Conveyors

Abstract

Conveyor having low speed and high speed zones, and a connection zone therebetween, comprising a series of load-carrying platforms slidable one against the next to effect acceleration in the connection zone, wherein retractable means, for example a continuous deformable layer of fingers mounted at the side edge of the conveyor provides a lateral extension of the load-carrying surface of the platforms in the connection zone of which the following is a specification.

Description

This invention relates to conveyors and in particular, though not exclusively, to passenger conveyors.

Continuous conveyors with variable speeds have been proposed which provide loading and unloading zones in which the conveyors move at a minimum speed and between which there are at least two transport zones traversed by the conveyors at a maximum speed.

These conveyors are constituted by trains of rectangular vehicles connected to each other and moved along a closed loop chain guide which causes the vehicles to move in side-by-side relationship in the loading and unloading low speed zones and in longitudinal end-to-end relationship in the high speed transport zones, the relationship between the minimum speed and the maximum speed being equal to the relation between the width and the length of the vehicles.

Several devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,191 have been provided for driving such conveyor vehicles. These devices make it possible in the connection zone which joins each loading and unloading zone to the adjacent transport zones, to produce sliding transversely and then longitudinally of the one against the other in two consecutive conveyor vehicles, maintaining these in an invariable orientation. In order to ensure safety for the users during this sliding, it has been considered to provide each vehicle with a lateral wall which can be closed by means of a door. This eliminates the risk for the passengers of accidentally putting their foot outside the perimeter of the platform of the vehicle, but however it makes it necessary to keep the passengers closed in during the whole time of their journey, which is particularly annoying when the people from one group must therefore be separated.

The idea has therefore been formed to remove these lateral walls and to arrange vertical bars on the vehicles to which these passengers can hold.

This solution applied to the previously mentioned transporters, the rectangular vehicles of which slide against each other in the connection sections, obviously has the disadvantage of making accessible to the passengers, with all the dangers which that involves, the empty spaces between the contour of variable configuration of the edges of the platforms of the vehicles, and the sidewalls between which the said vehicles move in the connection zones.

One object of the present invention is to eliminate or reduce these dangers.

Accordingly, the invention relates to a safety device for an endless conveyor with variable speed, the conveyor providing at least two zones of loading/unloading in which it moves at a minimum speed and between which there are at least two transport zones connected to the zones of loading/unloading which are adjacent, by means of connection sections, and being formed of a series of oblong rectangular vehicles given successively transverse side-by-side movement in the areas of loading/unloading, a movement composed of a transverse movement and a longitudinal sliding one against the other in each connection section, then a longitudinal end-to-end movement in the transport zones, these vehicles maintaining a constant orientation at least during their passage through the connection sections and the transport zones, and the ratio between the minimum speed and the maximum speed being equal to the ratio between the width and the length of the vehicles.

This device is characterized by the fact that it comprises compressible or retractable means, arranged in each connection section between the contour having variable configuration, of the platforms of the vehicles and the walls between which the transporter travels and by the fact that at least some of these means are connected to the support on which this transporter evolves and that the others, when they are provided, are carried by the said vehicles, the whole assembly being arranged in such a way as to cover permanently the space separatIng the said contour from the said walls.

According to the invention, a conveyor for providing a continuously moving load-carrying surface including a low speed loading or unloading zone, a high speed zone, and a connection zone between the low speed and high speed zones, comprises a series of conveyor elements slidable one against the next between side edges of the conveyor in the connection zone thereof together with drive and support means for the conveyor elements, the conveyor including retractable side elements to provide lateral extension of the load-carrying surface offered by the conveyor elements in the connection zone.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a view from above of a portion of the circuit of a conveyor according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a section taken on the line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along the line III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a view from above of a detail of a variant of certain of the means shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows, in a view similar to that of FIG. 4, another variant;

FIG. 6 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 1, of part of another conveyor according to the invention;

FIG. 7 shows the two ends of one of the conveyor platforms shown in FIG. 6, in a side view in the plane containing the platform;

FIG. 8 shows a view from above, of the two ends of the platform of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 1, of part of a third conveyor according to the invention;

FIG. 11 shows the two ends of one of the conveyor platforms of FIG. 10, in a view similar to that of FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 shows a view from above of the two ends of the platform of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of one end of the platform of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 show the successive stages in the configuration-changing process of the platform of FIG. 11;

FIG. 17 shows a section taken on the line XVII-XVII in FIG. 10;

FIG. 18 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 1, of part of a further conveyor according to the invention;

FIG. 19 shows a section on the line XIX-XIX in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 shows the mutual arrangement of one of the platforms of the transporter shown in FIG. 18 with one of its side elements.

