Load bearing material handling system having pneumatic and electrical delivery capabilities

Abstract

A load bearing material handling system including a rail having a hanger portion, a body portion defining a conduit extending for at least a portion of the length of the rail and a flange portion adapted to movably support a trolley thereupon. A splice connector may be disposed between adjacent, sequential ones of a plurality of rail segments which are coupled together to define the rail. The rail supports a pneumatic trolley having a pair of opposed frame members and a housing extending therebetween and which is adapted to supply air to a pneumatically actuated tool which is movably supported by the trolley along the rail. The rail may also support a load bearing trolley. Both the pneumatic and load bearing trolleys include opposed frame members having at least one trolley wheel adapted for rolling contact with a runway surface on the rail and at least one safety lug which projects over the plane of the runway surface of the rail so as to prevent the trolley from being inadvertently removed from the rail.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A load bearing material handling system comprising: 
 a plurality of rail segments coupled together to define a continuous rail, each of said rail segments including a hanger portion adapted to interconnect said rail segment to a support structure, a body portion defining a conduit having an inner diameter, said conduit extending for at least a portion of the length of said rail and spanning at least two adjacent, sequential ones of said plurality of rail segments, said conduit providing fluid communication of pressurized air through said rail, and a flange portion adapted to movably support a trolley thereupon;    a splice connector disposed between adjacent, sequential ones of said plurality of rail segments, said splice connector including a gasket portion which corresponds in shape to the shape of said conduit and which is adapted to be clamped between adjacent ones of said rail segments and a sealing portion which extends from said gasket portion in the direction of said conduit and which is adapted to be disposed in sealing engagement with said inner diameter of said conduit.    
     
     
         2 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said gasket portion is reinforced with a molded steel plate.  
     
     
         3 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said gasket and seal portions are made of buna-n-70 material.  
     
     
         4 . A load bearing material handling system comprising: 
 a pneumatic trolley, said trolley including a pair of opposed frame members and a housing extending therebetween and adapted to supply pressurized air to a pneumatically actuated tool which is movably supported by said trolley along a rail;    each of said pair of opposed frame members including at least one trolley wheel adapted for rolling contact with a runway surface on a rail and at least one safety lug which projects over the plane of the runway surface of the rail so as to prevent said trolley from being inadvertently disconnected from the rail.    
     
     
         5 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 4  wherein each of said pair of opposed frame members include at least one guide roller which is adapted for rolling engagement with a guide roller surface on a rail.  
     
     
         6 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 4  wherein each of said opposed frame members includes at least one kick up roller adapted for rolling contact with a kick up surface on the rail.  
     
     
         7 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 4  wherein each of said opposed frame members includes at least one kick up pad adapted to be disposed opposite a kick up surface on the rail.  
     
     
         8 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 4  wherein said trolley is adapted to movably support an electrically actuated tool, at least one of said frame members including an electrical mount supported thereby and a plurality of conductors carried by said electrical mount, said conductors adapted to establish electrical contact with an associated electrical bus supported by the rail as said trolley is displaced along the rail to provide power to the electrically actuated tool.  
     
     
         9 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein each of said plurality of conductors includes a contact which establishes electrical communication with a source of power through the bus carried by the rail.  
     
     
         10 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 4  wherein said housing includes an air chamber and an actuator which is movably supported within said air chamber to establish and interrupt fluid communication between a source of pressurized air and said air chamber, said air chamber providing fluid communication with a pneumatically actuated tool; 
 a release mechanism which is operatively connected to said actuator so as to interrupt fluid communcation to said air chamber, said release mechanism including a lever and a slide, said lever having a first member operatively connected to said actuator and a second member operatively connected to said slide, said first and second members of said lever being rotatable about a pin, said slide movably supported by said trolley so as to rotate said first and second members of said lever about said pin thereby moving said actuator so as to interrupt the supply of pressurized air into said air chamber.  
 
     
     
         11 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said housing includes a bleed valve movably supported in a guide passage which is vented to the atmosphere and a bleed orifice providing fluid communication between said air chamber and said guide passage, said bleed valve biased so as to close said bleed orifice, said slide including an arm which operatively engages said bleed valve such that movement of said slide to interrupt fluid communication to said air chamber simultaneously moves said bleed valve to open said bleed orifice thereby depressurizing said air chamber through said bleed orifice and said guide passage.  
     
     
         12 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said arm is pivotable about a pin in cantilevered fashion to move said bleed valve to open said bleed orifice.  
     
     
         13 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said bleed valve includes a valve member and a platform movably supported in said guide passage, said valve member being disposed to seat against said bleed orifice; 
 said housing including a threaded bore and a spring set supported in said bore and adapted to bias said valve member into engagement with said bleed orifice; and  
 said cantilevered arm presenting a tang which is adapted to engage said platform to simultaneously move said valve member out of engagement with said bleed orifice when said actuator is moved to interrupt fluid communication with said air chamber.  
 
     
     
         14 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 4  wherein said housing includes an axial flow passage in fluid communication with said air chamber and through which pressurized air is supplied to a pneumatic tool, and a check valve disposed between said air chamber and said axial flow passage; 
 said check valve including a check valve chamber having a needle valve stem seat, a check valve member movably supported within said check valve chamber between opened and closed positions, said check valve member having an annular head and a needle-shaped stem extending therefrom and adapted to be received in said needle valve stem seat when said check valve member is in said open position, a biasing member which biases said check member into said closed position, said check valve member responsive to pressure in said air chamber to move to said open position thereby permitting fluid communication of pressurized air to a pneumatically actuated tool on demand and operable to move to said closed position to prevent flow from said axial flow passage into said air chamber when said air chamber is depressurized.  
 
     
     
         15 . A load bearing material handling system comprising: 
 a load bearing trolley, said load bearing trolley including a pair of opposed frame members which are arranged relative to each other to form opposite hands, each frame member presenting a mating surface which is adapted for abutting contact with the corresponding mating surface on said opposite hand of said opposed frame member;    each of said pair of opposed frame members including at least one trolley wheel adapted for rolling contact with a runway surface on a rail and at least one safety lug which projects over the plane of the runway surface of the rail so as to prevent said trolley from being inadvertently removed from the rail.    
     
     
         16 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 15  wherein each of said pair of opposed frame members includes at least one guide roller which is adapted for rolling engagement with a guide roller surface on a rail.  
     
     
         17 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 15  wherein each of said opposed frame members includes at least one kick up roller adapted for rolling contact with a kick up surface on the rail.  
     
     
         18 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 15  wherein each of said pair of frame members includes a plurality of ribs formed integrally with said frame member and strategically arranged for providing increased strength to said frame member.  
     
     
         19 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 15  wherein each frame member includes a pair of lugs formed on the underside of each of said frame members, each of said lugs including apertures extending therethrough and arranged relative to one another such that their respective axes extending through each aperture through an associated pair of lugs on a respective frame member are disposed perpendicular to one another.  
     
     
         20 . A load bearing material handling system as set forth in  claim 19  wherein an opposed pair of said lugs on either one of said opposed frame members is adapted to receive a fastening device in an associated pair of said apertures from which a load may be suspended.