Hoist plating line

In hoist apparatus for lifting, transporting and depositing work loads among a plurality of coating tanks in a coating line, each said work load including carrier means, said hoist comprising elongated track means extending horizontally over said plurality of coating tanks, cart means carried by said track means and including first means for moving said cart means lengthwise along said track means over said tanks, said cart means including pick-up means adapted to cooperate with said carrier means for supporting a said work load, the improvement comprising second means mounting said track means for vertical bodily movement between a lowered position wherein said pick-up means is disposed to pass beneath said carrier means as said cart means move along said track means and a raised position in which said cart means and said pick-up means are disposed to support said carrier means and a said work load for transportation above said tanks, said second means including third means for preventing movement of said track means in the direction of its length at all positions of said track means, and wherein said first means comprises drive means carried on one longitudinal end of said track means and means extending along said track means coupling said drive means to said cart means for moving said cart means independently of said second means in both said raised and said lowered positions of said track means.

Hoist apparatus for lifting, transporting and depositing loads among a plurality of locations disposed in a linear array comprising a rigid linear beam extending longitudinally above said plurality of locations and having longitudinally spaced beam ends, at least one cart carried on said beam for movement between limits defined by said beam ends, first means for selectively driving said cart lengthwise of said beam in either direction over said plurality of locations, second means disposed adjacent said longitudinal ends of said beam for bodily moving said beam in a vertical plane between raised and lowered positions with respect to said locations, said second means including third means disposed in opposition to said opposite longitudinal ends in line with said beam for preventing movement of said beam in the direction of its length, and control means coupled to said first and second means for selectively moving said cart in either direction beneath a first load at a first location in said lowered position of said beam, raising said beam to said raised position so as to lift said first load, moving said cart in either direction along said beam to a second location and then lowering said beam so as to deposit said first load at said second location, said cart being adapted to release said first load at said second location such that said cart and said beam may be selectively controlled by said control means to transport other loads in either direction with respect to said linear array of locations while said first load remains at said second location.

Hoist apparatus for lifting, transporting and depositing loads among a plurality of locations disposed in a linear array comprising a rigid linear beam extending longitudinally above said plurality of locations and having longitudinally spaced beam ends, first and second carts carried on said beam for movement lengthwise of said beam between limits defined by said beam ends, first means comprising first and second drive means each including a motor mounted at a said end of said beam, first and second drive chains respectively mounted on opposite lateral sides of said beams and fixedly attaching said first and second motors to said first and second carts for selectively driving said carts lengthwise of said beam in either direction over said plurality of locations, second means disposed adjacent said longitudinal ends of said beam for bodily moving said beam in a vertical plane between raised and lowered positions with respect to said locations, said second means including third means disposed in opposition to said opposite longitudinal ends in line with said beam for preventing movement of said beam in the direction of its length, and control means coupled to said first and second means for moving one of said carts beneath a first load at a first location in said lowered position of said beam, raising said beam to said raised position so as to lift said first load, moving said cart along said beam to a second location and then lowering said beam so as to deposit said first load at said second location, said control means comprising means coupled to said first and second motors for moving said first and second carts lengthwise of said beam independently of each other.

Hoist apparatus for lifting, transporting and depositing loads among a plurality of locations disposed in a linear array comprising a rigid linear beam extending longitudinally above said plurality of locations and having longitudinally spaced beam ends, at least one cart carried on said beam for movement between limits defined by said beam ends, first means for selectively driving said cart lengthwise of said beam in either direction over said plurality of locations, second means disposed adjacent said longitudinal ends of said beam for bodily moving said beam in a vertical plane between raised and lowered positions with respect to said locations, said second means including third means disposed in opposition to said opposite longitudinal ends in line with said beam for preventing movement of said beam in the direction of its length, and control means coupled to said first and second means for moving said cart beneath a first load at a first location in said lowered position of said beam, raising said beam to said raised position so as to lift said first load, moving said cart along said beam to a second location and then lowering said beam so as to deposit said first load at said second location, each said cart including a pair of laterally spaced fingers extending in both directions lengthwise of said beam, a first of said fingers being longer than the second said finger, said control means comprising a pair of proximity detectors carried in fixed position on said beam at each of said plurality of locations and spaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the beam axis, said proximity detectors being coupled to said first means and responsive to approach of said fingers for controlling motion of said cart, all active components of said control means and said drive means for controlling motion of said cart, consisting specifically of said drive means and said proximity detectors, being carried in fixed position on said beam.