Conveyor

Abstract

A conveyor chain for conveyor cars and the like having a plurality of rollers for engagement with guide rails for the chain and a plurality of members carried by the chain having at least one substantially flat surface extending laterally of the chain adapted to be engaged by a chain driving member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a conveyor chain assembly, a chain comprising connected pairs of spaced links, curved guide rails on opposite sides of said chain, a plurality of rollers carried by pins connected between said pairs of links and engageable with said guide rails as said chain passes therethrough, whereby intermediate portions of said links between said rollers will approach relatively closely to said guide rails, means for driving said conveyor chain assembly comprising a plurality of blocks disposed between said pairs of links, each block having a pair of planar surfaces extending laterally outwardly in opposite directions from said links, the extent of said surfaces being less than that which will cause engagement of said blocks with said guide rails during the chain assembly movement means for mounting said blocks for limited rotation with respect to said links at intermediate portions thereof between said guide rollers, and a forked driving apparatus having a pair of driving dogs movable into position on opposite sides of a pair of links with lateral planar surfaces engageable with the lateral surfaces on said blocks. 
     
     
       2. A conveyor chain assembly according to claim 1 wherein said chain is pivotally connected for vertical articulation intermediate said rollers. 
     
     
       3. A conveyor chain assembly according to claim 1 further including a plurality of conveyor cars carried by said chain. 
     
     
       4. A conveyor chain assembly according to claim 3 wherein said conveyor cars are serially mounted to said chain with one of said rollers intermediate adjacent ones of said conveyor cars.   
     
     
       5. A conveyor chain assembly according to claim 4 including a shield mounted intermediate said cars adapted to deflect material falling from said conveyor cars from said rollers intermediate said adjacent ones of said conveyor cars. .Iadd. 6. In a conveyor chain assembly, a chain comprising connected pairs of spaced links; curved guide rails on opposite sides of said chain; a plurality of rollers carried by pins connecting said pairs of links and engageable with said guide rails as said chain passes therebetween, whereby intermediate portions of said links between said rollers approach relatively closely to said guide rails; and means for driving said chain comprising a plurality of blocks spaced along the length of said chain, each block being disposed between and attached to the links of a pair of said chain links and having planar surfaces extending laterally outwardly in opposite directions from said links, said rollers following and being disposed adjacent to but spaced from respective of said blocks, the lateral extent of said surfaces being less than that which will cause engagement of said blocks with said guide rails during operation of said chain assembly, and a driving apparatus having pairs of forked driving dogs movable into position on opposite sides of said chain, said dogs having lateral planar surfaces engageable with the lateral surfaces of said blocks. .Iaddend..Iadd. 7. In a conveyor chain assembly, a chain adapted to move along a predetermined path and comprising pairs of spaced links arranged in end-to-end relation; means including pins interconnecting said pairs of links; curved guide rails alongside said chain at curved sections of said predetermined path; antifriction rollers mounted on said pins adapted to ride on said guide rails as said chain negotiates said curved sections in use, portions of said links between said rollers approaching relatively closely to said guide rails due to chording of the links as the rollers move on said guide rails; blocks connected to at least certain of said pairs of links, each of said blocks being disposed ahead of and adjacent to but spaced from a respective one of said rollers and said blocks having planar surfaces extending laterally outwardly in opposite directions from said links, the lateral extent of said planar surfaces being less than that which will cause engagement of said blocks with said guide rails in the operation of said chain assembly; and a driving apparatus coactive with said chain to move the same under power along said predetermined path, said apparatus having pairs of driving dogs, each pair of dogs disposed to straddle said chain behind one of said blocks and being engageable with the planar surfaces of said block. .Iaddend..Iadd. 8. In a conveyor chain assembly, a chain comprising a plurality of links arranged in pairs and connected end-to-end by means including pivots; rollers on said pivots; curved guide rails coactive with said rollers to control the path of movement of said chain in use; intermediate portions of said links between said rollers approaching relatively closely to said guide rails in use; and means for driving said conveyor chain comprising a plurality of blocks spaced along the length of said chain, each block being attached to links of said chain ahead of and adjacent to but spaced from a respective one of said rollers, said blocks having planar surfaces extending laterally outwardly in opposite directions from said links, the lateral extent of said surfaces being less than that which will cause engagement of said blocks with said guide rails during operation of said chain assembly; and a drive apparatus having pairs of driving dogs, each pair of dogs adapted in operation of said drive to straddle said chain between one of said blocks and the adjacent roller and being provided with lateral planar surfaces engageable during said operation with the planar surfaces of said block, said dogs when in driving position against said blocks being spaced from the adjacent rollers but operative to be engaged by said rollers to limit over-travel and coasting of said chain during certain operating conditions of said conveyor chain assembly. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. A conveyor chain assembly adapted to travel between guide rails at least certain portions of which are curved, said chain assembly comprising pairs of spaced links having overlapping end portions; pins interconnecting the overlapping end portions of said links; rollers mounted for rotation on said pins extending laterally of said links for rolling engagement with said guide rails and operative to hold the portions of said links between said rollers free from engagement with said rails; means for driving said conveyor chain comprising a plurality of blocks disposed between and connected to at least certain of said links and having planar driving surfaces extending laterally outwardly in opposite directions from said links, said rollers following and being disposed adjacent to but spaced from said blocks, the length of said blocks and the lateral extent of said driving surfaces being less than that which will cause engagement of said blocks with said guide rails during operation of said chain assembly; and a forked driving apparatus having pairs of driving dogs movable into position on opposite sides of said chain and engageable with the planar driving surface of said blocks. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 10. In a chain conveyor of the type having an endless chain; means for guiding said chain through a predetermined path of travel including laterally spaced guide rails along curved sections of said path on opposite sides of said chain and rollers carried by and extending laterally from opposite sides of said chain engageable with said guide rails; and a power drive for said chain having a plurality of spaced forked driving elements arranged to straddle said chain, the improvement comprising a plurality of blocks carried by said chain and having portions thereof extending laterally in opposite directions from said chain, said blocks being disposed ahead of and adjacent to but spaced from respective of said rollers, said blocks being spaced along the chain for engagement by said forked driving elements and said laterally extending portions having transverse planar surfaces on which said elements seat, said rollers extending laterally from the chain sufficiently farther than said blocks to hold the latter free from engagement with said guide rails. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein said rollers define holdback means engageable with the forked elements to limit coasting of said chain under certain operating conditions of said conveyor. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. In a chain conveyor of the type having an endless chain; means for guiding said chain through a predetermined path of travel having opposed, laterally spaced, vertical guide surfaces along curved sections of said path and rollers carried by and extending laterally from opposite sides of said chain engageable with said guide surfaces; and a power drive for said chain having a plurality of spaced forked driving elements arranged to straddle said chain, the improvement comprising a plurality of blocks carried by and having portions thereof extending laterally in opposite directions from said chain, said blocks being disposed ahead of and adjacent to but spaced from respective of said rollers, said driving elements being operative to move progressively into position behind successive blocks for driving engagement with the latter and said blocks having planar rear surfaces disposed substantially transversely of said chain against which said elements seat to drive the chain, said rollers extending laterally from the chain sufficiently farther than said blocks to hold the latter free from engagement with said guide surfaces, and said following rollers being engageable with said forked driving elements to limit over-travel and coasting of said chain. .Iaddend.