US3559585A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Power and free conveyor
Assignee: Jervis B Webb Co
•
Filing: 1969-03-28
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Granted: 1971-02-02
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Expires: 1989-03-28
Abstract
Abstract A conveyor of the power and free type having a power track for a propelling member spaced above a carrier supporting track. Each carrier is provided at the front end with a rigid main driving dog and at the rear end with a rid combination releasing cam and auxiliary driving dog. Forwarding motion is imparted to a carried by a pusher unit on the propelling member, the pusher unit including an auxiliary driving face and a movable pusher member having main driving and holdback faces. At a normal spacing between the power and carrier tracks, the main driving and holdback faces on the pusher member are engageable with the main driving dog of a carrier and the pusher member is movable to a nondriving position in response to engagement with a stop or with the auxiliary driving dog of a preceding carrier. At a reduced track spacing, the pusher member is movable to a position of positive driving engagement with the main carrier driving dog, or alternately, the auxiliary driving face of the pusher unit is engageable with the auxiliary driving dog of a carrier.
Inventors
- 👤 George D Lempio
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 13:17
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61B; B61B10/00; B61B10/02; B61B10/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
In a conveyor of the type having a carrier track, a power track mounted in spaced relation with the carrier track, a carrier on the carrier track provided with a driving dog engageable by a pusher unit of a propelling member supported on the power track for imparting forwarding movement to the carrier; the improvement wherein: the pusher unit includes a main driving face and an auxiliary driving face, the main driving face and a camming portion being formed on a pusher member; means mounting the pusher member for movement between an engaged and a disengaged position of the main driving face relative to a carrier driving dog at a normal spacing between the carrier and power tracks in response to contact of the camming portion with an object in the path of pusher travel; and an auxiliary driving dog on the carrier, said auxiliary driving dog being engageable by said camming portion of the pusher member at said normal spacing and by said auxiliary driving face of the pusher unit at a spacing between the carrier and power tracks which is less than said normal spacing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
187 words
In a conveyor of the type having a carrier track, a power track mounted in spaced relation with the carrier track, a carrier on the carrier track provided with a driving dog engageable by a pusher unit of a propelling member supported on the power track for imparting forwarding movement to the carrier; the improvement wherein: the pusher unit includes a main driving face and an auxiliary driving face, the main driving face and a camming portion being formed on a pusher member; means mounting the pusher member for movement between an engaged and a disengaged position of the main driving face relative to a carrier driving dog at a normal spacing between the carrier and power tracks in response to contact of the camming portion with an object in the path of pusher travel; and an auxiliary driving dog on the carrier, said auxiliary driving dog being engageable by said camming portion of the pusher member at said normal spacing and by said auxiliary driving face of the pusher unit at a spacing between the carrier and power tracks which is less than said normal spacing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
A conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the carrier is provided with a pusher member retaining cam adapted to hold the pusher member in said disengaged position in response to contact between the pusher member camming portion and said retaining cam at said normal track spacing, and wherein said retaining cam is formed with said auxiliary carrier driving dog.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A conveyor according to claim 2 wherein the carrier includes a main holdback dog adapted to be abuttingly engaged by the auxiliary driving dog of an immediately preceding overtaken carrier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A conveyor according to claim 3 wherein the carrier includes a guide surface adapted to be overlapped by the retaining cam of a preceding overtaken carrier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
113 words
A conveyor according to claim 1 wherein said pusher unit includes a pusher bracket, structurally united with the propelling member; means connecting the pusher member to the pusher bracket for limited pivotal movement between a retracted and an extended position relative to the propelling member, the pusher member being biased to the extended position; and the pusher member extending rearwardly from the pivot means with respect to the direction of forwarding carrier movement and having said main driving face and a holdback face, said driving and holdback faces being spaced longitudinally of the pusher member, and wherein said auxiliary driving face of the pusher unit is located forwardly of the main driving face.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A conveyor according to claim 5 wherein said auxiliary driving face is formed by a portion of the pusher bracket projecting forwardly of the pivot means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A conveyor according to claim 5 wherein said auxiliary driving face is formed at least in part on a portion of the pusher member projecting forwardly of said pivot means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A conveyor according to claim 5 wherein the holdback face on the pusher member in the retracted position thereof extends closer to the carrier track than said main driving face.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
A conveyor according to claim 8 wherein the carrier includes a main holdback dog and a secondary holdback dog located forwardly thereof and projecting a lesser distance toward the power tracks, said secondary holdback dog being engageable with the holdback face of the pusher member at a spacing between the carrier and power tracks less than said normal spacing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
A conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the pusher unit includes a pusher bracket structurally united with the propelling member and carrying pivot means to which the pusher member is connected, and stop means on the pusher member and bracket limiting movement of the pusher member in directions toward and away from the propelling member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A conveyor according to claim 10 wherein the pusher bracket includes a portion projecting forwardly of said pivot means, said auxiliary driving face of the pusher unit being formed on said forwardly projecting bracket portIon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
107 words
A conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the carrier includes a main holdback dog having a portion which extends transversely of the path of travel a distance greater than does the auxiliary driving dog, a stop plate mounted adjacent the carrier track at a location where the carrier and power tracks are arranged at said normal spacing for movement to and from a stopping position, the stop plate in stopping position being abuttingly engageable only by said transversely extending portion of the main holdback dog, and a lateral extension on the camming portion of the pusher member engageable with the stop plate in the stopping position thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
A conveyor according to claim 12 wherein the auxiliary driving dog is combined with a pusher-retaining cam, the pusher-retaining cam having means at the forward end thereof for imparting movement to the stop plate away from the stopping position in the event of engagement therewith.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
196 words
In a power and free conveyor having a carrier track, a power track arranged in spaced relation therewith and supporting a propelling member, an improved pusher unit mounted on the propelling member for imparting forwarding movement to a carrier on the carrier track comprising: a bracket member adapted to be secured to the propelling member; a pusher member having a main driving face, a holdback face and a camming portion in advance of the holdback face; means connecting the pusher member to the bracket member for limited pivotal movement between a retracted and an extended position relative to the propelling member, the pusher member projecting rearwardly from the pivotal axis of the connecting means with reference to the direction of forwarding movement and said camming portion assuming an acute angle to the longitudinal center line of the propelling member when the pusher member is in said extended position; and an auxiliary driving face on one of the puser and bracket members, the auxiliary driving face being located forwardly of the main driving face and at a lesser distance from the propelling member than the main driving face when the pusher member is in said extended position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
196 words
In a power and free conveyor having a carrier track, a power track arranged in spaced relation therewith and supporting a propelling member, an improved pusher unit mounted on the propelling member for imparting forwarding movement to a carrier on the carrier track comprising: a bracket member adapted to be secured to the propelling member; a pusher member having a main driving face, a holdback face and a camming portion in advance of the holdback face; means connecting the pusher member to the bracket member for limited pivotal movement between a retracted and an extended position relative to the propelling member, the pusher member projecting rearwardly from the pivotal axis of the connecting means with reference to the direction of forwarding movement and said camming portion assuming an acute angle to the longitudinal center line of the propelling member when the pusher member is in said extended position; and an auxiliary driving face on one of the puser and bracket members, the auxiliary driving face being located forwardly of the main driving face and at a lesser distance from the propelling member than the main driving face when the pusher member is in said extended position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
An improved pusher unit as set forth in claim 14 wherein said auxiliary driving face is formed on a portion of the bracket member which projects forwardly of the pusher member.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
An improved pusher unit as set forth in claim 14 wherein the holdback face of the pusher member projects from the propelling member a distance greater than the main driving face when the pusher member is in said retracted position.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
163 words
In a power and free conveyor having a carrier track, a power track arranged in spaced relation therewith and supporting a propelling member equipped with pushers each movable between extended and retracted positions relative to the propelling member in response to contact with an object in the path of pusher travel, an improved construction for controlling movement of a carrier on the carrier track comprising main driving and holdback dogs rigidly mounted at the front of the carrier and projecting toward the power track, a secondary holdback dog forwardly of and projecting a lesser distance toward the power track than the main holdback dog, each pusher having driving and holdback faces which overlap the main driving and holdback dogs of the carrier at a normal spacing between the carrier and power tracks and which overlap the main driving and secondary holdback dogs of the carrier with decreased longitudinal clearance at a spacing between the carrier and power tracks less than said normal spacing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
163 words
In a power and free conveyor having a carrier track, a power track arranged in spaced relation therewith and supporting a propelling member equipped with pushers each movable between extended and retracted positions relative to the propelling member in response to contact with an object in the path of pusher travel, an improved construction for controlling movement of a carrier on the carrier track comprising main driving and holdback dogs rigidly mounted at the front of the carrier and projecting toward the power track, a secondary holdback dog forwardly of and projecting a lesser distance toward the power track than the main holdback dog, each pusher having driving and holdback faces which overlap the main driving and holdback dogs of the carrier at a normal spacing between the carrier and power tracks and which overlap the main driving and secondary holdback dogs of the carrier with decreased longitudinal clearance at a spacing between the carrier and power tracks less than said normal spacing.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
49 words
A power and free conveyor according to claim 17 wherein a portion of the carrier intermediate the driving and holdback dogs supports a pusher in a retracted position at said lesser track spacing, and means limiting further retracting movement of said pusher to an amount less than said overlap.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3074355A
Cited
US3418949A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-02-01 | 1974-08-03 | 1975-02-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-02-01 | 1978-08-03 | 1979-02-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-02-01 | 1982-08-03 | 1983-02-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |