Retarder for gravity conveyors

Claim 1

In a gravity conveyor of the type having a work support member mounted on a frame member for rotation about a generally horizontal axis in response to gravitational forces generated by the weight of a load supported by the rotatably member the combination comprising a housing fixedly mounted on said frame member and having a cylindrical cavity therein coaxial with the axis of rotation of the rotatable member, said rotatable member having an axial extension projecting into said housing, a rotor fixed on said extension and disposed within said cavity for rotation therein, the outer surfaces of said rotor being spaced from and relatively closely adjacent the walls of said cavity, said housing having an annular reservoir therein spaced radially outwardly of and surrounding said cavity and separated therefrom by an annular wall, said wall having a plurality of generally uniformly circumferentially spaced restricted radial passageways therein extending between said cavity and said reservoir, and means permitting filling of said cavity and said reservoir regardless of the circumferential orientation of said restricted passageways with a sufficient amount of liquid as to enable any air entrapped in said cavity to migrate upwardly through said restricted passageways into the upper portion of the reservoir and so that the liquid level in the reservoir is above the uppermost portion of said annular wall, whereby, when said rotor is rotated, the liquid in the cavity surrounding the rotor is agitated and thereby placed in shear and the liquid in the reservoir remains substantially static.