Conveyor apparatus

Claim 2

A conveyor comprising: powered driving means including a plurality of spaced driving units propelled along the course of the conveyor; a plurality of carrier means movable along a path generally parallel and adjacent to the path of said driving units for carrying a load; driven means rigidly connected to each said carrier means; first lever means movably connected to each said driving unit for drivingly engaging said driven means on one of said carrier means to drive said carrier means; release means on each said driving unit for permitting disengagement of its associated first lever means from the driven means of the carrier means driven thereby in response to a physical restraint being imposed against movement of such driven carrier means along said path; second lever means movably connected to each said driving unit in a leading relationship with respect to said first lever means on the same said unit, said second lever means being operable to prevent a carrier means from moving forwardly past a driving unit while permitting a driving unit to move forwardly past a carrier means; and means disposed along a zone of the course of the conveyor for rendering each said release means inoperable in said zone.

Claim 3

A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first levers extend from said units in a direction substantially opposite from the direction of movement of said units.

Claim 4

A conveyor comprising: powered driving means including a plurality of spaced driving lugs propelled along the course of the conveyor; a plurality of carrier means movable along a path generally parallel and adjacent to the path of said driving units for carrying a load; a driving unit connected to each said carrier means; first lever means movably connected to each said driving unit for drivingly engaging one of said driving lugs to drive said carrier means; release means on each driving unit for permitting disengagement of its associated first lever means from its driving lug in response to a physical restraint being imposed against movement of its carrier means along said path; second lever means movably connected to each said driving unit in a trailing relationship with respect to said first lever means on the same said unit, said second lever means being operable to prevent a carrier means from moving forwardly past a driving unit while permitting a driving unit to move forwardly past a carrier means; and means disposed along a zone of the course of the conveyor for rendering each said release means inoperable in said zone.

Claim 5

A conveyor comprising: powered driving means including a plurality of spaced driving lugs propelled along the course of the conveyor; a plurality of carrier means movable along a path generally parallel and adjacent to the path of said driving units for carrying a load; a driving unit connected to each said carrier means; first lever means movably connected to each said driving unit for drivingly engaging one of said driving lugs to drive said carrier means; release means on each driving unit for permitting disengagement of its associated first lever means from its driving lug in response to a physical restraint being imposed against movement of its carrier means along said path; second lever means movably connected to each said driving unit in a trailing relationship with respect to said first lever means on the same said unit, said second lever means being operable to prevent a carrier means from moving forwardly past a driving unit while permitting a driving unit to move forwardly past a carrier means; and means disposed along a zone of the course of the conveyor for rendering each said release means inoperable in said zone.

Claim 6

A conveyor as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first levers extend from said units substantially in the direction of movement thereof.

Claim 7

A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for rendering said release means inoperable comprises means for maintaining said first lever means in driving engagement with its driving lug during the course of said zone.

Claim 8

A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for rendering said release means inoperably comprises means for moving said first lever means out of engagement with its driving lug and maintaining it out of such engagement during the course of said zone.

Claim 9

A conveyor as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for rendering said release means inoperable comprises means for maintaining said first lever means in driving engagement with its driving lug during the course of said zone.

Claim 10

A conveyor as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for rendering said release means inoperable comprises means for moving said first lever means out of engagement with its driving lug and maintaining it out of such engagement during the course of said zone.

Claim 11

A conveyor comprising: a powered driving element; a driven element adapted to carry a load, said elements being mounted for longitudinal movement along generally parallel paths along the course of the conveyor; a lug connected to one of said elements and having a first drive surface; an arm pivotally connected to the other of said elements, said arm projecting away from said other element in a generally longitudinal and slightly transverse direction and having a second drive surface thereon adapted to engage said first drive surface to transmit power from said powered driving element to said driven element, said second drive surface being the cylindrical outer surface of a roller rotatably mounted on said arm, said first drive surface of said lug being positioned between said second drive surface and the pivotal axis of said arm when said drive surfaces engage one another; spring means biasing said arm to a position in which such driving engagement will occur, said spring means being arranged to yield in response to driving forces in excess of a given magnitude to permit said arm to pivot out of engagement with said lug; and means defining a cam surface on the free end of said arm beyond said second drive surface to cause said arm to pivot away from said lug when the latter engages the free end of said arm.

Claim 12

A conveyor comprising: a powered driving element; a driven element adapted to carry a load, said elements being mounted for longitudinal movement along generally parallel paths along the course of the conveyor; a lug connected to one of said elements and having a first drive surface; an arm pivotally connected to the other of said elements, said arm projecting away from said other element in a generally longitudinal and slightly transverse direction and having a second drive surface thereon adapted to engage said first drive surface to transmit power from said powered driving element to said driven element, said second drive surface being the cylindrical outer surface of a roller rotatably mounted on said arm, said first drive surface of said lug being positioned between said second drive surface and the pivotal axis of said arm when said drive surfaces engage one another; spring means biasing said arm to a position in which such driving engagement will occur, said spring means being arranged to yield in response to driving forces in excess of a given magnitude to permit said arm to pivot out of engagement with said lug; and means defining a cam surface on the free end of said arm beyond said second drive surface to cause said arm to pivot away from said lug when the latter engages the free end of said arm.

