BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described hereinbelow and illustrated in the drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a cross section through the carrier of an article conveyor of the invention, in a roughly schematic illustration, with a troughed transverse conveyor,
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the carrier with carry-along elements set in an upright position as a transportation safeguard on both sides of the article which is to be transported, and
FIG. 3 shows the functional principle of an actuator in the form of an isosceles triangle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows, in a roughly schematic illustration, a cross section through a carrier 4 of the load-bearing arrangement, the article conveyor being formed by a multiplicity of carriers 4 which are connected to one another to form a kind of rail track. In FIG. 1, the guide frame is designated by 1. It bears the two sections 2 of rail, on which the carriers 4 roll on wheels 3. The sections of rail are laid in an endless loop; branching locations and intersections are possible in the case of rail tracks. The carriers 4 are coupled to one another in a known manner and form either a train or a continuous conveyor system. The transverse conveyor according to the invention, which is designated by 5, is arranged on the carrier 4. The transverse conveyor 5 forms a chain belt 5a which is flexurally rigid in the transporting direction of the carriers 4 of the article conveyor (perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing) and comprises chain-belt links 7 which are connected to one another in an articulated manner at 6, each chain-belt link 7 being in the form of a strip or narrow elongate plate with a length corresponding approximately to the length of the carrier 4.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, the chain belt 5a is guided about the deflecting rollers 8, which are mounted in a rotatable manner on both sides of the carrier 4. Preferably at least one of the deflecting rollers can be driven directly or indirectly (not illustrated). The fact that the chain belt 5a is flexible in the direction transverse to the transporting direction of the article conveyor makes deflection about the deflecting rollers 8 possible, the radius of deflection being dependent on the width of the strip or of the narrow plates of the chain-belt links 7.
In FIG. 1, as can be seen at 9, a carry-along element has been formed by two adjacent chain-belt links 7 having been upwardly set in an upright position in the form of a roof. As the transverse conveyor circulates in arrow direction 10, the resulting carry-along element carries along the suitcase 11 illustrated here to the right (as seen in the drawing). The chain-belt link 7 are set in an upright position via an actuator 13, which is yet to be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, the chain belt 5a of the transverse conveyor 5 is guided in a trough-like manner between the deflecting rollers 8, this forming a kind of tray for receiving the item of baggage, and this prevents the suitcase 11 from being thrown off laterally from the conveyor, for example over a curved section. This trough-like or concave depression can be formed by means of the chain belt 5a sagging; however, it is also possible for the end sides of the chain-belt links 7 to be guided in a form-fitting manner in guides on both sides, in order thus to form the concave profile.
FIG. 2 illustrates a solution in which the chain belt 5a is essentially horizontally guided and deflected about the deflecting rollers 8. Along the lower strand, the chain belt 5a sags and assumes the length which is required in order for individual chain-belt links 7 selected to be set in an upright position as carry-along elements 9. As can be seen in FIG. 2, a non-rigid item of baggage (article 16), e.g. a holdall, rests on the chain belt 5a of a carrier 4 during operation and transportation of the article conveyor. The carry-along elements 9 have been set in an upright position on both sides of the item of baggage, and are formed by in each case two adjacent links 7 of the chain belt 5a having been set in an upright position in a roof-like manner in the region of the deflecting rollers 8. The carry-along elements 9, which are fixed in this position when the transverse conveyor 5 is at a standstill, provide a barrier against the item of baggage falling downwards, and this barrier is maintained as the article conveyor is transported longitudinally. It is only at the envisaged unloading location, that is to say where the transverse conveyor 5 moves to the right or left (as seen in the plane of the drawing) that the carry-along elements 9 on the unloading side are removed, by virtue of the actuators 13 moving downward, and the carry-along element 9 which is set in upright position opposite the unloading side causes the article 13 to leave the transverse conveyor 5.
The actuators 13 are in a form of an isosceles triangle of which the two corners are connected to the articulations of a chain-belt link 7. The bearing surface on the underside of the top strand of the chain belt 5a serves at the same time, as an abutment 14 for the actuators 13. As soon as the chain belt 5a, with the actuator 13 articulated in a manner described, has passed the deflecting roller 8, one side surface 12 of the triangle positions itself against the abutment 14, in which case the triangle is pivoted upward about the leading point of articulation (15 in FIG. 3), as a result of which the link 7 and the adjacent link 7 of the chain belt 5a are forced upward. This operation is illustrated schematically in FIG. 3.
As soon as the corresponding links 7 of the chain belt 5a leave the abutment 14 as the transverse conveyor is transported further, the triangle pivots downward and the carry-along element 9 which is formed beforehand disappears as a result of the chain-belt links 7 straightening out. Suitable positioning of the actuators 13 on the chain belt 5a and/or corresponding positioning of the abutment 14 make it possible for carry-along elements 9 to be formed, and removed again, at any desired locations of the chain belt 5a. The carry-along elements 9 result in reliable unloading of the chain belt 5a at the unloading location of the article conveyor even in the case of articles which are difficult to handle.
In addition too, or instead of, the carry-along elements 9, the top sides of the chain-belt links 7 may be provided with a non-slip coating or may themselves be of non-slip design.
Patent Application
20080060915
