U.S. patent application number 13/132558 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-28 for adjustable height trolley assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to FROST INCORPORATED. Invention is credited to Eric J. Ahiquist, Charles C. Frost, Eric W. Pierman, Jonathan M. Rathbun.
Application Number | 20120160126 13/132558 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42233587 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120160126 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rathbun; Jonathan M. ; et
al. |
June 28, 2012 |
ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT TROLLEY ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A trolley assembly for a conveyor system includes a pair of
trolley arms having wheels for rolling engagement with a track or
rail of the conveyor system. A trolley attachment is adjustably
mounted to the trolley arms and adjusted relative to the trolley
arms to adjust a position of the trolley attachment relative to the
wheels. The trolley attachment is positionable at a selected one of
a plurality of vertical positions relative to the trolley arms and
the trolley attachment is retained at the selected one of the
plurality of vertical positions by engagement of the trolley
attachment with the trolley arms. The engaging elements of the
trolley arms or attachment may comprise projections, and the
engaging elements of the other of the trolley arms or attachment
may comprise recesses, with the recesses receiving the projections
when the trolley attachment is positioned between the inner
surfaces of the trolley arms.
Inventors: |
Rathbun; Jonathan M.;
(Belmont, MI) ; Frost; Charles C.; (Ada, MI)
; Ahiquist; Eric J.; (Portage, MI) ; Pierman; Eric
W.; (Cedar Springs, MI) |
Assignee: |
FROST INCORPORATED
Grand Rapids
MI
|
Family ID: |
42233587 |
Appl. No.: |
13/132558 |
Filed: |
December 2, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
December 2, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2009/066370 |
371 Date: |
January 12, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61119161 |
Dec 2, 2008 |
|
|
|
61182405 |
May 29, 2009 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
105/238.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B61B 10/022 20130101;
B65G 9/002 20130101; B61B 10/025 20130101; B65G 17/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
105/238.1 |
International
Class: |
B61D 17/00 20060101
B61D017/00 |
Claims
1. A trolley assembly for a conveyor system, said trolley assembly
comprising: a pair of spaced apart trolley arms having wheels
rotatably mounted at said trolley arms for rolling engagement with
a track or rail of said conveyor system; a trolley attachment
adjustably mounted to said trolley arms and adjusted relative to
said trolley arms to adjust a position of said trolley attachment
relative to said wheels; and wherein said trolley attachment is
positionable at a selected one of a plurality of vertical positions
relative to said spaced apart trolley arms and wherein said trolley
attachment is retained at said selected one of said plurality of
vertical positions by engagement of said trolley attachment with
said trolley arms.
2. The trolley assembly of claim 1, wherein said trolley arms
comprise inner opposed surfaces having an engaging element, and
wherein said trolley attachment comprises opposite outer surfaces
having an engaging element, wherein said trolley attachment is
positioned between said inner surfaces of said trolley arms such
that said engaging element of said trolley arms engages said
engaging element of said trolley attachment, whereby said trolley
attachment is positionable at and retained at said one of said
plurality of vertical heights relative to said spaced apart trolley
arms by engagement of said engaging element of said trolley arms
with said engaging element of said trolley attachment.
3. The trolley assembly of claim 2, wherein said engaging elements
of said trolley arms comprise evenly-spaced elongated horizontal
projections, and wherein said engaging elements of said trolley
attachment comprise evenly-spaced elongate horizontal channels,
said channels receiving said projections when said trolley
attachment is positioned between said inner surfaces of said
trolley arms.
4. The trolley assembly of claim 2, wherein a first one of said
engaging elements comprises at least one projection and wherein a
second one of said engaging elements comprises at least two
recesses, and wherein said at least two recesses receive said at
least one projection when said trolley attachment is positioned
between said inner surfaces of said trolley arms.
5. The trolley assembly of claim 4, wherein said second engaging
element comprises more horizontal channels than said first engaging
element comprises horizontal projections, and wherein each of said
horizontal projections is positionable in one of said horizontal
channels and repositionable in an adjacent one of said horizontal
channels to adjust the vertical height of said trolley attachment
relative to said trolley arms.
6. The trolley assembly of claim 5, wherein said second engaging
element comprises at least four horizontal channels at each of
outer surfaces of said trolley attachment, and wherein said trolley
arms comprise at least two horizontal projections at each an inner
surface of each of said spaced apart trolley arms.
7. The trolley assembly of claim 5, wherein said trolley attachment
comprises a generally vertical recess established along said
channels to facilitate selective vertical movement of said
horizontal projections to different channels when said projections
are aligned with said recess.
8. The trolley assembly of claim 5 further comprising at least one
spacer element that is selectively positioned between a portion of
said trolley arms and a portion of said trolley attachment when
said trolley attachment is moved to a lower position relative to
said trolley arms.
9. The trolley assembly of claim 1, wherein said trolley attachment
is positionable at the selected one of a plurality of vertical
positions relative to said spaced apart trolley arms via rotational
adjustment of a cammed fastener received through said trolley
attachment and said trolley arms.
10. The trolley assembly of claim 1, wherein said trolley
attachment is movable from a first position relative to said
trolley arms to a second position relative to said trolley arms,
said second position being lower than said first position.
11. The trolley assembly of claim 10 further comprising at least
one spacer element that is selectively positioned between a portion
of said trolley arms and a portion of said trolley attachment when
said trolley attachment is moved from said first position to said
second position.
12. The trolley assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one
position indicator that visually indicates a position of said
trolley attachment relative to said trolley arms.
13. A free trolley assembly for a conveyor, said free trolley
assembly comprising: a trolley body having wheels rotatably mounted
thereat; an engaging member movably mounted to said trolley body
and movable relative thereto between an engaging position, where
said engaging member is configured to engage a driven device to
move said free trolley assembly along a track, and a disengaging
position, where said engaging member is configured to disengage
from a driven device; and wherein a range of travel of said
engaging member between said engaging position and said disengaging
position is selectively adjusted to set a desired range of travel
of said engaging member.
14. The free trolley assembly of claim 13, wherein said engaging
member is guided between said engaging position and said
disengaging position via a guide pin mounted to said trolley body
and received through a slotted aperture in said engaging
member.
15. The free trolley assembly of claim 14, wherein said guide pin
has a non-circular shaft portion at and within said slotted
aperture, said guide pin being selectively rotatable to generally
align a desired surface of said non-circular shaft portion with an
upper or lower end of said slotted aperture to set an end stop of
the desired range of travel of said engaging member.
16. A method of adjusting a trolley assembly for a conveyor, said
method comprising: providing a trolley assembly having a pair of
spaced apart trolley arms having wheels rotatably mounted at said
trolley arms; providing a trolley attachment; positioning said
trolley attachment at a selected one of a plurality of vertical
heights relative to said spaced apart trolley arms and retaining
said trolley attachment at said selected one of said plurality of
vertical heights by engagement of said trolley attachment with said
trolley arms; and adjusting said trolley attachment relative to
said trolley arms to generally vertically adjust a position of said
trolley attachment relative to a position of said wheels.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting said trolley
attachment comprises moving said trolley attachment from a first
position relative to said trolley arms to a second position
relative to said trolley arms, said second position being lower
than said first position.
