US3882792A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic pallet car conveyor
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-05-03
•
Granted: 1975-05-13
•
Expires: 1994-05-03
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for automatically conveying pallet cars which carry one or more molds on them, each pallet car being moved successively to a pick-up station where it is latched onto a carriage which moves it into a mold pouring station such movement causing any pallet car previously at such station to be moved away to a position adjacent the pouring station. The carriage is then further actuated to unlatch the latched car at its preselected position at the pouring station and to move the pallet car that was previously at such station to a location more remote therefrom to open up a work area to be used for pouring the molds. The carriage is then automatically retracted to its original position without disturbing the position of the unlatched car whereupon pouring and cooling of the molds can take place.
Inventors
- 👤 Edwin Ralph Mcintier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 03:54
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G25/00; B65G25/04; B65G25/08; B65G25/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
207 words
An apparatus for automatically conveying pallet cars, each carrying at least one mold thereon, from a mold loading station to a mold pouring station, said apparatus comprising means for moving said pallet cars from said loading station to a pick-up station; carriage means at said pick-up station, said carriage means including means for latching pallet car on to said carriage means so that the molds thereon are locked in position thereon; means for moving said latched pallet car from said pick-up station to said pouring station, said movement causing the molds on said pallet car to be positioned at a preselected location at said pouring station and further causing a pallet car previously positioned at said pouring station to be moved therefrom to a position adjacent said pouring station; means for further moving said carriage means to cause said previously positioned pallet car to be moved from said adjacent position to a position more remote from said pouring station and further to cause said latched pallet car to be unlatched from said carriage means whereby said unlatched pallet car and the molds thereon remain at said preselected location at said pouring station; and means for retracting said carriage means to its initial position at said pick-up station.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
207 words
An apparatus for automatically conveying pallet cars, each carrying at least one mold thereon, from a mold loading station to a mold pouring station, said apparatus comprising means for moving said pallet cars from said loading station to a pick-up station; carriage means at said pick-up station, said carriage means including means for latching pallet car on to said carriage means so that the molds thereon are locked in position thereon; means for moving said latched pallet car from said pick-up station to said pouring station, said movement causing the molds on said pallet car to be positioned at a preselected location at said pouring station and further causing a pallet car previously positioned at said pouring station to be moved therefrom to a position adjacent said pouring station; means for further moving said carriage means to cause said previously positioned pallet car to be moved from said adjacent position to a position more remote from said pouring station and further to cause said latched pallet car to be unlatched from said carriage means whereby said unlatched pallet car and the molds thereon remain at said preselected location at said pouring station; and means for retracting said carriage means to its initial position at said pick-up station.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
285 words
An apparatus for automatically conveying pallet cars, each carrying at least one mold thereon, from a mold loading station to a mold pouring station, said apparatus comprising means for moving said pallet cars from said loading station to a pick-up station; carriage means at said pick-up station, said carriage means having first and second moveable carriage mechanisms each located at predetermined initial positions at said pick-up station, said carriage means further including latching means on said first carriage mechanism for latching a pallet car on to said carriage means so that the molds thereon are locked in position thereon; means for moving said first and second carriage mechanisms from their positions at said pick-up station to a first predetermined extended position to convey said latched pallet car from said pick-up station to said pouring station, said movement of said carriage mechanisms thereby causing the molds on said pallet car to be positioned at a preselected location at said pouring station and further causing a pallet car previously positioned at said pouring station to be moved therefrom to a position adjacent said pouring station; means for moving said second carriage mechanism to a second predetermined extended position relative to said first carriage mechanism, said movement causing said previously positioned pallet car to be moved from said adjacent position to a position more remote from said pouring station and further causing said latched pallet car to be unlatched from said first carriage mechanism whereby said unlatched pallet car and the molds thereon remain at said preselected location at said pouring station; and means for retracting said first and second carriage mechanisms to move said mechanisms from their extended poSitions to their initial positions at said pick-up station.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
285 words
An apparatus for automatically conveying pallet cars, each carrying at least one mold thereon, from a mold loading station to a mold pouring station, said apparatus comprising means for moving said pallet cars from said loading station to a pick-up station; carriage means at said pick-up station, said carriage means having first and second moveable carriage mechanisms each located at predetermined initial positions at said pick-up station, said carriage means further including latching means on said first carriage mechanism for latching a pallet car on to said carriage means so that the molds thereon are locked in position thereon; means for moving said first and second carriage mechanisms from their positions at said pick-up station to a first predetermined extended position to convey said latched pallet car from said pick-up station to said pouring station, said movement of said carriage mechanisms thereby causing the molds on said pallet car to be positioned at a preselected location at said pouring station and further causing a pallet car previously positioned at said pouring station to be moved therefrom to a position adjacent said pouring station; means for moving said second carriage mechanism to a second predetermined extended position relative to said first carriage mechanism, said movement causing said previously positioned pallet car to be moved from said adjacent position to a position more remote from said pouring station and further causing said latched pallet car to be unlatched from said first carriage mechanism whereby said unlatched pallet car and the molds thereon remain at said preselected location at said pouring station; and means for retracting said first and second carriage mechanisms to move said mechanisms from their extended poSitions to their initial positions at said pick-up station.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said latching means includes locking means moveable from a first position at which said pallet car and molds thereon are locked on to said first carriage mechanism to a second position at which said pallet car and molds thereon are unlatched.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said pallet car includes an angle member at the front thereof; and front and rear cross-bars, the mold being placed on said cross-bars so that the front of said molds abut said angle member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
94 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said locking means includes a pair of main latch arms, each pivotally moveable from said first position to said second position; an auxiliary latch arm mounted on each said main latch arm; an upwardly projecting portion at one end of each said main latch arm; said main arms and said auxiliary latch arms being arranged so that when said main latch arms are in their first position, said front cross-bar and said angle member are locked between said auxiliary latch arms and said upwardly projection portions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said main and auxiliary arms are arranged so that when said main latch arms are in their second positions, said front cross-bars and said angle member are released from their locked positions to unlatch said pallet car and the molds thereon and said first carriage mechanism can be retracted without disturbing the position of the pallet car and molds thereon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
101 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said each main latch arm has a first cam surface; said second carriage mechanism has a pair of cam blocks, each having a second cam surface in contact with the first cam surface of said main latch arms when the latter are in said first position; said cam block surfaces being removed from their corresponding said first cam surfaces when said second carriage mechanism is moved to its second predetermined extended position whereby said main latch arms are moved to their said second positions to unlatch said pallet car and the molds thereon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the movement of said first and second carriage mechanisms are hydraulically actuated.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for moving said pallet cars from the mold loading station to said pick-up station includes an endless moveable belt; and a plurality of means spaced along said belt for engaging said pallet cars during the movement of said belt to move said cars to said pick-up station.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3465690A
Cited
US3666076A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-12 | 1978-11-11 | 1979-05-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-12 | 1982-11-11 | 1983-05-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-12 | 1986-11-11 | 1987-05-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |