US 4,072,111 AGranted

Conveyor carrier with actuated dog

AssigneeMid-West Conveyor Company, Inc.

InventorRobert A. Hoehn

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Abstract

In a power and free conveyor system which comprises a train of free trolleys including a leading trolley and one or more following trolleys, one of the following trolleys is provided with a transfer dog that remains fully retracted within the trolley track and out of contact therewith until conveying of the train is to be transferred from a first to a second powered conveying chain. To initiate the transfer, a power dog on the first chain disengages from a drive dog on the leading trolley, and the transfer dog is raised out of the following trolley for engagement with another power dog on the first chain. Engagement of the transfer dog with the power dog is maintained preferably throughout the transfer area until the leading trolley is adjacent to the second conveyor chain for engagement of a power dog thereon with the drive dog of the leading trolley.

Claims10

Dependent claims

In a power and free conveyor system having a load supporting track with a hollow interior, a leading trolley, and an interconnected following trolley that are conveyed on said track by engagement of a driving dog on said leading trolley with a power dog on a first conveyor chain, the improved means for transferring the conveying of said trolleys by said first chain to a second conveyor chain, comprising:

a. a cam having an actuating surface substantially entirely located within the hollow interior of said track;
and
b. a transfer dog attached to said following trolley, said transfer dog having a pivotable arm and a cam follower thereon, said arm being pivoted by engagement of said follower with said cam surface, and wherein said transfer dog is fully retracted within the interior of said track and out of contact therewith when said cam follower is disengaged from said cam surface, and said pivotable arm of the transfer dog is extended out of the track when the cam follower is engaged with said cam surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.