18. The method of claim 17 comprising providing at least one spacer
element and selectively positioning said at least one spacer
element between a portion of said trolley arms and a portion of
said trolley attachment when said trolley attachment is moved from
said first position to said second position.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein said trolley arms have an
engaging element and said trolley attachment has an engaging
element, wherein positioning said trolley attachment comprises
positioning said trolley attachment relative to said spaced apart
trolley arms by engaging said engaging element of said trolley arms
with said engaging element of said trolley attachment, whereby said
trolley attachment is positioned at said selected one of said
plurality of vertical heights relative to said spaced apart trolley
arms.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein a first one of said engaging
elements comprises at least one projection and wherein a second one
of said engaging elements comprises at least two recesses, and
wherein positioning said trolley attachment relative to said spaced
apart trolley arms comprises positioning said trolley attachment
relative to said spaced apart trolley arms by receiving said first
engaging element at least partially in said second engaging
element.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
provisional applications, Ser. No. 61/119,161, filed Dec. 2, 2008,
and Ser. No. 61/182,405, filed May 29, 2009, which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to trolley
assemblies for conveyors of material handling systems and, more
particularly, to a trolley assembly with a wheel rotatably mounted
to a trolley arm or bracket for travel along an I-beam or the like
of the material handling system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Conveyor trolleys typically have trolley arms and wheels
that are moved along a rail or track by a drive chain and that
support or are attached to a load bar or trolley attachment or
pusher dog or other item below the rail or track. Typically, the
trolley attachment is fixedly mounted to the trolley arms such that
the drive chain and the attachment are at fixed heights or
separation distances relative to the rail or track.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention provides a trolley assembly that has
an adjustable connection or mounting structure for adjustably
mounting a pusher dog or trolley attachment or the like to the
trolley arms of the trolley assembly. The trolley assembly thus
provides for adjustment of the height of the pusher dog or trolley
attachment and/or drive chain relative to the trolley wheels and
track or rail of the conveying system.
[0005] These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features
of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the
following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable height trolley
assembly in accordance with the present invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the trolley assembly of FIG.
1, with a pusher dog in a lowered position;
[0008] FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of the area designated A in FIG.
2;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the trolley assembly of FIG.
2;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the trolley assembly of
FIG. 1, with the pusher dog in a raised position;
[0011] FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the area designated A in FIG.
4;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the trolley assembly of FIG.
4;
[0013] FIG. 6A is a front elevation and partial sectional view of
another adjustable height trolley assembly in accordance with the
present invention, shown with a pusher dog in a raised
position;
[0014] FIG. 6B is a front elevation and partial sectional view of
the adjustable height trolley assembly of FIG. 6A, shown with the
pusher dog in a lowered position with a spacer element;
[0015] FIG. 6C is a front elevation and partial sectional view of
the adjustable height trolley assembly of FIGS. GA and 6B, shown
with the pusher dog in a further lowered position with two spacer
elements;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the trolley arm assembly of
the trolley assembly of FIGS. 6A-C;
[0017] FIG. 8 is an end elevation and partial sectional view of the
trolley arm assembly of FIG. 7;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the trolley arm of the
trolley assembly of FIGS. 7 and 8;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a pusher dog of the trolley
assembly of FIGS. 6A-C;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a side elevation of the pusher dog of FIG.
10;
[0021] FIG. 11A is an enlarged sectional view of the area A of FIG.
11;
[0022] FIG. 12 is an end elevation of the pusher dog of FIGS. 10
and 11;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a spacer element suitable
for use with the trolley assembly of FIGS. 6A-C;
[0024] FIG. 14 is a plan view of the spacer element of FIG. 13;
[0025] FIG. 15 is a side elevation of the spacer element of FIGS.
13 and 14;
[0026] FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of another
adjustable trolley assembly in accordance with the present
invention;
[0027] FIG. 17 is an exploded end view of the adjustable trolley
assembly of FIG. 16;
[0028] FIG. 18 is an exploded top plan view of the adjustable
trolley assembly of FIG. 16;
[0029] FIG. 19 is an exploded sectional view of the adjustable
trolley assembly of FIG. 16;
[0030] FIG. 20 is an exploded side elevation of the trolley arm and
pusher dog of the adjustable trolley assembly of FIG. 16;
[0031] FIG. 21 is a side elevation of the trolley arm and pusher
dog of FIG. 20, shown as assembled together and set at a nominal
height;
[0032] FIG. 22 is a side elevation of the adjustable trolley
assembly of FIG. 16, showing three different levels at which the
pusher dog height may be set;
[0033] FIG. 22A is another side elevation of the adjustable trolley
assembly of the present invention, showing five different levels at
which the pusher dog height may be set, and showing position
indicators that indicate the selected level of the pusher dog
relative to the trolley arms;
[0034] FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of another
adjustable trolley assembly in accordance with the present
invention;
[0035] FIG. 24 is an exploded end view of the adjustable trolley
assembly of FIG. 23;
[0036] FIG. 25 is an exploded top plan view of the adjustable
trolley assembly of FIG. 23;
[0037] FIG. 26 is an exploded sectional view of the adjustable
trolley assembly of FIG. 23;
[0038] FIG. 27 is an exploded side elevation of the trolley arm and
pusher dog of the adjustable trolley assembly of FIG. 23;
[0039] FIG. 28 is a side elevation of the trolley arm and pusher
dog of FIG. 27, shown as assembled together and set at a nominal
height;
[0040] FIGS. 29A-C are side elevations of another adjustable
trolley assembly showing three different levels at which a claw dog
attachment of the trolley assembly may be set by adjustment of a
lobed adjustment bolt;
[0041] FIG. 30 is a side elevation of a lobed adjustment bolt
suitable for use with the adjustable trolley assembly of FIGS.
29A-C;
[0042] FIGS. 30A-E show different orientations of the lobed
adjustment bolt for adjusting the height of the claw dog
attachment;
[0043] FIG. 31 is a sectional view of the adjustable trolley
assembly of FIGS. 29A-C, showing how the lobed bolt is received
through the trolley assembly;
[0044] FIG. 32 is a side elevation of a locking bracket of the
adjustable trolley assembly of FIGS. 29A-C;
[0045] FIG. 33 is a side elevation of a non-locking bracket of the
adjustable trolley assembly of FIGS. 29A-C;
[0046] FIG. 33A is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in
FIG. 33;
[0047] FIG. 34 is a side elevation of a claw dog attachment of the
adjustable trolley assembly of FIGS. 29A-C;
[0048] FIG. 35 is an end elevation of the claw dog attachment of
FIG. 34;
[0049] FIG. 36 is a perspective view of a two wheeled trolley
assembly with a claw dog attachment attached to the trolley arms of
the trolley assembly in accordance with the present invention;
[0050] FIG. 37 is an end elevation and partial sectional view of
the trolley assembly of FIG. 36;
[0051] FIG. 38 is a side elevation of the claw dog attachment of
the trolley assembly of FIGS. 36 and 37;
[0052] FIG. 39 is a perspective view of a four wheeled trolley
assembly with a claw dog attachment attached to the trolley arms of
the trolley assembly in accordance with the present invention;
[0053] FIG. 40 is an end elevation and partial sectional view of
the trolley assembly of FIG. 39;
[0054] FIG. 41 is a side elevation of the claw dog attachment of
the trolley assembly of FIGS. 39 and 40;
[0055] FIG. 42 is an end elevation of the claw dog attachment of
FIG. 41;
[0056] FIG. 43 is a perspective view of a free trolley assembly
with an engaging portion adjustably mounted to the trolley in
accordance with the present invention;
[0057] FIG. 44 is a side elevation of the free trolley assembly of
FIG. 43;
[0058] FIG. 44A is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in
FIG. 44;
[0059] FIG. 45 is an end elevation of the free trolley assembly of
FIG. 43;
[0060] FIG. 45A is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in
FIG. 45; and
[0061] FIG. 45B is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in
FIG. 45.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0062] Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative
embodiments depicted therein, a trolley assembly 10 includes wheels
or wheel assemblies 12, a pair of trolley arms 14 and a trolley
attachment or trolley engaging member 16, such as a pusher dog or
the like (FIGS. 1-5). In the illustrated embodiment, the trolley
assembly 10 is movable along an I-beam track or rail 18 (FIGS. 3
and 5), such as via movement of a drive chain or the like attached
to or connected with the trolley arm 14 and/or pusher dog 16. The
pusher dog 16 is adjustably mounted to or attached to the trolley
arms 14 and is adjustable to adjust the height of the pusher dog or
location of the pusher dog relative to the trolley arms and the
I-beam track or rail 18, as discussed below.
