An above the floor conveyor is provided for moving automobiles or the like, horizontally across the floor surface with a pair of the vehicle's tires positioned in a guided track. The conveyor includes a base for installation upon the floor and a conveyor drive and driven sprocket about which an endless chain extends to form a loop having a drive flight spaced outboard of the guided track and a return flight laterally spaced outward of the drive flight. A wear bar having a wear strip, preferably made of an ultra high molecular weight plastic and resistant to undesirable wear as a result of relatively slidable support, may be included between the endless chain and a bottom portion of a channel retaining the endless chain. A drive mechanism rotates the drive sprocket causing the portion of the chain in the drive flight to advance in the direction of the vehicle movement. A number of dollies are affixed to the chain in a spaced apart relation and are pivotably attached to the chain and shiftable about an axis parallel thereto. The dollies may be alternatively positioned in the drive flight in an active position in which the dolly extends inwardly into the guide track for engagement with a vehicle tire and in an inactive position above the floor surface in which the dolly is pivoted out of the guided track sufficiently to provide clearance for the vehicle. An actuator is provided for selectively shifting the dollies between the active and inactive position on demand.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present invention is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 07/643,714, filed Jan. 22, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,264, entitled "Floor Mounted Automobile Conveyor."
An above the floor conveyor is provided for transporting a wheeled vehicle having a plurality of tires across a floor surface with a pair of the vehicle's tires oriented in a guided track. The conveyor includes a drive and idle sprocket which are spaced apart and have an endless tensile member extending in a loop thereabout to define a drive and a return flight. A series of dolly assemblies are attached to the endless conveyor tensile member in spaced apart orientation. The dolly assemblies have an elongated dolly roller for engaging a tire of a vehicle located within the guided track. The dollies are pivotable about a generally vertical dolly axis between an inactive position in which the dolly roller is pivoted rearwardly out of the guided tracks and an active position in which a dolly roller extends inwardly into the guided track. The dolly assembly has an arm extending outwardly from the pivot axis providing a follower spaced from the axis. A dolly guide rail is fixed parallel to the drive flight for cooperating with the dolly follower to support the dolly when in the active position. An actuator is provided to selectively shift the dolly between the inactive and active positions on demand.