In FIGS. 1 and 3 a conveyor for providing a continuously moving load-carrying surface is shown comprising a series of conveyor elements in the form of vehicles each one constituted by an oblong rectangular platform 1 which is provided with vertical bars 1 onto which the users of the conveyor can hold. The part of the circuit followed by the conveyor, shown in FIG. 1, comprises a first low speed zone providing an loading station 4, connected to high speed transport zones 5,6 respectively by connection sections or zones 8, 7. In these connection sections, the platforms 1 slide against each other, transversely, and longitudinally, end-to-end. Drive and support means (not shown) is provided for the platforms.

It is believed that it is not necessary for the method by which the sliding of the platforms is obtained to be described in this specification. Devices making this sliding possible have been described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,191 mentioned above. The surface traversed by the platforms 1 is limited by the edges 10,11 extended upwards by safety walls 100, 110 respectively which form a corridor in which the passengers of the conveyor travel. The entry 3A of the unloading station as well as the exit 4A of the loading station are provided with combs 3B, 4B respectively, in the teeth of which pass safety ribs (not shown), carried by the surface of platforms 1 and which improve the adherence thereof.

According to its first form, the device forming the object of the invention comprises retractable side elements constituted by a series of articulated fingers (12) arranged side-by-side so as to provide a continuous supporting surface, each finger comprising a train of finger elements 121 linked head to tail in caterpillar form, at the same level as the platforms 1. They preferably lie in the horizontal plane containing the platforms, and at 45.degree. relatively to the sides of these platforms as shown in FIG. 1. The juxtaposition of these articulated fingers 12 produces a belt, the edge of which permanently engages the contour 13 of variable shape of the platform. Each train of finger elements 121 is located in and evolves from a guide tube 122 in which a force is exerted on it, urging it in the direction of arrow 123, and tending to maintain the first finger element 126 permanently against the variable contour 13 of the platforms 1. The said force is provided by resilient means comprising a piston 124 acted upon by pneumatic pressure. The guide 122 has an incurved extremity 125 (FIG. 2). The extremities of the fingers can be rounded as shown in FIG. 4, or forked as shown in FIG. 5. The inclination at 45.degree. of the fingers relative to the sides of the platforms 1 has been chosen, in preference over any other inclination because it is the one that makes it possible to effect the best lateral force component produced by the platform during their sliding on the assembly of fingers. This component is shown by a pressure which is exerted on the first finger element 126 of each finger 12 and involves retraction of this in the opposite direction to the one indicated by arrow 123.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 in which a conveyor otherwise similar to that of FIG. 1 comprises platforms 14 provided in the region of each end with a generally triangularly-shaped sector 141, or 142 respectively to vary the configuration of the platform. Sector 141 is pivoted around an axis 141A of platform 14 and can evolve by rotation around this axis in a housing 143, between two extreme positions--shown in full lines for the first one, and the second one is dotted lines on FIG. 8--corresponding to two configurations of the platform or conveyor element. The triangular sector 141 is joined to the axis 141A by means of an arm 144. The platforms 14 evolve (FIG. 6) between two contours 15 and 16 respectively in the connection zone 17 which joins the loading zone 18 to the transporting zone 19. Each platform 14 has several support bars 20 onto which the passengers can hold. Sections 21A, 22A respectively are provided in the angles of the upper part of the platform which are farthest away from the axis of the rotation 141A, 142A respectively. In addition to these means (triangular sectors) joined to each platform, the device according to this second form comprises retractable fingers 23, located between the contour 22 of variable configuration of the side edges of the platforms 14 and the fixed contours 15 and 16 of the side edges of the conveyor. The fingers are each in the form of a pair of arms 231, 233, angularly inclined with respect to each other and connected together by an articulated joint for relative angular movement in a plane at right angles to the load-carrying surface of the conveyor. The extremity of arm 231 bears on to the contour 15 or the contour 16 respectively and can pivot on this contour. The extremity of the other arm 233 is mounted on a roller 234 and permanently exerts pressure on the contour 22 in the direction of arrow 24. These angle pieces in the shape of a compass 23 which are juxtaposed, in the connection zone 17 on either side of the platforms 14 are arranged in parallel planes perpendicular to the mean direction of displacement of the platforms in the connection zone, indicated by arrow A. The angle pieces 23 which are thus juxtaposed form on either side of the vehicles two controlled surfaces, which are deformable in proportion to the advance of the platform 14, and constituting two safety covers which bridge the space between contours 15 or 16 respectively and the changing contour 22 of the edges of the platforms 14. As shown in FIG. 6 the triangular sectors 142 (and 141, in the displacement of the vehicles in the direction opposite to the arrow A), have a first aim of giving the variable contour 22 a form which allows the platforms of the vehicles, advancing in the direction of arrow A, to exert a force on the arm 233 of the angle pieces 23, the active component of which in the plane of the angle piece, is on average higher than if the said sectors did not exist. These sectors also have the aim of avoiding constriction between two consecutive vehicles when these pass (Point A) from the transverse sliding to longitudinal sliding. The sectors retract progressively until they disappear completely when the vehicles are travelling in the transport zone 19. The truncations 21A and 22A make it possible when the vehicles are at the start of the connection zone 17 to ensure continuity of the contour 22 between the edge 145 of sector 141 and the large adjacent side 146 of the platform.

