Automatic ejector system

• US 4,439,103 A
• Filed: 10/29/1981
• Issued: 03/27/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Peelle Company Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The Peelle Company Ltd.
• Inventors: Almagor, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheridan, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US06/316,309
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 414/259, 414/260, 414/280, 414/661, 104/162, 104/176
• US Class Current: 414/661
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/006 Applications of loading and unloading equipment for lifts associated with buildings of general application B65G; for paternoster lifts B65G17/00; for mine lifts B66B17/14

Abstract

Apparatus for automatically handling a material unit in an elevator system. The disclosed apparatus ejects a wheeled cart from an elevator car by engaging a face of the cart with a pusher arm suspended from a carriage which traverses a track mounted at the top of the elevator car. The carriage and pusher arm are capable of ejecting the cart clear of the car from either end of the car.

Claims

1. In a material lift elevator system having an elevator car operating in a vertical shaft between vertically spaced landings, said car having a floor for supporting a material unit and at least one opening for loading and off-loading the material unit to and from the car, means for automatically moving a material unit in a horizontal path between a lift position on the floor of the car and a wait position on the landing, said moving means including an arm adapted to engage a generally vertical end face of the material unit and displace said material unit through said path by forces applied to said end face, said moving means being suspended on the car in a zone above the path of said material unit, means supporting said arm for extension and retraction movement from said zone downwardly into said path and upwardly to said zone, said supporting means including means for causing extension and retraction movement of said arm in a substantially vertical plane.

2. A material lift elevator system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said extension and retraction means includes means for pivoting said arm about a substantially horizontal axis perpendicular to the plane of said car opening.

3. A material lift elevator system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes traversing means supporting said arm for movement in a generally horizontal plane to first engage said material unit and thereafter forcibly displace said material unit along said path

4. A material lift elevator system as set forth in claim 3, including reversible means to move said arm horizontally between opposite ends of said car.

5. A material lift elevator system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said car has a material unit receiving and discharging opening at opposite ends, said traversing means being adapted to idle at a point generally midway between the planes of said opposite openings.

6. A material lift elevator system as set forth in claim 3, including power means carried on said traversing means to extend and retract said arm.

7. A material lift elevator system as set forth in claim 6, including balancing means to counteract the weight of said arm, whereby the load on said power means is reduced.

8. In a material lift elevator system having an elevator car operating in a vertical shaft between vertically spaced landings, said car having a floor for supporting a material unit and at least one opening for loading and off-loading the material unit to and from the car, means for automatically moving a material unit in a horizontal path between a lift position on the floor of the car and a wait position on the landing, said moving means including an arm adapted to engage a generally vertical end face of the material unit and displace said material unit through said path by forces applied to said end face, said moving means being suspended on the car in a zone above the path of said material unit, traversing means supporting said arm for movement in a generally horizontal plane to first engage said material unit and thereafter forcibly displace said material unit along said path, power means carried on said traversing means to extend and retract said arm, balancing means to counteract the weight of said arm, whereby the load on said power means is reduced, said arm being arranged to eject a material unit by pushing on said end face, said arm including a pair of laterally spaced contact elements to reduce any tendency of said material unit to yaw.

9. In a material lift elevator system having an elevator car operating in a vertical shaft between vertically spaced landings, said car having a floor for supporting a material unit and at least one opening for loading and off-loading the material unit to and from the car, means for automatically moving a material unit in a horizontal path between a lift position on the floor of the car and a wait position on the landing, said moving means including an arm adapted to engage a generally vertical end face of the material unit and displace said material unit through said path by forces applied to said end face, said moving means being suspended on the car in a zone above the path of said material unit, traversing means supporting said arm for movement in a generally horizontal plane to first engage said material unit and thereafter forcibly displace said material unit along said path said traversing means including a carriage slidably mounted on a glide plate element, said carriage supporting said arm, said glide plate element being slidably disposed on a track fixed on said elevator car, said glide plate and track being constructed and arranged to permit said glide plate element to be cantilevered from said track through said opening for a substantial portion of its length, said carriage being arranged to be substantially fully supported on said cantilevered portion.

10. In a material lift elevator system having an elevator car operating in a vertical shaft between vertically spaced landings, said car having a floor for supporting a material unit on at least one open end for loading and off-loading a material unit to and from the car through said opening, handling means for forcibly displacing a material unit along a path over the elevator floor and a landing between a lift position on the car floor and a wait position on a landing clear of the elevator car, said handler means including an arm, power means for displacing said arm between an extended, generally vertical position depending into said path, and a retracted position above said path, means to convey said arm between one end of said car to the opposite end, said arm including support means cooperating with said power means to restrict movement between the extended and retracted positions to a vertical plane, said conveying means being constructed and arranged to support said arm adjacent one end of said car whereby said arm is adapted to be moved during extension or retraction in a space between said one car end and an adjacent end face of said material unit, said arm being engageable with said adjacent material unit end face, said conveying means being arranged to forcibly displace said material unit along said path while exerting force through said arm on said material unit through the zone of engagement between said arm and said adjacent material end face.

11. A material lift elevator system as set forth in claim 10, including arm support means cooperating with said power means for and limiting extension and retraction movement of said arm to pivotal movement in a vertical plane parallel to said one end of said car.

12. A material lift elevator system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said conveying means includes means to provisionally support said arm through said end opening substantially beyond said shaft.

13. In a material lift elevator system having an elevator car operated in a vertical shaft between vertically spaced landings, said car having a floor for supporting the material unit and openings at its opposite ends for loading and off-loading the material unit to and from the car through said openings, automatic handler means for forcibly displacing a material unit along a path over the elevator floor and a landing between a lift position on the car floor to a wait position on a landing clear of the elevator car, said handler means including a track supported on the top of the car above the path of the material unit and extending in a direction parallel to said path, a carriage slidable on said track above said path, an arm carried by said carriage, said arm being pivotally mounted on said carriage for extension and retraction in a plane transverse to said path, actuator means to pivot said arm between a generally horizontal retracted position above said path and a generally vertical, depending, extended position reaching into said path, reversible drive means for moving said carriage from an idle position with the arm generally centered to either end of said car, said carriage having means associated with said track to permit said arm to extend outwardly of said car through either of said car openings to reach a car in a wait position on a landing.