Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Unit load conveying surface means moved about an endless or...
Patent
1995-03-16
1996-07-16
Dayoan, D. Glenn
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Unit load conveying surface means moved about an endless or...
1988038, 198838, B65G 4786
Patent
active
055358756
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally concerns conveyor systems. In particular, the invention relates to a conveyor chain suitable for carrying articles along a path along which the conveyor chain is constrained to run, and also relates to an arm for use in a conveyor system, to support an article to be conveyed. The invention further relates to a conveyor system incorporating a conveyor chain of this invention, or incorporating an arm of this invention, as well as to a conveyor system incorporating both a chain and an arm of this invention.
There have been innumerable designs of conveyor systems employing a chain adapted to support and convey the articles to be carried by the conveyor system, from one point to another. The chains used in such a system are either specially designed and constructed for the intended purpose, or comprise conventional chains which have been modified--for example by welding or otherwise affixing components to the chain so as to render the chain suitable for carrying the articles. Not infrequently, a chain conveyor may jam, perhaps on account of an article being improperly carried or falling off the conveyor, so leading to a blockage, and this very often results in damage to the conveyor chain. The repair of the chain will then result in the conveyor system being non-operational for a while, and may require the replacement of a length of the chain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a conveyor system which is less prone to damage in the event of a blockage or jam, caused by an obstruction in the path of the supports for articles to be carried, by appropriately configuring the conveyor chain and the interconnection with each support.
According to this invention, there is provided a conveyor chain comprising a series of links each having a pair of parallel spaced side plates with the plates of one link pivoted to the plates of the next adjacent link by a respective pin extending transversely to the length of the chain, and a plurality of supports for articles to be conveyed spaced along the length of the chain, each support being releasably coupled to the chain and projecting laterally thereof, each support comprising an arm adapted to support an article to be conveyed and having at one end portion chain engagement means in the form of a re-entrant opening the maximum internal width of which is such that two adjacent pins of the chain may be accommodated therein, at least the part of the arm defining the opening being resiliently deformable to permit the arm to be sprung on to and off a pair of adjacent pins.
It will be appreciated that a chain constructed and arranged as described has a plurality of supports for articles to be conveyed, which supports are connected to the chain in such a way that the supports are able automatically to release themselves from the chain in the event of there being an obstruction in the path of advancement of those supports. Such an obstruction could comprise articles which should have been conveyed and yet which have fallen from the supports, a mall-function of a mechanism for loading articles on to the supports or removing them from the supports, or even a human operator--in which latter case injury to the operator will also be minimised.
At least the end portion of each support, but preferably the entire support, may be moulded from a plastics material which exhibits sufficient resiliency to permit the arm to be resiliently snapped on to and off a pair of chain pins. Preferably, the end portion of the support is a close fit between the side plates of the chain, whereby the support is securely supported by the chain when fitted thereto.
A preferred construction of chain of this invention has an external third side plate disposed parallel to and spaced from the pair of side plates of a link which is to carry an article support, the pins associated with that link being extended and carrying the third side plate externally of said pair, and the article support being mounted on the por
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Dayoan D. Glenn
Priorlucky Limited
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