereover.

3. In a conveyor having an endless track and cars movable therealong, an endless cable running parallel with and centrally of the track, clamping means for connecting the cars with the cable, a plurality of rotatably mounted sheaves operatively embraced by said cable, a groove formed around the periphery of each of said sheaves, one wall of said groove being wider than the other wall thereof to permit passage of the car clamping means around said sheaves to thereby maintain the cable centrally of the track, carrying-plates disposed upon the upper surface of said sheaves, said tracks adapted to guide the cars onto said sheaves and to receive them after their passage thereover, and cable tightening means interposed between certain of the sheaves.

4.111 a conveyor having endless track and cars movable therealong, an endless cable clamped to the cars and running parallel with and centrally of the track, rotatably mounted grooved sheaves operatively embraced by said cables, one wall of said grooves being wider than the other wall thereof to permit the cable to maintain its central position with respect to the tracks, one of said tracks uninterrupted throughout its length, the other of said tracks being discontinued at points adjacent the periphery of the sheaves, said tracks adapted to guide the cars onto said sheaves and to receive them after their passage thereover.

5. In a conveyor having endless track and cars movable therealong, an endless cable attached to the cars and running parallel with and centrally of the track, rotatably mounted grooved sheaves operatively embraced by said cables, one

10 Wall of said grooves being wider than the other wall thereof to permit the cable to maintain its central position with respect to the tracks, one of said tracks uninterrupted throughout its length, the other of said tracks being discontinued at points adjacent the periphery of the sheaves, said tracks adapted to guide the cars onto said sheaves and to receive them after their passage thereover, said cars being provided with freely rotatable work supporting means.

HARRY A. GREEN.

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