Coder for industrial conveyors

Claim 1

A coder for industrial conveyors of the type having a movable work carrier and a track on which the carrier travels, said coder comprising a horizontal pivot on and movable with said carrier, indicator means having a switch operating member, said indicator means being mounted on said pivot for free pivotal movement and operative to swing said member in a vertical plane between switch-actuating and switch by-passing positions, actuator means disposed beside said track and when said member is in one of said positions said actuator means being coactive with said indicator means as said work carrier moves along said track and carries said indicator means past said actuator means, whereby to actuate the latter automatically to swing said member to the other of said positions; associated means coactive with said indicator means operative by pivotal movement of the latter to swing said switch operating member more than half way toward a selected switch-actuating or switch by-passing position to complete said movement independently of said actuator means and operative further to hold said switch operating member in said selected position; and mounting means carrying said actuator means and operable to position the latter selectively into and out of the path of travel of said indicator means, said mounting means including a power actuator which is operable to move said mounting means into and out of the path of travel of the switch operating member of said indicator means, said mounting means being pivoted to a part of the track assembly for movement transversely to said track, and said mounting means being physically attached to said actuator means and engageable with said track to position said actuator means in the path of travel of said indicator means.