CONVEYING MACHINE WITH PROCESS SELECTOR

• US 3,760,927 A
• Filed: 07/15/1971
• Issued: 09/25/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OMI International Corp. (Element Solutions Inc)
• Original Assignee: Giacomo R. Zambon
• Inventors: Zambon, Giacomo R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blunk, Evon C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Watts, Douglas D.
• Application Number:
  US05/162,934
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 198/19 214/1BB 204/204
• US Class Current: 198/346.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/0463 movement in a vertical direction is caused by lifting means or fixed or adjustable guiding means located at the bath area

Abstract

A conveying machine for transporting workpieces through a series of work stations comprising a pluraity of work carriers disposed at spaced intervals, each incorporating a vertically movable carriage thereon from which the workpieces are adapted to be suspended. Each work carrier is provided with a selector mechanism comprising a plurality of presettable levers that are adapted to coact with cams at certain of the work stations to effect an engagement and retention of the carriages of selected work carriers in a raised position at such stations, thereby providing for a preselected variation in the processing cycle to which the workpieces on successive work carriers are subjected. In accordance with this arrangement, individual work carriers can be mechanically programmed to undergo a storage operation, a skip operation, a delayed entry operation or an early pick-up operation, as well as combinations thereof at selected locations along the path of travel of the work carriers.

Claims

1. A conveying machine comprising a framework having at least one work carrier guidably mounted thereon for travel through a series of work stations, said work carrier including a frame and a carriage guidably mounted for vertical movement on said frame and incorporating workpiece supporting means thereon, lift means for moving said carriage to and from a raised position and a lowered position, transfer means for advancing said work carrier along said framework, and selector means on said carrier for selectively retaining said carriage thereon in a raised position independently of said lift means, said selector means comprising an elongated member mounted on said carriage for pivoting movement about its longitudinal axis and extending substantially transversely of the direction of travel of said carrier, coacting means on said elongated member and movable thereby to and from an engaging position with said frame for retaining said carriage in said raised position and a non-engaging position, biasing means for yieldably biasing said elongated member and said coacting means thereon toward said non-engaging position, a plurality of selector means arranged in transversely spaced relationship along said elongated member and individually selectively positionable in an active position and a neutral position, and cam means at a work station operatable to contact selected ones of said selector means when disposed in said active position for pivoting said elongated member and moving said coactive means to said engaging position in opposition to said biasing means in response to movement of said carriage.

2. The conveying machine as defined in claim 1, wherein saId biasing means are selectively conditionable to and from a first state for yieldably biasing said coacting means toward said engaging position and a second state for yieldably biasing said coacting means toward said non-engaging position, said biasing means when in said first state operable to retain said carriage in said raised position during its travel through the work stations providing a storage operation.

3. The machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said biasing means comprises a counterweight mounted on said elongated member, said counterweight being movably positioned on said elongated member for applying a rotative biasing force thereto in one direction when disposed in said first state and in the opposite direction when disposed in said second state.

4. The machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said selector means further includes a storage flipper operatively associated with said coacting means and a storage cam on said framework operatable to coact with said storage flipper for moving said coacting means to said non-engaging position to take said carriage out of a storage function at a selected location along its path of travel.

5. The conveying machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said cam means are placed at selected work stations for coacting with selected ones of said selector means disposed in said active position.

6. The conveying machine as defined in claim 1, further including remotely actuatable means at one station for positioning selected ones of said selector means in said active position.

7. The machine as defined in claim 6, wherein said selector means comprises a plurality of fingers pivotally mounted on said elongated member and said actuatable means comprises a plurality of independently actuatable laterally spaced actuators disposed in operative alignment with said fingers for effecting a pivoting movement thereof from said neutral position to said active position in response to the actuation thereof.

8. The conveying machine as defined in claim 1, further including nullifying means at a station operable for positioning said selector means in said neutral position.

9. The machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said selector means comprises a plurality of pivotally mounted fingers disposed on said elongated member and said nullifying means is operable in response to actuation thereof for effecting a pivoting movement of any of said fingers from said active position to said neutral position.

10. The machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said nullifying means comprises a pivotally mounted lever including a laterally extending blade thereon adapted to be disposed in coacting alignment with said selector means, said selector means comprising a plurality of laterally spaced pivotally mounted fingers disposed on said elongated member, said lever movable from a clearance position to a coacting position in pivoting contact with said fingers in response to at least a portion of the movement of said lift means.

11. The conveying machine as defined in claim 1, further including selectively positionable engaging means for selectively coupling said lift means to said carriage for effecting vertical movement of said carriage at locations different from those of the normal operating cycle of said machine.

12. The conveying machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said coacting means comprises a lug affixed to said work carrier and an engaging hook mounted on said elongated member and adapted to engage said lug when disposed in said engaging position.

13. The conveying machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said coacting means comprises an engaging hook on said elongated member and a lug on said frame adapted to be engaged by said hook when disposed in said engaging position, said selector means comprises a plurality of fingers pivotally mounted on said elongated member and swingable to and from said neutral position and said active position, said cam means operatable in response to coaction with said selector finGers to effect arcuate pivoting movement of said elongated member and said hook thereon toward said engaging position to retain said carriage in the raised position after said lift means has been lowered.

14. The machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said biasing means comprises a weight positioned eccentrically relative to the axis of pivoting movement of said elongated member for continuously urging said elongated member and said coacting means thereon toward said non-engaging position.