A tracking arrangement for a conveyorized transport system of the type in which coded workpiece carriers are routed by a switching mechanism from a main rail to an entry end of a subsidiary loop and then returned to the switching mechanism via a discharge end of the subsidiary loop, the entry end of the subsidiary loop being located downstream of the discharge end relative to the general direction of carrier movement on the carrier rail. The tracking arrangement comprises a sensor which reads the codes on the carriers while the carriers are located on the switching mechanism so that the codes may be read shortly before a carrier enters into a subsidiary loop and shortly after the carrier exits from a subsidiary loop. A second subsidiary loop may be provided directly across the main rail of the aforesaid subsidiary loop, the switching mechanism also servicing the second subsidiary loop, and the sensor reading the codes on the carrier shortly before the carriers enter into the second subsidiary loop and exit from the second subsidiary loop.
A transfer slide is used in a conveyor system to advance a trolley from one position to another position and includes a body fixed to a free end of a rail and has a cavity formed substantially throughout its length. The body has longitudinally extending surfaces spaced apart from one another by an opening communicating with the cavity which surfaces provide a rolling surface upon which a trolley travels. A slide is received within the cavity of the body and reciprocates within the body in response to the reciprocating movements of an actuator means connected with the slide. The slide has a pusher device extending upwardly from the body and above the rail and which pusher device is engageable with the trolley to push it from the initial position to a final position.
A subsidiary work station loop for a work station conveyor system has a gravity fed rail assembly for trolleys shunted from the main conveyor. An elevator returns the trolleys from the lower end of the rail assembly. Four rail segments define this rail assembly and three of the four are supported by a single bracket and a single fastener. The rail segments are coupled by a pin and slot connection that permits limited angular rotation of one segment relative to the other, but which prevents relative axial misalignment.
A production system for garments or other products includes a plurality of work stations for performing a series of work operations in which parts of a garment or other product are progressively manufactured. A conveyorized transport system extends between the various work stations and the flow of work between the various stations is regulated by assigning class codes to each operation required for a garment and each operation available at the various work stations. The class codes for a given garment order are read sequentially from a data memory and as a requirement for each code or work operation arises in the course of producing the garment, the scheduler searches a second data memory to locate the work stations which offer the work operations corresponding to the class code sought. The scheduler then determines from among the available work stations the specific work station to which the garment pieces are sent for performing the required work operation.
A system and method for routing a carrier on a movable conveyance system having a multiplicity of switching stations and at least one carrier. Each carrier has an electronic readable tag coupled thereto, and each tag has a specific identifier that can be read. A reader is configured to read the electronic readable tag and to communicate the tag's identifier to a controller. The controller, in turn, is configured to control at least one switching station of the movable conveyance system based at least in part on the identifier.
