Conveyor for wheeled vehicles

Claim 2

A conveyor for moving wheeled vehicles, said conveyor comprising: a path along which the wheel of a vehicle rolls; a carriage track positioned alongside the path; a carriage on and movable along the track; a roller block mounted on the carriage for rotational movement about an upright axis between a drive position and a return position, the roller block having a laterally projecting actuating arm; an axle projecting horizontally from the roller block; a roller positioned on the axle for rotation about it, the roller being disposed over the path for engaging the peripheral surface of a wheel thereon when the carriage moves with the roller block in its drive position, the roller being positioned such that it will not obstruct the path and will pass by the wheel when the carriage moves with roller block in its return position; a tripping device having a pawl located adjacent to the carriage track and in alignment with the actuating arm when the roller block is in the return position so that the arm engages the pawl as the carriage moves toward it, whereby movement of The carriage away from the tripping device will cause the roller block to pivot about its upright axis and swing the roller from its return position to its drive position; and a fluid operated cylinder connected with the carriage for moving the roller against the peripheral surface of a wheel on the path so that the wheel and vehicle are advanced along the path.

Claim 3

A conveyor for moving wheeled vehicles, said conveyor comprising: a path along which wheels of the vehicle roll; a track on each side of the path; a carriage on each track; a fluid operated cylinder connected with each carriage for moving the carriages along their respective tracks, one of the fluid operated cylinders being positioned to advance the carriage connected thereto when it retracts and another of the fluid operated cylinders being positioned to advance the carrriage connected thereto when it extends; a roller mount carried by each carriage and shiftable thereon between drive and return positions; and drive rollers on the roller mounts and being shiftable with the roller mounts between the drive and return positions, each drive roller being positioned over the path with its axis generally transverse thereto when in its drive position so that it will move against the peripheral surface of a vehicle wheel and advance the wheel along the path when its carriage moves in the direction of advance along the conveyor, each roller being positioned to the side of the path when in its return position so as to pass by a wheel on the path as its carriage moves in the opposite direction.

Claim 4

A conveyor for moving wheeled vehicles, said conveyor comprising: a path along which wheels of the vehicle roll; a track on each side of the path; a carriage on each track; a fluid operated cylinder connected with each carriage for moving the carriages along their respective tracks, one of the fluid operated cylinders being positioned to advance the carriage connected thereto when it retracts and another of the fluid operated cylinders being positioned to advance the carrriage connected thereto when it extends; a roller mount carried by each carriage and shiftable thereon between drive and return positions; and drive rollers on the roller mounts and being shiftable with the roller mounts between the drive and return positions, each drive roller being positioned over the path with its axis generally transverse thereto when in its drive position so that it will move against the peripheral surface of a vehicle wheel and advance the wheel along the path when its carriage moves in the direction of advance along the conveyor, each roller being positioned to the side of the path when in its return position so as to pass by a wheel on the path as its carriage moves in the opposite direction.

Claim 5

A conveyor for moving wheeled vehicles, said conveyor comprising: a path along which the wheel of a vehicle rolls in a direction of advance; a track located adjacent to the path and extending in the same direction as the path; a carriage on the track; a fluid operated cylinder connected to the carriage for moving the carriage back and forth along the track in the direction of advance and in the opposite direction; an axle mounted on the carriage and movable relative to the carriage between operative and inoperative positions in response to operation of said cylinder to move said carriage respectively in the direction of advance and in the opposite direction; at least one support roller on the axle for rolling along a surface fixed in position with respect to the path when the axle is in its operative position and for supporting the axle in an elevated position above the path; a drive roller supported on the axle above the path and being rotatable independently of the support roller, the drive roller when the axle is in its operative position being positioned to align with and to contact the peripheral surface of a vehicle wheel on the path as the cylinder moves the carriage in the direction of advance and toward the wheel, whereby the vehicle is moved, the drive roller when the axle is in its inoperative position being positioned such that it does not obstruct the path, whereby the vehicle wheel can pass by it; and means for causing the force delivered by the cylinder during operation thereof which moves said carriage in the direction of advance to move the axle from its inoperative to its operative position near the location where the carriage commences to move in the direction of advance so that the drive roller will contact the peripheral surface of the vehicle wheel when the carriage moves in the direction of advance.

Claim 6

A conveyor for moving wheeled vehicles, said conveyor comprising: a path along which the wheel of a vehicle rolls in a direction of advance; a track located adjacent to the path and extending in the same direction as the path; a carriage on the track; a fluid operated cylinder connected to the carriage for moving the carriage back and forth along the track in the direction of advance and in the opposite direction; an axle mounted on the carriage and movable relative to the carriage between operative and inoperative positions in response to operation of said cylinder to move said carriage respectively in the direction of advance and in the opposite direction; at least one support roller on the axle for rolling along a surface fixed in position with respect to the path when the axle is in its operative position and for supporting the axle in an elevated position above the path; a drive roller supported on the axle above the path and being rotatable independently of the support roller, the drive roller when the axle is in its operative position being positioned to align with and to contact the peripheral surface of a vehicle wheel on the path as the cylinder moves the carriage in the direction of advance and toward the wheel, whereby the vehicle is moved, the drive roller when the axle is in its inoperative position being positioned such that it does not obstruct the path, whereby the vehicle wheel can pass by it; and means for causing the force delivered by the cylinder during operation thereof which moves said carriage in the direction of advance to move the axle from its inoperative to its operative position near the location where the carriage commences to move in the direction of advance so that the drive roller will contact the peripheral surface of the vehicle wheel when the carriage moves in the direction of advance.

Claim 7

A conveyor according to claim 3 wherein the roller and fluid operated cylinder are one of a plurality of rollers and fluid operated cylinders; and wherein the cylinders move the rollers connected thereto such that the rollers successively engage the wheels of the vehicle and propel the vehicle along the path.

Claim 8

A conveyor according to claim 3 and further characterized by a roller block which is mounted on the carriage for rotational movement about an upright axis; and wherein the axle projects generally horizontally from the roller block.

Claim 9

A conveyor for moving wheeled vehicles, Said conveyor comprising: a path along which the wheel of a vehicle rolls, the path having a beginning end and a discharge end; track means adjacent to the path; at least two carriages on the track means; drive rollers mounted on the carriages and rotatable relative thereto and to the path, each drive roller being shiftable on its carriage between an operative position, wherein it is disposed over the path and extended transversely thereof for contacting the peripheral surface of the vehicle wheel, and an inoperative position, wherein it does not obstruct the path so a vehicle wheel can roll past it; and a different fluid operated cylinder connected with each carriage for propelling the carriages along the track means, one of the fluid operated cylinders being mounted such that it advances its carriage toward the discharge end of the path as it retracts, another of the fluid operated cylinders being mounted such that it advances its carriage toward the discharge end as it extends.

Claim 10

A conveyor for moving wheeled vehicles, Said conveyor comprising: a path along which the wheel of a vehicle rolls, the path having a beginning end and a discharge end; track means adjacent to the path; at least two carriages on the track means; drive rollers mounted on the carriages and rotatable relative thereto and to the path, each drive roller being shiftable on its carriage between an operative position, wherein it is disposed over the path and extended transversely thereof for contacting the peripheral surface of the vehicle wheel, and an inoperative position, wherein it does not obstruct the path so a vehicle wheel can roll past it; and a different fluid operated cylinder connected with each carriage for propelling the carriages along the track means, one of the fluid operated cylinders being mounted such that it advances its carriage toward the discharge end of the path as it retracts, another of the fluid operated cylinders being mounted such that it advances its carriage toward the discharge end as it extends.

Claim 11

A conveyor according to claim 6 wherein the track means comprises two separate tracks with one being on one side of the path and the other being on the other side of the path; and wherein the carriage propelled by said one cylinder is on the one track and the carriage propelled by said another cylinder is on the other track.

Claim 12

A conveyor according to claim 6 wherein rollers are advanced toward the discharge end of the path over generally different and successive portions of the track.