Si Handling Systems, Inc.

Heico Corporation

Barry L Ziegenfus

Russell H Scheel

Stanley K Gutekunst

Richard Jocsak

A lightweight car-on-track system having a pair of spaced-apart rails and an associated rotatable drive tube with a captive carrier movable along the rails and having a drive wheel in driving engagement with the rotatable drive tube. The drive wheel is spring-loaded against the rotatable drive tube and the capture of the carrier to the rails results in a controlled drive force achieved regardless of the weight of the carrier or of a load supported thereon. The system is made up of a selected number of modular units, each having adjustably mounted frame members supporting opposite ends of a rail section and a drive tube section. Adjustable mounting of frame members to an alignment plate assures alignment between rail and drive tube sections when assembling the system. A transfer device is utilized for transferring a carrier from the end of one track section to the spaced-apart end of another track section with the transfer device being oscillatable about a pivot axis. A drive tube for each track section has a generally frusto-conical end extending beyond an end thereof which coact with the drive wheel of a carrier to impart motion of a carrier onto and off the transfer device.

Lightweight car-on-track system

A linear drive unit having a carriage reciprocal along a path of travel and having a plurality of pairs of angularly adjustable drive wheels engaging opposite sides of a rotatable drive tube whereby rotation of the drive tube imparts linear motion to the carriage. The angle of the drive wheels is controlled by a remotely-operable air motor mounted directly on the carriage. A plurality of cams provide controlled acceleration and deceleration of the carriage adjacent the ends of its path of travel. A selectively operable inching control is remotely operable to provide for a reduced speed of travel of the linear drive unit. The linear drive unit is easily associated with the mass to be moved, such as a travelling hoist, and the forces generated by opposed drive wheels compressively engaging the drive tube are self-contained within the carriage. Additional control cams can be provided along the path of travel, if additional stopping locations are desired.

Linear drive unit

A carrier system having a carrier movable along a path as defined by a trackway and driven from a rotatable drive tube by means of one or more drive wheels which can be adjustably angularly related relative to the drive tube for determining the direction and speed of carrier travel. The carrier has a multi-function accumulation rod operable in both accumulation of carriers as well as at a stop station along the path of travel. The accumulation rod is movable to control the angular position of the drive wheel to achieve stopping of the carrier at the stop station as well as to cause accumulation of one carrier behind another. The accumulation rod is operable in either direction of travel of the carrier to affect accumulation. Reverser structure operable at the end of the path of travel of the carrier causes a shift in the orientation of the drive wheel and the accumulation rod whereby the carrier will travel in an opposite direction and with the accumulation rod functioning in an accumulation mode in the reverse direction of travel.

Reversible, accumulating longitudinal drive tube carrier

A driverless vehicle turntable includes a table pivotably mounted for movement about a vertical axis. The table has tracks and a drive tube as well as drive wheels. An arcuate drive tube assembly is arranged for frictional contact with the drive wheels.

Vehicle turntable

A precision stop assembly is provided for causing a driverless vehicle to stop at a predetermined location with an accuracy .+-.0.005 inches in three planes. The assembly includes structure for slowing a vehicle down and then elevating the vehicle so that its support wheels lose contact with tracks while simultaneously guiding the vehicle to a precise orientation.

Vehicle precision stop assembly

A monorail driverless vehicle for use on an assembly line includes a vertically disposed frame having a drive wheel on the upper end of the frame and biased downwardly for contact with a drive shaft. Aligned support wheels on the frame are adapted for contact with a track therebelow. A fixture may be mounted on either side face of the vehicle for removably supporting the workpiece to be worked on by persons or apparatus along the assembly line.

Assembly line driverless vehicle

A shuttle vehicle reciprocates between sets of tracks for driverless vehicles. The linear movement of the shuttle vehicle causes a turntable on the shuttle vehicle to rotate. The turntable is adapted to support a driverless vehicle to be transported from one set of tracks to another.

Driverless vehicle shuttle

A vehicle turntable having a set of tracks and a drive tube are mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. A belt and pulley arrangement is provided for rotating the drive tube about its longitudinal axis in all rotative positions of the turntable while using rotation of an adjacent drive tube thereby eliminating the need for a separate independent motor on the turntable.

Growing community of inventors

Saylorsburg, PA, United States of America

Barry L Ziegenfus