Conveyor installations

Claim 1

IN A CONVEYOR INSTALLATION OF THE KIND SPECIFIED FOR CONVEYING A SUCCESSION OF ARTICLE CARRIERS, AN ACTUATING ELEMENT ARRANGED AT A LOCATION ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE CONVEYOR TRACK, A CARRIER DRIVE DISENGAGEMENT ELEMENT SITUATED REARWARDLY OF THE ACTUATING ELEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCEMENT OF THE ARTICLE CARRIERS, MEANS OPERABLY CONNECTING SAID ACTUATING ELEMENT TO SAID CARRIER DRIVE DISENGAGING ELEMENT, A CARRIER ADVANCE CONTROL MEMBER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CARRIER ADVANCE CONTROL MEMBER SO THAT IT IS DISPLACEABLE RELATIVE TO THE CONVEYOR TRACK BETWEEN LOCKING AND FREE POSITIONS IN WHICH IT RESPECTIVELY LOCKS AN ASSOCIATED ACTUATING ELEMENT IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION OR PERMITS SAID ACTUATING ELEMENT TO MOVE INTO ITS INOPERATIVE POSITION, A CONTROL MEMBER RELEASE DEVICE, MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID RELEASE DEVICE WHEN AN ASSOCIATED ONE OF SAID CARRIERS HAS ADVANCED FROM A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE BEYOND SAID ACTUATING ELEMENT, MEANS CONNECTING SAID OPERATING MEANS TO SAID CONTROL MEMBER RELEASE DEVICE TO EFFECT DISPLACEMENT OF SAID CARRIER ADVANCE CONTROL MEMBER INTO ITS FREE POSITION, SAID CARRIER ADVANCE CONTROL MEMBER BEING ADAPTED WHEN DISPLACED INTO ITS FREE POSITION TO ENGAGE WITH A PART OF A CARRIER ADVANCING FROM OR PAST SAID LOCATION AND TO BE THEREBY DISPLACED INTO ITS LOCKING POSITION TO RETAIN THE ASSOCIATED ACTUATING ELEMENT IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION AND THUS RETAIN THE CORRESPONDING CARRIER DRIVE DISENGAGING ELEMENT CONNECTED THERETO IN ITS DRIVE DISENGAGING POSITION AND PREVENT THE NEXT FOLLOWING ONE OF SAID CARRIERS FROM ADVANCING PAST SAID LOCATION UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE CARRIER ADVANCE CONTROL MEMBER IS DISPLACED INTO ITS FREE POSITION UNDER THE OPERATION OF SAID RELEASE DEVICE.