Monorail suspended conveyor system

A material conveyor structure capable of traversing an elongated path having at least one curvilinear portion and which path is formed by a rail means spaced above a surface with respect to which material is to be transported comprising,

• a plurality of framework members arranged in tandem below such a path to form an elongated carriage train with one of said framework members being a drive framework member,
• all of said framework members except said drive framework member having an upper elongated link extending at least in the general direction of such a path,
• connector means cooperable with the ends of said links, respectively, and said drive framework means to support adjacent ones of said links for a universal type of relative movement therebetween and to support said drive framework member for a similar universal type of movement with respect to the other of said framework members,
• all of said connector means including means adapted to cooperate with such a rail means to provide for unitary movement of said carriage train along such a path.

A material conveying system comprising:

• a suspended monorail means defining an elongated path extending above a surface and having at least one curvilinear portion therein,
• a plurality of framework members arranged in tandem below said rail means to form an elongated carriage train with each of said framework members having an upper elongated link spaced downwardly adjacent of and extending in at least the same general direction as said rail means,
• connector means cooperable with the ends of said links, respectively, to support adjacent ones of said links for a universal type of relative movement therebetween,
• said connector means including means adapted to cooperate with said rail means to provide for unitary movement of said carriage train along said rail means,
• said framework members including means for supporting an orbitally movable conveyor belt below said links with a continuous conveying run thereof operable to convey material throughout the longitudinal extent of said carriage train,
• said framework members being swingable about axes extending longitudinally of said links, respectively, and
• cooperable means carried by adjacent portions of said framework members, respectively, to maintain said framework members in an alignment that said conveying run is capable of conveying material with respect to said carriage train as said carriage train travels along said rail means.

A carriage structure for use in a carriage train capable of traversing a curvilinear path defined by an overhead rail means.

• an upper elongated link,
• connector means cooperable with the ends of said link, respectively, to permit a universal type of relative movement therebetween including an oscillatory movement of said link about a longitudinally extending axis of said link,
• said connector means including means adapted to cooperate with such a rail means for movement therealong,
• a plurality of formed members each having the central portion of an elongated element thereof rigidly secured to said link and extending transversely of said axis,
• said formed members each having side elements extending downwardly from the ends of said elongated element, respectively,
• said formed members each having means for supporting an orbitally moveable conveyor belt below said link,
• said formed members having structural elements rigidly secured to said side elements, respectively, with said structure elements extending in longitudinal spaced relationship with respect to said axis and at least generally parallel thereto,
• said structured elements having central axes spaced at least substantially equidistant from said axis,
• and means at each end of each of said structural elements to maintain the conveying alignment of such a carriage structure with reference to adjacent carriage structures of a carriage train.