Conveyor system for feeding small parts to a chain assembly unit
First Claim
1. A conveyor system for feeding parts (2) to a chain assembling unit, comprising a track system (1) transporting said parts (2), and a feed device (3) loading said track system (1) with said parts (2), said track system (1) comprising at least two loading tracks (4) which are loadable by said feed device (3) with parts (2), and feed tracks (5) which pass said parts (2) onwards to said chain assembling unit and communicate with at least one corresponding loading track (4), the number of said feed tracks (5) being smaller than the number of said loading tracks (4), and at least one of said feed tracks (5) being selectively connectable to at least one other corresponding loading track (4) for conveying said parts (2), and a shunt device (13) being provided between said loading tracks (4) and said feed tracks (5) for selectively connecting at least one specific loading track (4) to at least one specific feed track (5), characterized in that said shunt device (13) comprises a channel system whose inlets (14) communicate with a respective loading track (4) and whose at least one outlet (19) communicates with a respective feed track (5), and that at least two inlet channels (14) meet each other at at least one channel crossing (16, 18) and are continued as a joint outlet channel (19), and the shunt device (13) has slider elements (23) which, for disabling or enabling an inlet channel (14) and/or a loading track (4), are movable into and removable from said channel and or track.
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Accused Products
Abstract
It is the intention to improve a conveyor system for supplying small parts to a chain assembling unit, the system comprising a track system transporting the small parts, and a feed device loading the track system with the small parts. To this end the track system comprises at least two loading tracks which are loadable by the feed device with small parts, and at least one feed track which passes the small parts onwards to the chain assembling unit and communicates with at least one corresponding loading track, the number of the feed tracks being smaller than the number of the loading tracks, and the at least one feed track being selectively connectable to at least one other corresponding loading track for conveying the small parts.
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Citations
30 Claims
- 1. A conveyor system for feeding parts (2) to a chain assembling unit, comprising a track system (1) transporting said parts (2), and a feed device (3) loading said track system (1) with said parts (2), said track system (1) comprising at least two loading tracks (4) which are loadable by said feed device (3) with parts (2), and feed tracks (5) which pass said parts (2) onwards to said chain assembling unit and communicate with at least one corresponding loading track (4), the number of said feed tracks (5) being smaller than the number of said loading tracks (4), and at least one of said feed tracks (5) being selectively connectable to at least one other corresponding loading track (4) for conveying said parts (2), and a shunt device (13) being provided between said loading tracks (4) and said feed tracks (5) for selectively connecting at least one specific loading track (4) to at least one specific feed track (5), characterized in that said shunt device (13) comprises a channel system whose inlets (14) communicate with a respective loading track (4) and whose at least one outlet (19) communicates with a respective feed track (5), and that at least two inlet channels (14) meet each other at at least one channel crossing (16, 18) and are continued as a joint outlet channel (19), and the shunt device (13) has slider elements (23) which, for disabling or enabling an inlet channel (14) and/or a loading track (4), are movable into and removable from said channel and or track.
- 11. A conveyor system for feeding parts (2) to a chain assembling unit, comprising a track system (1) transporting said parts (2), and a feed device (3) loading said track system (1) with said parts (2), said track system (1) comprising at least two loading tracks (4) which are loadable by said feed device (3) with parts (2), and feed tracks (5) which pass said parts (2) onwards to said chain assembling unit and communicate with at least one corresponding loading track (4), the number of said feed tracks (5) being smaller than the number of said loading tracks (4), and said feed tracks (5) being selectively connectable to at least one other corresponding loading track (4) for conveying said parts (2), and a shunt device (13) being provided between said loading tracks (4) and said feed tracks (5) for selectively connecting at least one specific loading track (4) to a specific at least one feed track (5), and a control device being provided for controlling said shunt device (13) in response to the monitoring signal from a monitoring device, characterized in that said control device is configured such that the connection of a loading track (4) to a feed track (5) will only be enabled if the at least one associated channel crossing (16, 18) of said shunt device (13) is free from parts (2), and the shunt device (13) has slider elements (23) comprising a plunger that, for disabling or enabling an inlet channel (14) and/or a loading track (4), are movable into and removable from said channel and or track.
- 20. A conveyor system for feeding parts (2) to a chain assembling unit, comprising a track system (1) transporting said parts (2), and a feed device (3) loading said track system (1) with said parts (2), said track system (1) comprising at least two loading tracks (4) which are loadable by said feed device (3) with parts (2), and feed tracks (5) which pass said parts (2) onwards to said chain assembling unit and communicate with at least one corresponding loading track (4), the number of said feed tracks (5) being smaller than the number of said loading tracks (4), and said feed tracks (5) being selectively connectable to at least one other corresponding loading track (4) for conveying said parts (2), characterized in that said feed device (3) is formed by a rotating conveyor pot (9) with inwardly arranged blades (10) for conveying said parts (2) in that section of said loading tracks (4) having an upwardly open front area (11), and the shunt device (13) has slider elements (23) comprising a plunger that, for disabling or enabling an inlet channel (14) and/or a loading track (4), are movable into and removable from said channel and/or track.
Specification