Conveyor track cover
AssigneeJervis B. Webb Company
InventorMark J. Avery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cover for a channel, such as the channel which runs along the top of a section of conveyor track, is disclosed for excluding foreign matter from the interior of the track while allowing a pedestal extending from the interior of the track to traverse the channel. The cover is formed from two cover halves extending inwardly over the channel from supports running alongside of the channel, and the cover halves include resilient outer portions and hard yet flexible inner portions. The inner portions contact the passing pedestal and flex out of the way as the pedestal passes between them. The outer portions provide an inward biasing force against the inner portions for holding them against the passing pedestal and returning them to a closed position after a pedestal has passed.
Claims25
In a conveyor system comprising a conveyor track, a movable member, a drive for moving said movable member along said track in a first direction, a carrier for supporting an object, and a coupling member for coupling said carrier to said movable member, the improvement comprising:
- a cover disposed between said movable member and said carrier for protecting said movable member, said cover comprising:
- first and second parallel supports spaced apart from and extending in the direction of said track;
- first and second resilient members connected to said first and second supports respectively and extending toward one another across said track;
- and,
- first and second edge strips connected to said first and second resilient members, respectively, being unattached to the first and second parallel supports, and held against each other in sealing engagement by said resilient members,
- whereby said coupling member forces apart a given length of said first and second edge strips as said movable member traverses said track and said resilient members return said given length of edge strips to a condition of sealing engagement after said coupling member passes.
In a conveyor system comprising a conveyor track, a movable member, a drive for moving said movable member along said track in a first direction, a carrier for supporting an object, and a coupling member for coupling said carrier to said movable member, the improvement comprising:
- a cover disposed between said movable member and said carrier for protecting said movable member, said cover comprising:
- first and second parallel supports spaced apart from and extending in the direction of said track;
- first and second resilient members connected to said first and second supports respectively and extending toward one another across said track;
- first and second edge strips connected to said first and second resilient members, respectively, and held against each other in sealing engagement by said resilient members, and
- first and second support strips connected to said first and second supports and extending over said track, wherein said edge strips are held in sliding engagement with said support strips by said resilient sheets,
- whereby said coupling member forces apart a given length of said first and second edge strips as said movable member traverses said track and said resilient members return said given length of edge strips to a condition of sealing engagement after said coupling member passes.
A seal for sealing a channel having a first edge and a second edge while allowing an object partially disposed in said channel to traverse said channel comprising:
- a first member having an inner portion and an outer portion;
- a first connector for connecting said first member outer portion to said first edge;
- a second member having an inner portion and an outer portion;
- and,
- a second connector for connecting said second member outer portion to said second edge and holding said second member inner portion in sealing engagement with said first member inner portion, each of said first and second members being unattached to the first and second edges;
- wherein said inner portion of said first member comprises a first material and said outer portion of said first connector comprises a second material, the second material being resilient to urge the inner portion of the first member in sealing engagement with the inner portion of the second member after separation of the inner portions of the first and second members.
A seal for sealing a channel having a first edge and a second edge while allowing an object partially disposed in said channel to traverse said channel comprising:
- a first member having an inner portion and an outer portion;
- a first connector for connecting said first member outer portion to said first edge;
- a second member having an inner portion and an outer portion;
- and,
- a second connector for connecting said second member outer portion to said second edge and holding said second member inner portion in sealing engagement with said first member inner portion;
- wherein said inner portion of said first member comprises a first material and said outer portion of said first member comprises a second material;
- and further
- wherein said first connector comprises a support connected proximate to said channel first edge, and a strip member connected to said support and extending over said channel toward said second edge for supporting said first member.
In a conveyor system comprising a conveyor track, a trolley, a drive for moving said trolley along said track in a first direction, a pedestal extending from said trolley away from said track, and a carrier connected to said pedestal, the improvement comprising:
- a cover for protecting said trolley and track comprising:
- first and second supports, each including a top wall, connected to said track and extending away from said track parallel to said pedestal;
- first and second support strips connected to said first and second top walls and extending inwardly of said supports;
- first and second sheets of resilient material connected to said first and second supports respectively and extending over said support strips and toward each other;
- and,
- first and second edge strips connected to said first and second resilient members, respectively, wherein said edge strips are supported by said top walls and held against each other in sealing engagement by said sheets,
- whereby said pedestal forces apart a given length of said first and second edge strips as said trolley travels between said top walls and said resilient sheets return said given length of edge strips to a condition of sealing engagement after said pedestal passes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.