Apparatus for moving items along a rail
AssigneeKannegiesser North America, Inc.
InventorsChris Orm Gustafson, Darik Dwaine Lamke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus may move a carriage along a rail. The apparatus may include a frame and one or more sets of teeth. A shuttle may translate with respect to the frame. The shuttle may engage with the carriage to translate the carriage in a first direction. The teeth may extend into a carriage recess of the frame. The teeth may allow the carriage to translate within the carriage recess in the first direction. The teeth may inhibit the translation of the carriage within the carriage recess in a second direction.
Claims15
An apparatus for moving a carriage along a rail, comprising:
- a frame having a first set of teeth and a second set of teeth,
- a shuttle including a third set of teeth that are configured to engage with the carriage to translate the carriage in a first direction with respect to the frame when the carriage is engaged with the third set of teeth, wherein the carriage is configured to move a container suspended from the carriage;
- and
- wherein the first set of teeth, the second set of teeth, and the third set of teeth each include a tooth having a holding configuration and a disengaged configuration, wherein:
- in the holding configuration, the tooth extends into a carriage recess of the frame and a holding face of the tooth is configured to inhibit the translation of the carriage within the carriage recess in a second direction, wherein the first set of teeth are biased toward the holding configuration to maintain engagement with the carriage until a force is applied to transition to the disengaged configuration, and wherein the tooth is configured as a sacrificial wear item that wears when the tooth engages with the carriage to decrease wear on the carriage;
- and
- in the disengaged configuration, the tooth allows the carriage to translate within the carriage recess in the first direction.
A method for moving items along a rail, comprising:
- receiving a carriage within a carriage recess defined by a frame of a carriage transporting apparatus, wherein the carriage is configured to move a container suspended from the carriage;
- engaging the carriage with a first set of teeth, wherein the first set of teeth are coupled to a shuttle of the carriage transporting apparatus and are biased toward a holding configuration to maintain engagement with the carriage until a force is applied to transition to a disengaged configuration, and wherein at least one of the first set of teeth is configured as a sacrificial wear item;
- operating an actuator, wherein operation of the actuator is configured translate the shuttle with respect to the frame;
- moving the carriage along a rail, wherein the carriage is incrementally moved along the rail;
- holding the carriage with a second set of teeth;
- and
- engaging the carriage with a third set of teeth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.