Method and device for stabilizing carrier basket traveling on a conveyor system to maintain basket alignment at loading/unloading stations

A carrier basket stabilizing system configured for use with a conveyor system having a pathway on which cars are guided, with at least some of the cars having a carrier basket pivotally mounted thereon, the pathway including a curved portion, the carrier basket stabilizing system comprising:

• a support configured to be located adjacent to the pathway;
• at least one deflectable element located on the support and extending generally parallel to the pathway, the deflectable element extending partially into a space envelope generated by the carrier basket as it moves along the pathway;
• and
• the deflectable element comprises bristles that are configured to suppress at least one of an inward or an outward swinging movement of the carrier basket;
• wherein the support is a single support for the bristles and is located along the curved section of the pathway, and the deflectable element extends partially into the space envelope generated by the carrier basket as it moves along the pathway.

A carrier basket stabilizing system configured for use with a conveyor system having a pathway on which cars are guided, with at least some of the cars having a carrier basket pivotally mounted thereon, the pathway including a curved portion, the carrier basket stabilizing system comprising:

• a support configured to be located adjacent to the pathway;
• at least one deflectable element located on the support and extending generally parallel to the pathway, the deflectable element extending partially into a space envelope generated by the carrier basket as it moves along the pathway;
• and
• the deflectable element comprises bristles that are configured to suppress at least one of an inward or an outward swinging movement of the carrier basket;
• the bristles are arranged in one or more bristle segments that are attached to the support, each of the bristle segments having the bristles held such that free ends of the bristles are arranged linearly;
• and
• there are a plurality of the bristle segments that are arranged angled relative to one another so that the linearly arranged free ends extend generally parallel to the curved portion.

A carrier basket stabilizing system configured for use with a conveyor system having a pathway on which cars are guided, with at least some of the cars having a carrier basket pivotally mounted thereon, the pathway including a curved portion, the carrier basket stabilizing system comprising:

• a support configured to be located adjacent to the pathway;
• at least one deflectable element located on the support and extending generally parallel to the pathway, the deflectable element extending partially into a space envelope generated by the carrier basket as it moves along the pathway;
• and
• the deflectable element comprises bristles that are configured to suppress at least one of an inward or an outward swinging movement of the carrier basket;
• wherein the conveyor system includes at least one of a loading station or an unloading station, and the curved portion of the pathway is located directly upstream of the at least one of the loading station or unloading station, and the bristles are configured to suppress at least one of the inward or the outward swinging movement of the carrier basket in order to maintain an alignment of the carrier basket as the carrier basket enters the loading station or the unloading station.