Carrier propelling mechanism for power and free conveyors

In a power and free conveyor including a carrier and a carrier supporting track section having an entrance and an exit end, propelling mechanism for forwarding the carrier along said track section toward the exit end thereof comprising:

• a double-ended flexible propelling member formed by a pair of chains each composed of a series of links connected by pivots, and means for connecting said chains in spaced side-by-side relation, one end of the propelling member being equipped with a carrier pusher carried intermediate said pair of chains by said connecting means;
• means for supporting said propelling member including storage means and track means, said track means extending from said storage means toward the entrance end of said track section in parallel relation with said track section and defining for said propelling member a linear path of movement in which said carrier pusher is engageable in forwarding relation with a carrier;
• and drive means operable in a reverse direction to extend the pusher-equipped end of said propelling member from said storage means along said track means toward the entrance end of said track section, and operable in a forwarding direction to return the propelling member to said storage means whereby a carrier engaged by said pusher is forwarded along said track section, said drive means including a pair of sprockets spaced apart longitudinally of said track section, an endless output chain trained about said sprockets, a driving connection from said output chain to said propelling member adjacent the other end thereof, said storage means being arranged to guide said propelling member in a storage path of travel parallel to the path of travel of said output chain.

In a power and free conveyor including a carrier, a first carrier supporting track having a delivery end, a carrier supporting track section having an entrance end and an exit end;

• a carriage to which said track section is attached, means mounting said carriage for movement in directions longitudinal of said track section whereby the entrance end thereof can be placed in registry with the delivery end of said first carrier supporting track;
• propelling mechanism for forwarding the carrier from said first carrier supporting track along said track section comprising
• a double-ended flexible propelling member, one end of the propelling member being equipped with a carrier pusher;
• means for supporting said propelling member including storage means and track means, said track means extending from said storage means to the entrance end of said track section and including a portion associated with the delivery end of said first carrier supporting track, said track means extending in parallel relation with said track section and said first carrier supporting track and defining for said propelling member a linear path of movement in which said carrier pusher is engageable in forwarding relation with a carrier;
• and drive means operable in a reverse direction to extend the pusher-equipped end of said propelling member from said storage means along said track means and over the delivery end of said first carrier supporting track, and operable in a forwarding direction to return the propelling member to said storage means whereby a carrier engaged by said pusher is forwarded from said delivery end along said track section.