Article handling system

Claim 2

A conveyor system particularly adapted for moving uniform load units in an endless substantially rectangular path on a floor, said load units being arranged in aligned parallel rows on said floor with at least a single void area at least approximately the size of the area covered by a single load unit in at least one of said rows, said conveyor system comprising a pair of adjacent elongated walking beam conveyors underlying said rows, first and second drive means for actuating each of said walking beam conveyors to shift said units in said rows in longitudinal directions, a pair of transverse conveyor units at opposite ends of said rows and extending between adjacent ends of said walking beam conveyors, third and fourth drive means for actuating said pair of transverse conveyors to shift a load unit from one walking beam conveyor to the other, and control means for actuating said drive means in a predetermined sequence utilizing said void area to shift said units intermittently in said continuous generally rectangular path over said floor.

Claim 3

An article handling system as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said walking beam conveyors comprises a plurality of stationary elongated beams supported on said floor, a plurality of movable elongated beams interspaced with and generally parallel to said stationary beams, ramp means on said floor and generally underlying said movable beams, said ramp means being inclined in the direction of elongation of said movable beams, a plurality of intermediate elongated beams vertically interposed between said movable beams and said ramp means, first roller means journalled to said intermediate beams for rolling engagement with said ramp means, second roller means on said intermediate beams for supporting said movable beams for relative reciprocatory movement, said first and second drive means each including means for reciprocating said intermediate beams up said ramp means whereby said movable beams are moved generally vertically from a position wherein the upper surfaces of said movable beams are below those of said fixed beams to a position wherein said upper surfaces of said movable beams are above those of said fixed beams, said first and second drive means each further including means for reciprocating said movable beams in one direction on said second roller means when the upper surfaces of the movable beams are above those of the fixed beams and for returning the movable beams when the upper surfaces thereof are below those of the fixed beams.

Claim 4

An article handling system as defined in claim 2 wherein said transverse conveyors are power roll conveyors.

Claim 5

An article handling system as defined in claim 2 wherein said first and second drive means are hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies.

Claim 6

An article handling system as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said walking beam conveyors comprises a plurality of stationary elongated beams affixed to said floor, a plurality of movable elongated beams interspaced with and generally parallel to said stationary beams, first roller means affixed to said floor and generally underlying said movable beams, a plurality of intermediate elongated beams vertically interposed between said movable beams and said first roller means, ramp means on said intermediate beams for rolling engagement with said first roller means, second roller means on said intermediate beams for supporting said movable beams for relative reciprocatory movement, said first and second drive means comprising means for reciprocating said intermediate beams and said ramp means on said first roller means whereby said movable beams are moved generally vertically from a position wherein the upper surfaces of said movable beams are below of said stationary beams to a position wherein said upper surfaces of said movable beams are above those of said fixed beams, and said first and second drive means further including means for reciprocating said movable beams in one direction on said second roller means when the upper surfaces of the movable beams are above those of the stationy beams, and for returning the movable beams when the upper surfaces thereof are below those of the stationary beams.

Claim 7

The article handling system of claim 1 wherein each of said walking beam conveyors comprises a plurality of stationary elongated beams affixed to said base support, a plurality of movable elongated beams interspaced with and generally parallel to said stationary beams, a plurality of intermediate elongated beams vertically interposed between said movable beams, first roller means journaled to said intermediate beams for rolling engagement with said base support, second roller means on said intermediate beams, ramp means on the underside of said movable beams for movement over said second roller means, said first and second drive means comprising means for reciprocating said movable beams and said ramp means over said second roller means whereby said movable beams are moved generally vertically from a position wherein the upper surfaces of said movable beams are below those of said fixed beams to a position wherein said upper surfaces of said movable beams are above those of said second beams, and said first and second drive means further including means for reciprocating said movable beams in one direction on said second roller means when the upper surfaces of the movable beams are above those of the fixed beams, and returning the movable beams when the upper surfaces thereof are below those of the fixed beams.