Conveyor system accessories

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates, generally, to novel conveyor system accessories for loading and unloading a work piece from a conveyor system. The present invention provides an inexpensive way to stage, stockpile and/or sort work pieces and provides easy entry to and exit from a main conveyor. Alternatively, work pieces may reenter the main conveyor, if desired. Specifically, a trolley or trolleys that carry work pieces ride on the conveyor rail above the chain or intermesh with the chain on the inside of the track. These accessories are used with single track continuous conveyor systems, which greatly enhances the productivity of the single track system by permitting work pieces to be taken off-line without taking the work piece off a load pendant.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#For a fuller understanding of the nature of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description; taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a side view of a dual axle conveyor system accessory of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an end view or cross section of FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5;

#The conveyor system accessories of the present invention can be used with any commercially available single track continuous conveyor, such as those available from Rapid Industries, Inc. Louisville, Ky., Richards-Wilcox, Inc., Aurora, Ill., and Webb Inc., Farmington Hills, Mich. For purposes of the present invention the conveyor track is installed in an inverted position. Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements thereof, FIG. 1, shows an embodiment of the invention denoted as a whole by reference numeral 100.

#As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a wheel assembly 8 in combination with a second wheel assembly 28 rides on a top surface 16 of an inverted continuous conveyor track 2. Plan views of this embodiment are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Each of the first wheel assembly 8 and the second wheel assembly 28 has a pair of wheels 10 and a second pair of wheels 30, respectively. The pair of wheels 10 and the second pair of wheels 30 are spaced apart in a parallel side by side relationship and are connected to one another by a transverse axle 12 and a second transverse axle 32, respectively.

#The second wheel assembly 28 is connected to the wheel assembly 8 by a pair of longitudinal members 34. One end of each of the pairs of longitudinal members 34 is rotatably connected to the transverse axle 12, while an opposite end of each of the pairs of longitudinal members 34 is rotatably connected to the second transverse axle 32. Wheel assembly 8 in combination with a second wheel assembly 28 is particularly useful in heavy load applications or applications in which the work piece may be awkwardly sized and requires the additional stability provided by wheel assembly 8 in combination with a second wheel assembly 28.