Accumulator with braking

Claim 2

An accumulator conveyor having a plurality of rollers forming an article transporting track, a driven propelling member engageable and disengageable from said rollers; said conveyor having a plurality of sections arranged in tandem; an article detecting sensor in each section; support means for said propelling mEmber, separate and independent actuator means in each section operable on said support means for bringing together and separating said rollers and propelling member for effecting drive and nondrive of said rollers; a brake operatively connected to said actuator means in each section, said actuator means shifting said brake into braking engagement with at least one of said rollers in a section when said actuator means in said section separates the rollers and propelling member in said section.

Claim 3

In an article conveyor having transport rollers, support rollers, a propelling member located between said transport and support rollers for driving said transport rollers and means for shifting said propelling member between driving and non-driving positions, the improvement comprising: said shifting means including inflatable actuator means on said conveyor for shifting said support rollers and said propelling member between said positions; brake means on said conveyor operatively connected to said shifting means, said brake means including engaging means operable against at least one of said transport rollers when said propelling member is shifted to a non-driving position to thereby prevent the movement of articles along said conveyor by preventing rotation of said transport rollers.

Claim 4

In an article conveyor having transport rollers, support rollers, a propelling member located between said transport and support rollers for driving said transport rollers and means for shifting said propelling member between driving and non-driving positions, the improvement comprising: said shifting means including inflatable actuator means on said conveyor for shifting said support rollers and said propelling member between said positions; brake means on said conveyor operatively connected to said shifting means, said brake means including engaging means operable against at least one of said transport rollers when said propelling member is shifted to a non-driving position to thereby prevent the movement of articles along said conveyor by preventing rotation of said transport rollers.

Claim 5

A conveyor as described in claim 2 and further including means biasing said engaging means into transport roller engaging position, said shifting means urging said brake away from said engaging position when said propelling member is in driving position.

Claim 6

The conveyor as described in claim 3 wherein said brake is an arm-like member pivotally mounted along its length on said conveyor, said member having said engaging means fixed at one of its ends and said biasing means is connected to the other of its ends.

Claim 7

The conveyor brake mechanism as described in claim 4, wherein said shifting means includes said support rollers, a shaft mounting said rollers for rotation, said actuator operable against said shaft to move said propelling member into and out of engagement with said transport rollers wherein said brake is operated by movement of said shaft against said arm at a point between said pivotal mounting and said biasing means.

Claim 8

A conveyor as described in claim 4 wherein said biasing means is a spring connected at one of its ends to said conveyor and at its other end to said other end of said arm.

Claim 9

In an article conveyor having transport rollers; a propelling member for driving said transport rollers; vertically shiftable support rollers supporting said propelling member, said support rollers each having a shaft extending from the ends thereof; means operating on said shaft for shifting said support rollers and said propelling member between driving and non-driving positions; and brake means on said conveyor operable against at least one of said transport rollers when said support rollers and said propelling member are shifted to a non-driving position; and brake means comprising: an elongated arm member having opposed ends; pivot mounting means between said opposed ends mounting said arm member on said conveyor; friction means on one of said ends of said arm, said friction means adapted to engage said one of said transport rollers; biasing means on the other of said ends of said arm, said biasing means urging said arm to pivot about said pivot mounting means for shifting said friction means into engagement with said one of said transport rollers; and said shaft operatively engaging said arm member between said pivot mounting means and said other end to urge said arm to pivot about said pivot mounting means and shift said friction means out of engagement with said one of said transport rollers when said propelling member is shifted into driving position.

Claim 10

In an article conveyor having transport rollers; a propelling member for driving said transport rollers; vertically shiftable support rollers supporting said propelling member, said support rollers each having a shaft extending from the ends thereof; means operating on said shaft for shifting said support rollers and said propelling member between driving and non-driving positions; and brake means on said conveyor operable against at least one of said transport rollers when said support rollers and said propelling member are shifted to a non-driving position; and brake means comprising: an elongated arm member having opposed ends; pivot mounting means between said opposed ends mounting said arm member on said conveyor; friction means on one of said ends of said arm, said friction means adapted to engage said one of said transport rollers; biasing means on the other of said ends of said arm, said biasing means urging said arm to pivot about said pivot mounting means for shifting said friction means into engagement with said one of said transport rollers; and said shaft operatively engaging said arm member between said pivot mounting means and said other end to urge said arm to pivot about said pivot mounting means and shift said friction means out of engagement with said one of said transport rollers when said propelling member is shifted into driving position.