Load transfer mechanism and jam preventing controls for a vertical shelf

Abstract

A conveyor having generally horizontal shelves traveling vertically within a casing between load transferring stations provided with openings in the casing and transfer means at a load transfer station is characterized by a safety cable adjacent the upper portion of the opening to be in the path of only a misplaced article for deflection and actuation of a switch to turn off the driving electric motor and thus preventing jamming of the article between the upwardly moving shelf and casing. Further, the transfer mechanism is provided with transfer fingers that interdigitate with shelf fingers so that when the transfer fingers are in a horizontal position and supporting an article, the upwardly moving shelf will pick up the article from the fingers, and control means are provided to sense the transfer fingers in the horizontal position to permit upward travel of the conveyor and prevent downward travel of the conveyor. The transfer fingers are pivotally mounted with radial lost motion and held in an inclined position and vertical storage position by interengaging pins and recesses. In the inclined position, the transfer fingers move downwardly slightly from a biased position upon receiving an article from the downwardly moving shelf to actuate a switch, which with delay will deenergize the driving motor. The delay is sufficient to normally provide for the complete transfer of the article through the transfer opening by sliding down the inclined transfer fingers through the action of gravity.