US5069141A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Overhead conveyor which provides increased reactive force and traction to drive wheel on ascending rail sections
Assignee: Yamaha Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1989-08-09
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Granted: 1991-12-03
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Expires: 2009-08-09
Abstract
Abstract A freight system comprising a conveyor adapted to be driven along a monorail track. A frictional drive wheel of the conveyor engages the upper side of the track and various embodiments of reactive force creating means are positioned to engage the underside of the track to create improved frictional forces during ascendancy. All of these embodiments employ the weight of the unit to create the reactional force and in all embodiments there are positioned a pair of spaced apart guide rollers that engage the underside of the track. In some embodiments, these guides rollers are resiliently biased by either separate springs or by making the guide rollers themselves resilient. In some embodiments there is provided an intermediate fixed guide roller to limit the degree of relative movement between the conveyor and the track. In one embodiment, the guide rollers are suspended by a Y shaped lever that itself carries the load transmitted by the conveyor.
Inventors
- 👤 Osamu Ohara
- 👤 Hiroshi Takata
- 👤 Hiroshi Kawashima
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:57
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61C; B61C15/00; B61C15/02; B61C13/00; B61C13/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
A conveyor mechanism comprised of a guide rail defining a path along which articles are to be conveyed, a drive mechanism supported on said guide rail and having a frictional drive wheel engaged with said guide rail, said drive wheel and said guide rail having a constant cross-sectional area of engagement along said path, said guide rail being formed with at least an ascending section extending upwardly from a horizontal section, and means for providing an increased reactive force of said drive wheel along said path only when traveling along said ascending section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
A conveyor mechanism comprised of a guide rail defining a path along which articles are to be conveyed, a drive mechanism supported on said guide rail and having a frictional drive wheel engaged with said guide rail, said drive wheel and said guide rail having a constant cross-sectional area of engagement along said path, said guide rail being formed with at least an ascending section extending upwardly from a horizontal section, and means for providing an increased reactive force of said drive wheel along said path only when traveling along said ascending section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the frictional drive wheel engages the upper side of the track.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means for providing an increased reaction force comprises means cooperating with the underside of the track.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein the means cooperating with the underside of the track comprises at least one first guide roller engaged with the underside of the track.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein the first guide roller is resiliently biased into engagement with the track.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 5 wherein the resilient biasing of the first guide roller comprises spring means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 5 wherein the first guide roller is itself resilient to provide the biasing force.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein there are a pair of longitudinally spaced first guide rollers, each engaged with the underside of the track and each resiliently biased.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 8 wherein the resilient biasing of the first guide rollers comprises spring means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 8 wherein the first guide rollers themselves are resilient to provide the biasing force.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 8 further including a fixed guide roller disposed on the upper side of the track and positioned between the first guide rollers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 11 wherein the fixed guide roller is supported for rotation about a fixed axis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 12 wherein the fixed guide roller is not engaged with the track when the conveyor is travelling in a horizontal plane.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 13 wherein the resilient biasing of the first guide rollers comprises spring means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first guide rollers themselves are resilient to provide the biasing force.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein there are a pair of first guide rollers engaged with the underside of the track.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
56 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 16 wherein the pair of first guide rollers are supported by a pivotally supported lever mechanism and further including gravity biasing means for urging the lever mechanism to increase the pressure of one of the first guide rollers when the ascending section of the track is being traversed.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A conveyor mechanism as set forth in claim 17 wherein the gravity is generated by the weight of the article being conveyed.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-12-02 | 1995-06-03 | 1995-12-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-12-02 | 1999-06-03 | 1999-12-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-12-02 | 2003-06-03 | 2003-12-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |