Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1048954
Transportation installation
The present invention relates to a transportation
installation for serving a number of processing stations.
As a processing station is meant ~ny working station,
where a working piece or an object or a group of such
objects shall be subjected to a working operation (by
way of example machining, mounting, surface treatment,
inspection, classification, marking etc.) or only be
stored. More particularly the invention relates to a
transportation installation comprising for one thing a
main conveyor forming a loop exhibiting two substantially
parallel sides, along which the proc~ssing stations are
distributed, and which is designed as a suspended con-
veyor provided with a guide rail for transportation car-
riages and with a transportation-cable or chain placed in
guiding means above the guide rail and following the path
of the same, which cable or chain is provided with down-
ward pointing suspension means for the transportation
carriages, and for another thing with a number of side
conveyors, each one for its particular processing station,
each side conveyor comprising a guide rail, which at its
input end is connected with the main conveyor by means of
a switch, wh~ch in a first position is arranged to lead
a transportation carriage further on along the main con-
veyor, and in a second position to deviate the carriage
to the side conveyor.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide
a
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design of such an installation, which gives the best
utilization of the floor area and in addition requires
a comparatively short length of track of the main con-
veyor in relation to the size of the area served. It
is another object of the invention to provide an improved
system for the automatic guiding of the transportation
carriages to the different processing stations.
In general terms, the present invention p~ovides, in
one aspect thereof, a conveyor system for serving a
plurality of processing stations comprising
a plurality of trolley carriages
an overhead main conveyor comprising a mono-
rail track for said trolley carriages, said track forming
a loop having a pair of substantially parallel sides
along which the processing stations are distributed, and
means for propelling the trolley carriages along said
track, said propelling means including a cable or chain
slidably supported in guide means provided along said
track above the same and having depending dog member for
engaging said trolley carriages,
a plurality of side conveyors coordinated with said
processing stations, each of said side conv~yors compri-
sing a loop shaped overhead monorail track, each of said
substantially parallel sides of the main conveyor being
associated with one group of side conveyors to the left
of said side,
5witch means for selectively connecting said side
conveyors to the main conveyor, said switch means includ-
ing, for each of said side conveyors, first switch means
arranged in a first position to lead a trolley carriage
along the main conveyor and in a second position to de-
viate a trolley carriage from the main conveyor to
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to one end of a side conveyor, and second switch meansfor connecting the other end of the side conveyor to
the same side of the main conveyor as said first
switch means.
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In a further modification, the main conveyor is
also associated with one group of side conveyors to the right
of said side.
According to a further feature of the present invention,
the system comprises means for the automatic operation of
said first switch means, said automatic operation means
comprising switch shifting motor means, a control unit for
controlling the operation of said motor means, a signal unit
for activating said control unit, said signal unit being arranged
at the side of the path of a carriage approaching said first
switch means and having sensing member arranged in positions
corresponding b~ a predetermined code combination, and, a
selector unit provided on each of the carriages, said
selector unit being provided with a set of code element
members mechanically adjustable to form any selected one of
a plurality of code combinations corresponding each to one
of the predetermined code combinations of the sensing member
of one of said signal units.
These are further features of the present invention
will become more apparent on reading the following detailed
explanation with reference to the drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a schematical plan of a first example of
embodiment of a transportation installation according to the
invention,
Figure 2 is a schematical paln of a second example of
embodiment of a transportation installation according to the
invention,
Figure 3 is a schematical plan of a section of the
installation according to figure 1 and a block diagram for the
automatic guiding system,
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Figure 4 is a schematical plan of a section of the
installation according to figure 2 and a block diagram for the
automatic guiding system,
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view (along V-V in
figure 6) through the conveyor with a carriage suspended in the
same,
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along VI-VI in
figure 5,
Figure 7 is a plan view on a larger scale than the
figures 5-6, partly in axial cross section, illustrating a part
of the installation according to the figures 5-6,
Figures 8 and 9 are a front view and side~levational
view respectively on a larger scale than the flgures 5-~6
illustràt~ng the ~is-i~ble carriage, and
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view on a larger scale
than the figures 8-9 along X-X in the figure 8.
The transportation installation illustrated in figure
1 comprises a suspended conveyor 1, which forms a closed rect-
angular track with two parallel long sides 2, 3. Each one of
these serves two rows of processing stations or working places
4, which are located pairwise right in front of each other at
both sides of the conveyor. For each processing station a si~e
conveyor extending in a U-shaped track or a side track 5 and 6
respectively is arranged for the delivery of goods to the pro-
cessing stations from the conveyor 1 and vice versa, the ends of
which tracks can be connected with the main conveyor each one via
its switching means. These side conveyors are placed in pairwise
arrangement right in front of each other on both sides of the
conveyor. The directions of traffic in the installation are
hinted with arrows.
The in~tallation is provided with equipment for automatic
guiding of the carriages, which permits an automatic guidance of
a carriage from anyone of the side conveyors to anyone of the side
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conveyors. Thi~ equipment will now be described in connection
with figure 3, which schematically illustrates a section of the
main conveyor 1 with two side conveyors 5, 6 located right in
front of each other. Each one of these can be connected with
the main conveyor 1 by means of an input switch 7 and an output
switch 9. Each one of these switches is designed as a three-
position-switch, which in one of its extreme positions connects
the side conveyor 6, to the main conveyor, in its other extreme
position connects the side conveyor 5 to the main conveyor and in
the centric position connects two sections of the main conveyor
with each other. The switching tongues 8 and 10 respectively of
the two switches are operated each one by means of its pneumatic
cylinder 11 and 12 respectively provided with a controlling de-
vice 13 and 14 respectively. Control exciters 15, 16, 17 areconnected with the controlling device 13 for the cylinder 11.
The control exciter 15 is placed at the side of the track of a
carriage transported on the conveyor 1 just ahead of the input
switch 7 and is provided with a number of sensing organs arranged
for the purpose of selectively being actuated by mechanically
adjustable code elements in a selector mechanism provided on the
carriage, when the latter one is passing in front of the sensing
organs in question. An example of an embodiment of such a selec-
tor mechanism is described further below in connection with the
figures 5 and 8 - 10. The switch tongue is normally in its
centric position. According to the setting of the code elements
in the selector mechanism the control exciter 15 remains unaffect-
ed during the passage of carriages, but it can alternatively be
brought to give an exciting pulse to the controlling device 13
in order to bring about a switch of the switching tongue to the
right or to the left depending upon the setting of the code
elements. The control exciters 16 and 17 are placed at the side
of the input end of the side conveyors 5 and 6 respectively and
~48954
are provided w~th sensing organ$~ which are actiyated~ ~hen the
carriage is passing, and which in connection with their being
actuated cause the control exciter 16 and 17 respectively to give
a controlling pulse to the controlling device 13, which pulse
brings about a resetting of the switch tongue 8 to the centric
position. Said sensing organs by way of example can comprise
a lever arm, which in connection with the passage of the carriage
is pressed down by the wheels of the carriage or is moved aside
by some portion of the same.
Control exciters 18, 19, 20 are connected with the
controlling device 14 for the pneumatic cylinder 12 of the out-
put switch 9. The control exciters 18 and 19 are placed at the
output end of the side conveyor 5 and 6 respectively, and each
one is provided with a sensing organ activated by the passage of
the carriage, which organ, when actuated, brings the control
exciter 18 and 19 respectively to give a controlling pulse to
the controlling device 14, which pulse causes a resetting of the
switch tongue 10 to the left and to the right respectively, so
that the carriage projecting over the output end of the side
conveyor 5 and 6 respectively is moved onto the track of the main
conveyor. The control exciter 20 is placed at the main conveyor
1 just ~ehind the output switch 9 and is provided with a sensing
organ activated by the passage of the carriage, and which, when
actuated, brings the control exciter 20 to give a controlling
pulse to the controlling device 14, which brings about a resetting
of the switch tongue 10 to its centric position. Like the sensing
organs for the controlling exciters 16, 17 the controlling ex-
citers 18, 19 20 by way of example can comprise a lever arm, which
at the passage of the carriage is pressed do~m by the wheels of
the carriage or is moved aside by some portion of the carriage.
The transportation installation illustrated in figure 2
comprises a suspended conveyor 21, which forms a closed rectangu-
3S4
lar track with two parallel long sides 22, 23, Each one o~ thesesides serves two rows of processing stations or working places 24,
which rows are somewhat displaced in between them in the direction
of transportation of the suspended conveyor, the working places
in one row being located approximately in front of the interspaces
between the working places in the other row. A side conveyor or
side track 25 and 26 respectively extending in an U-shaped path
is provided for each working place, the slde conveyors 25 at one
side of the main conveyor being displaced in the direction of
transportation of this conveyor relative to the side conveyors
26 at the other side of the main conveyor in the same manner as
the working places 24, or more exactly in such a manner that in
the directions of transportation indicated with arrows the out-
put end of each side conveyor is located right in front of the
output end of a side conveyor at the other side of the main con-
veyor, and likewise the input end of each side conveyor is right
in front of the input end of a side conveyor at the other side
of the main conveyor. As a consequence of the displacement,
however, the two input ends of a side conveyor located nearest
to the end of each long side 22, 23 of the track of the main con-
veyor is not corresponded by any input end of another side con-
veyor located right in front of the first one. The design of
the installation and the equipment for automatic guidance of the
carriages is evident more in detail from the figure 4, which
schematically illustrates a section of the main conveyor 1 with
two side conveyors 25, 26 and the input end of a third side con-
veyor 25a.
The side conveyor 25, which is the first one in the
direction of transportation along the side 22 of the main conveyor
21, can be connected with the main conveyor by means of an input
switch 27 and an output switch 28. The input switch 27 is a two-
position switch, which in the normal condition illustrated guides
1~)4895~
an arriving carrîage further along the main conyeyor and in a
posit~on, where it is set to the r~ght, leads the arriving
carriage onto the side conveyor 25. The output switch 28 is a
_ common installation for the side conveyors 25 and 26 and is de-
signed as a three-position switch, which in an extreme position
connects the output end of the side conveyor 25 with the main
conveyor, in the other extreme position connects the output end
of the side conveyor 26 with the main conveyor 21, and in the
center position connects two sections of the main conveyor with
each other. A three-position input switch 29 is provided for the
side conveyor 26 and the nearest following side conveyor 25a,
which switch in one extreme position connects the input end of
the side conveyor 25a with the main conveyor 21, in the other
extreme position connects the input end of the side conveyor 26
with the main conveyor 21, and in the center position connects
two sections of the main conveyor with each other. The arrange-
ment described with three-position input switches alternating
w~th three-position output switches is a feature also in connec-
tion with the following side conveyors. The switch tongues 30,
31, 32 of the switches 27, 28, 29 are operated each one by its
pneumatic cylinder 33, 34, 35 respectively, which are provided
each one with its controlling device 36, 37, 38. Two controlling
exciters 39, 40 are connected with the controlling device 36 for
the cylinder 33. The controlling exciter 39 is placed at the
side of the track for a carriage transported by the conveyor 21
and just ahead of the input switch 27 and is provided with a num-
ber of sensing organs arranged at the passage of the carriage
selectively to be activated by mechanically adjustable code ele-
ments in a selector mechanism provided on the carriage. The
switch tongue 30 normally occupies a straight forward position.
According to the setting of the code elements in the selector
mechanism, the controlling exciter 39 remains unaffected during
the passage of the carriage or is brought to give a controlling
~48954
pulse to the controlling device 36 for the resetting of the switch
tongue 30 to the right. The controlling exciter 40 is placed
close to the input end of the side conveyor 25 and is provided
with a sensing organ activated by the passage of the carriage,
which organ, when actuated, brings the controlling exciter 40
to give a controlling pulse to the controlling device 36 in order
to reset the switch tongue 30 to the illustrated neutral or
straight-forward position. The last mentioned sensing organ by
way of example can comprise a lever arm, which is activated at
the passage of the carriage, and when actuated brings the control-
ling exciter 40 to give a controlling pulse to the controlling
device 36 for resetting of the switch tongue 30 to *he illustrated
neutral or straight-forward position. The last mentioned sensing
organ by way of example can comprise a lever arm, which at the
passage of the carriage is pressed down by the wheels of the
carriage or is moved aside by some portion of the carriage.
Three controlling exciters 41, 42, 43 are connected
with the controlling device 37 for the pneumatlc cylinder 34 of
the switch 28, the controlling exciters 41 and 42 each one being
placed close to the output end of its side conveyor 25 and 26,
and the controlling exciter 43 being placed close to the main
conveyor 21 just behind the switch 28. All of these three
controlling exciters are provided each one with its sensing organs
activated by the passage of the carriage, which organ can be
designed in the same manner as the sensing organs of the control-
ling exciter 40. The controlling exciter 41, when actuated, gives
a controlling pulse to the controlling device 37 for the resetting
of the switch tongue 31 to its right position. The con~rolling
-exciter 42, when actuated, gives a controlling pulse for the re-
setting of the switch tongue 31 to its left position. The con-
trolling exciter 43 when actuated gives a controlling pulse,
which produces a resetting of the switch tongue to the illustrated
~6~48954
centric posit~on.
Three controll~ng exciters 44, 45, 46 are connected
with the controlling dev~ce 38 for the pneumatic cylinder 35 of
the switch 29. With respect to their location and function these
exciters totally correspond the three signal exciters 15, 16 and
17 of the installation according to figure 3, and any special
description is therefore not necessary.
The figures 5 - 7 give an example of the constructive
design of a transportation installation according to the invention.
The cross sectional cut in the figure 5 is laid immediately ahead
of a three-position input switch forming part of the installation,
by way of example the switch 7 in figure 3 or the switch 29 in
figure 4. On a supporting structure 47 a box gir~er 48 is at-
tached, which girder is divided up in two longitudinally extend-
ing channels by means of a horizontal partion wall 49. The lower
channel, the bottom of which exhibits a longitudinally extending
slit 50, serves the purpose of guidance for a number of sliding
bodies 52 distri~uted along an endless wire rope 51 and attached
to said rope. A driving unit (not shown) provides the necessary
propulsion to the rope keeping it in a continuous movement along
the channel. The sliding body 52 is provided with a downwards
pointing carrier projecting through the slit for the carriages
54, which are movable along the track. The carriages are sup-
ported on a tubular guide bar 55, each one comprising one single
runner wheel 56 carrying a suspending bar 57, which is guided
between a pair of guide rails 58 attached to frame pieces 59
attached to the supporting structure 47, of which frame pieces
one is visible in the drawing. The suspending bars at their
lower end in conventional manner are provided with-suspending
organs suitable for the goods, by way of example baskets or hooks.
The illustrated three-position switch has a switch
tongue 60 comprising a tubular piece, which has the same outside
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diameter as the guide rail 55. In the guide rail 55 a cylindrical
p~n 61 is fitted, on which a cylindrical pin 62 fitted in the
rear end of the switch tongue 60 is pivotably mounted by means
of a vertical pivot pin 63 (figure 7). Round the pivoting point
and the parts of the pins 61, 62 projecting outside the guide
rail 55 and the tubular piece 60 respectively a tightly wound
helical spring 64 is laid, which spring exhibits the same outer
diameter as the tubes 55, 60. By this arrangement a smooth pas-
sage is provided for the transfer of the carriages from the guide
rail 55 to the switch tongue 60.
The switch tongue by means of a pneumatic cylinder 65
can be set in three different positions, viz. a right position,
in which the switch tongue connects with the input end 66 of a
firstsside conveyor, a centric position, in which the switch tongue
connects to the next secttDn~5a o~ thé`~main conveyor's guide
rail, and a left position, in which the switch tongue connects
to the input end 67 of a second side conveyor. These first and
second si~e conveyors according to ~hat has been stated a~ove
can ~e identical with the side conveyors 5 and 6 in the figure
3 or with the side conVeyors 25a and 26 in the figure 4.
For the automatic guidance of the carriage along the
track the carriage is provided with an adjustable selector mech-
anism 68, the design of which best is evident from the figures
8 - 10. The selector mechanism exhibits a frame comprising a
vertical ledge 69 mounted on a part of the suspending bar 57,
located between the supporting wheel 56 and the guide 58 (figure
5). A staple of adjustable code elements 70 is thread on this
ledge 69. Each one of the code elements 70 has a part 71 shaped
as the sector of a circle, the inner edge of said part in a
sliding manner engaging one edge of the ledge 69 and exhibiting
three notches 72, which fix a right position, a neu~ral or in-
active position, and a left position for the code element. An
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16~4895~
arm 73, which penetrates ~n radial direction from one end of the
part 71 of the shape of the sector of a circle towards the center
of the circular ring, is at its free end shaped to a hook 74,
which grips around the other edge of the ledge 69. The element
70 is made of a material, by way of example a plastic, which has
a sufficient resiliency to conserve the engagement between anyone
of the notches 72 and the ledge 69 without empeding a manual
changeover to another one of the notches. At both ends of the
part 71 shaped like a sector of a circle a radially directed pro-
jection 75 is provided, which for one thing facilitates the manual
changeover of the element, and for another thing functions as an
actuating finger for engagement with a sensing organ placed in
the same vertical position in controlling exciter arranged along
the conveyor track for the different input switches, corresponding
the controlling exciters 15 in the figure 3 or the controlling
exciters 39 and 44 in the figure 4.