[0063] Trolley assembly 10 includes one or more wheels or wheel
assemblies 12 mounted at the wheel mounting portion 14a of the
trolley arm or arms 14. For example, each trolley arm may have a
single wheel assembly mounted thereon (such that the trolley
assembly has a total of two wheels, one on each side of the center
web of the I-beam track or rail) or each trolley arm may have two
wheels or wheel assemblies mounted thereon (such as shown in FIGS.
1, 3 and 5 and such that the trolley assembly has a total of four
wheels, two on each side of the center web of the I-beam track or
rail), or each trolley arm may have any other number of wheels
mounted thereon, depending on the particular application of the
trolley assembly.
[0064] Each wheel assembly 12 includes a wheel 20, which is
rotatably mounted to an axle that extends along an axis of rotation
of wheel 20. The axle is secured to a wheel mounting portion 14a of
a respective trolley arm 14, whereby wheels 20 rotates about the
axles as the trolley assembly 10 and trolley arms 14 travel along
an I-beam track or rail 18 or the like of a trolley conveyor system
of a material handling system. The wheels may be rotatably mounted
to the respective axles via a bearing assembly or the like, such as
a bearing device comprising bearings or bearing elements (not
shown). Such bearings or bearing elements may comprise any suitable
element, such as ball bearings or journal bearings or other known
bearings, or such as journal bearings of the types described in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,469, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/191,348, filed Aug. 14, 2008 (Attorney Docket FRO01P-395A),
which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their
entireties, without affecting the scope of the present
invention.
[0065] In the illustrated embodiment, each trolley arm 14 includes
wheel mounting portion 14a, a curved arm element or portion 14b
that extends downward from wheel mounting portion 14a, and a lower
attachment portion 14c that extends downward from a lower end
region of curved arm portion 14b and that is connectable to the
trolley attachment or pusher dog 16. In the illustrated embodiment,
attachment portion 14c includes a passageway or hole or slot 14d
(FIGS. 3 and 5), and may include two slots 14d, for receiving a
fastener therethrough for retaining the trolley arms 14 and pusher
dog 16 together. Trolley arms 14 may be clamped or fastened
together to entrap or lock an upper portion or web or mounting
portion 16a of pusher dog 16 therebetween, such as by placing
threaded fasteners (not shown) through slots or apertures 14d and
tightening threaded nuts thereon. As shown in FIGS. 2, 2A, 4 and
4A, attachment portion 14c includes engaging elements 22 (such as
ribs or recesses, such as the ribs or protrusions shown in FIGS. 2,
2A, 4 and 4A) for adjustably securing the pusher dog 16 or the like
to the trolley arms, as discussed below.
[0066] Optionally, the lower portion of the trolley arms may be
formed to be attach to the drive chain, such as by being received
through a chain link (such as a center link) of the drive chain to
attach or connect the trolley assembly to the drive chain.
Optionally, the attachment portion 14c (and/or the attached trolley
attachment) may be configured to attach to a load bar or the like,
such as is known in the art and such as by utilizing known aspects
or by utilizing aspects of the trolley attachment described in U.S.
Pat. No. 7,334,527, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
[0067] Trolley attachment or pusher dog 16 functions to transfer
power from the power or drive chain to the trolley assembly. In the
illustrated embodiment, pusher dog 16 includes upper mounting
portion 16a, a drive chain connecting portion 16b, and a lower
portion 16c. The drive chain connecting portion 16b is configured
to be received in or through a chain link, such as a center chain
link of the drive chain to connect the pusher dog and trolley
assembly to the drive chain. As shown in FIGS. 2, 2A, 4 and 4A,
mounting portion 16a includes engaging elements 24 (such as ribs or
recesses, such as the recesses or grooves shown in FIGS. 2, 2A, 4
and 4A) for adjustably securing the pusher dog 16 or the like to
the trolley arms 14, as discussed below. The mounting portion 16a
also includes apertures or holes (not shown in FIGS. 1-5) for
receiving the fasteners therethrough when securing the pusher dog
to the trolley arms, as also discussed below. Pusher dog 16 thus
facilitates connection of the trolley assembly to a drive chain or
other drive system, or facilitates other means (such as manual) for
moving the trolley assembly 10, and can be installed at a selected
height relative to trolley arms 14.
[0068] Thus, mounting portion 14c of trolley arm or bracket 14 may
include a plurality of vertically evenly-spaced apart elongate
engaging members or projections or ribs 22 that engage a set of
corresponding vertically evenly-spaced apart engaging members or
elongate recesses or slots or grooves 24 on the mounting portion
16a of pusher dog 16. For example, multiple (such as, for example,
three or four, or more or less) evenly-spaced ribs 22 may project
from the lower attachment portion 14c of each of the two opposed
trolley arms 14, while the mounting portion 16a of pusher dog 16
may include multiple (such as, for example, four or five, or more
or less) slots or recesses 24 on each of the opposite faces of
mounting portion 16a of pusher dog 16. Thus, the mounting portion
16a may be positioned between the attachment portions 14c of
trolley arms 14 and the projections or ribs 22 may be received in
selected respective recesses or grooves 24 of the mounting portion
16a. When so positioned, the fasteners may be inserted through or
received in the slots 14d of attachment portions 14c and the
passageways or apertures of the mounting portion 16a to secure the
trolley arms to the pusher dog by clamping the attachment portions
14c toward one another and into engagement with the mounting
portion 16a.
[0069] By selectively engaging the ribs 22 of each trolley arm 14
with the uppermost slots 24 on each face of mounting portion 16a of
pusher dog 16, the pusher dog 16 may be positioned at a raised or
upper position relative to trolley arms 14 (FIGS. 4 and 5).
Alternately, by selectively engaging the ribs 22 of each trolley
arm with the lowermost slots 24 on each face of mounting portion
16a of pusher dog 16, pusher dog 16 is positioned at a lowered or
bottom position relative to trolley arms 14 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Thus,
pusher dog 16 may be positioned at varying heights relative to
trolley arms 14 and track or rail 18, such as to accommodate
various drive systems or space or packaging constraints (such as to
provide the desired spacing between a centerline of the wheels and
a centerline of the drive chain or the like).
[0070] Although shown as having four slots and three ribs (and thus
the pusher dog is only adjustable between two positions, a raised
position and a lowered position), clearly other configurations may
be implemented, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the
present invention. For example, one of the components may have a
plurality of slots, such as four or five or more slots, while the
other component may have one or two or more ribs, such that the
ribs and slots may engage to retain the components in one of three
or more positions relative to one another to enhance the
adjustability of the height or level of the pusher dog. Optionally,
other engaging elements, such as other protruding and receiving
members, such as cylindrical projections and recesses, or
non-cylindrical or regular polygonal projections and recesses or
the like, or irregular shaped projections with corresponding or
complimentary irregular shaped recesses, may be utilized at the
trolley arm and trolley attachment or pusher dog for supporting
trolley attachment or pusher dog at a selected height between the
trolley arms, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the
present invention. Optionally, different vertically oriented
inserts or plates with projections and/or recesses may be
selectively disposed at the interface between the trolley arms and
the pusher dog to establish different heights of the pusher dog
relative to the trolley arms (with the different inserts providing
the recesses/projections at different levels relative to the
aperture through which the fastener is inserted).
[0071] Although shown and described as having engaging elements or
ribs or protrusions, the trolley arm and pusher dog may otherwise
interface with or engage one another in a manner that allows for
adjustment of the pusher dog relative to the trolley arm, while
remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Optionally, for example, it is envisioned that the engagement
between the trolley arms and the pusher dog may provide a
frictional engagement to resist movement when the fasteners are
tightened, whereby the pusher dog may be finely adjusted to a
plurality of different heights relative to the trolley arms.
[0072] When the ribs and slots (or other projections and recesses
or the like) are mated together to set the desired or appropriate
height of the trolley engaging member or pusher dog, the drive
chain connecting portions 14b and the pusher dog 16 may be secured
together, such as via one or more fasteners or bolts or the like
inserted through the apertures or slots (that extend through the
mounting portion 16a of pusher dog 16 as well as through the drive
chain connecting portions 14b of trolley arms 14) and secured or
tightened to retain the pusher dog at the selected height and
between the trolley arms. If desired, the height of the pusher dog
may be adjusted, such as when there are changes made to the
conveying systems layout or design, without having to replace the
trolley assembly and/or pusher dog. Although shown as a pusher dog
with a wider lower end, it is envisioned that the pusher dog may
comprise any shape, such as a generally rectangular shape or any
other suitable shape for the pusher dog, without affecting the
scope of the present invention. Optionally, other attachment
elements or members or structures may be adjustably attached to the
trolley in a similar manner as described above, while remaining
within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0073] FIGS. 6A-C, show an alternative embodiment trolley assembly
10' in which the essential differences are the use of a different
type of pusher dog, labeled 16' to distinguish it from pusher dog
16 of trolley assembly 10, and the of a spacer 26'. The cross
section of a link 19a of chain 19 is also shown in FIGS. 6A-C. The
rest of the members of trolley assembly 10' have been given the
same numbers, but with an added prime (') indication, as the
corresponding members in trolley assembly 10. The trolley assembly
10' is movable along an I-beam track or rail 18', such as via
movement of a drive chain 19' or the like attached to or connected
with the trolley arm 14' and/or pusher dog 16'. As with pusher dog
16, pusher dog 16' is adjustably mounted to or attached to the
trolley arms 14' and is adjustable to adjust the height of the
pusher dog or location of the pusher dog relative to the trolley
arms and the I-beam track or rail 18', in a similar manner as
described above.
[0074] The trolley assembly 10' includes one or more spacer
elements 26' that are selectively disposed or positioned between
the chain link 19a' at the pusher dog and the pusher dog 16' and/or
trolley arms 14' to fill in any gaps that may occur between the
pusher dog and/or trolley arms and the chain link when the height
of the pusher dog is adjusted relative to the trolley arms, as
discussed below.
[0075] In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment portions 14c'
of trolley arms 14' include vertically spaced apart ribs or
recesses 22' (such as four ribs shown in FIGS. 8 and 9) forged or
otherwise established at the attachment portions for adjustably
engaging corresponding vertically spaced apart recesses 24' (such
as six recesses shown in FIGS. 10-12) of mounting portion 16a' of
pusher dog 16' for securing the pusher dog 16' to the trolley arms
14'. Other engaging elements and receiving elements, such as
described above, may be utilized at the trolley arm 14' and pusher
dog 16' for supporting pusher dog 16' at a selected height between
trolley arms 14', while remaining within the spirit and scope of
the present invention. Trolley arms 14' may be similar to trolley
arms 14, discussed above, such that a detailed discussion of the
trolley arms need not be repeated herein. As can be seen in FIGS.
6A-C, 8 and 9, the trolley arms include curved arm portions 14b'
and attachment portions 14c' that each have four protrusions or
engaging elements 22' and a pair of slotted openings or apertures
14d' formed through attachment portion 14c'. In the illustrated
embodiment, attachment portion 14c' includes a flange or flared
portion 14e' at its lower end region that terminates above the
chain link 19a' and assists in limiting vertical movement of the
chain link and the chain relative to the trolley arm and pusher dog
as the trolley assembly is moved or driven along the conveying
path.
[0076] Pusher dog 16' facilitates connection of the trolley
assembly 10' to the chain links of the drive chain 19' or other
drive system, or facilitates other means for moving the trolley
assembly 10', and can be installed at a selected height relative to
trolley arms 14'. The chain link 19a' may comprise a center link
that is pinned or connected to a pair of side links at each end of
the center link, such as is known in the art.
[0077] In the illustrated embodiment, pusher dog 16' may have a
narrowed web or neck region or mounting portion 16a' and chain
engaging portion 16b' that extend upward from a flange or base
surface 16d' at an upper region of a base or pusher or engaging
portion 16c'. The chain engaging portion 16b' may be received
through a chain link 19a' of the drive chain 19' (and may include a
narrowed wall 16e' and a pair of thicker or wider wall portions 16f
at opposite ends of the narrowed wall for enhanced structural
rigidity of the pusher dog).
[0078] The upper mounting portion 16a' of the narrowed region or
web has the spaced apart grooves or recesses 24' established
thereat. As can be seen in FIGS. 10-12, grooves or recesses 24' may
be forged or otherwise established at opposite surfaces of mounting
portion 16a' formed at an upper region of pusher dog 16'. In the
illustrated embodiment, the mounting portion 16a' comprises
generally circular pads formed at the upper corner regions of the
pusher dog. The thickness of the mounting portion 16a' is generally
the same as the thickness of the wider wall portions 16f so that,
when the trolley arms are drawn into tight engagement with the
pusher dog (such as via the tightening of one or more fasteners 21'
(FIGS. 7 and 8) that extend through apertures or slots 14d' of
attachment portions 14c' of trolley arms 14' and through apertures
16g' at mounting portion 16a' of pusher dog 16'), the wider
portions 16f may engage a lower portion of the trolley arm and
limit relative movement between the pusher dog and the trolley
arm.
[0079] In the illustrated embodiment, one or more spacer elements
26' are provided for positioning between the chain link 19a' and
the pusher dog 16' and/or trolley arms 14' to fill in any gaps that
may occur between the pusher dog and the chain link and/or between
the trolley arms and the chain link when the height of the pusher
dog is adjusted relative to the trolley arms. For example, and with
reference to FIGS. 6A-C, when the pusher dog 16' is set at its
highest setting (such as shown in FIG. 6A), the chain link 19a' may
be snugly disposed between the flange or flared portion 14e' at the
lower end region of trolley arms 14' and the base surface 16d' at
an upper region of the base or pusher or engaging portion of pusher
dog 16'. When the pusher dog 16' is lowered to, for example, a
middle setting (such as shown in FIG. 6B), a spacer element 26' may
be disposed between the lower surface of chain link 19a' and the
base surface 16d' of pusher dog 16' to take up the gap that may
otherwise occur between the fixed chain height and the pusher dog
base when the pusher dog is lowered to that setting. Likewise, when
the pusher dog 16' is lowered to, for example, a lower setting
(such as shown in FIG. 6C), two spacer elements 26' may be disposed
between the lower surface of chain link 19a' and the base surface
16d' of pusher dog 16' to take up the larger gap that may otherwise
occur between the fixed chain height and the pusher dog base when
the pusher dog is lowered to that setting.
[0080] Thus, the spacer element or elements maintain the desired
fit or engagement of the chain with the pusher dog and/or trolley
arms for any setting that the pusher dog may be set to relative to
the trolley arms. In the illustrated embodiment, and with reference
to FIGS. 13-15, the spacer elements 26' comprise generally
ring-shaped elements that have an aperture 26a' therethrough that
is shaped to receive the mounting portion 16a' and chain engaging
portion 16b' of pusher dog 16' therethrough. As can be seen in
FIGS. 13 and 15, the lower surface 26b' of spacer element 26' may
be curved or angled at the end regions of the spacer element to
generally correspond with an upwardly curved base surface of the
pusher dog, so that the spacer element may substantially fully
engage the base surface of the pusher dog when disposed thereat to
reduce rocking or uneven engagement between the spacer element and
the pusher dog. The width or thickness of the spacer element 26' is
selected to generally correspond with the spacing between adjacent
gaps or protrusions on the mounting portion or attachment portions
so that one spacer element is used for each degree of adjustment of
the pusher dog relative to the trolley arms.
[0081] Thus, the four protrusions of the trolley arms can be
selectively engaged with selected sets of four recesses of the six
recesses of the pusher dog to provide vertical adjustment of the
pusher dog relative to the trolley arms to achieve the three height
positions. When the pusher dog is positioned at the desired or
selected height relative to the trolley arms, the pusher dog is
sandwiched between the trolley arms and bolted into place. If the
pusher dog is lowered, one or more spacers are provided to maintain
the chain centerline height (by not allowing the chain to drop or
sag to the lower level of the pusher dog).
[0082] Optionally, it is envisioned that the spacer element or
elements may be provided as removable or replaceable wear surfaces
to prolong the life cycle of the pusher dog and/or trolley arms.
For example, a spacer element may be disposed between the lower
surface of the chain link and the base surface of the pusher dog
even when the pusher dog is at its highest level, such that the
spacer may be replaced as it wears during operation of the conveyor
system. Such a replaceable wear surface allows for the spacer
element to be replaced to maintain the desired level of the
conveyor chain (as the spacer element may wear as it moves relative
to the chain link and/or the pusher dog as the conveyor chain and
trolley negotiate the conveying path of the conveyor system).
Optionally, the pusher dog and trolley arms may be formed so as to
accommodate a spacer element between the lower surface of the chain
link and the base surface of the pusher dog and to accommodate a
spacer element between the upper surface of the chain link and the
flange or flared portion of the trolley arms, even when the pusher
dog is at its highest setting. Thus, one or both spacer elements
could be replaced as they wore down during operation of the
conveyor system.
[0083] Optionally, and desirably, the conveyor system may include a
wear measurement device or system that is operable to detect a
degree of wear of one or more spacer elements at the chain-pusher
dog interface and/or at the chain-trolley arm interface. For
example, a wear measurement device or system may detect a threshold
change (such as a drop) in chain height to determine that a lower
spacer element or replaceable wear surface is worn a targeted
amount, or a wear measurement device or system may detect a
threshold gap between the spacer element and the lower end or
flange of the trolley arms to determine that an upper spacer
element or replaceable wear surface is worn a targeted amount. The
wear measurement device or system (which may be any suitable wear
measurement device or system and may utilize aspects of the systems
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,862,939; 6,993,978; 7,325,669; and/or
7,540,374, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in
their entireties) may generate an alert or warning or signal in
response to a detection of a threshold degree of wear of one or
more of the spacer elements and the spacer element or elements may
be replaced, thereby providing new wear surfaces and bringing the
relative position of the trolley arms and chain link and pusher dog
back to or toward their initial design parameters, without having
to replace the costly trolley arms and/or pusher dog. Thus, the
replaceable wear surfaces or spacer elements provide an enhanced
life cycle for the pusher dog and/or the trolley arms because the
wear that would otherwise occur to those elements during operation
of the conveyor system is absorbed by the spacer element or
elements, which can be readily replaced when they have worn a
threshold level.
[0084] In yet another embodiment, trolley assembly 110 may include
an adjustable configuration or assembly to allow for adjustment of
a pusher dog relative to a pair of trolley arms, such as in a
similar manner as discussed above, with a means to ease or enhance
or control adjustment of the height of the pusher dog relative to
the trolley arms that reduces disassembly of the trolley assembly
during the adjustment process. (FIGS. 16-22.) Trolley assembly 110
includes wheels or wheel assemblies 112, a pair of trolley arms 114
and a trolley attachment or trolley engaging member 116, such as a
pusher dog or the like. The pusher dog 116 is adjustably mounted to
or attached to the trolley arms 114 and is adjustable to adjust the
height of the pusher dog or location of the pusher dog relative to
the trolley arms and the I-beam track or rail.
[0085] In trolley assembly 110, multiple (such as, for example,
four) evenly-spaced ribs 122 may project from the lower attachment
portion 114c of each of the two opposed trolley arms 114, while the
mounting portion 116a of pusher dog 116 may include multiple (such
as, for example, eight as shown in FIGS. 16, 17, 20 and 21)
recesses 124 on each of the opposite faces of mounting portion 116a
of pusher dog 116. Thus, the mounting portion 116a may be
positioned between the attachment portions 114c of trolley arms 114
and the projections or ribs 122 may be received in selected
respective recesses or grooves 124 of the mounting portion 116a,
such as described above. When so positioned, the fasteners 130 may
be inserted through or received in the holes or apertures 114d of
attachment portions 114c and the passageways or apertures or slots
116g of the mounting portion 116a to secure the trolley arms to the
pusher dog by clamping the attachment portions 114c toward one
another and into engagement with the mounting portion 116a. As
shown in FIGS. 16 and 18-21, trolley arms 114 include planar or
flattened regions 114f established between columns or sets of
projections or ribs 122 (the flattened regions 114f are generally
coplanar with the mating face of attachment portion 114c with the
projections 122 protruding from the mating face in sets or columns
of projections), while mounting portion 116a of pusher dog 116
includes slots or elongated recesses 116h formed or established
between columns or sets of recesses 124 (with the depth of the
elongated recesses generally corresponding to the depth of the
recesses 124).
[0086] In the illustrated embodiment, the pusher dog includes two
elongated recesses established along and between three columns of
height adjusting recesses, while the trolley arms include three
spaced-apart columns of projections 124 protruding from the mating
face of the attachment portion 114c). However, clearly other
arrangements or configurations may be provided or established at
the trolley arms and/or pusher dog attachment while remaining
within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0087] Thus, the height or level of pusher dog 116 may be adjusted
relative to the trolley arms 114 (and thus relative to the track or
rail along which the trolley travels) by removing the fasteners and
sliding or moving the pusher dog forward or rearward relative to
the trolley arms to align the elongated recesses 116h of pusher dog
116 with the projections 122 of trolley arms 114, whereby the
pusher dog may be readily moved upward or downward to the desired
level relative to trolley arms 114. When the pusher dog 116 is
moved to disengage the projections 122 from the recesses 124, two
sets or columns of the projections 122 are received within a
respective elongated recess 116h, while the third column of
projections 122 would be disengaged or spaced from or adjacent to
the mounting portion 116a of pusher dog 116, such that the pusher
dog may be vertically adjusted without projections 122 engaging the
steps or recesses 124. As can be seen in FIGS. 16 and 18-21, when
the pusher dog 116 is at the desired or appropriate or selected
level, the pusher dog 116 may be moved rearward of forward to again
align and engage the recesses 124 of pusher dog 116 with the
projections 122 of trolley arms 114. When so positioned or engaged,
the fasteners or bolts 130 may be inserted through apertures 114d,
116g and secured (such as via a nut or female fastener 132 being
tightened at a threaded end of bolt 130 to clamp the mounting
portion 116a of pusher dog 116 between the trolley arms 114.
[0088] In the illustrated embodiment, the upper slot 116g of
mounting portion 116a of pusher dog 116 encompasses an upper
portion of the center column of recesses 124, whereby, when the
pusher dog is in one of its lower positions, the upper projections
122 of the center column of projections of trolley arms 114 may not
engage recesses 124. However, clearly other configurations or
arrangements or locations of the slots or projections and/or
recesses may be implemented.
