IE55708B1

IE55708B1 - A track-way positioning system in a birail handling network and a network which is equipped with it

Info

Publication number: IE55708B1
Application number: IE252584A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: R L Couedic Madore Sa
Priority date: 1983-10-06
Filing date: 1984-10-03
Publication date: 1990-12-19
Also published as: GB2147863B; ES536406A0; FR2553123A1; GB8425145D0; FR2553123B1; GB2147863A; IE842525L; ES8505436A1

Description

3 35 3 7 0 8 The invention relates to a system for ensuring the positioning of a roller track-way in a birail handling network. It also relates to a network which is equipped with it.

The technique of transporting loads by aerial conveyor of the birail type is often the best for a large number of applications. This is the case, particularly in the handling of carcases in the meat industry. The problem consists of moving on from one work position to another of 1 ' different loads according to a predetermined course or a course to be determined. This course is defined by a support fixed, for example, to the framework of the building. It carries a chair intended to receive a double track-way on which is supported a set of wheels carrying and guiding a 1 '> load carrying hook.

Numerous problems are posed in the conception and positioning of such a combination of components. It is essential that the structure be robust, as light as possible, and that the at times draconian hygiene rules can be met.

The positioning of the members must be reliable, simple and make the spacing between the two rails compatible with any type of load support. Finally, if the track-way requires points, the latter must be incorporated in the simplest structure possible to avoid recourse to too many accessories. 25 The object of the present invention is to resolve these problems.

According to the invention, there is provided a trackway positioning system in an aerial birail handling network, the system comprising in combination:- a chair having two legs, each of which has a substantially vertical in use flat face and a face inclined with respect to the flat face at an angle ^ less than 90° to 30 3 form a support surface; two rails intended to be received on the chair, each rail having a trackway face, a substantially vertical in use flat face and a face inclined with respect to the flat face at an angle less than 90°; and a respective screw arrangement for urging each rail into abutment against the chair at a given separation of the rails whereby wheels of a load carrying carriage can roll on the rails, the flat face of each rail being in abutment with the flat face of a respective leg of the chair and the inclined face of each rail being in rail supporting abutment with the inclined face of the respective leg.

By use of shims between the respective flat faces of the chairs and the rails a variable spacing between the two rails may be obtained.

A handling network including chairs and rails in accordance with the invention may incorporate a monoblock switch-point of a type which is intended to serve as a right hand or left hand switch-point. This result is obtained thanks to its design in which are incorporated fixing means compatible witji those of the chair, its support and the rails situated beyond the region of the switch-point.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figures 1 and 3 show schematically a device according to the invention in cross-section through the rails; Figure 2 illustrates a side view of one of the important features of the shoe; Figures 4 and 5 show schematically in plan and section a switch-point member, and show how it cooperates with the elements constituting a device according to the invention.

For clarity, the same elements have the same references in all the Figures.

As shown in Figure 1, the chair 2 has in a known manner two legs 3 and 4 intended to receive a rail 11 on the # rolling surface 5 of which is supported and travel wheels connected to a carriage having the loads to be transported (not shown).

A first feature to be noted is that the extremity of 5 each of the legs 3 and 4 has a flat vertical face 7 and an inclined face 8 forming with the former an angle less than 90°.

Another feature is that the combination of these two faces, vertical 7 and inclined 8, constitutes a support 10 surface 6 (shown as a heavy line in the Figure) for the rail 11. In effect, the outer shape of the latter has, in the complementary manner, a flat face 7’ and an inclined face 8' making with the former an angle defined above. The complimentary sections of the chair 2 and of the rail 11 15 cause the rail to be held into the corner 6 formed by the junction of the faces 7 and 8.

Another feature is that the rail 11 also has a cavity 12 inside which is positioned the head of a screw arrangement 13. Again there is here found compatibility between 20 the section of this cavity 12 and that of the head of the screw arrangement 13. The one and the other have inclined surfaces 14 and 14' making with the vertical an angle less than 90°, intended to bring into support the one on the other thanks to a means of rendering them solid, such as for 25 example a bolt 15. The screw threaded portion 150 is passed through a slot 151 in the chair 2, the tightening of a nut 15' on this bolt 15 providing the forcing of the one against the other of these two inclined surfaces 14 and 14'. The resultant force F enhances the capture of the rail by 30 the corner 6 and the flat face 7’ of the rail 11 is strongly pressed onto the vertical face 7. Thus both below and above the cavity 12, the rail is held against the chair thus using all the usable surface.

As shown in Figure 2, which is a side view of Figure 1, 35 the legs of the chair have slots 151 at the level of the bolts 15, holes which facilitate positioning of the rails 11 and the screw arrangement 13.

When the two rails 11 are in place, on opposite sides of the axis XX' of the chair 2, the separation D between the two guide planes 77 is fixed by the construction.

Another important feature is that the device described above permits reduction of the separation D as required; this point is fundamental, because it permits rendering of the device, according to the invention, compatible with all the existing networks.

In effect, as shown in Figure 3, in which are to be found all the elements of Figure 1, the separation D has been reduced to a spacing less than D thanks to the positioning of shims 17 interposed between the two vertical faces 7 and 7' of the chair 2 and of the rail 11. This arrangement is possible precisely from the fact of the combination of means used and particularly the existence of the two flat faces 7 and 7'. It should be noted that the conception of these means permits their production not only by shaping but also by drawing. One can thus produce them in steel.

