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US 4,054,215 AGranted
Article delivery and unloading device
OwnerYutaka Kurahashiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle adapted to be conveyed along a track has an inclined upper platform for supporting an article thereon. A gate hinged to the lower end of the platform is maintained in an upright position by a rotatable lever thereby preventing the article from sliding off of the vehicle. As the vehicle approaches an unloading chute, the lever is rotated to an inoperative position allowing the gate to open and the article to slide off the vehicle into the chute.
Claims14
Apparatus comprising:
- a conveyor line;
- at least one unloading station positioned adjacent to said conveyor line;
- a stop means positioned along said conveyor line adjacent said unloading station;
- at least one vehicle supported by said conveyor line for movement along said conveyor line;
- said vehicle including an inclined article supporting platform and a means for preventing an article from sliding off of said platform;
- an actuator means mounted on said vehicle;
- said preventing means including a gate means hinged to said vehicle adjacent the lower end of said inclined article supporting platform and an arm extending generally outwardly from said gate means and having an end with a generally horizontal surface supported by said actuator means;
- said actuator means cooperating with said stop means when said vehicle is adjacent said unloading station for deactuating said preventing means whereby an article is allowed to slide off of said platform;
- and
- said actuator means includes a generally horizontally disposed lever means rotating about a generally vertical axis having a first end adapted to support said arm and another portion being adapted to cooperate with said stop means.
7 more elements
A driverless wheeled vehicle adapted to be conveyed along a single track conveyor comprising:
- a vehicle frame means;
- at least one carrier wheel supported by said frame means and adapted for rolling contact with said single track;
- a drive wheel supported by said frame means below said carrier wheel and adapted to be driven by a drive means carried by said conveyor for driving said frame means along said track;
- an inclined platform means mounted on said frame means and being adapted to carry an article thereon;
- means associated with said platform means for preventing said article from slipping off of said platform, and
- an actuator means for selectively de-activating said preventing means whereby said article is allowed to slide off of said platform.
3 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- a conveyor line having only a single track;
- a longitudinally extending drive shaft supported below and extending along with said track;
- said drive shaft being rotatable about its longitudinal axis;
- a driverless vehicle having a frame means;
- a pair of wheels supported for rotary motion by said frame;
- one of said wheels being in rolling contact with the top horizontal surface of said track and the other of said wheels being in rolling contact with a vertical surface of said track;
- a drive wheel rotatably mounted to said frame and adapted to be in driving contact with said drive shaft;
- an inclined platform means mounted on said frame means and being adapted to carry an article thereon;
- gate means hinged to said vehicle adjacent the lower end of said inclined article supporting platform for preventing an article from sliding off of said platform with said gate means in an upright position;
- at least one unloading station positioned adjacent said conveyor line;
- and
- means positioned adjacent said unloading station for moving said gate means from said upright position to a position wherein articles carried on said platform are free to slide from said platform onto said unloading station.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.