Power-and-free conveyor apparatus for handling pallet-supported workpieces

• US 4,711,343 A
• Filed: 10/03/1986
• Issued: 12/08/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc.
• Inventors: Dixon, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US06/915,241
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 198/465.1, 198/465.2, 198/465.3, 198/803.01, 198/803.2, 104/172.1, 104/172.5, 104/165, 29/563, 29/33 P
• US Class Current: 198/465.2
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 37/00 Metal-working machines, or constructional combinations thereof, built-up from units designed so that at least some of the units can form parts of different machines or combinations; Units therefor in so far as the feature of interchangeability is important features relating to particular metal-working operations, see the relevant subclass, e.g. B23P23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/1457 comprising an impeller or a series of impellers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 19/02 for articles, e.g. for containers

Abstract

Workpieces are supported on pallets which are advanced in an endless path by continuously driven power-and-free conveyor means adapted to permit each pallet to dwell in a work station when the pallet is stopped in the work station during continued driving of the conveyor. The conveyor means are formed by several self-contained modules detachably secured to one another in end-to-end relation and each including its own track for supporting the pallets, its own power-and-free conveyor for advancing the pallets along the track and its own motor for driving the conveyor. Curved end modules may be linked together with straight side modules in various arrangements to form conveyor systems of different capacities and shapes.

Claims

1. Apparatus for handling workpieces and comprising a row of pallets each adapted to hold a workpiece, continuously driven power-and-free conveyor means for advancing said pallets in a closed circuit along a generally horizontal and endless path having opposing straight sides and opposing curved ends, said conveyor means being operable to advance said pallets through at least one work station along said path and being operable to allow said pallets to dwell along said path when said pallets are stopped during continued driving of said conveyor means, said apparatus being characterized in that said conveyor means comprise a plurality of at least four modules located along the sides and ends of said path, each of said modules comprising (a) a generally horizontal individual track for supporting said pallets, (b) an individual power-driven endless conveyor for advancing said pallets along said track and for allowing the pallets to dwell on said track when the pallets are stopped during continued driving of the conveyor and (c) an individual motor for continuously driving said conveyor;

there being two modules adjacent each end of said path with the track and conveyor of each of such modules having a curved section extending along a portion of the curved end of the path and having a straight section extending along a portion of one of the straight sides of the path, the track and conveyor of each module being disposed in end-to-end relation with the tracks and conveyors of two other modules, and means for detachably holding said modules in rigid end-to-end relation, each of said pallets including a lip extending generally along said path and projecting toward said conveyors, each of said conveyors comprising a series of spaced clamps for tightly gripping the lips of said pallets to advance said pallets along said path, said clamps slipping frictionally along the lip of each pallet when the pallet is stopped and as driving of said conveyors continues.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which a machine for operating on said workpieces is supported on each of said modules.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which each of said clamps comprises a pair of opposing jaws with at least one of said jaws being movable toward and away from the other jaw, and means for resiliently biasing said one jaw of each clamp toward the other jaw thereof.

3. Apparatus for handling workpieces and comprising a row of pallets each adapted to hold a workpiece, continuously driven power-and-free conveyor means for advancing said pallets along a generally horizontal and generally racetrack-shaped endless path having opposing straight sides and opposing curved ends, said conveyor means being operable to advance said pallets through a plurality of work stations along said path and being operable to allow said pallets to dwell along said path when said pallets are stopped during continued driving of said conveyor means, said apparatus being characterized in that said conveyor means comprise straight modules located along the sides of said path and curved modules located along the ends of said path, each of said modules comprising (a) a generally horizontal individual track for supporting said pallets, (b) an individual power-driven endless conveyor for advancing said pallets along said track and for allowing the pallets to dwell on said track when the pallets are stopped during continued driving of the conveyor, and (c) an individual motor for continuously driving said conveyor;

the tracks of said straight and curved modules being straight and at least partially curved, respectively, the conveyors of said straight and curved modules being adapted to advance said pallets along straight and at least partially curved courses, respectively, the track and conveyor of each module being located between and being disposed in end-to-end relation with the tracks and conveyors of two other modules, each of said pallets including a lip extending generally along said path and projecting toward said conveyors, each of said conveyors comprising a series of spaced clamps for tightly gripping the lips of said pallets to advance said pallets along said path, said clamps slipping frictionally along the lip of each pallet when the pallet is stopped and as driving of said conveyors continues.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which two curved modules are located end-to-end with one another at each end of said path, the track of each of said curved modules having one end disposed end-to-end with the track of the adjacent curved module and having an opposite end disposed end-to-end with the track of a straight module.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which the track of each curved module is shaped to support said pallets for advancement around an arcuately curved course having an arc of approximately ninety degrees.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which a group of straight modules is located end-to-end with one another along each side of said path, the track of one of said straight modules of each group having one end disposed end-to-end with the track of a curved module at one end of said path and having an opposite end disposed end-to-end with the track of an adjacent straight module of the group, the track of another straight module of each group having one end disposed end-to-end with the track of a curved module at the opposite end of said path and having an opposite end disposed end-to-end with the track of an adjacent straight module of the group.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which all of said straight modules are identical to one another, one of the curved modules at each end of said path being a left-hand module and the other curved module at each end of the path being a right-hand module, modules of a corresponding hand being positioned at opposite ends of said path adjacent opposite sides thereof.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which each curved module includes a straight track section adjacent the curved track of the curved module, the conveyors of said curved modules also being adapted to advance said pallets along a straight course along said straight track sections.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which the conveyors of all of said modules are of the same linear length.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the motor of each module is located at the downstream end of the module and is driven in a direction to cause the respective conveyor to pull said pallets along said path.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 further including means for releasably fastening adjacent modules in rigid relation to one another.