A device according to the invention intended to equip a handling network permits the use of a switch-point of which the shape and arrangement are explained by means of Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4, a track-way is shown obtained according to the invention and called "a normal network" in the following description and of which the arrangement has been described above, intended to cooperate with a switch-point member 20 according to the invention.

According to a first characteristic of the switch-point, this is constituted by a monoblock piece presenting two sections 21 and 22, and of which the ends 21b and 22b are identical, 'joining to form the point 23 of the switch-point 20. The first section 21, has a curved part 21a constituting a rail intended to cooperate with a curved part 210a constituting the rail to which it is complementary and which forms part of the normal network. (The fixation means to the framework of the building at this curved part β 210a are not shown in Fxgure 4.) The curved part 21a of the section 21 is followed by a straight part 21b constituting a rail intended to extend a rail 210b of the normal network. The junction plane between the section 21 of the switch-5 point 20 and the normal network has the reference 30. The second section 22 of the switch-point is a straight section constituting a rail intended, at its end, to extend a rail 220 of the normal network, (the junction plane between the two has the reference 31), and to cooperate with a normal 10 rail 220b. These sections are seen more clearly in cross-section in Figure 5.

According to a second characteristic, each of these two straight parts 21b and 22b of the switch-point 20 has a threaded bore 24 intended to be centred on the slot 151 of 15 the chair 2 having the desired separation. The routes which the load can follow are shown by the arrows f.

According to the third characteristic of the switch-point, and as also shown on Figure 5, the body of the switch-point has a drilling 26 which permits positioning of 20 a screwed rod 27 intended to be bolted on an angle iron 28 solid with the chair support 100.

Thus the straight sections of the mono-block switch-point can be connected to a chair 2 at each end, a headed bolt passed through the slot 151 to engage in the screw-25 threaded portion of the bore 24 being tightened to fix the switch-point in position. With two symmetric faces, upper and lower, as shown in Figure 5, there is no need for two types of switch-point, left-hand and right-hand, otherwise necessary for 90° and 45° points. With a chair, such as 30 shown in Figure 2, the need for fish plates is avoided.

The switch-point members have a standard fixing length and can be simply bolted on.

Finally, the switch-point members have a standard fixing length and are fixed without accessories, by means 35 simply of threading. 7 This arrangement satisfies equally the requirements ot hygiene, particularly in avoiding all risks of retention of liquid at whatever level that may be and this without the qualities of the robustness of the network being compromised. It therefore concerns a simple and effective system and which finds application in all areas where handling must be effected by means of a birail network.

Claims

1. A track-way positioning system in an aerial birail handling network, the system comprising in combination:-a chair having two legs, each of which has a substantially vertical in use flat face and a face inclined with respect to the flat face at an angle 06 less than 90° to form a support surface; two rails intended to be {received on the chair, each rail having a trackway face, a substantially vertical in use flat face and a face inclined with respect to the flat face at an anglec£· less than 90°; and a respective screw arrangement for urging each rail into abutment against the chair at a given separation of the rails whereby wheels of a load carrying carriage can roll on the rails, the flat face of each rail being in abutment with the flat face of a respective leg of the chair and the inclined face of each rail being in rail supporting abutment with the inclined face of the respective leg.

2. A system as claimed m claim 1, wherein each rail has a cavity inside which a head of the screw arrangement extends in use, the cavity having an inclined surface which makes with the said flat face of the rail an angle JS less than 90°, and the head of the screw arrangement having a complementary inclined surface, whereby in use the force resulting from tightening of the screw arrangement, which applies the two inclined surfaces against each other, urges the said inclined face of the rail against the said inclined face of the chair.

3. A system as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, wherein the screw arrangement includes a bolt whose screw threaded portion passes through a slot in the chair. 9

4. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chair has for each of its legs at the level of the respective bolt, a slot intended to facilitate the positioning of the screw arrangement.

5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the separation between the two guide faces of the two rails is modified by the positioning of a set of shims interposed between the flat vertical faces respectively of the chair and of the rails. In

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, sulistantiallv as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 3 of the acconpanying drawings.

7. A birail handling network incorporating at least one system as claimed in any pne of claims 1 to 6.

8. A handling network as claimed in claim 7, including Iat least one mono-block switch-point constituted by two sections joining to form the point of the switch-point; the first section having on the one hand a curved part constituting a rail intended to cooperate with a complementary, curved rail leading to the normal network, and on the other 2o hand a straight part intended to extend to a rail of a normal network, the second section being constituted by a straight part constituting a rail intended to extend to a rail of the normal network, its end having the same section as the straight part of the first section. 2ri

9. A handling network as claimed in claim 8, wherein the straight part of the first section and the end of the second section each have a threaded bore intended to be centred on the slot of a chair of claim 1 for bolting it solid. 35

10. A handling network as claimed in either of claims 8 and 9, wherein the body of the switch-point has a drill intended for the positioning of a threaded rod intended to be fixed to the support of a chair.

11. A handling network as claimed in claim 7, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. F. R. KELLY & CO.f AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS.