An accumulator mechanism for stopping a carrier on an inverted power and free conveyor system when it approaches a stopped preceding carrier. A pivot arm on a leading trolley for each carrier has a retractable trolley dog which is normally driven by a chain dog projecting from a drive chain. The accumulator mechanism includes an actuator lever which is pivoted to mounting plates and carries a cam roller that acts in a cam slot formed in a pivot plate. When the actuating lever is pivoted due to contacting a preceding carrier, the cam roller acts within the contour of the slot to pivotally displace the pivot plate. The pivot plate then pulls a lift link upwardly to pull on the pivot arm and retract the trolley dog from the chain dog. The slot is arranged to effect lost motion of the cam roller in the slot to accommodate over travel.
A conveyor with automatic-repositioning trippable pushers which is set along a sliding surface (12) for products (13) that are to be moved onwards comprises a continuous-drive element wound in a flattened loop (14) to which there may be constrained, at pre-chosen intervals, pusher assemblies (15), wherein each pusher assembly (15) consists of a carrying element (16) constrained to the continuous-drive element (14) by means of a pin (17) and of a pusher element proper (25, 125) that is trippable and comprises a base (26) and a shaped lever (27) that can oscillate (in 28) with respect to the base (26), there being provided elements of elastic engagement (34, 37, 38) between the carrying element (16) and the shaped lever (27) which keep the lever (27) in a position of thrust against a pre-determined force, yielding when a greater opposing force is exceeded, there further being provided, on the lever (27), elements of engagement (31) with the drive element (14) at points corresponding to end pulleys (23) which bring the shaped lever (27) that is oscillated and sent down back into an operating position, inserting again the elastic-engagement elements (34, 37, 38).
The invention relates to conveyor systems with skillets adapted with connectors to enable power to be conveyed between skillets that are abutted together along a production area. With the skillets being electrically connected, the conductor only needs to supply power the electrical receiving device of a single skillet at any given time. The conductor in turn can be limited to a length of about one skillet, which reduces the wear, as well as installation, repair and maintenance costs.
A manufacturing operation having a first production area, a second production area, and a plurality of platforms each having independently controllable drive assemblies for moving the platforms through the production and delivery areas. Adjacent platforms are spaced from one another a first distance in the delivery areas and a second distance in the production areas, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance and, preferably, where the second distance creates a "zero" gap between adjacent platform decks.
