Material transfer apparatus

• US 4,987,992 A
• Filed: 01/09/1989
• Issued: 01/29/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pflow Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pflow Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Pfleger, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaggs, H. Grant
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R.
• Application Number:
  US07/294,349
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 198/475.1, 198/800
• US Class Current: 198/475.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/18 and move in contact with a guiding surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/02 Articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/57 for articles

Abstract

A material transfer apparatus for transferring articles between different vertical levels. The apparatus includes a pair of endless members, such as chains, mounted for travel in parallel generally rectangular paths, each including an upward vertical run, an upper horizontal run, a downward vertical run and a lower horizontal run. At least one carrier is mounted on the chains for free rotation about a horizontal axis and the carrier has a article supporting surface extending horizontally in cantilevered relation from the axis. Articles to be transferred are fed into the path of travel of the carrier by a first conveyer as the carrier moves in the upward vertical run and are elevated from the first conveyer and subsequently lowered by the carrier onto a second discharge conveyer for discharge as the carrier travels in the downward vertical run. Guide members on the carrier engage fixed guide tracks on the supporting structure to maintain the supporting surface in a horizontal attitude as the carrier moves in its path of travel.

Claims

1. A material transfer apparatus, comprising a supporting structure, a pair of flexible drive members mounted to move in parallel paths of travel, at least one carrier having a supporting surface to support an article to be transferred, means for journaling opposed ends of the carrier on said drive members for free rotation about a horizontal axis, said supporting surface being cantilevered outwardly from said axis, operating means for driving the drive members and corresponding moving said carrier in a path of movement including a generally upward run and a generally downward run, guide means on the supporting structure and disposed to be engaged by the carrier as the carrier moves in its path of movement, said guide means being constructed and arranged to maintain the supporting surface in a generally horizontal attitude as said carrier moves in said path of movement, feeding means for feeding an article onto said supporting surface as said carrier moves in the upward run, discharge means for discharging the article from the supporting surface as the carrier moves in the downward run, said discharge means comprising a pair of discharge conveyors disposed at different vertical levels, said discharge conveyor comprising a main conveyor section and a second conveyor section pivotally connected to said main section, each second conveyor section being movable from a first position where it is disposed in the path of travel of said carrier as the carrier moves in said downward run to a second position where said second conveyor section is out of said path of travel, and means for selectively moving each second conveyor section from the first to the second position.

2. A material transfer apparatus, comprising a supporting structure, a pair of flexible drive members mounted to move in parallel paths of travel, at least one carrier having a supporting surface to support an article to be transferred, means for journalling opposed ends of the carrier on said drive members for free rotation about a horizontal axis, said supporting surface being cantilevered outwardly from said axis, operating means for driving the drive members and corresponding moving said carrier in a path of movement including a generally upward run and a generally downward run, guide means on the supporting structure and disposed to be engaged by the carrier as the carrier moves in its path of movement, said guide means being constructed and arranged to maintain the supporting surface in a generally horizontal attitude as said carrier moves in said path of movement, feeding means for feeding an article onto said supporting surface as said carrier moves in the upward run, discharge means for discharging the article from the supporting surface as the carrier moves in the downward run, said discharge means comprising a pair of conveyors disposed at different vertical levels, each conveyor comprising a main conveyor section and a second conveyor section mounted for pivotal movement with respect to said main section from an operative position where said second section forms an extension to said main section and a generally pendant position, said second sections when in the operative position being disposed in the path of travel of said carrier as it moves in its downward run whereby said article will be deposited on said extended second section.

3. A material transfer apparatus, comprising a supporting structure, a pair of flexible drive members mounted to move in parallel paths of travel, at least one carrier having a supporting surface to support an article to be transferred, journaling means for journaling opposed ends of the carrier on said drive members for free rotation about a horizontal axis, said supporting surface being cantilevered outwardly from said axis, operating means for driving the drive members and correspondingly moving said carrier in a path of movement, a first guide member on the carriage and vertically offset from said horizontal axis, first guide means on the supporting structure and disposed to be engaged by said guide member as said carriage moves in said path of movement, and second guide means on the supporting structure and disposed to be engaged by the portions of said flexible drive members engaged with said journaling means as said carrier moves in said path of movement, said second guide means being parallel to and offset from said first guide means, the engagement of said first guide member with said first guide means and the simultaneous engagement of said flexible drive member with said second guide means maintaining the supporting surface in a generally horizontal attitude as the carrier moves in a generally vertical portion of said path of movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said flexible drive members are chains.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said second guide means also includes a guide surface disposed laterally of each flexible member and disposed to prevent lateral displacement of said flexible member.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said carrier is disposed to move in a generally rectangular path of movement, including an upper vertical run, an upper horizontal run, a downward vertical run and a lower horizontal run.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, and including a plurality of first guide members mounted on the carriage with each first guide member being offset from said axis, each guide member being constructed and arranged to engage said first guide means as said carriage is moved in the respective upward vertical run, the upper horizontal run, the downward vertical run and the lower horizontal run, only one of said first guide members being engageable with said first guide means at any time during movement of said carrier in said vertical runs.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first guide means includes an elongated first guide track and said first guide member comprises a roller disposed to ride on said first guide track, and said second guide means comprises a second elongated guide track.