Conveyor system with drive and driven carriers supporting thereon a load-support member
First Claim
1. A conveyor system comprising:
- at least one guide rail;
a flexible drag member driven to travel along said guide rail;
a drive carrier movably supported by said rail via a first roller means rotatably mounted on said drive carrier, said drive carrier having a drive socket projecting above said guide rail, and a portion connected in driven relation to said drag member for movement along said guide rail;
a driven carrier movably supported by said rail via a second roller means rotatably mounted on said driven carrier, said driven carrier having a driven socket projecting above said guide rail; and
a load-support member for supporting thereon a load to be transported by said conveyor system, said load-support member having a pair of downwardly projecting engagement plugs at a front portion and a rear portion thereof, respectively, wherein one of said pair of engagement plugs is removably received in said drive socket and the other engagement plug is removably received in said driven socket, and said load-support member is driven to move in the same direction as said drive carrier while the overall weight of said load-support member is supported by said drive and drive carriers.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A conveyor system includes a drive carrier and a driven carrier movably supported by guide rails via guide rollers rotatably mounted thereon. The drive carrier is connected in driven relation to a conveyor chain. A load-support member composed of a flatbed truck has front and rear engagement plugs removably received in a socket of the driven carrier and a socket of the drive carrier, respectively. The flatbed truck is conveyed in the same direction as the movable carrier while the overall weight of the flatbed truck is supported by the drive and driven carriers. At a curved portion of the conveyance path, the driven carrier is caused to move relative to the drive carrier to cancel out a difference between the length of a part of the curved conveyance path portion between the engagement plugs and the distance of a straight-line between the engagement plugs.
17 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A conveyor system comprising:
-
at least one guide rail;
a flexible drag member driven to travel along said guide rail;
a drive carrier movably supported by said rail via a first roller means rotatably mounted on said drive carrier, said drive carrier having a drive socket projecting above said guide rail, and a portion connected in driven relation to said drag member for movement along said guide rail;
a driven carrier movably supported by said rail via a second roller means rotatably mounted on said driven carrier, said driven carrier having a driven socket projecting above said guide rail; and
a load-support member for supporting thereon a load to be transported by said conveyor system, said load-support member having a pair of downwardly projecting engagement plugs at a front portion and a rear portion thereof, respectively, wherein one of said pair of engagement plugs is removably received in said drive socket and the other engagement plug is removably received in said driven socket, and said load-support member is driven to move in the same direction as said drive carrier while the overall weight of said load-support member is supported by said drive and drive carriers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification