Conveyor systems

Claim 2

A conveyor system of the type comprising an overhead guiding rail supporting a number of driving units each provided with a driving motor so as to be movable along the rail and with means for holding one end of a depending pulling rod operable to be connected with a load carrier for driving the carrier along the path of the rail, each of said driving units being provided with at least one driving wheel connected with said motor and frictionally engaging a first surface portion of the rail, the rail having a second surface portion opposed to said first surface portion, each driving unit further being provided with at least one counter pressure wheel engaging said second surface portion of the rail, clamping means being provided for urging the driving wheel and the counter pressure wheel in opposite directions against the respective surface portions of the rail, characterized in that the pulling rod holding means are operatively connected with said clamping means so as to effect an increase of the clamping force of said wheels against the opposed rail portions in response to the pulling force in said pulling rod exerting an increased resistance against the movement of the driving unit.

Claim 3

A conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that said drive unit includes a base chassis, said at least one counter pressure wheel being mounted on said base chassis, in that said clamping means includes an upper chassis pivotally mounted on said base chassis, said driving motor and said at least one driving wheel is mounted on said upper chassis, and in that said clamping means further includes at least one lever having one end thereof pivotally mounted to said upper chassis, the other end of said at least one lever being pivotally mounted to said pulling rod holding means.

Claim 4

A conveyor system according to claim 2, characterized in that said base chassis includes a post for pivotally supporting said upper chassis, and in that said lower chassis includes a recess through which said lever extends to said pulling rod holding means.

Claim 5

A conveyor system according to claim 3, characterized in that means are provided on said base chassis for guiding the drive unit longitudinally of the guiding rail.

Claim 6

A conveyor system according to claim 4, characterized in that the means for guiding the drive unit includes at least one guiding roller provided on said base chassis.

Claim 7

A conveyor system according to claim 5, characterized in that said guiding rail has a substantially U-shaped profile opening toward the load carrier, the lower portion of said guiding rail being provided with box flanges along each leg thereof directed inwardly toward each other, each of said box flanges having a top surface portion, bottom surface portion and a side surface portion connecting said top and bottom surface portions, said top and bottom surface portions respectively defining the first and second surface portions of the guiding rail.

Claim 8

A conveyor system according to claim 6, characterized in that said guiding roller means is disposed between said third surface portion.

Claim 9

A conveyor system according to claim 6, characterized in that means are provided for dividing said guide rail into an upper and lower portion, said drive motor being disposed in said lower portion of said guide rail above said first surface portion, current rail means are mounted on said dividing means, sliding shoe means engaging said current rail means operatively connected with said driving motor, and in that a control rail means is disposed in said lower portion of said guide rail for controlling the operation of said drive motor.

Claim 10

A conveyor system according to claim 3, characterized in that means are provided at said recess for converting a force component transfered to said pulling rod holding means through said pulling rod.

Claim 11

A conveyor system according to claim 9, characterized in that said converting means includes at least one cam surface provided on said recess, and a roller means cooperable with said at least one cam surface.

Claim 12

A conveyor system according to claim 9, characterized in that said converting means includes a first cam means provided at said recess, and a further cam means mounted on said lever cooperating with said first cam means.

Claim 13

A conveyor system according to claim 11, characterized in that said first cam means includes at least two spaced rollers mounted in said recess.

Claim 14

A conveyor system according to claim 9, characterized in that said clamping means includes a second lever pivotally mounted on said upper chassis, and in that said converting means includes a further lever pivotally connected to said two levers of said clamping means.

Claim 15

A conveyor system according to claim 13, characterized in that said further lever is a substantially T-shaped lever pivotally mounted in said recess, said pulling rod is pivotally connected to the stem of said T-shaped lever, and said two levers of said clamping means are pivotally connected at the free ends of the top portion of said T-shaped lever.

Claim 16

A conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that said drive unit includes a gear box operatively connected with the drive motor and a base chassis, said at least one driving wheel is connected to said gear box, said at least counter pressure wheel is mounted on said base chassis, and in that said clamping means includes at least one lever pivotally mounted on said bAse chassis, one end of said at least one lever is pivotally mounted to said pulling rod, the other end of said at least one lever having said gear box mounted thereon.

Claim 17

A conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that said guiding rail has a substantially U-shaped profile opening toward the load carrier, the lower portion of said guiding rail being provided with box flanges along each leg thereof directed inwardly toward each other, each of said box flanges having a top surface portion, bottom surface portion, and third surface portion connecting said top and bottom surface portions, said top and bottom surface portions respectively defining the first and second surface portions of the guiding rail.

Claim 18

A conveyor system according to claim 16, characterized in that means are provided for dividing said guide rail into an upper and lower portion, said drive motor being disposed in said lower portion of said guide rail above said first surface portion thereof, current rail means are mounted on said dividing means, sliding shoe means engaging said current rail means are operatively connected with said driving motor, and in that a control rail means is disposed in said lower portion of said guide rail for controlling the operation of said drive motor.