In the installation illustrated in the figures 5 - 6
two controlling exciters 76, 77 are mounted in the frame piece
59 ahead of the three-position switch, one on each side of the
track, for the selector 68. These controlling exciters are con-
nected with a controlling device (not shown) for the pneumatic
cylinder 65 and together correspond the controlling exciter 15
in the figure 3 or the controlling exciter 44 in the figure 4.
The controlling exciter 77 is provided with two sensing organs
and is actuated, when the passing selector has two corresponding
code elements reset to the right, as is shown in figure 5. The
controlling exciter 77 thereby gives a controlling pulse, which
brings the pnQumatic piston 65 to reset the switch tongue in a
predetermined direction (suitably to the right~. The controlling
exciter 76 likewise is provided with two sensing organs and is
actuated, when the passing selector has two corresponding code
elements reset to the left. The controlling exciter 76 thereby
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shaped as the sector of a circle, -the inner edge of said
part in a sli.ding manner engaging one edge of the ledge
69 and exhibiting three notches 72, which fix a right
position, a neutral or inactive position, and a left pos-
ition for the code element. An arm 73, which penetrates
in a radial direction from one end of the part 71 of the
shape of the sector of a circle toward the center of the
circular ring, is at its free end shaped to a hook 74,
which grips around the other edge of the ledge 69. The
element 70 is made of a material, by way of example a
plastic, which has a sufficient resiliency to conserve
the engagement between anyone of the notches 72 and the
ledge 69 without impeding a manual changeover to another
one of the notches. At both ends of the part 71 shaped
like a sector of a circle a radially directedllprojection
75 is provided, which for one thing facilitates the man-
ual changeover of the element, and f~r another thing
functions as an actuating finger for engagement wi-th a
sensing organ placed in the same vertical position in
controlling exciters arranged along the coveyor track
for the different input switches, corresponding the con-
trolling exciters 15 in the figure 3 or the controlling
exciters 39 and 44 in the figure 4.
In the installation illustrated in the figures 5-6
two controlling exciters 76, 77 are mounted in the frame
piece 59 ahead of the three-position switch, one on each
side of the track, for the selector 68. These controll-
ing exciters are connected with a controlling device
(not shown) for the pneumatic cylinder 65 and together
correspond the controlling exciter 15 in the figure 3 or
the controlling exciter 44 in the figure 4. The control-
ling exciter 77 is provided with two sensing organs
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and is actuated, when the passing selectro has two
corresponding code elements reset to the right, as is
shown in figure 5. The controlling exciter 77 thereby
gives a controlling pulse, which brings the pneumatic
piston 65 to reset the switch tongue in a predetermined
direction (suitably to the right). The controlling
exciter 76 likewise is provided with two sensing organs
and is actuated, when the passing selector has two
corresponding code elements reset to the left. The con-
trolling exciter 76 thereby gives a controlling pulse,
which brings the pneumatic piston 65 to reset the switch
tongue in the other direction (to the left). In figure
5 the controlling exciter 76 is set to correspond to
another code combination that the controlling exciter 77.
However, in principle nothing impedes the two controlling
exciters from being set for the same combination.
Each one of the two sensing organs of the controlling
exciters 76 or 77 preferably belongs to its~microswitch,
the two microswitches having working contacts coupled
in series connected to a controlling ex-
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gives a controlling pulse, which brings the pneumatic piston
65 to reset the switch tongue in the other direction (to the
left~. In figure 5 the controlling exciter 76 is set to
correspond to another code combination than the controlling
eXciter 77. However, in principle nothing impedes the two
controlling exciters from being set for the same combination.
Each one of the two sensing organs of the controlling
exciters 76 or 77 preferably belongs to its microswitch, the
two microswitches having working contacts coupled in series
connected to a controlling exciter circuit, which thus is
switched on, when the two sensing organs are actuated
simultaneously. This arrangement is very simple and reliable
in operation from a coupling technical viewpoint. In a
selector with code elements, which can be reset only in one
direction, the number of selections is 1/2. n(n-l), where n
is the number of code elements. By the selector being provided
with code elements, which according to choice can be reset in
two different directions a doubling of the number of possi-
~ilities of selection is obtained.
It is obvious that for the resetting of the switches
instead of the pneumatic cylinders used in the examples of
embodiment one can use other driving elements, by way of
example solenoids or electric motors. The invention is also
in other respects not limited to the described examples of
embodiment, but can comprise any installation within the
frame of the subsequent claims.
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