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US 5,137,140 AGranted
Conveyor apparatus having dual position pushing fingers and finger positioning mechanism
AssigneeLeMatic, Inc.
InventorDale S. Lecrone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor apparatus includes two space guide members over an upwardly facing support surface which can slidably support an article to be conveyed, and a pushing assembly supported for horizontal movement about the surface and having a plurality of pushing fingers which can engage the article and slide it across the surface. The pushing assembly is designed to permit movement of the outermost pushing fingers between a downwardly projecting position and a horizontally projecting position spaced above the surface and the guide members. A mechanism responsive to movement of the guide members toward each other is provided to automatically move the outermost fingers of the pushing assembly from the downwardly projecting position to the horizontally projecting position.
Claims31
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- and pushing means for sliding an article in a direction of movement on said support surface, said pushing means including a pushing mechanism movable in said direction along a portion of a path of movement and having a first pushing portion engageable with an article on said surface as said first pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, having a second pushing portion supported for movement relative to said first pushing portion between operational and retracted positions in which it is respectively engageable with and free of engagement with an article on said surface as said second pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, and having means for yieldably resisting movement of said second pushing portion from said operational position to said retracted position, wherein said pushing mechanism further includes means for yieldably resisting movement of said second pushing portion from said retracted position to said operational position.
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- and pushing means for sliding an article in a direction of movement on said support surface, said pushing means including a pushing mechanism movable in said direction along a portion of a path of movement and having a first pushing portion engageable with an article on said surface as said first pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, having a second pushing portion supported for movement relative to said first pushing portion between operational and retracted positions in which it is respectively engageable with and free of engagement with an article on said surface as said second pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement;
- including a guide member extending generally in said direction of movement and supported above said surface for movement transversely to said direction of movement, said second pushing portion being free of engagement with said guide member in said retracted position of said second pushing portion;
- wherein said pushing portions are each an elongate finger, said first pushing portion extending approximately vertically, and said second pushing portion extending approximately vertically in said operational position thereof;
- wherein said pushing mechanism includes a shaft extending transversely to said direction of movement and supported above said surface for movement parallel to said direction of movement, means fixedly supporting an upper end of said finger of said first pushing portion on said shaft, and means supporting said finger of said second pushing portion on said shaft for pivotal movement between said operational and retracted positions;
- wherein in said retracted position said finger of said second pushing portion is vertically higher than said guide member;
- wherein said second pushing portion includes a support member pivotally supported on said shaft and having said finger of said second pushing portion fixedly supported thereon, and means for preventing pivotal movement of said support member beyond said operational and retracted positions;
- wherein said shaft has two circumferentially spaced grooves;
- including means supporting a retaining ball on said support member for movement radially of said shaft;
- and including resilient means for yieldably urging said retaining ball toward said shaft, said retaining ball engaging a respective one of said grooves in each of said operational and retracted positions of said support member.
7 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- and pushing means for sliding an article in a direction of movement on said support surface, said pushing means including a pushing mechanism movable in said direction along a portion of a path of movement and having a first pushing portion engageable with an article on said surface as said first pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, and having a second pushing portion supported for movement relative to said first pushing portion between operational and retracted positions in which it is respectively engageable with and free of engagement with an article on said surface as said second pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement;
- including a guide member extending generally in said direction of movement and supported above said surface for movement transversely to said direction of movement, said second pushing portion being free of engagement with said guide member in said retracted position of said second pushing portion;
- wherein said pushing portions are each an elongate finger, said first pushing portion extending approximately vertically, and said second pushing portion extending approximately vertically in said operational position thereof;
- wherein said pushing mechanism includes a shaft extending transversely to said direction of movement and supported above said surface for movement parallel to said direction of movement, means fixedly supporting an upper end of said finger of said first pushing portion on said shaft, and means supporting said finger of said second pushing portion on said shaft for pivotal movement between said operational and retracted positions;
- wherein in said retracted position said finger of said second pushing portion is vertically higher than said guide member;
- wherein said second pushing portion includes a support member pivotally supported on said shaft and having said finger of said second pushing portion fixedly supported thereon, and means for preventing pivotal movement of said support member beyond said operational and retracted positions;
- wherein said support member has an opening therethrough which receives an end of said finger of said second pushing portion and which opens through an external surface of said support member;
- and including a metal plate fixedly secured to said external surface and frictionally engaging said finger in said opening.
6 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- and pushing means for sliding an article in a direction of movement on said support surface, said pushing means including a pushing mechanism movable in said direction along a portion of a path of movement and having a first pushing portion engageable with an article on said surface as said first pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, having a second pushing portion supported for movement relative to said first pushing portion between operational and retracted positions in which it is respectively engageable with and free of engagement with an article on said surface as said second pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement;
- including a guide member extending generally in said direction of movement and supported above said surface for movement transversely to said direction of movement, said second pushing portion being free of engagement with said guide member in said retracted position of said second pushing portion;
- wherein said pushing portions are each an elongate finger, said first pushing portion extending approximately vertically, and said second pushing portion extending approximately vertically in said operational position thereof;
- wherein said pushing mechanism includes a shaft extending transversely to said direction of movement and supported above said surface for movement parallel to said direction of movement, means fixedly supporting an upper end of said finger of said first pushing portion on said shaft, and means supporting said finger of said second pushing portion on said shaft for pivotal movement between said operational and retracted positions;
- wherein in said retracted position said finger of said second pushing portion is vertically higher than said guide member;
- wherein said second pushing portion includes a support member pivotally supported on said shaft and having said finger of said second pushing portion fixedly supported thereon, and means for preventing pivotal movement of said support member beyond said operational and retracted positions;
- wherein said means for limiting pivotal movement of said support member includes a further support member which is nonrotatably supported on said shaft and which supports said finger of said first pushing portion, said further support member having thereon an elongate bar which extends parallel to said shaft, said bar engaging said first-mentioned support member in said operational and retracted positions of said first pushing portion.
5 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- and pushing means for sliding an article in a direction of movement on said support surface, said pushing means including a pushing mechanism movable in said direction along a portion of a path of movement and having a first pushing portion engageable with an article on said surface as said first pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, having a second pushing portion supported for movement relative to said first pushing portion between operational and retracted positions in which it is respectively engageable with and free of engagement with an article on said surface as said second pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement;
- including a guide member extending generally in said direction of movement and supported above said surface for movement transversely to said direction of movement, said second pushing portion being free of engagement with said guide member in said retracted position of said second pushing portion;
- and including means responsive to movement of said guide member for effecting movement of said second pushing portion from its operational position to its retracted position.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- pushing means for sliding an article in a direction of movement on said support surface, said pushing means including a pushing mechanism movable in said direction along a portion of a path of movement and having a first pushing portion engageable with an article on said surface as said first pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, and having a second pushing portion supported for movement relative to said first pushing portion between operational and retracted positions in which it is respectively engageable with and free of engagement with an article on said surface as said second pushing portion moves with said pushing mechanism in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, selectively actuable means for automatically positioning said second pushing portion in said retracted position as said pushing mechanism moves along said path of movement in advance of said portion thereof, means for thereafter maintaining said second pushing portion in said retracted position as said second pushing portion moves along said portion of said path of movement, a guide rail supported above said support surface for movement in a direction transverse to said direction of movement, and means responsive to movement of said guide rail for selectively actuating said selectively actuable means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.