Article carrier for conveyor system

• US 5,590,602 A
• Filed: 12/30/1994
• Issued: 01/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Titan (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, John T., Bisgrove, Leonard C., Sellers, Bruce D., Williams, Colin B., Peck, Richard O., Wickersham, Bernard G., Pageau, Gary M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MORANO IV, SAMUEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/366,838
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 104/88.01, 104/88.06, 104/89, 104/91, 105/148, 105/149, 105/156, 198/377, 198/680
• US Class Current: 104/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/10 with provision for relative movement of beam source and object to be irradiated

Abstract

A conveyor system includes; a plurality of article carriers; a process conveyor for supporting and transporting the article carriers past the given location at a first speed; an overhead power and free transport conveyor for transporting the article carriers from a loading area at a second speed that differs from the first speed; and a load conveyor adapted for engaging the article carriers and for transporting the engaged article carriers from the transport conveyor to the process conveyor at a speed that is varied during transport by the load conveyor in such a manner that the article carriers are so positioned on the process conveyor that there is a predetermined separation distance between adjacent positioned article carriers. A reroute conveyor is coupled to the process conveyor for retransportation by the process conveyor. Transport by the conveyors is interrupted when a measured speed of article carrier movement past the given location is outside of a given range. The article carrier is adapted for transport by an overhead conveyor having a track and for horizontal reorientation while suspended from the conveyor track, and has a member having a serrated edge extending away from the article carrier for engagement by a limit switch disposed in relation to the conveyor so as to be periodically operated by contact with the serrated edge of the member as the article carrier is being transported by the process conveyor to thereby enable the speed at which the article carrier is being transported to be monitored by measuring the frequency of operation of the limit switch by contact with the serrated edge.

Claims

1. An article carrier adapted for transport by an overhead conveyor having a track, the carrier comprising

a trolley adapted to ride on the conveyor track and coupled to the article carrier in such a manner as to rotatably suspend the article carrier;

a collar attached to the top of the article carrier, wherein the collar is rotatable in relation to the trolley and non-rotatable in relation to the article carrier; and

a series of pins attached to the collar, which pins are oriented so as to be vertically extended when the article carrier is suspended from the conveyor, wherein the pins are adapted to engage reorienting means disposed in relation to the conveyor track such that as the article carrier is being transported by the conveyor the pins are sequentially engaged by the reorienting means to rotate the article carrier.

2. A carrier according to claim 1, further comprising guide means coupled to the collar for maintaining the rotational orientation of the article carrier when the carrier is not being rotated by said engagement of the pins with said reorienting means.

3. A carrier according to claim 1, wherein the reorienting means that the pins are adapted to engage comprise a gear rack mounted in a stationary position in relation to the conveyor track.

4. An article carrier according to claim 1, further comprising a striker tab oriented to extend from one side of the carrier when the article carrier is suspended from the conveyor, wherein the tab is disposed for engagement with a switch contact mounted in a stationary, position in relation to the conveyor track only when the carrier has a predetermined rotational orientation in relation to the conveyor track as the article carrier is being transported by the conveyor.

5. An article carrier adapted for transport by an overhead conveyor having a track, the carrier comprising

a trolley adapted to ride on the conveyor track and coupled to the article carrier in such a manner as to rotatably suspend the article carrier;

and

a collar attached to the top of the article carrier, wherein the collar is rotatable in relation to the trolley and non-rotatable in relation to the article carrier;

a striker tab oriented to extend from one side of the carrier when the article carrier is suspended from the conveyor, wherein the tab is adapted for engagement with a switch contact mounted in a stationary position in relation to the conveyor track only when the carrier has a predetermined rotational orientation in relation to the conveyor track as the article carrier is being transported by the conveyor.

6. An article carrier adapted for transport by a conveyor;

the carrier comprising

a striker tab oriented to extend from one side of the carrier when the article carrier is being transported by the conveyor, wherein the tab is adapted for engagement with a switch contact mounted in a stationary position in relation to the conveyor only when the carrier has a predetermined rotational orientation in relation to the conveyor as the article carrier is being transported by the conveyor.

7. An article carrier adapted for transport by an overhead conveyor having a track, by a process conveyor upon which the carrier is supported and by a load conveyor which transports the carrier onto the process conveyor from the transport conveyor, the carrier comprising

a trolley adapted to ride on the overhead conveyor track and coupled to the article carrier in such a manner as to rotatably suspend the article carrier;

a collar attached to the top of the article carrier, wherein the collar is rotatable in relation to the trolley and non-rotatable in relation to the article carrier;

a series of pins attached to the collar, which pins are oriented so as to be vertically extended when the article carrier is suspended from the overhead conveyor, wherein the pins are adapted to engage reorienting means disposed in relation to the conveyor track such that as the article carrier is being transported by the overhead conveyor the pins are sequentially engaged by the reorienting means to rotate the article carrier; and

at least one lug extending from the bottom of the carrier for engaging a dog attached to the load conveyor for enabling the load conveyor to transport the carrier.

8. An article carrier according to claim 7, further comprising a tab oriented to extend from one side of the carrier when the article carrier is suspended from the conveyor, wherein the tab is disposed for engagement with a switch contact mounted in a stationary position in relation to the conveyor track only when the carrier has a predetermined rotational orientation in relation to the conveyor track as the article carrier is being transported by the conveyor.

9. A set of article carriers adapted for transport by a conveyor, each carrier comprising

end members having supporting struts disposed on the outside of said end members;

wherein the struts are disposed so that the struts on one said article carrier cannot contact the struts on another said article carrier positioned adjacent thereto on the conveyor with the same lateral orientation as the one said article carrier notwithstanding the end-to-end orientation of the article carriers, whereby the article carriers can be positioned closer together on the conveyor than would be possible if the struts on one said article carrier could contact the struts on another said article carrier when the article carriers are positioned adjacent each other on the conveyor with said same lateral orientation.