Conveyor for cylindrical parts

Claim 2

A conveyor for moving cylindrical parts is a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said parts, said conveyor having an entrance end for receiving cylindrical parts and an exit end from which said cylindrical parts are removed and comprising a pair of laterally spaced support plates, a series of equally spaced and uniform notches formed in the upper portion of each of said support plates for supporting and spacing said cylindrical parts, a plurality of identically formed positioning members located between said support plates, the upper portion of each of said positioning members comprising first, second, third, and fourth angularly related surfaces for cooperation with said notches for controlling and guiding successive movement of the cylindrical parts from one notch to the next notch from the entrance end to the exit end of the conveyor, said first, second, third and fourth surfaces being arranged consecutively on each positioning member from the entrance end to the exit end and having the first and third surface inclined downwardly towards the entrance end and the second and fourth surfaces inclined downwardly toward the exit end, and means supporting each of the positioning members adjacent one of said notches so when each of the notches is filled with a cylindrical part upward and then downward movement of the positioning members relative to the support plates causes the cylindrical parts to be removed from the notches by the first and fourth surfaces of each adjacent pair of positioning members and returned to the same notches from which the cylindrical parts were removed, but when one of said notches is empty upward and then downward movement of the positioning members causes the cylindrical parts preceding the empty notch to be cammed by the fourth surface of one positioning member onto the second surface of the adjacent positioning member and deposited thereby in the associated notch.

Claim 3

A conveyor for moving individual cylindrical parts in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said parts and having an entrance end for receiving cylindrical parts and an exit end from which said cylindrical parts are removed, the entrance end and said exit end being spaced along the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, said conveyor comprising a pair of laterally spaced support plates, a series of equally spaced and identical notches formed in the upper portion of each of said support plates for supporting and spacing said individual cylindrical parts, a lifter member supported for vertical movement between the support plates, a plurality of identical positioning members located between said support plates and along said longitudinal axis of the conveyor, the upper portion of each of said positioninng members comprising first, second, third, and fourth angularly related surfaces for cooperation with said notches for controlling successive movement of the cylindrical parts from one notch to the Next notch from the entrance end to the exit end of the conveyor, said surfaces being arranged consecutively on each positioning member from the entrance end to the exit end and having the first and third surfaces inclined downwardly towards the entrance end and the second and fourth surfaces inclined downwardly toward the exit end, drive means connected to said lifter member for raising and lowering the latter, and means pivotally supporting each of the positioning members on the lifter member below one of said notches so when each of the notches is filled with a cylindrical part upward and then downward movement of the positioning members relative to the support plates causes the cylindrical parts to be removed from the notches by the first and fourth surfaces of each adjacent pair of positioning members and returned to the same notches from which the cylindrical parts were removed, but when one of said notches is empty upward and then downward movement of the positioning members causes the cylindrical parts preceding the empty notch to be simultaneously moved by the fourth surface of one positioning member onto the second surface of the adjacent positioning member and deposited thereby in the associated notch.

Claim 4

A conveyor for moving individual cylindrical parts in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said parts and having an entrance end for receiving cylindrical parts and an exit end from which said cylindrical parts are removed, the entrance end and said exit end being spaced along the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, said conveyor comprising a pair of laterally spaced support plates, a series of equally spaced and identical notches formed in the upper portion of each of said support plates for supporting and spacing said individual cylindrical parts, a lifter member supported for vertical movement between the support plates, a plurality of identical positioning members located between said support plates and along said longitudinal axis of the conveyor, the upper portion of each of said positioninng members comprising first, second, third, and fourth angularly related surfaces for cooperation with said notches for controlling successive movement of the cylindrical parts from one notch to the Next notch from the entrance end to the exit end of the conveyor, said surfaces being arranged consecutively on each positioning member from the entrance end to the exit end and having the first and third surfaces inclined downwardly towards the entrance end and the second and fourth surfaces inclined downwardly toward the exit end, drive means connected to said lifter member for raising and lowering the latter, and means pivotally supporting each of the positioning members on the lifter member below one of said notches so when each of the notches is filled with a cylindrical part upward and then downward movement of the positioning members relative to the support plates causes the cylindrical parts to be removed from the notches by the first and fourth surfaces of each adjacent pair of positioning members and returned to the same notches from which the cylindrical parts were removed, but when one of said notches is empty upward and then downward movement of the positioning members causes the cylindrical parts preceding the empty notch to be simultaneously moved by the fourth surface of one positioning member onto the second surface of the adjacent positioning member and deposited thereby in the associated notch.

Claim 5

An elongated conveyor for moving individual cylindrical parts in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said parts, said conveyor having an entrance end for receiving cylindrical parts and an exit end from which said cylindrical parts are removed, said entrance end and said exit end being spaced along the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, said conveyor comprising a pair of laterally spaced support plates located in parallel and vertically oriented planes relative to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, a series of equally spaced and uniform V-shaped notches formed in the upper portion of each of said support plates for supporting and spacing said individual cylindrical parts, a lifter member supported for vertical mmovement between the support plates, a plurality of positioning members located between said support plates, the upper portion of each of said positioning members comprising first, second, third, and fourth angularly related surfaces for cooperation with said notches for controlling and guiding successive movement of the cylindrical parts from one notch to the next notch from the entrance end to the exit end of the conveyor, said surfaces being arranged consecutively on each positioning member from the entrance end to the exit end and having the first and third surfaces located in transverse planes inclined downwardly towards the entrance end and the second and fourth surfaces located in transverse planes inclined downwardly toward the exit end, drive means connected to said lifter member for raising and lowering the latter, means pivotally supporting each of the positioning members on the lifter member at a point below the fourth surface so when each of the notches is filled with a cylindrical part upward and then downward movement of the positioning members relative to the support plates causes the cylindrical parts to be removed from the notches by the first and fourth surfaces of each adjacent pair of positioning members and returned to the same notches from which the cylindrical parts were removed, but when one of said notches is empty upward and then downward movement of the positioning members causes the cylindrical parts preceding the empty notch to be cammed by the fourth surface of one positioning member onto the second surface of the adjacent positioning member and deposited thereby in the associated notch, and stop means formed with each of said positioning members for limiting pivotal movement thereof in the direction of said exit end.

Claim 6

An elongated conveyor for moving individual cylindrical parts in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said parts, said conveyor having an entrance end for receiving cylindrical parts and an exit end from which said cylindrical parts are removed, said entrance end and said exit end being spaced along the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, said conveyor comprising a pair of laterally spaced support plates located in parallel and vertically oriented planes relative to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, a series of equally spaced and uniform V-shaped notches formed in the upper portion of each of said support plates for supporting and spacing said individual cylindrical parts, a lifter member supported for vertical mmovement between the support plates, a plurality of positioning members located between said support plates, the upper portion of each of said positioning members comprising first, second, third, and fourth angularly related surfaces for cooperation with said notches for controlling and guiding successive movement of the cylindrical parts from one notch to the next notch from the entrance end to the exit end of the conveyor, said surfaces being arranged consecutively on each positioning member from the entrance end to the exit end and having the first and third surfaces located in transverse planes inclined downwardly towards the entrance end and the second and fourth surfaces located in transverse planes inclined downwardly toward the exit end, drive means connected to said lifter member for raising and lowering the latter, means pivotally supporting each of the positioning members on the lifter member at a point below the fourth surface so when each of the notches is filled with a cylindrical part upward and then downward movement of the positioning members relative to the support plates causes the cylindrical parts to be removed from the notches by the first and fourth surfaces of each adjacent pair of positioning members and returned to the same notches from which the cylindrical parts were removed, but when one of said notches is empty upward and then downward movement of the positioning members causes the cylindrical parts preceding the empty notch to be cammed by the fourth surface of one positioning member onto the second surface of the adjacent positioning member and deposited thereby in the associated notch, and stop means formed with each of said positioning members for limiting pivotal movement thereof in the direction of said exit end.