Linear motor conveyor

Claim 2

A linear electric power conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support having a slot extending vertically therethrough, a stationary winding to generate a field of magnetic flux in portions of said slot, an endless articulated conveyor having means to support a load, said conveyor having an endless array of armature portions extending vertically through said slot for electromagnetic propulsion through the field of magnetic flux.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means to support a load constitutes flat plates connected, respectively, to said armature portions to support articles thereon.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 in which said armatures are shaped to permit articulation of adjacent armatures in the vertical plane and in which said flat plates are shaped to permit articulation of adjacent plates in the horizontal plane.

Claim 5

A linear electric power conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support having verti-cal and horizontal curves, means to establish a traveling magnetic Field along portions of said guide support, an endless array of conveyor segments movably mounted on said guide support and engaged therewith to hold the conveyor segments to the guide support in any attitude of the conveyor segments, said segments pivotally connected together for articulated relative movement in mutually perpendicular planes, at least some of said segments having armature portions extending into said guide support, and at least some of said segments having means to support a load outside of said guide support.

Claim 6

A linear electric power conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support having verti-cal and horizontal curves, means to establish a traveling magnetic Field along portions of said guide support, an endless array of conveyor segments movably mounted on said guide support and engaged therewith to hold the conveyor segments to the guide support in any attitude of the conveyor segments, said segments pivotally connected together for articulated relative movement in mutually perpendicular planes, at least some of said segments having armature portions extending into said guide support, and at least some of said segments having means to support a load outside of said guide support.

Claim 7

A linear electric power conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support, means to establish a traveling magnetic field along portions of said guide support, an endless array of conveyor segments mounted on said guide support, said segments pivotally connected together for articulated relative movement in mutually perpendicular planes, at least some of said segments having means to support a load and at least some of said segments having armature portions extending into said magnetic field, said armature portions extending vertically through said guide support, and said means to support a load constituting flat plates mounted on said armature portions and perpendicular thereto.

Claim 8

A linear electric power conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support, means to establish a traveling magnetic field along portions of said guide support, an endless array of conveyor segments mounted on said guide support, said segments pivotally connected together for articulated relative movement in mutually perpendicular planes, at least some of said segments having means to support a load and at least some of said segments having armature portions extending into said magnetic field, said armature portions extending vertically through said guide support, and said means to support a load constituting flat plates mounted on said armature portions and perpendicular thereto.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 in which said armature portions and said flat plates are tapered to permit articulation thereof.

Claim 10

In a linear motor conveyor, an elongated endless guide support having runs with spaced apart horizontal surfaces, each of said surfaces having a longitudinal slot therein, said slots in lateral alignment, a linear motor in said guide support, and an endless array of conveyor segments joined together for articulated movement around said guide support, said segments having vertical armature portions extending vertically through said aligned slots, and having laterally extending portions overlaying each of said horizontal surfaces to hold the conveyor segments in the guide support in any orientation of the conveyor segments.

Claim 11

In a linear motor conveyor, an elongated endless guide support having runs with spaced apart horizontal surfaces, each of said surfaces having a longitudinal slot therein, said slots in lateral alignment, a linear motor in said guide support, and an endless array of conveyor segments joined together for articulated movement around said guide support, said segments having vertical armature portions extending vertically through said aligned slots, and having laterally extending portions overlaying each of said horizontal surfaces to hold the conveyor segments in the guide support in any orientation of the conveyor segments.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein one of the laterally extending portions of each conveyor segment is a flat plate to support articles thereon.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of said flat plates has tapered edges to avoid interference with adjacent conveyor segment article supporting plates.

Claim 14

A linear motor conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support having an upper and a lower run, said guide support having spaced apart surfaces with aligned longitudinal slots therein, an endless articulated conveyor mounted on said guide support, said conveyor consisting of rigid segments pivotally connected to adjacent segments, each segment having a load bearing portion supported by one of the surfaces of the guide support in the upper run and having a retaining portion supported by the other surface of the guide support in the lower run, said conveyor segments having armature portions extending between the load-bearing portions and the retaining portions, said armature portions received in the longitudinal slots of the surfaces of the guide support, and motor stators mounted adjacent the path of said armature portions for electromagnetic coupling therewith.

Claim 15

A linear motor conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support having an upper and a lower run, said guide support having spaced apart surfaces with aligned longitudinal slots therein, an endless articulated conveyor mounted on said guide support, said conveyor consisting of rigid segments pivotally connected to adjacent segments, each segment having a load bearing portion supported by one of the surfaces of the guide support in the upper run and having a retaining portion supported by the other surface of the guide support in the lower run, said conveyor segments having armature portions extending between the load-bearing portions and the retaining portions, said armature portions received in the longitudinal slots of the surfaces of the guide support, and motor stators mounted adjacent the path of said armature portions for electromagnetic coupling therewith.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 10 in which said load bearing portion of each surface has tapered edges to avoid interference on articulation with load bearing portions of adjacent conveyor segments and in which said armature portions have tapered edges to avoid interference on articulation with armature portions of adjacent conveyor segments.

Claim 17

A linear motor conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless tubular guide support having an upper and lower run, said guide support having spaced surfaces with a slot therein extending longitudinally the entire length of the conveyor track, said slot passing vertically through the guide track on at least the upper and lower runs thereof, an endless conveyor mounted on said guide support, said conveyor consisting of rigid segments pivotally connected to adjacent sEgments, each segment having a load bearing plate with tapered edges supported by one of the surfaces of the guide support in the upper run and having an armature portion with tapered edges extending through said slot, said armature portion having retaining portions extending laterally therefrom to engage the other surface of the guide support on the lower run and support the conveyor, motor stators mounted in the guide track spaced along the path of the endless conveyor for electromagnetic coupling with the armatures of the endless conveyor. 13 A linear electric power conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support having vertical and horizontal curves, electric stators in said guide support to establish a traveling magnetic field inside of portions of said guide support, an endless array of conveyor segments movably mounted on said guide support and engaged therewith to hold the conveyor segments to the guide support in any attitude of the conveyor segments, said segments pivotally connected together for articulated relative movement in mutually perpendicular planes, at least some of said segments having armature portions extending into said guide support, and at least some of said segments having load bearing plates to support a load outside of said guide support.

Claim 18

A linear motor conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless tubular guide support having an upper and lower run, said guide support having spaced surfaces with a slot therein extending longitudinally the entire length of the conveyor track, said slot passing vertically through the guide track on at least the upper and lower runs thereof, an endless conveyor mounted on said guide support, said conveyor consisting of rigid segments pivotally connected to adjacent sEgments, each segment having a load bearing plate with tapered edges supported by one of the surfaces of the guide support in the upper run and having an armature portion with tapered edges extending through said slot, said armature portion having retaining portions extending laterally therefrom to engage the other surface of the guide support on the lower run and support the conveyor, motor stators mounted in the guide track spaced along the path of the endless conveyor for electromagnetic coupling with the armatures of the endless conveyor. 13 A linear electric power conveyor system comprising in combination, an endless guide support having vertical and horizontal curves, electric stators in said guide support to establish a traveling magnetic field inside of portions of said guide support, an endless array of conveyor segments movably mounted on said guide support and engaged therewith to hold the conveyor segments to the guide support in any attitude of the conveyor segments, said segments pivotally connected together for articulated relative movement in mutually perpendicular planes, at least some of said segments having armature portions extending into said guide support, and at least some of said segments having load bearing plates to support a load outside of said guide support.