GB1099206A - Drive chains for conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

1,099,206. Conveyer drive chains. INVENTIO A.G. April 21, 1966 [April 30, 1965], No. 17586/66. Heading B7L. A drive chain for moving a conveyer carriage, e.g. a shopping basket trolley, down an inclined conveyer section, comprises a housing element 1, Fig. 1, connected by pins 2 to chain links 3; a support member 7 secured to a rod 6 slidable in end walls 1.3, 1.4, of the housing against the urge of springs 8, 9 between the support and end walls; a pusher member 15 pivoted on a pin 12 on plates 10 (11), Fig. 2 (not shown), of the support and urged against an abutment 14 on the support 7 by a spring 19; and a pair of catches 16 also pivoted on the pin 12 and urged against the abutment 14 by springs 21, the catches each having a shank 16.11 and a hook nose 16.12 extending at an acute angle to the shank 16.11. In use the chain, in moving in the direction 24, causes a striker plate 20 of the catch to engage a rod 22.1 of a carriage which is retained on the inclined conveyer section by a known spring-urged start lever (not shown). The catch 16 is thus deflected and the pusher 15 is then brought into engagement with the carriage rod as shown at position 22.2. The moving pusher then causes the rod to trip the start lever whereafter the carriage runs under gravity down the incline so that the rod engages the catch 16 at position 22.3. With this construction the distance between the catch and pusher does not alter during pivoting of the catch and thus may be small and consequently after tripping of the start lever the carriage cannot accelerate very much before engaging the hook 16. Moreover, the springs 8 or 9 absorb shocks during the engagement between the pusher 15 and the carriage rod. The chain is provided with rollers 5 on the pins 2 and side rollers 4 on the housing side walls (7.1), (7.2), which rollers 4, 5 engage in rails (not shown) of U-shape cross-section.