Mechanism for cyclically moving a parts accumulator-conveyor

Claim 2

A mechanism for continuously cyclically raising, oscillating, generally horizontally back and forth, and lowering a parts conveyor means mounted upon a vertical support shaft, comprising: an elongated lever arm mounted near one of its ends upon a horizontal axis located beneath said conveyor means, with the end of the shorter portion of the arm engaging the lower end of said shaft, and with the end of longer portion of the arm being engaged with a continuously moving cam means for regularly rocking the arm upwardly and downwardly about said axis, thereby regularly raising and lowering said shaft and its conveyor means; and a horizontally rotating cam means, mounted upon a fixed vertical axis beneath said conveyor means, and operatively connected with the conveyor means for regularly oscillating it back and forth a short angular distance in a horizontal direction, moving it first in one direction when the shaft is raised and in the opposite direction when the shaft is lowered.

Claim 3

A mechanism as defined in claim 1, and wherein said continuously moving cam means is in the form of a stud mounted upon the face of a horizonTally axised rotating plate, said stud being fitted within a slot formed in the long portion of the arm at the end thereof and extending in a lengthwise direction of the arm.

Claim 4

A mechanism as defined in claim 1, and said horizontally rotating cam means comprising a vertically arranged stud mounted upon a vertically axised rotating plate, with said stud being fitted within a horizontally slotted element connected to said conveyor means for oscillating said element in a horizontal plane.

Claim 5

A mechanism as defined in claim 1, and said continuously moving cam means being in the form of a stud mounted upon the face of a horizontally axised rotating plate, said stud being fitted within a slot formed within the long portion of the arm near the end thereof, and extending in a lengthwise direction of the arm; and said horizontally rotating cam comprising a vertically arrange stud mounted upon a vertically axised rotating plate, with said vertically axised stud being fitted within a horizontally slotted element operatively connected to said conveyor means for oscillating said element in a horizontal plane.

Claim 6

A mechanism as defined in claim 4, and including a motor connected to both of sid cam means for simultaneously driving said cam in timed relationship with each other.

Claim 7

In a parts accumulator-conveyor, comprising a set of sloped, fixed tracks upon which a plurality of identical T-shaped parts are supported, with the lower ends of their shanks resting upon the fixed tracks; and a set of movable tracks above and outside of the space between the fixed tracks and in vertical alignment with and beneath the heads of the parts; and means for cyclically moving the movable tracks slightly upwardly, then forwardly horizontally a short distance, then downwardly, then return horizontally, to thereby repeatedly and continuously move the movable tracks correspondingly, with the movable tracks engaging the undersides of the heads of the parts of the upstroke and lifting them slightly relative to the fixed tracks and moving the parts along the fixed tracks on the forward stroke, then dropping them back upon the fixed track upon the downstroke and returning to the original position to repeat the cycle thereby moving the parts incrementally along the fixed tracks, the improvement comprising: said means for cyclically moving the movable tracks comporising a vertical shaft upon which movable tracks are mounted; an elongated arm mounted near one of its ends upon a horizontal axis located beneath said movable tracks, with the end of the shorter portion of the arm engaging the lower end of said shaft, and with the end of the longer portion of the arm being engaged with a continuously moving cam means for regularly rocking the arm upwardly and downwardly about said axis, thereby regularly raising and lowering said shaft and the movable tracks; and a horizontally rotating cam means, mounted upon a fixed vertical axis beneath said movable tracks, and operatively connected with the movable tracks for regularly oscillating them back and forth a short angular distance in the horizontal direction.

Claim 8

In a parts accumulator-conveyor, comprising a set of sloped, fixed tracks upon which a plurality of identical T-shaped parts are supported, with the lower ends of their shanks resting upon the fixed tracks; and a set of movable tracks above and outside of the space between the fixed tracks and in vertical alignment with and beneath the heads of the parts; and means for cyclically moving the movable tracks slightly upwardly, then forwardly horizontally a short distance, then downwardly, then return horizontally, to thereby repeatedly and continuously move the movable tracks correspondingly, with the movable tracks engaging the undersides of the heads of the parts of the upstroke and lifting them slightly relative to the fixed tracks and moving the parts along the fixed tracks on the forward stroke, then dropping them back upon the fixed track upon the downstroke and returning to the original position to repeat the cycle thereby moving the parts incrementally along the fixed tracks, the improvement comprising: said means for cyclically moving the movable tracks comporising a vertical shaft upon which movable tracks are mounted; an elongated arm mounted near one of its ends upon a horizontal axis located beneath said movable tracks, with the end of the shorter portion of the arm engaging the lower end of said shaft, and with the end of the longer portion of the arm being engaged with a continuously moving cam means for regularly rocking the arm upwardly and downwardly about said axis, thereby regularly raising and lowering said shaft and the movable tracks; and a horizontally rotating cam means, mounted upon a fixed vertical axis beneath said movable tracks, and operatively connected with the movable tracks for regularly oscillating them back and forth a short angular distance in the horizontal direction.

