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US 5,350,055 AGranted
Conveyor mechanism having selectively positionable pushing fingers and having finger positioning cam arrangement
AssigneeLeMatic, Inc.
InventorDale S. Lecrone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor includes two spaced guide rails over an upwardly facing support surface which can slidably support an article to be conveyed, the support surface having a plurality of parallel slots. Two movably-supported chains below the support surface support a plurality of pushing assemblies each having several central fingers which can project upwardly above the support surface through respective slots and having two outermost fingers which can move between positions projecting above the support surface through respective slots and disposed below the support surface. An arrangement responsive to the positions of the guide rails automatically positions the outer pushing fingers in one of the two positions thereof.
Claims23
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- a movably supported drive member and drive means for effecting movement of said drive member along a path of movement which includes a portion approximately parallel to said support surface;
- pushing means for sliding an article in a direction of movement on said support surface, said pushing means including a first pushing portion supported on said drive member and engageable with an article on said surface as said first pushing portion moves with said drive member in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement, and a second pushing portion supported for movement relative to said drive member 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 drive member in said direction of movement along said portion of said path of movement;
- first and second elongate guide surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other and substantially parallel to said support surface, said second pushing portion being coupled to a guide part which respectively moves along a respective one of said first and second guide surfaces as said drive member moves along said portion of said path of movement to thereby position said second pushing portion in a respective one of said operational and retracted positions with respect to said drive member;
- a movable guide member provided at a location along said path of movement prior to said portion of said path of movement and engageable with said guide part;
- control means for selectively positioning said guide member in a selected one of first and second positions, said guide part engaging said guide member and being guided by said guide member in response to movement of said drive member to one of first and second positions with respect to said guide member;
- and means responsive to said guide member being respectively in said first and second positions for guiding said guide part respectively into engagement with said first and second guide surfaces.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface having a slot therein;
- a drive member supported for movement along a path of movement which includes a portion substantially parallel to said slot;
- pushing means for sliding an article along said support surface in a direction parallel to said slot, wherein said pushing means includes a support member movably supported on said drive member and having thereon a pushing portion and a guide part;
- an upwardly facing guide surface disposed below and extending parallel to said support surface and merging at a downstream end thereof into a downwardly inclined extension, said guide part being engageable with said guide surface as said drive member moves along said portion of said path of movement to maintain said support member in a position in which said pushing portion projects upwardly through said slot and above said support surface;
- and proximity-maintaining means for ensuring that said guide part moves downwardly along said inclined extension so that said pushing portion moves downwardly relative to said support surface to a position in which an upper end of said pushing portion is disposed below said support surface;
- wherein said proximity-maintaining means includes said guide part being made out of metal and includes said inclined extension having means for generating a magnetic field.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface having a slot therein;
- a drive member supported for movement along a path of movement which includes a portion substantially parallel to said slot;
- pushing means for sliding an article along said support surface in a direction parallel to said slot, wherein said pushing means includes a support member movably supported on said drive member and having thereon a pushing portion and a guide part;
- an upwardly facing guide surface disposed below and extending parallel to said support surface and merging at a downstream end thereof into a downwardly inclined extension, said guide part being engageable with said guide surface as said drive member moves along said portion of said path of movement to maintain said support member in a position in which said pushing portion projects upwardly through said slot and above said support surface;
- and proximity-maintaining means for ensuring that said guide part moves downwardly along said inclined extension so that said pushing portion moves downwardly relative to said support surface to a position in which an upper end of said pushing portion is disposed below said support surface;
- wherein said proximity-maintaining means includes a downwardly-facing and inclined guide surface disposed above and extending parallel to said inclined extension, and includes a member secured to said support member near said guide part and engageable with said inclined guide surface to maintain said guide part in proximity to said inclined extension surface.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface having a plurality of spaced and parallel slots therein;
- first and second elongate drive chains having respective portions disposed below and extending parallel to said support surface and said slots therein;
- drive means for effecting simultaneous lengthwise movement of said portions of said drive chains in the same direction at the same speed;
- first and second elongate support members disposed on opposite sides of said first chain and each having a first end supported on said first chain for pivotal movement about a pivot axis extending transversely to said chains and approximately parallel to said support surface, and third and fourth support members disposed on opposite sides of said second chain and each having a first end supported on said second chain for pivotal movement about said pivot axis;
- a connecting member extending between and fixedly coupled to second ends of said second and third support members;
- a first guide roller supported on said connecting member for rotation about an axis parallel to said pivot axis;
- a plurality of upwardly projecting first pushing fingers provided on said connecting member;
- a first upwardly facing guide surface disposed below and extending parallel to said support surface and said slots therein, said first guide roller rolling along said first guide surface with said first pushing portions projecting upwardly through respective slots in said support surface to locations above said support surface and moving along said slots in response to movement of said portion of said chains;
- second and third guide rollers supported respectively on said first and fourth support members at said second, ends thereof for rotation about axes parallel to said pivot axis;
- upwardly projecting second and third pushing fingers provided respectively on said first and fourth support members at said second ends thereof;
- and second and third upwardly facing guide surfaces each parallel to said first guide surface and each engageable with a respective one of said second and third guide rollers for maintaining said first and fourth support members in positions in which said pushing fingers thereon project upwardly through respective slots in said support surface to locations above said support surface, said first, second and third pushing fingers each moving in a lengthwise direction along a respective said slot in response to movement of said portions of said chains.
8 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- means defining an upwardly facing support surface;
- a movably supported drive member and means for effecting movement of said drive member along a path of movement having a portion extending substantially parallel to said support surface;
- an elongate support member having a first end supported on said drive member for pivotal movement about a pivot axis transverse to a direction of movement of said drive member and approximately parallel to said support surface;
- means supporting a first guide roller adjacent said first end of said support member for rotation about an axis parallel to said pivot axis and means supporting a second guide roller on said support member adjacent a second end thereof for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said pivot axis;
- a pushing portion projecting outwardly from said second end of said support member;
- first and second vertically spaced guide surfaces each extending approximately parallel to said support surface, wherein when said second guide roller is respectively engaging said first and second guide surfaces as said drive member moves along said portion of said path of movement said pushing portion is respectively disposed in positions engageable with and spaced from an article slidably provided on said support surface;
- a guide member supported for movement between first and second positions;
- control means for positioning said guide member in a selected one of said first and second positions, wherein when said guide member is positioned in one of said first and second positions, said control means yieldably resists movement of said guide member away from said one of said positions toward the other of said first and second positions;
- and guide means responsive to said guide member being respectively in said first and second positions for guiding said second guide roller from said guide member to said second guide surface and said first guide surface, respectively;
- wherein as said first guide roller moves with said drive member along said path of movement while said guide member is in said one of said positions, said first guide roller engages said guide member and forces said guide member to move away from said one of said positions against the urging of said control means, said guide member thereafter being returned by said control means to said one of said positions and said second guide roller being thereafter guided by said guide member and said guide means to one of said first and second guide surfaces.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.