Production operation with power and free pallet conveyor

A conveyor driven production operation comprising:

• a pallet;
• a first production area having an entrance, an exit, and defining a pallet travel path between said entrance and exit;
• a first delivery area located before or after the first production area in relation to the travel path;
• a first transfer zone between said first production area and said first delivery area;
• a first conveyor assembly drivably engaging the pallet when the pallet is in said first production area, said first conveyor assembly being out of driving engagement with said pallet when said pallet is in said first delivery area;
• and
• a power and free conveyor assembly drivably engaging said pallet when said pallet is in said first delivery area, said power and free conveyor assembly including a power track assembly, a free track assembly, and a trolley assembly fixed to the pallet, said free track assembly extending through said first production area, said first delivery area, and said first transfer zone.

A conveyor driven production operation comprising:

• a plurality of pallets including a first pallet and a second pallet;
• a first area;
• a delivery area wherein each pallet is moved to or from the first area;
• a first conveyor assembly drivably engagable with each pallet when each pallet is in the first area to drive the first and second pallets through the first area, said first conveyor assembly being out of driving engagement with each pallet when the first and second pallets are in said delivery area;
• a power and free conveyor assembly drivably engaging the first and second pallets when the first and second pallets are in the delivery area to drive the first and second pallets through the delivery area, said power and free conveyor assembly being out of driving engagement with the first and second pallets when the first and second pallet are in said first area, and wherein said second pallet assembly abuts said first pallet assembly in said first area and said second pallet is spaced from said first pallet when said first and second pallets are in said delivery area.

A method of moving a plurality of pallets through a production operation, the production operation including a first area and a delivery area wherein each pallet is moved to or from the first area, said production operation further including a first drive assembly and a power and free conveyor assembly, said power and free conveyor assembly including a drive trolley, a load trolley coupled to move with each pallet, a power track, and a free track that includes a common free track in the delivery area and a drive trolley free track offset and generally parallel to a load trolley free track in the first area, said method comprising the steps of:

• maintaining said plurality of pallets spaced from one another in said delivery area while driving the pallets through the delivery area with the power and free conveyor assembly;
• moving the drive trolley and the load trolley in the common free track when each pallet is in the delivery area;
• moving the drive trolley into the drive trolley free track and the load trolley into said load trolley free track before each pallet enters the first area;
• and
• abutting adjacent pallets in said first area and driving the pallets through the first area with the first drive assembly.