Friction drive conveyor

A friction drive conveyor comprising:

• a plurality of carriers movable in a wnning direction along a track, the track including a first section and a second section;
• the carriers each having a frictional surface extending in the running direction;
• a plurality of first frictional wheels arranged at generally fixed locations in the first section on the track side so as to come into contact with the frictional surfaces of the carriers to propel the carriers in the first section;
• the first frictional wheels arranged at regular intervals, in the first section, of a distance not longer than the length of the frictional surface;
• a plurality of second frictional wheels arranged in the second section on the track side so as to come into contact with the frictional surfaces of the carriers to propel the carriers in the second section;
• the second frictional wheels arranged at intervals, in the second section, of a distance shorter than the regular intervals;
• brakeless motors assigned to each of the first frictional wheels for driving the first frictional wheels;
• at least one motor for driving the second frictional wheels;
• a first sensing means including first sensors assigned to each of the first frictional wheels for sensing whether or not the first frictional wheel is in contact with the frictional surface of one carrier;
• the first sensors each adapted to output a first sensing signal;
• a second sensing means for sensing whether or not any of the carriers is present in the second section;
• the second sensing means adapted to output a second sensing signal;
• a first controlling means for controlling each of the brakeless motors of said first section,
• first means for transmitting said first sensing signals for said first friction wheels to the first controller means for a rearwardly adjacent motor so as to start rotating a rearwardly adjacent frictional wheel in contact with the frictional surface of one carrier when the forwardly adjacent frictional wheel becomes free of the frictional surface of the next preceding carrier, and so as to automatically stop rotating the forwardly adjacent first frictional wheel at the time of its having become free of the frictional surfaces;
• and
• a second controlling means, including second signal transmitting means, for controlling all the second frictional wheels as one group in a manner corresponding to the control of a first frictional wheel, so that a carrier can be propelled in the second section in the manner that carriers are propelled in the first section.

A friction drive conveyor comprising:

• a plurality of carriers movable in a running direction along a track;
• the carriers each having a frictional surface extending in the running direction;
• a plurality of frictional wheels arranged at generally fixed locations along the track side so as to come into contact with the frictional surfaces of the carriers to propel the carriers along the track;
• the track including a section in which the frictional wheels are arranged at regular intervals of a distance not longer than the length of the frictional surface;
• brakeless motors each assigned to one of the frictional wheels for driving the frictional wheel;
• sensors assigned to each of the frictional wheels for sensing whether or not the frictional wheel is in contact with the frictional surface of one carrier;
• the sensors each adapted to output a sensing signal;
• a controlling means for controlling each of the brakeless motors on the basis of the sensing signals from each of the sensors so as to start rotating a particular frictional wheel in contact with the frictional surface of one carrier when a forwardly adjacent frictional wheel gets free of the frictional surface of another preceding carrier, and so as to stop rotating the frictional wheels at the time of their becoming free of the frictional surfaces;
• the track including a plurality of guide rail units of a suitable length connected end to end, the rail units each including:
• a cable rack connected to the racks of the adjacent rail units;
• and
• a power supply cable extending through the cable rack;
• the power supply cable fitted with end connectors for connecting the cable with the other cables of the adjacent rail units and to a branch connector;
• wherein the branch connectors of the supply cables of the rail units can be connected with branch cables, through which the motors can be supplied with power from the power supply cables.