Trolley diverter

Claim 2

A power and free conveyor having spaced trolley and power tracks and a driven propelling member mounted in said power track, at least one elongated load carrier supported on said trolley track for travel therealong, said load carrier having a primary drive post at its leading end and an auxiliary drive post at its trailing end, a primary drive on said propelling member adapted to engage said primary drive post, an auxiliary drive on said propelling member spaced from said primary drive a distance greater than the spacing between said primary and secondary drive posts, the improvement in said conveyor comprising: maintaining a constant spacing between said power and trolley tracks throughout said conveyor; said primary drive having a drive arm movable between an extended primary drive post engaging position and a retracted postion disengaged from said primary drive post, said drive arm being urged by its own weight into said extended position; said auxiliary drive having a pusher arm pivotally mounted thereon and means biasing said pusher arm into retracted position disengaged from both said primary and secondary drive posts; actuating means at selected positons along said conveyor for engaging said pusher arm, urging said pusher Rm into extended position and holding said pusher arm in said extended position; said pusher arm, when so extended, being engageable with said auxiliary drive post for transmitting motion from said propelling member to said load carrier.

Claim 3

A conveyor as described in claim 1 wherein said actuating means is movably mounted on said power track; said conveyor including an actuator for shifting said actuating means from a first position whereat it engages said pusher arm to a second position whereat it will not engage said pusher arm.

Claim 4

A conveyor as described in claim 2 wherein said actuating means is an elongated ramp mounted on said power track, said pusher arm including follower means engageable with said ramp for actuating said pusher arm.

Claim 5

A conveyor as described in claim 1 wherein a second actuating means is provided at selected positions for locking said drive arm in said extended position.

Claim 6

A conveyor as described in claim 4 wherein said second actuating means is ineffective to actuate said pusher arm and said first actuating means is ineffective to actuate said drive arm.

Claim 7

A conveyor as described in claim 4 wherein one or more of said selected positions for said second actuating means is along conveyor sections of vertical incline.

Claim 8

A power and free conveyor having spaced trolley and power tracks and a driven propelling member mounted in said power track, at least one elongated load carrier supported on said trolley track for travel therealong, said load carrier having a primary drive post at its leading end and an auxiliary drive post on its trailing end, a primary drive dog on said propelling member adapted to engage said primary drive post, an auxiliary drive on said propelling member spaced from said primary drive dog a distance greater than the spacing between said primary and secondary drive posts, the improvement in said conveyor comprising: maintaining a constant spacing between said power and trolley tracks throughout said conveyor; said primary drive dog having coupling means for drivingly engaging said primary drive post; said auxiliary drive post being so shaped as to be incompatible and non-drivingly engageable with said coupling means; when a following load carrier abuts th load carrier ahead of it, said auxiliary drive post of said leading load carrier being immediately adjacen the primary drive post of the following load carrier and supporting said primary drive dog into non-coupling position with respect to said primary drive post; said auxiliary drive having a drive arm pivotally mounted thereon and means pivotally mounted thereon and means biasing said dribe arm into retracted position disengaged from both said primary and secondary drive posts; actuating means at selected positions along said conveyor for engaging said drive arm, urging said drive arm into extended position and holding said drive arm in said extended position; said drive arm, when so extended, being engagable with said auxiliary drive post for transmitting motion from said propelling member to said load carrier.

Claim 9

A power and free conveyor having spaced trolley and power tracks and a driven propelling member mounted in said power track, at least one elongated load carrier supported on said trolley track for travel therealong, said load carrier having a primary drive post at its leading end and an auxiliary drive post on its trailing end, a primary drive dog on said propelling member adapted to engage said primary drive post, an auxiliary drive on said propelling member spaced from said primary drive dog a distance greater than the spacing between said primary and secondary drive posts, the improvement in said conveyor comprising: maintaining a constant spacing between said power and trolley tracks throughout said conveyor; said primary drive dog having coupling means for drivingly engaging said primary drive post; said auxiliary drive post being so shaped as to be incompatible and non-drivingly engageable with said coupling means; when a following load carrier abuts th load carrier ahead of it, said auxiliary drive post of said leading load carrier being immediately adjacen the primary drive post of the following load carrier and supporting said primary drive dog into non-coupling position with respect to said primary drive post; said auxiliary drive having a drive arm pivotally mounted thereon and means pivotally mounted thereon and means biasing said dribe arm into retracted position disengaged from both said primary and secondary drive posts; actuating means at selected positions along said conveyor for engaging said drive arm, urging said drive arm into extended position and holding said drive arm in said extended position; said drive arm, when so extended, being engagable with said auxiliary drive post for transmitting motion from said propelling member to said load carrier.

