US 4,044,876 AGranted

Fail-safe gravity conveyor

OwnerTheodore A. Hammondinventor

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Abstract

A gravity-type roller conveyor having a plurality of rollers rotatably supported by axles which extend substantially horizontally. The axles are supported at one end thereof by a support device which extends longitudinally along one side of the conveyor and permits the axles, and hence the rollers, to pivot vertically through a small angle about said one side of the conveyor. An actuating device is disposed adjacent and extends longitudinally along the other side of the conveyor, which actuating device supports the other ends of the axles thereon for vertically lifting and lowering these ends through a limited extent, thereby causing the axles and hence the rollers to pivot about said one end. The actuating device includes an elongated intermediate support member extending longitudinally along the conveyor and having the other ends of the axles positioned thereon, which intermediate support member in turn is positioned on a pulsating actuating member, particularly an inflatable elongated hose. The hose is supplied with pressurized fluid, particularly air, in a pulsating manner to cause periodic and intermittent raising and lowering of the intermediate support member, and hence of the rollers. An elongated stationary brake member is positioned below the rollers adjacent said other ends of the axles, which brake member extends longitudinally of the conveyor and frictionally engages the rollers to positively stop same when the intermediate support member is periodically moved into its lowered position.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a fail-safe, gravity-type roller conveyor for permitting intermittent controlled movement of articles therealong, comprising:

elongated frame means;
a plurality of elongated cylindrical roller means rotatably supported on said frame means, said roller means being disposed with their axes extending substantially horizontally and in spaced parallel relationship, said roller means having their upper surfaces disposed on a declining plane which extends at a small acute angle relative to the horizontal so as to permit said articles to move by gravity along said plurality of roller means;
braking means for controlling the gravity-induced movement speed of said articles along said plurality of roller means, said braking means being fixed relative to and extending longitudinally along said frame means;
support means extending longitudinally of said frame means along one side of said conveyor for supporting said plurality of roller means at one axial end thereof, said support means permitting angular displacement of said plurality of roller means in a vertical direction substantially about said one axial end;
lifting means coacting between said frame means and the other axial end of said plurality of roller means for causing intermittent and periodic vertical reciprocating movement of said other axial end of said plurality of roller means in a cyclic manner between a raised position permitting gravity-urged movement of the articles along said roller means and a lowered position wherein said articles are stopped by said braking means, said lifting means causing said roller means to effectively vertically pivot about said one axial end thereof as defined by said support means, said lifting means also causing said roller means to automatically move into said lowered position upon failure of said lifting means so that said braking means stop said articles;
said braking means being disposed beneath said roller means and positioned adjacent said other axial end of said roller means whereby said roller means, when moved into said lowered position, directly engage said braking means;
and
control means operatively interconnected to said lifting means for causing cyclic actuation thereof to cause said roller means to vertically pivot back-and-forth between said raised and lowered positions in a periodic and repetitive manner.

5 more elements

In a fail-safe, gravity-type roller conveyor for permitting intermittent controlled movement of articles therealong, comprising:

elongated frame means;
a plurality of elongated cylindrical roller means rotatably supported on said frame means, said roller means being disposed with their axes extending substantially horizontally and in spaced parallel relationship, said roller means having their upper surfaces disposed on a declining plane which extends at a small acute angle relative to the horizontal so as to permit said articles to move by gravity along said plurality of roller means;
braking means for controlling the gravity-induced movement speed of said articles along said plurality of roller means, said braking means being fixed relative to and extending longitudinally along said frame means;
support means for supporting said plurality of roller means at one axial end thereof for permitting angular displacement of said plurality of roller means in a vertical direction substantially about said one axial end;
lifting means coacting between said frame means and said plurality of roller means for causing intermittent and periodic vertical reciprocating movement of said other axial end of said plurality of roller means in a cyclic manner between a raised position permitting gravity-urged movement of the articles along said roller means and a lowered position wherein said articles are stopped by said braking means, said lifting means causing said roller means to effectively vertically pivot about said one axial end thereof as defined by said support means, said lifting means also causing said roller means to automatically move into said lowered position upon failure of said lifting means so that said braking means stop said articles;
and
control means operatively interconnected to said lifting means for causing cyclic actuation thereof to cause said roller means to vertically pivot back-and-forth between said raised and lowered positions in a periodic and repetitive manner.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.