US2580114A - Driving mechanism for walking beam conveyers - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 25, 1951 MARvlN Er AL 2,580,114

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WALKING BEAM CONVEYERS Filed Aug. 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Shet l A TTORNEYS Dec. 25, 1951 s, MARVIN ETAL 2,580,114

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WALKING BEAM CONVEYERS File d Aug. 28, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 2 A rromvErs Dec 25, 1951 5 MARVlN ETAL 2,580,114

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WALKING BEAM CONVEYERS Filed Aug. 28, 1948 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR W/LL/AM H, ORTH 5 STA/V BY LE) MARVIN A T TORNEYS the rocker arms are vertical, as shown in the right hand portion of Figure 3, the rails 80 carried by the movable frame are raised to project above the fixed rails 22, while the upper edges of the rails 88 are lowered beneath the upper edges of the fixed rails 22 when the rocker arms are substantially inclined from the vertical, as shown in the left hand portion of Figure 3, the amplitude of the rocker arms being limited by the throw of the pitman arms 40 and eccentrics 34.

The movable frame is prevented from endwise displacement from the wheels 48 and I2, and is also adapted for reciprocal movement by the following mechanism: The middle pair of shoes 82 is provided with outwardly extending rollers 86 extending between spaced ribs 88 on the inner side of the upper end of rocker arms 90 pivotally carried on the outer ends of rocker shaft 68. The rocker arms 90 are provided with longitudinal slots 92 in which flanged pivot studs 94 are selectively positionable in accordance with suitable indicia on scales 96 adjacent the slots, said studs being adapted to be secured to the end of pitman arms 98 by nuts I00. The nuts I secure the studs 94 andthe ends of the pitman arms 98 to the rocker arms 90 in any desired position in the slots 92. The opposite ends of the pitman arms 98 are secured as by pins I02 to hearing straps I04 comprising yokes I06 and I08 having their ends secured together and in engagement with the eccentrics 32 between the flanges 34 thereof.

The eccentrics 32 and 3B are preferably, though not necessarily, of the same size and are so arranged with respect to each other that upon the rotation of shaft 28 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, caused by suitable driving means, not shown, in engagement with a chain drive I I0 passing over the gear 30 on shaft 28, the rocker arms 54 and 62 move from the inclined position shown at the left side of Figure 3 to the vertical position shown at the right side of Figure 3, and back to the inclined position, during one complete revolution of the shaft '28. Meanwhile, the rocker arms 90 move from a position wherein they are inclined to the left of a vertical position to a position wherein they are inclined to the right of the vertical, and back again, during one complete revolution of the shaft 28. The resultant movement imparted to the rails 80 causes them to travel more upwardly than forwardly in the first stage of the cycle, until the rails 80 rise above the rails 22, this being due to a certain degree of lost motion between the rollers 86 of the shoes 82 and the ribs 88 of the rocker arms 90 when the direction of movement of the latter is reversed; upwardly to a maximum degree and forwardly to a maximum degree: more downwardly than rearwardly until the rails 80 dip below the rails 22, also due to the lost motion between the rollers 86 and the ribs 88 when the rocker arms reverse their direction; and downwardly to a maximum degree and rearwardly to a maximum degree to complete the full cycle. During the cycle of travel, the driving connection between the rollers 80 and ribs 88 does not hinder the vertical movement of the rails 80, and the vertical movement of the rollers 86 is not sufiicient to bring said rollers out of engagement with the ribs 88.

The amplitude of reciprocatory movement of the movable frame may be varied by changing the points of connection between the ends of the pitman arms 98 and the rocker arms within the slots 92. Thus, if the arms 98 are connected to the rocker arms at the lower end of the slots, the amplitude of the movable frame will be at a maximum, while if the connection is made at the upper ends of the slots the amplitude will be at a minimum.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of the driving mechanism of the invention and the operation thereof that we have provided a novel, simple and efficient arrangement for the imparting of motion to the movable frame portion of a walking beam type conveyor. v

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that the embodiment set forth is susceptible of change within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination, a fixed frame having a plurality of parallel spaced supporting elements, a movable frame having a plurality of parallel spaced supporting elements, and driving means for imparting a compound motion to said movable frame to cause the supporting elements thereof to travel a cyclic path above and forwardly and below and rearwardly of the supporting elements of the fixed frame; said driving means comprising a plurality of pairs of pivotally mounted arms, links interconnecting said pairs of arms to maintain them in parallelism, rollers carried by said arms adjacent the upper ends thereof for the support of said movable frame, a driven shaft, a first pair of eccentrics mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, pitman arms mounted on the peripheries of said eccentrics and each connected to one of said links adapted to rock said pivotally mounted arms from an inclined position to a substantially vertical position and back to said inclined position upon a complete rotation of said shaft, another pair of pivotally mounted arms, another pair of eccentrics mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, other pitman arms mounted on the peripheries of said eccentrics, slots in said other pair of arms for connecting said other pair of pitman arms thereto at various distances from the pivotal axis of said arms, and a slidable lost motion connection between said slotted arms and said movable frame adapted to impart a horizontal component of motion to said frame upon the rocking motion of said slotted arms.

STANLEY MARVIN. WILLIAM H. ORTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Holm Dec. 31, 1935

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