Device for centering, straightening or turning loads displaced by motorized conveyors

Claim 1

A device for centering, straightening and turning loads on a motorized conveyor having a longitudinal axis, each load including a load itself and a support therefor, the device comprising: (a) a gantry straddling the conveyor, the gantry having a pair of spaced vertical supports and a cross piece; (b) a vertical shaft journaled in said cross piece; said vertical shaft having upper and lower parts; (c) a transverse support centrally mounted on said lower part of said vertical shaft, said transverse support being disposed above the conveyor, said transverse support including rails defining a rollway along said support; (d) motor means on said gantry for pivotally driving said vertical shaft to effect angular displacement of said cross piece; (e) means cooperating with said motor means for controlling the angular positioning of said transverse support; (f) a pair of carriages displaceably mounted on spaced relation in said rollway; (g) means for driving said carriage in said rollway at substantially identical speeds in symmetrical relationship with respect to the conveyor; (h) each carriage having a vertical arm depending therefrom; (i) each vertical arm including an L-shaped arm pivotally mounted thereon for movement about an axis which is parallel to the conveyor, each L-shaped arm being pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, the L-shaped arms having lower legs facing interiorly toward each other, the lower legs having innermost sides; (j) the innermost side of each lower leg including a movable jaw thereon for engaging the load support; each movable jaw including force responsive means coupled therewith; (k) means coupled between said force responsive means and said driving means for stopping advancing of said carriages inwardly toward said load in response to a predetermined pallet gripping force on said force responsive means; (l) means for detecting severe angular misalignment of the load, whereby, in response to a signal from said detecting means, said motor means may be actuated to angularly displace said transverse support into alignment with the load, whereupon the load support is gripped by said jaws and said moving means and the motor means again actuated to pivotally move said load into alignment on the conveyor.

Claim 2

A device for centering, straightening and turning loads on a motorized conveyor having a longitudinal axis, each load including a load itself and a support therefor, the device comprising: (a) a gantry straddling the conveyor, the gantry having a pair of spaced vertical supports and a cross piece; (b) a vertical shaft journaled in said cross piece; said vertical shaft having upper and lower parts; (c) a transverse support centrally mounted on said lower part of said vertical shaft, said transverse support being disposed above the conveyor, said transverse support including rails defining a rollway along said support; (d) motor means on said gantry for pivotally driving said vertical shaft to effect angular displacement of said cross piece; (e) means cooperating with said motor means for controlling the angular positioning of said transverse support; (f) a pair of carriages displaceably mounted on spaced relation in said rollway; (g) means for driving said carriage in said rollway at substantially identical speeds in symmetrical relationship with respect to the conveyor; (h) each carriage having a vertical arm depending therefrom; (i) each vertical arm including an L-shaped arm pivotally mounted thereon for movement about an axis which is parallel to the conveyor, each L-shaped arm being pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, the L-shaped arms having lower legs facing interiorly toward each other, the lower legs having innermost sides; (j) the innermost side of each lower leg including a movable jaw thereon for engaging the load support; each movable jaw including force responsive means coupled therewith; (k) means coupled between said force responsive means and said driving means for stopping advancing of said carriages inwardly toward said load in response to a predetermined pallet gripping force on said force responsive means; (l) means for detecting severe angular misalignment of the load, whereby, in response to a signal from said detecting means, said motor means may be actuated to angularly displace said transverse support into alignment with the load, whereupon the load support is gripped by said jaws and said moving means and the motor means again actuated to pivotally move said load into alignment on the conveyor.