Claim 10

A power and free conveyor having spaced trolley and power tracks and a driven propelling member mounted in said power track, at least one elongated load carrier supported on said trolley track for travel therealong, said load carrier having interconnected lead and trailing trolleys; said load carrier having a primary drive post at the forward end of its lead trolley and an auxiliary drive post at the rear end of its trailing trolley; a primary drive dog pivotally mounted at its forward end to said propelling member, the rearward end of said primary drive being free and biased downwardly; said primary drive dog adjacent its free end having a coupling socket, a first cam surface extending forwardly from and a second cam surface extending rearwardly from said coupling socket, said coupling socket opening downwardly and having a restricted entrance in a fore and aft direction, an auxiliary drive on said propelling member spaced from said pRimary drive dog a distance greater than the spacing between said primary and secondary drive posts, the improvement in said conveyor comprising: maintaining a constant spacing between said power and trolley tracks throughout said conveyor; the tops of said primary and auxiliary drive posts being substantially in the same plane parallel to said trolley track and projectinginto the path of travel of the free end of said primary drive dog; the top of said auxiliary drive post beng non-complimentary with said coupling socket whereby said primary drive dog will not couple therewith; said auxiliary drive having a drive arm pivotally mounted thereon and means biasing said drive arm into retracted position disengaged from both said primary and secondary drive posts; actuating means at selected positions along said conveyor for engaging said drive arm, urging said drive arm into extended position and holding said drive arm in said extended position; said drive arm, when so extended, being in the path of and engageable with said auxiliary drive post for transmitting motion from said propelling member to said load carrier.

Claim 11

A power and free conveyor having spaced trolley and power tracks and a driven propelling member mounted in said power track, at least one elongated load carrier supported on said trolley track for travel therealong, said load carrier having interconnected lead and trailing trolleys; said load carrier having a primary drive post at the forward end of its lead trolley and an auxiliary drive post at the rear end of its trailing trolley; a primary drive dog pivotally mounted at its forward end to said propelling member, the rearward end of said primary drive being free and biased downwardly; said primary drive dog adjacent its free end having a coupling socket, a first cam surface extending forwardly from and a second cam surface extending rearwardly from said coupling socket, said coupling socket opening downwardly and having a restricted entrance in a fore and aft direction, an auxiliary drive on said propelling member spaced from said pRimary drive dog a distance greater than the spacing between said primary and secondary drive posts, the improvement in said conveyor comprising: maintaining a constant spacing between said power and trolley tracks throughout said conveyor; the tops of said primary and auxiliary drive posts being substantially in the same plane parallel to said trolley track and projectinginto the path of travel of the free end of said primary drive dog; the top of said auxiliary drive post beng non-complimentary with said coupling socket whereby said primary drive dog will not couple therewith; said auxiliary drive having a drive arm pivotally mounted thereon and means biasing said drive arm into retracted position disengaged from both said primary and secondary drive posts; actuating means at selected positions along said conveyor for engaging said drive arm, urging said drive arm into extended position and holding said drive arm in said extended position; said drive arm, when so extended, being in the path of and engageable with said auxiliary drive post for transmitting motion from said propelling member to said load carrier.

Claim 12

A power and free conveyor as described in claim 8 wherein when two of said load carriers are in substantially abutting relationship the auxiliary drive post of the forward one of said load carriers is immediately adjacent the primary drive post of the rearward one of said load carriers, said auxiliary drive post engaging said forward cam surface of said primary drive dog to pivot it out of engagement with the primary drive post of the rearward of said load carriers.

Claim 13

A power and free conveyor as described in claim 9 wherein a release post, similar to said auxiliary drive post is mounted on the forward one of said trolleys of each load carrier and spaced rearwardly thereof a distance greater than the spacing between said coupling socket and the rearward end of said primary drive dog, and when said load carriers are in substantially abutting relationship the tops of said auxiliary drive post of the forward load carrier and said release post cooperating to hold said drive dog pivoted into disengaged position as it is moved over the primary drive post of the rearward one of said load carriers.