Claim 19

A conveyor system of the type comprising an overhead guiding rail supporting a number of driving units each provided with a driving motor so as to be movable along the rail and with means for holding one end of a depending pulling rod operable to be connected with a load carrier for driving the carrier along the path of the rail, each of said driving units being provided with at least one driving wheel connected with said motor and frictionally engaging a first surface portion of the rail, the rail having a second surface portion opposed to said first surface portion, each driving unit further being provided with at least one counter pressure wheel engaging said second surface portion of the rail, clamping means being provided for urging the driving wheel and counter pressure wheel in opposite directions against the respective surface portions of the rail, characterized in that the pulling rod holding means are operatively connected with said clamping means so as to effect an increase of the clamping force of said wheels against the opposed rail portions in response to the pulling force in said pulling rod exerting an increased resistance against the movement of the driving unit, the pulling rod holding means are additionally operatively connected with said clamping means so as to effect an increase of said clamping force in response to the pulling force in the pulling rod exerting an increasing forwardly directed pull in the driving unit.

Claim 20

A conveyor system of the type comprising an overhead guiding rail supporting a number of driving units each provided with a driving motor so as to be movable along the rail and with means for holding one end of a depending pulling rod operable to be connected with a load carrier for driving the carrier along the path of the rail, each of said driving units being provided with at least one driving wheel connected with said motor and frictionally engaging a first surface portion of the rail, the rail having a second surface portion opposed to said first surface portion, each driving unit further being provided with at least one counter pressure wheel engaging said second surface portion of the rail, clamping means being provided for urging the driving wheel and counter pressure wheel in opposite directions against the respective surface portions of the rail, characterized in that the pulling rod holding means are operatively connected with said clamping means so as to effect an increase of the clamping force of said wheels against the opposed rail portions in response to the pulling force in said pulling rod exerting an increased resistance against the movement of the driving unit, the pulling rod holding means are additionally operatively connected with said clamping means so as to effect an increase of said clamping force in response to the pulling force in the pulling rod exerting an increasing forwardly directed pull in the driving unit.

Claim 21

A conveyor system according to claim 18, characterized in that between the driving wheels and the counter pressure wheels there is interposed a force direction converting arrangement operable to convert a force component transferred to said pulling rod holding means through said pulling rod and directed parallelly to the rail direction into a force component directed perpendicularly to said rail direction so as to cause said wheels to be urged against their respective cooperating rail surface portions.

Claim 22

A conveyor system according to claim 19, in which the force direction converter means comprise a wedge surface.

Claim 23

A conveyor system according to claim 19, in which the force direction converter means comprise a pivot lever system.

Claim 24

A conveyor system of the type comprising an overhead guiding rail supporting a number of driving units each provided with a driving motor so as to be movable along the rail and with means for holding one end of a depending pulling rod operable to be connected with a load carrier for driving the carrier along the path of the rail, each of said driving units being provided with at least one driving wheel connected with said motor and frictionally engaging a first surface portion of the rail, the rail having a sEcond surface portion opposed to said first surface portion, each driving unit further being provided with at least one counter pressure wheel engaging the second surface portion of the rail, clamping means being provided for urging the driving wheel and the counter pressure wheel in opposite directions against the respective surface portions of the rail, characterized in that the pulling rod holding means are operatively connected with said clamping means so as to effect an increase of the clamping force of said wheels against the opposed rail portions in response to the pulling force in said pulling rod exerting an increased resistance against the movement of the driving unit, and in that between the driving wheels and the counter pressure wheels there is interposed a force direction converting arrangement operable to convert a force component transfered to said pulling rod holding means through said pulling rod and directly parallely to the rail direction in a force component directly perpendicularly to said rail direction so as to cause said wheels to be urged against their respective cooperating rail surface portions.

Claim 25

A conveyor system of the type comprising an overhead guiding rail supporting a number of driving units each provided with a driving motor so as to be movable along the rail and with means for holding one end of a depending pulling rod operable to be connected with a load carrier for driving the carrier along the path of the rail, each of said driving units being provided with at least one driving wheel connected with said motor and frictionally engaging a first surface portion of the rail, the rail having a sEcond surface portion opposed to said first surface portion, each driving unit further being provided with at least one counter pressure wheel engaging the second surface portion of the rail, clamping means being provided for urging the driving wheel and the counter pressure wheel in opposite directions against the respective surface portions of the rail, characterized in that the pulling rod holding means are operatively connected with said clamping means so as to effect an increase of the clamping force of said wheels against the opposed rail portions in response to the pulling force in said pulling rod exerting an increased resistance against the movement of the driving unit, and in that between the driving wheels and the counter pressure wheels there is interposed a force direction converting arrangement operable to convert a force component transfered to said pulling rod holding means through said pulling rod and directly parallely to the rail direction in a force component directly perpendicularly to said rail direction so as to cause said wheels to be urged against their respective cooperating rail surface portions.

Claim 26

A conveyor system according to claim 22, in which the force direction converter means comprise a wedge surface.

Claim 27

A conveyor system according to claim 22, in which the force direction converter means comprise a pivot lever system.