Claim 9

A construction as defined in claim 6, and wherein said continuously moving cam means is in the form of a stud extending horizontally from the face of a horizontally axised rotating plate, with said stud being fitted within a slot formed within the long poportion of the arm at the end thereof and extending in a lengthwise direction of the arm.

Claim 10

In a parts accumulator-conveyor comprising a set of slopped fixed tracks upon which a plurality of identical parts are supported; and a set of movable tracks, vertically spaced from, but parallel to the fixed tracks and in vertical alignment and beneath at least a portion of each of the parts, and said movable tracks being secured to a movable support, and means for cyclically moving the support slightly upwardly, then forwardly horizontally a short distance, then downwardly, then return horizontally, to thereby repeatedlY and continuously move the movable tracks correspondingly; with the movable tracks engaging the parts on its upstroke and lifting them slightly relative to the fixed tracks, and moving the parts along the fixed tracks on its forward stroke, the dropping them back upon the fixed track with its downstroke and returning to its original position to repeat the cycle to thereby incrementally move the parts along the fixed tracks, the improvement comprising: said means for cyclically moving the support comprising an enlongated arm mounted near one of its ends upon a horizontal axis located beneath said support, with the end of the shorter portion of the arm engaging the lower end of said support and with the end of the longer portion of the arm being engaged with a continuously moving cam means for regularly rocking the arm upwardly and downwardly about said axis thereby regularly raising and lowering sid support; and a horizontally rotating cam means mounted upon a fixed vertical axis beneath saId support and operatively connected with the support for regularly oscillating it back and forth a short angular distance in the horizontal direction, moving it first in one direction when the support is raised and in the opposite direction when the support is lowered.

Claim 11

In a parts accumulator-conveyor comprising a set of slopped fixed tracks upon which a plurality of identical parts are supported; and a set of movable tracks, vertically spaced from, but parallel to the fixed tracks and in vertical alignment and beneath at least a portion of each of the parts, and said movable tracks being secured to a movable support, and means for cyclically moving the support slightly upwardly, then forwardly horizontally a short distance, then downwardly, then return horizontally, to thereby repeatedlY and continuously move the movable tracks correspondingly; with the movable tracks engaging the parts on its upstroke and lifting them slightly relative to the fixed tracks, and moving the parts along the fixed tracks on its forward stroke, the dropping them back upon the fixed track with its downstroke and returning to its original position to repeat the cycle to thereby incrementally move the parts along the fixed tracks, the improvement comprising: said means for cyclically moving the support comprising an enlongated arm mounted near one of its ends upon a horizontal axis located beneath said support, with the end of the shorter portion of the arm engaging the lower end of said support and with the end of the longer portion of the arm being engaged with a continuously moving cam means for regularly rocking the arm upwardly and downwardly about said axis thereby regularly raising and lowering sid support; and a horizontally rotating cam means mounted upon a fixed vertical axis beneath saId support and operatively connected with the support for regularly oscillating it back and forth a short angular distance in the horizontal direction, moving it first in one direction when the support is raised and in the opposite direction when the support is lowered.

Claim 12

A construction as defined in claim 8 and wherein said continuously moving cam means is in the form of a horizontal stud mounted upon a vertically arranged rotating plate, said stud being fitted within a slot formed in the long portion of the arm at the end thereof and extending in the lengthwise direction of the arm.

Claim 13

A construction as defined in claim 9, and said horizontally rotating cam means comprising a vertically arranged portion mounted upon a vertically axised rotating plate, with said portion being fitted within a horizontally slotted element connected to said support means for oscillating said element and support in a horizontal plane.