Claim 13

A conveyor as claimed in claim 9, wherein the trailing and leading surfaces of said lug are generally flat and lie in planes substantially perpendicular to the path of movement thereof.

Claim 14

A conveyor comprising: a powered driving element; a driven element adapted to carry a load, said elements being mounted for longitudinal movement along generally parallel paths along the course of the conveyor; a lug connected to one of said elements and having a first drive surface; an arm pivotally connected to the other of said elements, said Arm projecting away from said other element in a generally longitudinal and slightly transverse direction and having a second drive surface thereon adapted to drivingly engage said first drive surface to transmit power from said powered driving element to said driven element, said first drive surface of said lug being positioned between said second drive surface and the pivotal axis of said arm when said drive surfaces drivingly engage one another; spring means biasing said arm to a position in which such driving engagement will occur, said spring means being arranged to yield in response to driving forces in excess of a given magnitude to permit said arm to pivot out of engagement with said lug; a cam follower surface on said arm; and a cam disposed along a portion of the path of said arm adapted to engage said follower surface for physically controlling the position of said arm with respect to said lug; and a hold back dog pivotally connected to said other element, said hold back dog having a stop surface thereon normally facing said second drive surface and being longitudinally spaced therefrom.

Claim 15

A conveyor comprising: a powered driving element; a driven element adapted to carry a load, said elements being mounted for longitudinal movement along generally parallel paths along the course of the conveyor; a lug connected to one of said elements and having a first drive surface; an arm pivotally connected to the other of said elements, said Arm projecting away from said other element in a generally longitudinal and slightly transverse direction and having a second drive surface thereon adapted to drivingly engage said first drive surface to transmit power from said powered driving element to said driven element, said first drive surface of said lug being positioned between said second drive surface and the pivotal axis of said arm when said drive surfaces drivingly engage one another; spring means biasing said arm to a position in which such driving engagement will occur, said spring means being arranged to yield in response to driving forces in excess of a given magnitude to permit said arm to pivot out of engagement with said lug; a cam follower surface on said arm; and a cam disposed along a portion of the path of said arm adapted to engage said follower surface for physically controlling the position of said arm with respect to said lug; and a hold back dog pivotally connected to said other element, said hold back dog having a stop surface thereon normally facing said second drive surface and being longitudinally spaced therefrom.

Claim 16

A conveyor comprising: a powered driving element; a driven element adapted to carry a load, said elements being mounted for longitudinal movement along generally parallel paths along the course of the conveyor; a lug connected to one of said elements and having a first drive surface; an arm pivotally connected to the other of said elements, said arm projecting away from said other element in a generally longitudinal and slightly transverse direction and having a second drive surface thereon adapted to drivingly engage said first drive surface to transmit power from said powered driving element to said driven element, said arm projecting in a generally leading direction with respect to said other element, said first drive surface of said lug being positioned between said second drive surface and the pivotal axis of said arm when said drive surfaces drivingly engage one another; spring means biasing said arm to a position in which such driving engagement will occur, said spring means being arranged to yield in response to driving forces in excess of a given magnitude to permit said arm to pivot out of engagement with said lug; a cam follower surface on said arm; and a cam disposed along a portion of the path of said arm adapted to engage said follower surface for physically controlling the position of said arm with respect to said lug.

Claim 17

A conveyor comprising: a powered driving element; a driven element adapted to carry a load, said elements being mounted for longitudinal movement along generally parallel paths along the course of the conveyor; a lug connected to one of said elements and having a first drive surface; an arm pivotally connected to the other of said elements, said arm projecting away from said other element in a generally longitudinal and slightly transverse direction and having a second drive surface thereon adapted to drivingly engage said first drive surface to transmit power from said powered driving element to said driven element, said arm projecting in a generally leading direction with respect to said other element, said first drive surface of said lug being positioned between said second drive surface and the pivotal axis of said arm when said drive surfaces drivingly engage one another; spring means biasing said arm to a position in which such driving engagement will occur, said spring means being arranged to yield in response to driving forces in excess of a given magnitude to permit said arm to pivot out of engagement with said lug; a cam follower surface on said arm; and a cam disposed along a portion of the path of said arm adapted to engage said follower surface for physically controlling the position of said arm with respect to said lug.

Claim 18

A conveyor as claimed in claim 9, wherein said arm and spring means are mounted on said powered driving element and said lug is mounted on said driven element.

Claim 19

A conveyor as claimed in claim 9, wherein said arm and spring means are mounted on said driven element and said lug is mounted on said powered driving element.

Claim 20

A conveyor as claimed in claim 9, wherein said lug is rigidly mounted to said one element.

Claim 21

A conveyor as claimed in claim 9, wherein said arm is mounted so that driving forces exerted thereon will tend to pivot it out of driving engagement with said lug.

Claim 22

A conveyor as claimed in claim 9, further comprising adjusting means for adjusting the biasing force of said spring means and the transverse position of said second driving surface.