[0089] In the illustrated embodiment, attachment portions 114c of
trolley arms 114 include chain link receiving portions 114g for
receiving a chain link therein to attach or connect the trolley
assembly 110 to a chain or section of chain 119 (FIG. 22). For
example, and as shown in FIG. 22, a center chain link 119a may
receive attachment portions 114c of trolley arms 114 and mounting
portion 116a of pusher dog 116 therein or therethrough, with the
side portions of the center link 119a being received in recessed
chain link receiving portions 114g at attachment portions 114c of
trolley arms 114. Because the attachment portions 114c of trolley
arms 114 include the chain link receiving portions 114g, the
trolley assembly 110 does not include the spacers 26', discussed
above, since the height or level of the drive chain 119 relative to
the track or rail is not affected by any height adjustment of the
pusher dog.
[0090] Thus, when it is desired to adjust the height of the pusher
dog 116 relative to the trolley arms 114, an operator may loosen
and remove the fasteners 130, 132, and may slide or move the pusher
dog to disengage the slots 124 from the projections 122 and to
align the recesses 116h with the projections 122, and then
vertically move or adjust the pusher dog (with the projections 122
moving along the respective elongated recesses 116h), all while the
chain link remains around the attachment portions 114c of the
trolley arms 114. Thus, the operator need not disassemble the
trolley assembly to make such an adjustment.
[0091] Optionally, it is envisioned that the apertures 114d of
attachment portions 114c of trolley arms 114 may be horizontally
slotted (so as to be oriented in a transverse orientation relative
to vertical slots 116g) to allow for movement of the pusher dog in
a forward or rearward direction without having to remove the
fasteners or bolts 130. In such an application, the operator may
loosen the fasteners 130, 132 and move the pusher dog forward or
rearward (with the bolts 130 moving along the horizontal slots
114d) to disengage the recesses 124 from the projections 122, and
then may move the pusher dog vertically to the desired height or
level. When the pusher dog is at the desired or appropriate level,
the operator may move the pusher dog rearward or forward to realign
the projections and recesses, and then retighten the fasteners 130,
132 to secure the pusher dog at the desired or appropriate or
selected height or level relative to the trolley arms and track or
rail and drive chain.
[0092] By selectively engaging the ribs 122 of each trolley arm 114
with the uppermost slots 124 on each face of mounting portion 116a
of pusher dog 116, the pusher dog 116 may be positioned at a raised
or upper position relative to trolley arms 114 (such as shown at A
in FIG. 22). Alternately, by selectively engaging the ribs 122 of
each trolley arm with the lowermost slots 124 on each face of
mounting portion 116a of pusher dog 116, pusher dog 116 is
positioned at a lowered or bottom position relative to trolley arms
114 (such as shown at B in FIG. 22). In the illustrated embodiment,
pusher dog 116 may be adjusted to any of five different heights or
levels relative to trolley arms, including a middle height or level
(such as shown at C in FIG. 22). Thus, pusher dog 116 may be
positioned at varying heights relative to trolley arms 114 and the
track or rail, such as to accommodate various drive systems or
space or packaging constraints.
[0093] Optionally, and as shown in FIG. 22A, the pusher dog may be
positioned at one of five positions relative to the trolley arms
(but clearly could be positioned at more or less positions relative
to the trolley arms depending on the particular application of the
trolley assembly), including a first or highest position (such as
shown at A' in FIG. 22A), a lowered or bottom position relative to
trolley arms (such as shown at B' in FIG. 22A), a middle height or
level (such as shown at C' in FIG. 22A), and an intermediate raised
position (such as shown at D' in FIG. 22A) and an intermediate
lowered position (such as shown at E' in FIG. 22A). In the
illustrated embodiment, the pusher dog includes a plurality of
position indicators 140 to indicate to an operator the selected or
set level or position of the pusher dog relative to the trolley
arms. As can be seen in FIG. 22A, when the pusher dog is in its
raised position A', only one indicator may be visible to a person
viewing the trolley assembly (and optionally no indicator may be
visible when the pusher dog is in this position), and when the
pusher dog is in its lowered position B', all of the indicators
(such as, for example, the five indicators shown in FIG. 22A) may
be visible to a person viewing the trolley assembly. The number of
position indicators that are viewable (or the visible portion of a
single larger indicator) indicates the present set or selected
height of the pusher dog relative to the trolley arms.
[0094] The position indicators 140 may comprise any suitable
indicators, such as, for example, any suitable marks or numbers or
characters or other indicia or indicators, such as forged indicia
(such as holes or depressions or protrusions formed at the surface
of the pusher dog), laser etched indicia, machined indicia, ink
stamped indicia, and/or the like, while remaining within the spirit
and scope of the present invention. The position indicator or
indicators thus provide a means for readily determining the set or
selected height of the pusher dog by viewing the trolley assembly,
whereby an operator may readily discern whether or not the pusher
dog can be raised or lowered from its current position or level and
how far the pusher dog can be raised or lowered from its current
position, without having to disassemble or loosen the fasteners
securing the pusher dog to the trolley arms. For example, in the
illustrated embodiment of FIG. 22A, each position is 0.125 inches
above or below the next position, such that if, for example, two
indicators are visible at the pusher dog (such as shown at position
D'), an operator would readily know that the pusher dog may be
raised 0.125 inches (to position A') or may be lowered downward a
distance of up to 0.375 inches (to position B') from its current
position relative to the trolley arms (clearly other increments
and/or total adjustment ranges are contemplated within the spirit
and scope of the present invention). The position indicators thus
enhance the adjustment process by indicating the current selected
or set status or position of the pusher dog relative to the trolley
arms.
[0095] Yet another embodiment trolley assembly 110' (FIGS. 23-28)
is similar to trolley assembly 110, but includes a trolley
attachment which is a claw dog attachment 116' that is adjustably
attached to trolley arms 114', in the manner as described above.
Claw dog 116b' is pivotally mounted to claw dog attachment 116'.
Trolley assembly 110' may otherwise be similar in construction and
adjustment to trolley assembly 110, discussed above, such that a
detailed discussion of the trolley assemblies and adjustment
mechanism or feature need not be repeated herein. Parts in trolley
assembly 110' bear the same numbers, with a prime (') indication,
as similar parts in trolley assembly 110.
[0096] The mounting portion 116a' of claw dog attachment 116'
includes multiple (such as, for example, eight) recesses 124' on
each of the opposite faces of mounting portion 116a' of claw dog
attachment 116' (with elongated recesses 116h' established between
spaced apart columns or sets of recesses or steps 124'), which
engage the spaced ribs 122' on the trolley arms 114', as described
above. Height adjustment of assembly 110' is effected as described
above for trolley assembly 110.
[0097] In other embodiments, height adjustment of a trolley
attachment (such as a pusher dog attachment or a claw dog
attachment or the like), may be made by other adjustment means. For
example, a cammed or lobed bolt may engage the trolley anus and the
mounting portion of the trolley attachment. The lobed bolt may be
received through a non-circular aperture in the trolley arm and/or
mounting portion of the trolley attachment, whereby the bolt may be
rotated to adjust the height of the trolley attachment by moving a
lobed portion of the bolt into engagement with different surfaces
of the trolley arm and/or mounting portion of the trolley
attachment.
[0098] For example, and with reference to FIGS. 29A-35, a trolley
assembly 110'' includes a pair of trolley arms 114'', 115''
(attached to wheel assemblies 112'' for moving the trolley assembly
along a track or rail) and a trolley attachment or claw dog
attachment 116'' that is adjustably attached to trolley arms 114'',
115''. In the illustrated embodiment, trolley assembly 110''
includes a claw dog 116b'', which is pivotally mounted to claw dog
attachment 116''.
