American Chain & Cable Company, Inc.

Walter T Nelson

An overhead conveyor system comprising a conveyor, a track and a plurality of carriers movable along the track by the conveyor wherein each carrier is adapted to grip an article elevated into the path of the conveyor and to release the article. The conveyor extends along a path past a loading station and an unloading station. Loading means are provided adjacent the loading station for elevating an article into position to be gripped by the carrier and unloading means are provided at the unloading station for receiving an article released by the carrier at the unloading station. In addition, infeed and take out mechanisms are provided at the loading and unloading stations, respectively.

Overhead conveyor system

An accumulating roller conveyor comprising a frame, a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely extending drive rollers rotatably mounted on the frame, a drive extending longitudinally of the frame, and a spring clutch interposed between each drive roller and the drive. A driven roller is rotatably mounted on the frame upstream of each drive roller and an endless belt interconnects the driven and drive roller such that when the drive roller is rotated, the driven roller is rotated. A sensing roller is rotatably mounted on the frame upstream and adjacent each driven roller, and a one-way clutch is provided on each sensing roller. An endless belt interconnects the driven roller and the one-way clutch such that when the driven roller is rotated, the sensing roller is rotated. An endless belt interconnects the sensing roller and the drive roller upstream therefrom such that when a downstream sensing roller is stopped from rotating by the presence of an article thereon, the spring clutch of the drive roller upstream therefrom will be disengaged to stop the drive roller and, in turn, stop the driven roller upstream therefrom, and when a succeeding article engages the previously interrupted article, the upstream sensing roller will stop initiating a sequence to interrupt the drive and driven rollers further upstream, and when the first mentioned article is released, the sensing roller thereunder is permitted to rotate so that the spring clutches and one way clutches are successively engaged upstream.

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Frederick, MD, United States of America

Walter T Nelson