Conveyor system with part transfer device

Claim 1

A conveyor system for conveying parts comprising a first conveyor section and a second conveyor section separated therefrom by an intermediate conveyor section, each conveyor section having a part supporting a surface, said conveyor sections being aligned to convey a plurality of parts over each conveyor section supporting surface, said intermediate conveyor section being shiftable between an upper operative position in which the supporting surfaces of the conveyor sections are generally co-planar to accommodate the passing of parts thereover and a lower position in which the supporting surface of said intermediate conveyor section is located below the supporting surfaces of said first and second conveyor sections, a plurality of carriers each supported for movement over said intermediate conveyor section, each carrier including a base which is located below the supporting surface of said intermediate conveyor section when the carrier is positioned above such conveyor section and the conveyor section is in its upper position to allow said parts to be conveyed over said conveyor sections and through the carrier, means for shifting said intermediate conveyor section between its upper and lower positions, the supporting surface of said intermediate conveyor section being located below the base of each carrier when the carrier is positioned above such conveyor section and such conveyor section is in its lower position to cause the part over the intermediate conveyor section to be supported by the carrier, and means for moving said carriers over said intermediate conveyor section to remove parts from or to place parts upon such conveyor section when said parts are supported by the carriers, said carriers and means for moving the carriers over said intermediate conveyor section being components of an overhead conveyor, said intermediate conveyor section supporting surface including a plurality of spaced apart rollers extending transversely to the direction of part movement over such conveyor section, each carrier base including a plurality of spaced apart rod members, said rod members located between rollers of said intermediate conveyor section when the conveyor section is in its upper position and a carrier is positioned thereabove with the periphery of the rollers extending above the rod members.