[0099] In the illustrated embodiment, the claw dog attachment 116''
is adjustably attached to trolley arms 114'', 115'' and is
adjustable relative to the trolley arms 114'', 115'' by rotation of
a cammed or lobed bolt or fastener 130''. As shown in FIGS. 29A-C,
rotation of the bolt 130'' to one of three distinct positions or
orientations (such as rotation of about one sixth of a rotation for
a hexagonal headed fastener) adjusts the height or level of the
claw dog attachment 116''. For example, if the bolt is oriented
with its lobe in an upward orientation, the claw dog attachment
116'' may be in a raised position (FIG. 29A), while if the bolt is
rotated, for example, one sixth of a rotation from the upward
orientation, the claw dog attachment 116'' may be in a middle
orientation (FIG. 29B), and if the bolt is rotated to a downward
orientation, the claw dog attachment 116'' may be in a lowered
position (FIG. 29C) relative to the trolley arms 114'', 115'' and
track or rail along which the trolley travels.
[0100] As shown in FIG. 30, lobed bolt 130'' comprises a hexagonal
head portion 130a'' and a shaft portion 130b''. Shaft portion
130b'' includes a lobe or protrusion 130c'' that extends radially
outward along a side region of the shaft portion 130b''. A threaded
end 130d'' of shaft portion 130b'' is at the end of shaft portion
130b'' opposite the head portion 130a'' for threaded attachment to
a female fastener or nut 132'' to retain bolt 130'' at trolley arms
114'', 115'' and claw dog attachment 116'', as discussed below.
Optionally, the head portion 130a'' may include indicia 130e''
thereon to indicate the orientation of the lobe 130c'', such as an
arrow or the like pointing in the direction of the lobe, in order
to ease adjustment of the height or level of the claw dog
attachment to a desired or appropriate or selected level relative
to the trolley arms.
[0101] In the illustrated embodiment, trolley arm 114'' comprises a
locking bracket and includes a pair of apertures 114d''
therethrough for receiving shaft portion 130b'', and includes a
head receiving recess or portion 114h'' that is configured to
non-rotatably receive head portion 130a'' of lobed bolt 130''.
Trolley arm 115'' comprises a non-locking bracket and also includes
a pair of apertures 115d'' therethrough for receiving shaft portion
130b''.
[0102] Claw dog attachment 116'' includes a mounting portion 116a''
that is configured to be received between attachment portions
114c'', 115c'' of trolley arms 114'', 115''. Mounting portion
116a'' includes a pair of non-circular apertures 116g'' for
receiving the lobed portion of shaft portion 130b'' of bolt 130''
therein when the claw dog attachment 116'' is attached to trolley
arms 114'', 115''. In the illustrated embodiment, and as best shown
in FIG. 34, non-circular aperture 116g'' comprises a generally flat
or non-curved upper portion and a curved lower portion, whereby the
height or level of the claw dog attachment 116'' relative to the
trolley arms 114'', 115'' is varied by engagement of the lobe
130c'' of bolt 130'' at different locations along the non-circular
aperture 116g''.
[0103] Thus, and as can be seen with reference to FIGS. 31-33A,
mounting portion 116a'' of claw dog attachment 116'' is disposed
between attachment portions 114c'', 115c'' of trolley arms 114'',
115'', and sandwiched and secured therebetween via lobed bolts
130'' and nuts 132''. As shown in FIG. 31, head portion 130a'' is
non-rotatably received in head receiving portion 114h'', while lobe
130c'' is received in non-circular aperture 116g'' of mounting
portion 116a'' of claw dog attachment 116''. When the bolt is
inserted through the attachment portions 114c'', 115c'' of trolley
arms 114'', 115'' and mounting portion 116a'' of claw dog
attachment 116'', the threaded end portion 130d'' of bolt 130''
protrudes through attachment portion 115c'' of trolley arm 115'',
whereby nut 132'' is tightened onto threaded end portion 130d'' to
secure bolt 130'' to trolley arms 114'', 115'' and claw dog
attachment 116''.
[0104] When it is desired to adjust the height or level of the claw
dog attachment 116'' relative to the trolley arms 114'', 115'', the
bolts 130'' may be rotated to position the lobes 130c'' at a
different orientation and location along the non-circular apertures
116g'' of claw dog attachment 116''. For example, the nut 132'' may
be loosened and bolt 130'' may be moved outward from the apertures
a sufficient amount to remove head portion 130a'' from the head
receiving recess 114h'', whereby the bolt may be rotated to a
different orientation. The head receiving recess 114h'' may
comprise a hexagonal shape to allow for the bolt to be rotated by
one sixth of a rotation each time it is adjusted (whereby the bolt
may be rotated to the positions shown in FIGS. 30A, 30C and 30E to
provide three distinct heights or levels of the claw dog
attachment), or the head receiving recess may allow for other
degrees of adjustment, such as one twelfth of a rotation increments
(whereby the bolt may be rotated to the positions shown in FIGS.
30A-E to provide five distinct heights or levels of the claw dog
attachment).
[0105] When the claw dog attachment is adjusted to the desired or
appropriate or selected height or level, the nuts 132'' are
tightened onto threaded ends 130d'' of bolts 130''. As shown in
FIGS. 31 and 33A, the attachment portions 114c'', 115c'' of the
trolley arms 114'', 115'' may include a recess 114i'', 115i'' at
their mating surfaces to provide clearance for rotation or movement
of the lobe 130c'' of bolt 130'' during adjustment of the bolt
130''. Thus, when the nuts 132'' are tightened onto the bolts
130'', the attachment portions 114c'', 115c'' of trolley arms
114'', 115'' are clamped against the mounting portion 116a'' of
claw dog attachment 116'' and are not clamped against the lobes
130d'' of bolts 130'' due to the clearance provided by recesses
114i'', 115i''.
[0106] The aperture 114d'' at head receiving recess 114h'' may be
shaped to allow for insertion of the lobed shaft portion
therethrough to allow for insertion of the lobed shaft portion
through the attachment portion 114c'' of trolley arm 114'' when the
bolt is oriented in a particular orientation, whereby the bolt
cannot be extracted through aperture 114d'' when oriented in any
other orientation relative to the trolley arm 114''. The recess
114h'' may have sufficient depth to allow for partial retraction of
bolt 130'' in any orientation to allow for clearance of head
portion 130a'' from head receiving recess 114h'' to allow for
rotation of bolt 130'' to a selected orientation that corresponds
to the desired height or level of the claw dog attachment relative
to the trolley arms.
[0107] Optionally, the trolley arms and/or claw dog attachment may
include stabilizing features or elements that engage one another
and maintain the trolley arms and claw dog attachment in the proper
orientation during the adjustment process. For example, and as
shown in FIGS. 33-35, trolley arm 115'' may include a plurality of
pins or protrusions 115j'' that protrude from the mating surface of
the attachment portion 115c'' and that are received in
corresponding recesses or apertures or slots 116j'' established at
mounting portion 116a'' of claw dog attachment 116''. The slots
116j'' are vertically oriented slots to allow for vertical movement
of claw dog attachment 116'' relative to trolley arms 114'', 115''
during the adjustment process, while limiting other relative
movement between the claw dog attachment and the trolley arms.
