Wheel turnover device

Article handling apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying articles having generally parallel, opposed side surfaces along a generally horizontal path with a first side surface of said articles uppermost during transit of a first portion of said path, a turnover device located at the downstream end of said first portion of said path for engaging an article and turning the article over to position the article on said conveying means with said first side surface lowermost;

• said turnover device comprising first and second arm means mounted for pivotal movement about respective first and second generally horizontal axes extending normal to said path and spaced from each other by a distance at least equal to the distance between said opposed side surfaces of an article, said arm means being normally disposed in respective rest positions below the path of movement of articles along said first path wherein said first arm means extends generally horizontally upstream from said first axis and said second arm means extends generally horizontally downstream from said second axis, drive means coupled to one of said arm means operable to drive said one of said arm means in transfer movement from its rest position to a transfer position wherein said one of said arm means is inclined from its axis upwardly and downstream of said conveying means and to drive said one of said arm means in return movement to return said one of said arm means from its transfer position to its rest position, and motion transmission means coupling said one of said arm means to the other of said arm means to drive said other of said arm means in transfer movement coordinated with the transfer movement of said one of said arm means from its rest position to a transfer position wherein said other of said arm means is in spaced, parallel relationship to said one of said arm means in response to transfer movement of said one of said arm means and to drive said other of said arm means in return movement to return said other of said arm means from its transfer position to its rest position in response to return movement of said one of said arm means;
• wherein each of said first and second arm means comprises a shaft mounted for rotation about the respective first and second axes, a pair of elongate arms fixedly mounted on and extending generally radially from each shaft in parallel, spaced relationship to said path respectively adjacent the opposite sides of said conveying means, coupling means coupling said drive means to the shaft of one of said arm means, said motion transmission means coupling the last-mentioned shaft to the shaft of the other of said arm means;
• wherein said drive means comprises a fluid pressure operated motor including a reciprocable piston rod, a first crank arm mounted at one end for rotation about the axis of the shaft of said one of said arm means and pivotally coupled at its other end to said piston rod, a second crank arm fixedly mounted at one end to the last-mentioned shaft and projecting radially from the last-mentioned shaft alongside said first crank arm, abutment means engageable between said crank arms for positively transmitting rotation of said first crank arm to said second crank arm when said first crank arm is rotated about the last-mentioned shaft axis in a direction driving said arm means away from their respective rest positions, and releasable detent means.

Article handling apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying articles having generally parallel, opposed side surfaces along a generally horizontal path with a first side surface of said articles uppermost during transit of a first portion of said path, a turnover device located at the downstream end of said first portion of said path for engaging an article and turning the article over to position the article on said conveying means with said first side surface lowermost;

• said turnover device comprising first and second arm means mounted for pivotal movement about respective first and second generally horizontal axes extending normal to said path and spaced from each other by a distance at least equal to the distance between said opposed side surfaces of an article, said arm means being normally disposed in respective rest positions below the path of movement of articles along said first path wherein said first arm means extends generally horizontally upstream from said first axis and said second arm means extends generally horizontally downstream from said second axis, drive means coupled to one of said arm means operable to drive said one of said arm means in transfer movement from its rest position to a transfer position wherein said one of said arm means is inclined from its axis upwardly and downstream of said conveying means and to drive said one of said arm means in return movement to return said one of said arm means from its transfer position to its rest position, and motion transmission means coupling said one of said arm means to the other of said arm means to drive said other of said arm means in transfer movement coordinated with the transfer movement of said one of said arm means from its rest position to a transfer position wherein said other of said arm means is in spaced, parallel relationship to said one of said arm means in response to transfer movement of said one of said arm means and to drive said other of said arm means in return movement to return said other of said arm means from its transfer position to its rest position in response to return movement of said one of said arm means;
• wherein each of said first and second arm means comprises a shaft mounted for rotation about the respective first and second axes, a pair of elongate arms fixedly mounted on and extending generally radially from each shaft in parallel, spaced relationship to said path respectively adjacent the opposite sides of said conveying means, coupling means coupling said drive means to the shaft of one of said arm means, said motion transmission means coupling the last mentioned shaft to the shaft of the other of said arm means;
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• wherein said motion transmission means comprises a crank rotatively fixed to and extending radially from each of said shafts, and link means interconnecting the distal ends of the cranks to each other to cause one shaft to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the other shaft.

Turnover apparatus for turning a vehicle wheel from a horizontal outside-up position to a horizontal outside-down position, said apparatus comprising conveying means including a pair of conveying chains extending in horizontal, spaced, parallel relationship along a conveying run and operable to convey a vehicle wheel along said run from an inlet end of said run to an outle end, said chains being spaced from each other by a distance less than the outer diamete of said wheel and adapted to support and convey a wheel in a horizontal position with the axis of the wheel midway between said chains, first and second pivot means located at spaced positions along said run intermediate and inlet and outlet ends defining respective first and second horizontal, fixed pivot axes extending normal to the path of movement of a wheel along said run, said first axis being spaced from said inlet end by a distance at least equal to the outer diameter of said second axis being spaced from said outlet end by a distance at least equal to the outer diameter of said wheel and said first axis being located between said inlet end and said second axis, first arm means mounted for pivotal movement about said first axis between a normally maintained rest position wherein said first arm means extends radially from said first axis toward said inlet end in a substantially horizontal position below the path of movement of a wheel along said run and a transfer position wherein said first arm means projects above said path in a position inclined upwardly from said fist axis toward said outlet end, second arm means mounted for pivotal movement about said second axis between a normally maintained rest position wherein said second arm means extends from said second axis toward said outlet end in a substantially horizontal position below said path and a transfer position wherein said second arm means projects above said path in an inclined position in opposed, spaced, parallel relationship to the transfer position of said first arm means, drive means for driving one of said arm means in a turnover cycle wherein said one of said arm means is driven from its rest position to its transfer position and then returned to its rest position, and motion transmitting means coupling said first and second arm means to each other to constrain both of said arm means to move simultaneously from their respective rest positions to their respective transfer positions and to return to their respective rest positions, said first arm means being operable upon movement from its rest position to its transfer position to engage a wheel located on said chains in a horizontal position overlying said first arm means and tilt the wheel upwardly upon the conveying means to and beyond a stable upright position into engagement with said second arm means and second arm means being operable during movement from its transfer position to its rest position to control continued tilting of said wheel to a horizontal position upon said conveying means;

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• overload release means operable to disengage said drive means from said one of said arm means in the event either of said arm means encounters an abnormal resistance to movement toward its rest position.