Accumulating transfer conveyor

Claim 2

In an accumulating transfer conveyor of the lift and carry type having a frame adapted to support articles at a plurality of rest positions therealong and a carriage mounted for movement in a rectilinear path relative to said frame, a transfer mechanism for advancing an article from one rest position to a succeeding adjacent rest position comprising: a base mounted on said carriage for movement therewith; a platfrom overlying said base; connecting means comprising a plurality of movable links pivotally connected at the opposite ends thereof to said base and said platfrom for extending and collapsing said platfrom into said operative and disabled positions; abutment means mounted on said frame; and at least one of said links having means engagable with said abutment means upon movement of said carriage in a first direction for pivoting said links in one arcuate direction to extend said platfrom into an operative position whereby said transfer mechanism is conditioned to remove an article from one of said rest positions upon subsequent movement of said carriage in a second direction normal to said first direction.

Claim 3

A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 including a pair of spaced article supporting brackets mounted on opposite ends of said platfrom forming a movable perch assembly therewith engagable with articles at rest on said frame for lifting said articles from said rest positions.

Claim 4

A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 including a disabling arm pivotally mounted on said frame and provided with said abutment means adjacent one end thereof normally disposed in the path of travel of said link engagable means for engagement therewith.

Claim 5

A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of links form with said base and said platfrom a parallelogram linkage.

Claim 6

A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 including adjustable stop means engagable by said platfrom limiting pivotal movement of said links in said one direction.

Claim 7

A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 including a cam follower on another one of said links engagable with a cam surface on said frame for pivoting said links in an opposite direction to lower said platfrom into a disabled position upon movement of said carriage in a direction opposite said second direction.

Claim 8

A transfer mechanism according to claim 6 including adjustable stop means limiting pivotal movement of said links in said opposite direction.

Claim 9

A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a pair of links adjacent each end of said base pivotably connected at the opposite ends thereof to said base and said platfrom for forming a parallelogram linkage.

Claim 10

A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 including article sensing means associated with said transfer mechanism and operable in response to the presence of an article blocking one of said rest positions to prevent actuation of said links and maintain said platfrom in a disabled position preventing the transfer of an article from a preceding rest position to said blocked position.

Claim 11

A transfer mechanism according to claim 9 wherein said sensing means comprises a sensor arm having an end projecting into the space normally occupied by an article at the associated rest position, a disabling arm, the other end of said sensor arm being connected to one end of said disabling arm, the other end of said disabling arm being provided with said abutment means normally disposed in the path of travel of said link engagable means for engagement therewith and movable out of said path of travel upon displacement of said disabling arm and said sensor arm by the presence of an article at said associated rest position.

Claim 12

An accumulating transfer conveyor of the lift and carry type comprising: a conveyor frame adapted to support articles at a plurality of rest positions therealong; a carriage mounted for movement in a rectangular path relative to said conveyor frame; a series of longitudinally spaced transfer mechanisms associated with said rest positions and mounted on said carriage for advancing articles from a first position to successive next adjacent positions; each of said transfer mechanisms comprising a base secured To said carriage, a platform, and pivotal links interposed between and connected at the opposite ends thereof to said base and said platfrom; said links being movable in opposite arcuate directions for extending and collapsing said platform into operative and disabled positions, respectively; sensing means associated with each rest position; sensing means associated with each rest position; a disabling arm connected to said sensing means and having means normally disposed in the path of movement of the associated transfer mechanism to engage said links upon movement of said carriage in a first direction to pivot said links in one arcuate direction and extend said platfrom of an associated transfer mechanism into an operative position whereby said transfer mechanism is conditioned to remove an article from the preceding rest position upon subsequent movement of said carriage in a second direction normal to said first direction.

Claim 13

An accumulating transfer conveyor of the lift and carry type comprising: a conveyor frame adapted to support articles at a plurality of rest positions therealong; a carriage mounted for movement in a rectangular path relative to said conveyor frame; a series of longitudinally spaced transfer mechanisms associated with said rest positions and mounted on said carriage for advancing articles from a first position to successive next adjacent positions; each of said transfer mechanisms comprising a base secured To said carriage, a platform, and pivotal links interposed between and connected at the opposite ends thereof to said base and said platfrom; said links being movable in opposite arcuate directions for extending and collapsing said platform into operative and disabled positions, respectively; sensing means associated with each rest position; sensing means associated with each rest position; a disabling arm connected to said sensing means and having means normally disposed in the path of movement of the associated transfer mechanism to engage said links upon movement of said carriage in a first direction to pivot said links in one arcuate direction and extend said platfrom of an associated transfer mechanism into an operative position whereby said transfer mechanism is conditioned to remove an article from the preceding rest position upon subsequent movement of said carriage in a second direction normal to said first direction.

Claim 14

A conveyor according to claim 11, together with means interlocking preceding transfer mechanisms with said associated transfer mechanism to extend said preceding transfer mechanisms into operative positions.

Claim 15

A conveyor according to claim 11 wherein said sensing means is operable in response to the presence of an article blocking one of said positions to displace said disabling arm means out of the path of movement of the associated transfer mechanism links upon movement of said carriage in said one direction thereby maintaining said associated transfer mechanism in a disabled position.

Claim 16

A conveyor according to claim 11 wherein said sensing means comprises a sensor arm having one end projecting into the space normally occupied by an article at said associated rest position, the other end of said sensor arm being connected to one end of said disabling arm, said means on said disabling arm comprising an abutment member mounted on the other end thereof.

Claim 17

A conveyor according to claim 11, together with drive means for moving said carriage in said rectangular path including said first direction whereby said transfer mechanisms are extended into operative positions, said second direction to cause said transfer mechanisms to lift articles from preceding next adjacent rest positions, a third direction opposite said first direction for advancing said transfer mechanisms and articles carried thereby to succeeding article rest positions, and a fourth direction opposite to said second direction causing said articles to be deposited on succeeding next adjacent rest positions.

Claim 18

A conveyor according to claim 15 including means for actuating said platfroms of said transfer mechanisms for operative positions to disabled positions upon movement of said carriage in said fourth direction

Claim 19

A conveyor according to claim 16 wherein said disabling actuating means comprises cam means on at least one of the links of the endmost preceding transfer mechanism engagable with a cam surface provided on said frame to pivot said links in an opposite arcuate direction and collapse said platfrom of said endmost transfer mechanism into a disabled position.

Claim 20

A conveyor according to claim 17, together with means interlocking succeeding transfer mechanisms with said endmost transfer mechanism to collapse said platforms of said succeeding transfer mechanisms into disabled positions.