Stow roller train for storage and conveyance of cargo

A stow roller train installation for storing and conveying cargo;

• said installation comprising:
• support means;
• a plurality of cargo supporting rollers directly engageable with cargo to be stored and conveyed;
• continuously movable traction means;
• a plurality of rotatable intermediate rollers with at least one rotatable intermediate roller being interposed between one of said plurality of cargo supporting rollers and said traction means, said at least one rotatable intermediate roller being driven by said traction means;
• means for mounting said cargo rollers on said support means;
• means operatively connected with each of said intermediate rollers for adjustably mounting each of said intermediate rollers to be independently displaceable between a driving position with the intermediate roller drivingly connecting the traction means and one of said cargo rollers and an idling position with the intermediate roller and the traction means out of driving connection with said cargo roller;
• said means for adjustably mounting each of said intermediate rollers including control force means for providing a continuous individual adjusting control force on each intermediate roller in the direction of the driving position;
• said means for adjustably mounting each intermediate roller includes means for axially fixing the axis of rotation of said intermediate roller and for permitting movement in a radial direction with respect to said axis between said driving and idling position;
• said control force means being constructed such that each of said intermediate rollers can move in radial directions away from said driving position in response to reaction forces from said cargo rollers that are greater than said adjusting control force, whereby the maximum driving forces transferred between said traction means and a respective cargo supporting roller and intermediate roller are dependent on said adjusting control force;
• said means for axially fixing the axis of rotation of said intermediate rollers and for permitting movement in the radial direction includes at least one first lever and means for disposing each of said intermediate rollers on a respective lever;
• said control force means includes means provided on said support means for mounting said first lever so as to be obliquely pivotable in a direction toward the driving direction of the respective intermediate roller;
• said means for disposing each of said intermediate rollers on a respective lever includes a second lever hingedly connected to a respective first lever, said second lever directly rotatably supporting the respective intermediate roller;
• said control force means further includes abutments provided on said first and second levers which are engageable with one another to lift the respective intermediate roller away from engagement with the associated cargo supporting roller while maintaining engagement of said traction means and intermediate roller.