[0108] Referring now to FIGS. 36-38, another embodiment trolley
assembly 210 includes a pair of trolley arms 214 and a trolley
attachment 216 that is removably attached to trolley arms 214. In
the illustrated embodiment, trolley attachment 216 comprises a claw
dog attachment 216a and a claw dog 216b, which is pivotally mounted
to claw dog attachment 216a. Trolley assembly 210 includes a wheel
assembly 212 at a wheel mounting portion 214a of each trolley arm
214, such that there are two wheel assemblies 212 and wheels 220
for moving the trolley assembly along the track or rail or I-beam
218 or the like. The claw dog is configured to suspend from the
driven trolley arms (as driven via a drive chain 219 connected to
the trolley arms 214) for engaging a free trolley or the like to
drive or push or pull the free trolley along a conveying path or
rail or track, such as in a known manner.
[0109] In the illustrated embodiment, trolley arms 214 include
curved arm portions 214b and drive chain engaging portions 214c
that are configured to be received through a center chain link
219a, with claw dog attachment 216a sandwiched between the drive
chain engaging portions 214c and secured therebetween via fasteners
221. Thus, the trolley attachment or claw dog is removably attached
to the trolley arms and, optionally, the trolley attachment or claw
dog may be adjustably attached to the trolley arms, such as via
protrusions and recesses or grooves at the trolley attachment and
trolley arms, such as in a similar manner as described above. In
the illustrated embodiment, the claw dog is attached to a trolley
that is driven or moved by an X-style or X-type chain, with the
chain engaging portions 214c and claw dog attachment 216a disposed
through the center link 219a of the X-type chain. The claw dog may
be adjustably mounted to the trolley and may be adjustable to
adjust the height of the claw dog relative to the trolley and track
or I-beam and chain.
[0110] Trolley assembly 210' (FIGS. 39-42) may include a pair of
trolley arms 214' and a trolley attachment 216' that is removably
attached to trolley aims 214' and includes a claw dog attachment
216a' and a claw dog 216b', which is pivotally mounted to claw dog
attachment 216a'. Trolley assembly 210' includes a pair of wheel
assemblies 212' at a wheel mounting portion 214a' of each trolley
arm 214', such that there are four wheel assemblies 212' and wheels
220' for moving the trolley assembly along the track or rail or
I-beam 218' or the like. The claw dog is configured to suspend from
the driven trolley arms (as driven via a drive chain 219' connected
to the trolley arms 214') for engaging a free trolley or the like
to drive or push or pull the free trolley along a conveying path or
rail or track, such as in a known manner.
[0111] In the illustrated embodiment, trolley arms 214' include
attaching portions 214c', with claw dog attachment 216a' sandwiched
between the attaching portions 214c' and secured therebetween via
fasteners 221'. The claw dog attachment 216a' is configured to be
received through a center chain link 219a', with a lower surface of
chain link 219a' engaging an engaging surface 216c' of claw dog
attachment 216a' and with an upper surface of chain link 219a'
engaging a lower flange or surface 214d' of trolley arms 214', such
as in a similar manner as described above with respect to pusher
dog 116, chain link 119 and trolley arms 114. Thus, the trolley
attachment or claw dog is removably attached to the trolley arms
and, optionally, the trolley attachment or claw dog may be
adjustably attached to the trolley arms, such as via protrusions
and recesses or grooves at the trolley attachment and trolley arms,
as described above. Optionally, one or more spacer elements may be
provided to allow for lowering the claw dog without lowering the
centerline of the chain, if desired, and such as by utilizing
aspects of the spacer elements discussed above.
[0112] Referring now to FIGS. 43-45B, a free trolley 310 includes
wheel assemblies 312 that movably support a trolley bracket or body
314 at and along a track or rail or I-beam or the like. The free
trolley 310 includes an engaging member 316 that has an upper
engaging portion 316a that engages a pusher dog or element of a
driven trolley (such as a drive trolley of the types described
above or any suitable driven trolley or device) so as to be moved
along the track via the driven trolley or device. As best shown in
FIG. 45A, the engaging member 316 is movably mounted to trolley
body 314 and is vertically movable to allow for engagement with and
disengagement from the driven trolley or device. The engaging
member 316 is pivotally connected to or attached to a pivotal
element or member 318 at or near its lower end portion 316b.
Pivotal element 318 may engage a trigger or actuating element as
the free trolley moves along the track or rail, whereby the
actuating element imparts a pivotal movement of pivotal element
318, which in turn imparts a generally vertical movement of
engaging member 316, such as to cause the engaging member to
disengage from the driven trolley or device, such as in a known
manner.
[0113] As can be seen in FIGS. 44 and 45B, engaging member 316 is
guided in its generally vertical movement via a guide pin or member
320 mounted to or inserted through trolley body 314 and received in
a slot 316c of engaging member 316. The guide pin 320 functions to
guide the generally vertical movement of engaging member 316
relative to trolley body 314 and to limit or stop the generally
vertical movement at its upper limit and lower limit (via
engagement of the pin 320 at the lower or upper end walls of the
slot 316c). The engaging member is thus movably mounted to the
trolley body and movable relative thereto between an engaging
position, where the engaging member is configured to engage the
driven trolley or device to move the free trolley assembly along
the track or rail, and a disengaging position, where the engaging
member is configured to disengage from the driven device, such as
in response to the pivotal element contacting a triggering or
actuating element along the track or rail. The range of travel of
the engaging member between the engaging position and the
disengaging position is limited by the guide pin 320 engaging the
upper or lower end of the slotted aperture or slot 316c.
[0114] Trolley assembly 310 includes an adjustable height limiting
feature 322 that adjusts the upper and/or lower range of the
generally vertical travel of the engaging member so as to allow for
an adjustable range of motion of the engaging member. In the
illustrated embodiment, the adjustable height limiting features 322
comprises a non-circular or cammed bushing or shaft of the bolt or
pin 320, whereby rotation of the pin and bushing or shaft about its
axis adjusts the location of the upper and/or lower surface of the
shaft or bushing to adjust the lower and/or upper travel stop or
end stop of the engaging member 316. For example, when the pin is
rotated so that a larger radius portion of the pin shaft or bushing
is at the lower surface of the pin, the pin effectively limits or
reduces the upward travel range of the engaging member. The
orientation of the pin thus may be selectively adjusted to set a
desired range of travel of the engaging member relative to the
trolley body. The pin may be secured or substantially locked in any
selected orientation so that the range of motion or end stop of the
engaging member may be selected and substantially set for a given
trolley assembly.
[0115] Thus, the adjustable height limiting feature 322 allows for
adjustment of the vertical range of travel of the engaging member
to adjust how much bite the trolley has when engaging the driven
trolley or device. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide pin has
a non-circular shaft portion at and within the slotted aperture of
the engaging member, with the guide pin being selectively rotatable
to generally align a desired surface of the non-circular shaft
portion with an upper or lower end of the slotted aperture to set
an end stop of the desired range of travel of the engaging member.
The trolley assembly 310 thus is readily adjustable to allow for
use of the trolley assembly on various tracks and facilities,
without requiring a specific set range of motion for different
tracks and facilities. The trolley assembly 310 thus provides a
common trolley assembly for various applications, thereby providing
reduced manufacturing costs for different applications.
[0116] Accordingly, the present invention provides a trolley
assembly with adjustable features that allow for vertical
adjustment of a trolley engaging member (such as a pusher dog or
pusher dog engaging member or the like) to adapt the trolley
assembly for different applications with different chain heights or
levels relative to the trolley track or rail. The present invention
provides an adjustment system that an operator can readily and
accurately adjust to set the trolley assembly at an appropriate
height and allows for adjustment of the height for other
applications of the same or common trolley assembly. The present
invention thus facilitates use of common trolley assemblies and
components for various applications and for adjustments in plant
layouts, and thus provides a reduction in different parts and thus
a reduction in costs and provides ease of adaptation of the trolley
components to new layouts or designs.
[0117] Changes and modifications in the specifically described
embodiments may be carried out without departing from the
principles of the present invention, which is intended to be
limited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted
according to the principles of patent law.
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