Conveyor carrier tow bar

Claim 2

In a conveyor having a carrier which includes a plurality of trolleys mounted in spaced relation along a carrier track, one of the trolleys being a driving trolley equipped with a driving dog engageable by a pusher of propelling means supported on an adjacent track, the improvement comprising: a tow bar including a pair of coupling members, means attaching one of said members to the driving trolley and the other of said members to a portion of the carrier spaced longitudinally of the carrier track from the driving trolley, means interconnecting said members for relative movement therebetween to permit a change in the spacing between the driving trolley and said portion of the carrier to which the other of said members is attached in response to acceleration and deceleration forces on the driving trolley, abutment means between said members limiting such relative movement in directions of increase and decrease in said spacing and causing said members to form a link of one length for transmitting acceleration forces and of another length for transmitting deceleration forces, and impact absorbing means interposed between said members yieldingly opposing such an increase and decrease in the spacing, said abutment means being arranged to prevent the transmittal of acceleration and deceleration forces by contact between the impact absorbing means and said coupling members.

Claim 3

In a conveyor having a carrier which includes a plurality of trolleys mounted in spaced relation along a carrier track, one of the trolleys being a driving trolley equipped with a driving dog engageable by a pusher of propelling means supported on an adjacent track, the improvement comprising: a tow bar including a pair of coupling members, means attaching one of said members to the driving trolley and the other of said members to a portion of the carrier spaced longitudinally of the carrier track from the driving trolley, means interconnecting said members for relative movement there-between to permit a change in the spacing between the driving trolley and said portion of the carrier to which the other of said members is attached in response to acceleration and deceleration forces on the driving trolley, abutment means between said members limiting such relative movement in directions of increase and decrease in said spacing and causing said members to form a link of one length for transmitting acceleration forces and of another length for transmitting deceleration forces, and impact absorbing means interposed between said members yieldingly opposing such an increase and decrease in the spacing, said abutment means being arranged to prevent the transmittal of acceleration and deceleration forces by contact between the impact absorbing means and said coupling members.

Claim 4

In a conveyor having a carrier which includes a plurality of trolleys mounted in spaced relation along a carrier track, one of the trolleys being a driving trolley equipped with a driving dog engageable by a pusher of propelling means supported on an adjacent track, the improvement comprising: a tow bar including a pair of coupling members, means attaching one of said members to the driving trolley and the other of said members to a portion of the carrier spaced longitudinally of the carrier track from the driving trolley, means interconnecting said members for relative movement there-between to permit a change in the spacing between the driving trolley and said portion of the carrier to which the other of said members is attached in response to acceleration and deceleration forces on the driving trolley, abutment means between said members limiting such relative movement in directions of increase and decrease in said spacing and causing said members to form a link of one length for transmitting acceleration forces and of another length for transmitting deceleration forces, and impact absorbing means interposed between said members yieldingly opposing such an increase and decrease in the spacing, said abutment means being arranged to prevent the transmittal of acceleration and deceleration forces by contact between the impact absorbing means and said coupling members.

Claim 5

A conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the pair of coupling members consist of an outer tubular member and an inner member, the means interconnecting said members including bearing means carried by the outer tubular member and slidably engaged by the inner member.

Claim 6

A conveyor according to claim 2 wherein the impact absorbing means includes a piston secured to the inner member.

Claim 7

A conveyor according to claim 2 wherein the impact absorbing means includes a cylinder mounted within the outer tubular coupling member and fixed relative thereto, a piston in said cylinder, the inner coupling member having a rod portion extending within said cylinder and secured to the piston.

Claim 8

A conveyor according to claim 4 wherein the cylinder is a relatively sealed unit having side and end walls, and the piston is provided with opposed faces and with a restricted passage for fluid flow between said faces.

Claim 9

A cOnveyor according to claim 4 including means supporting the cylinder in radially spaced relation to the outer tubular coupling member.

Claim 10

A conveyor according to claim 6 wherein said means supporting the cylinder comprise a pair of partition members fixed within the tubular coupling member in longitudinally spaced relation, the cylinder being mounted between said partition members and secured thereto.

Claim 11

A conveyor according to claim 7 wherein the cylinder is a relatively sealed unit having end walls each secured to one of said partition members, and the piston is provided with opposed faces and with a restricted passage for fluid flow between said faces.

Claim 12

A conveyor according to claim 1 wherein the pair of coupling members consist of an outer cylindrical tubular member and an inner member having a rod portion, the means interconnecting said coupling members include longitudinally spaced bearings mounted within the outer coupling member and slidably engaged by the rod portion of the inner coupling member, and the impact absorbing means includes a cylinder mounted within the outer coupling member and fixed relative thereto and a piston in the cylinder connected to the rod portion of the inner coupling member.