Conveyor system for moving fixtures through a selected program

Claim 2

A conveyor system comprising a plurality of fixtures, an endless conveyor engageable with said fixtures supported for movement along a predetermined path, guide means extending along said conveyor and cooperating therewith to provide a guideway for receiving said fixtures to be engaged by said conveyor and moved along the guideway in said predetermined path, at least one pocket provided along the guideway where at least one of said fixtures can dwell for a period of time, supporting means being providEd for said conveyor and having an arrangement adjacent said pocket for detouring said conveyor around said pocket so that said fixtures are disengaged from said conveyor when in said pocket, said pocket defining a space having a lineal dimension along said path and between points of disengagement and engagement of a fixture with said conveyor greater than that portion of said fixture engaged by said conveyor so that subsequent movement of another of said fixtures into said pocket by said conveyor will advance said fixtures in said pocket and will move one of said fixtures out of said pocket to again engage said conveyor and be moved thereby, and means for driving said conveyor.

Claim 3

A conveyor system according to claim 1 in which said conveyor is a gear belt having at least one gear surface that interfits with said fixtures to positively move them and wherein said supporting means for said conveyor comprises a plurality of pulleys around which said belt is trained, at least one of said pulleys being driven and having a complemental gear surface engaging the gear surface of said belt.

Claim 4

A conveyor system according to claim 2 in which an electric motor drives said driven pulley, and which includes a variable speed means cooperating with said motor.

Claim 5

A conveyor system according to claim 3 in which an electric circuit for the motor is provided which includes the motor and the variable speed means, said circuit including means for actuating the motor to cause it to drive the conveyor in predetermined increments.

Claim 6

A conveyor system according to claim 1 in which said detouring arrangement for the belt comprises a pair of aligned pulleys located at the respective ends of said pocket and engaging the outer surface of the belt, and an intermediate gear pulley offset outwardly from the other pulleys and engaging the inner gear surface of the belt.

Claim 7

A conveyor system according to claim 5 in which said guide means include a plurality of belt backup members provided along the belt and which terminate adjacent the respective ends of the pocket to provide spaces through which the belt may pass outwardly from the guideway and then return to the guideway, and a guide in said pocket extending between said spaces for cooperating with an opposed outer guide of the guideway in guiding said fixtures as they are advanced through said pocket.

Claim 8

A conveyor system according to claim 2 in which said conveyor is disposed in a horizontal plane and the guideway is in the form of an upwardly opening guide slot for receiving said fixtures, each of said fixtures including a guide tongue extending down into said guide slot and having a surface engaged by the gear surface of said belt which interfits therewith.

Claim 9

A conveyor system according to claim 7 in which said fixtures have a support pivotally connected to said tongue for vertical swinging movement, and which includes a cam rail extending along said guide slot for controlling vertical swinging movement of said support.

Claim 10

A conveyor system according to claim 8 in which said support includes a sleeve for rotatably supporting a shaft that carries a work supporting head, an indexing cam carried by said shaft for rotating it about its own axis, and cam means along said guide slot for engaging said cam and indexing said shaft.

Claim 11

A conveyor system according to claim 7 in which said guide means comprises shoulders adjacent each side of the guideway which interfit with portions of the fixtures to prevent vertical displacement of the fixtures from the guideway.

Claim 12

A conveyor system according to claim 10 in which said shoulders are omitted at a selected location along the guideway to permit insertion or removal of said fixtures relative to said guideway.

Claim 13

A conveyor system comprising a plurality of fixtures, an endless gear-belt conveyor having at least one gear surface engageable with said fixtures supported in a horizontal plane for movement along a predetermined path to positively move said fixtures, guide means extending Along said conveyor and cooperating therewith to provide a guideway in the form of an upwardly opening guide slot for receiving said fixtures to be engaged by said conveyor and moved along the guideway in said predetermined path, at least one pocket provided along the guideway where at least one of said fixtures can dwell for a period of time, supporting means being provided for said conveyor including a plurality of pulleys around which said conveyor is trained and having an arrangement adjacent said pocket for detouring said conveyor around said pocket so that said fixtures are disengaged from said conveyor when in said pocket, said pocket designed so that subsequent movement of another of said fixtures into said pocket by said conveyor will advance said fixtures in said pocket and will move one of said fixtures out of said pocket to again engage said conveyor and be moved thereby, means for driving said conveyor that includes at least one of said pulleys being driven and having a complemental gear surface engaging the gear surface of said belt, each of said fixtures including a guide tongue extending down into said guide slot and having a surface engaged by and interfitting with the gear surface of said belt, a support pivotally connected to said tongue for vertical swinging movement and including a sleeve for rotatably supporting a shaft that carries a work supporting head an an indexing cam carried by said shaft for rotating it about its own axis, cam means disposed along said guide slot for engaging said cam and indexing said shaft and a cam rail extending along said guide slot for controlling vertical swinging movement of said support.

Claim 14

A conveyor system comprising a plurality of fixtures, an endless gear-belt conveyor having at least one gear surface engageable with said fixtures supported in a horizontal plane for movement along a predetermined path to positively move said fixtures, guide means extending Along said conveyor and cooperating therewith to provide a guideway in the form of an upwardly opening guide slot for receiving said fixtures to be engaged by said conveyor and moved along the guideway in said predetermined path, at least one pocket provided along the guideway where at least one of said fixtures can dwell for a period of time, supporting means being provided for said conveyor including a plurality of pulleys around which said conveyor is trained and having an arrangement adjacent said pocket for detouring said conveyor around said pocket so that said fixtures are disengaged from said conveyor when in said pocket, said pocket designed so that subsequent movement of another of said fixtures into said pocket by said conveyor will advance said fixtures in said pocket and will move one of said fixtures out of said pocket to again engage said conveyor and be moved thereby, means for driving said conveyor that includes at least one of said pulleys being driven and having a complemental gear surface engaging the gear surface of said belt, each of said fixtures including a guide tongue extending down into said guide slot and having a surface engaged by and interfitting with the gear surface of said belt, a support pivotally connected to said tongue for vertical swinging movement and including a sleeve for rotatably supporting a shaft that carries a work supporting head an an indexing cam carried by said shaft for rotating it about its own axis, cam means disposed along said guide slot for engaging said cam and indexing said shaft and a cam rail extending along said guide slot for controlling vertical swinging movement of said support.