US914832A - Automatic gravity-conveyer. - Google Patents

Description

S. HEDRAIN.

AUTOMATIC GRAVITY UONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.22,1908.

91 4,832. Patented Mar. 9, 1999.

W1 TNESSES; 11v VEN T013.

ATTORNEY.

STEN HEDRAIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC GRAVITY-CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed September 22, 1908. Serial No. 454,267.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEN HEDRAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented Automatic Gravity-Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

My nvention is related to gravity and power driven conveyers operated to transfer packages from the various departments of a store or factory to one central point, and consists in providing a main line track from the most distant point to the shipping room, or otherwise. Branch tracks from each department are constructed from any room to intersect the main line. The various lines are erected with an incline of sufficient grade to cause the apckages hen the pac a e or carrier reaches the intersection, it wil be automatically transferred to the maintrack and move on to its destination. I

Therefore, the objects of my invention are, 1st to provide an automatic transferring device at the intersecting points, dispensing with the hand labor now required at those places; 2nd, .to provide a less expensive system of gravity conveyers than those now in use. I attain these objects by a mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a plan view track D, intersecting track B, rollers a a, and transferring frame C. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the branch track showing the tilting section of the track A, and packages (1 d in process of being transferred to main track; also a vertical end view of the main track D is shown with the transferring frame 0 elevated to receive the package (1, and the mechanism actuating the transferring frame. Fig. 3 is a front view of one half of the bracket, 0 showing the slots therein. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the bracket 0 and bell crank 0 in detail.

Similar character's refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the system of conveyers a main track D is constructed from any showing the main herein shown part a new and useful Improvement in to move by gravity.

of the plant, consisting of a suitable frame a of any material, having transverse independent rollers a, set at a suitable distance from each other; all tracks are built with an incline of about one half inch to the foot, more or less, to be governed by the class of goods to be carried down; at any required point the main track may be connected with a branch track, at any angle.

At the point where the branch track intersects the main track, a transferring frame consisting of a series of bars, C C C Fig. l, is located between the rollers 11; the bars are somewhat wider than the rollers and are bolted to each other, forming the frame. The frame is then pivoted to the outer rail of track D at 0 the inner end of two of the bars rest on the arms of bell cranks, 0 Fig. 2the cranks are fixed to osts supporting the track. A vertically sliding bracket 5 is attached to the face of the inner rail of track D having slots in each end; the bell cranks (0 are connected with the frame in the ordinary way.

The branch track B consists in a similar frame having transverse rollers a, a short section A is suspended near its center on a pivot A", the whole section is supported by an A shaped post A and may be tilted up .or down; the upper end is made heavier than the other, and remains on a line with the stationary track when in position to receive a package. The inner ends of the side rails of the tilting section rest on the slidable bracket 0 the outer arms of bell cranks C are placed in the slots in the ends of the slidable brackets, adapted to actuate the transferring frame.

In operation a package having been placed on the branch track, gravity will propel it downward passing on to the tilting section when the package has passed the fulcrum A the added weight willcause the section to tilt down and set the bell cranks in motion, thus elevating the transfer bars to position to receive the package; as soon as the package is on the bars they will be depressed to a nor mal position and the package will pass on down the main track; if, however, another package should be following closely, the upper end of the tilting frame would hold it in check until the first had cleared the trans fer bars-shown in Fig. 2 d (1. Should a package on the main track reach the transfer point just as the branch package was about to pass on to transfer bars; the bar 8* Fig. 1 would be in an elevated position and would thus stop the packag until the first package had. caused the bars to return to the normal position, when both packages wouid move down together time prevent ng any package from blocking any branch or main track.

Having described my invention and its operation, I do not wish to confine myself to the specific form of the tilting section, as the A shaped support may be dispensed with and the tilting section may be hinged to the stationary track. But Y 5 What I do claim and Letters Patent is:

The combination in an automatic conveyer of the transferring frame pivoted to a con- Veyer track, the bell cranks adapted to actu- Wish to secure by ate the said transferring frame, the tilting section'pivotaily suspended, the vertically slidable bracket adapted to engage said tilting section, said slidable bracket actuating the bell cranks, substantially as described.

- STEN HEDRAIN. vVitnesses A. W. EVANS, M. E.- GREGG.

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