A third form of production of the safety device which is the object of the invention is put into action on the conveyor, a part of the circuit of which is shown in FIG. 10.

This conveyor is made up of a series of platforms 25 comprising a rectangular part 26 terminated at each one of its ends, by means of an upper rounded part 27 and by a lower part 28 which sheers off from this rounded part and ends in a truncation 29, as is shown in FIG. 13. Inside the rounded part 27 an arm 30 is pivoted around an axis 31 situated in the center of this rounded part 27. This arm carries a rubber wiper 32 at its extremity which forms an orientable extension of the part 27 of the platform to vary the configuration thereof. The angular path .alpha. of the arm 30 is limited by the angular dimension of the opening 33 in the part 27 in which this arm is housed. The wiper 32 in the state of rest has an incurved profile 34. It forms one of the means of this third method of producing the safety device according to the invention.

The other means connected to the support on which the transporter is displaced, are formed by substantially rigid arms 36 (see FIG. 17) each mounted at a side edge of the conveyor for angular and bodily movement in a generally transverse direction with respect to the mean direction of movement of the platforms in the respective portion of the connection zone of the conveyor, and sliding on two support ramps 37 and 38. Their upper parts remain permanently inside the hollow walls 39 and 40 respectively, at the side edges of the conveyor. As shown in FIG. 10 pneumatic means such as hoses 41, 42 respectively maintained under air pressure are arranged between the support 43 of the transporter, the arms 36 and the interior of the hollow walls 39 or 40 respectively. They exert a force permanently on these arms 36, a recoil force directed along arrow 410 or 420 respectively. The base of each arm 36 is mounted on rollers 360 or on any other means which allows them to move on the support 43.

The operation of the safety device of FIGS. 10 to 17 is as follows. The platforms 25 having left a loading station 35 (FIG. 10), move forward, sliding transversely against each other until they occupy the position of the platform W. Until this position is attained by a platform 25, the rubber wipers 32 of this platform bear against the long edge of the adjacent platform in such a way that the transporter has an undulated contour without any sharp angle, and on which the base of each arm 36 is permanently applied. Beyond the position W the rubber wipers 32, 32' of successive platforms progressing in the direction of the arrow X, bear against each other deforming progressively as shown in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16. As is seen on these three Figures the rubber wipers 32 deform, pivoting slightly around the axis 31 of their respective platform in order finally to be like those of vehicles of Y and Z (FIG. 10). These wipers 32 not only have the role of rounding the transporter contour to provide a continuous and smooth contour for the lower extremities of the arms 36, but also, when the vehicles go beyond the position W it makes it possible to join two successive platforms in such a way that it may be possible to pass from one to the other during their movement. Finally in the position which they occupy in FIG. 12 these rubber wipers 32 make it possible for the platforms 25 when leaving the loading station 35 to be perfectly grouted and to give the appearance of a band having parallel edges.

The assembly of successive arms 36, the inclination of which varies progressively from one to the next successive one, forms on each conveyor edge a controlled deformable surface which forms a cover sheet for protection.

Each arm 36 evolves in a plane which, like the one in which each component 23 of FIGS. 6 and 9 moves, and for the same reasons, is inclined at 45.degree. to the direction of transverse sliding of the platforms 25.

It is stated here that it is for greater clarity that in FIGS. 6 and 10 only one connection zone is shown in the circuit which is followed by the conveyor. Moreover the covers formed by inclinable arms 36 (FIG. 17) can also equally well be adapted for the conveyor shown in FIG. 6 in the same way as the articulated finger elements of FIG. 2 can be adapted to the conveyors shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, and the cover formed by the compass components 23 shown in FIG. 9 can be applied to the conveyors shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 18 shows diagrammatically one part of a conveyor constituting another embodiment of the invention. The vehicles of this conveyor are in the shape of rectangular platforms 55 which, when leaving a loading station 49 successively follow in the direction of arrows 56, a connection zone 54, a high speed zone 52 and, after having gone along the circuit which is not shown a transport zone 51 and then a connection section 52 in order to arrive at the entry of a discharge station 50. The platforms are brought from the unloading station 50 to the loading station 49 by appropriate means. The platforms appear in the loading station 49 and disappear in the unloading station 50, respectively under the station platforms 491 and 501 respectively. Vertical bars 59 are provided on each platform 55 in order to allow passengers to hold on to them. Two walls 44, 45 or 46, 47 respectively fixed relatively to the support on which the conveyor evolves, border this latter along the whole part of its pathway where the platforms 55 are visible. These walls (44, 45) are slightly inclined towards the conveyor platforms. The station platforms 491 and 501 are shown as a single unit in FIG. 18 and mask the platform 55 during their passage from the unloading station 50 to the loading station 49. The walls 45, 46 can be joined to each other whereas the walls 44, 45 end at the entry respectively of the platform 501 and platform 491.

Retractable side elements in the form of trapezoidal plates 60 accompanying the platforms are provided in order to cover the space separating the contour of the platforms 55 from the walls 44, 45 or 46, 47 respectively. Whereas at the exit of the loading station 49 and on the connection section 54 the plates 60 only have the role of covering this space, yet they also have the function of enlarging the effective surface of the conveyor in the connection zone 53 and at the entry of the unloading station 50. The separation of the walls 44, 45 for this purpose, near to the station 50 is made greater than that of the walls 46 and 47 in the corresponding area of the loading station 49.

The progressive increase of the effective surface has the advantage of offering passengers on the conveyor greater freedom of movement when they approach the unloading station and gives them a free exit which for psychological reasons increases safety when they are getting off.

The plates 60 are provided on their small side and on their two parallel sides with means which make it possible for them to slide on their small side on each small side of a platform 55 and on their two parallel sides to slide either on the large side of a platform or on that of another plate. The largest side of each plate has the same length as the large sides of the platforms. Means, shown in FIG. 20, allow these slidings of the plates 60 as well as their pivoting downwards from their operative position to an inoperative unobtrusive position to take place when they have slid completely on the large side of a platform 55. These means are constituted by providing a groove having a circular section 61, for example carried by the sides of the platforms 55 and by a corresponding groove carried by the sides of the plates 60.

Finally, appropriate means make it possible to retract the passenger support bars 59 when the platforms 55 circulate under the platforms 491 and 501.

The mode of operation of this fourth form of the invention is as follows:

The platforms 55 appear on leaving the loading station 49 extended on each of their small sides by plates 60. The plates are arranged as shown in FIG. 18 and evolve on the support of the conveyor, like the platforms, by appropriate means which are not shown.

In proportion as the platforms 55 slide against each other in the direction of arrow 62 in the connection section 54, the right-hand plate 60A of a platform 55A engages and slides on the large rear side 55b of the platform 55B which precedes this platform 55A in the direction of movement of the transporter shown by the arrows 56.

Simultaneously the left-hand plate 60B of the platform 55B is engaged and slides on the large forward side 55a of the platform 55A.

These sliding movements of the plates 60 parallel to the direction indicated by arrow 62 are continued until each platform attains the position occupied in the FIG. 18 by the platform 55C for which the plate 60C and 60D have their large side completely engaged on those of the platform.

Starting from this position the sliding end-to-end of the platforms begins perpendicular to the direction of the arrow 62, during which sliding the plates 60C and 60D continuously disengage their small sides from the adjacent platforms.

When the sliding end-to-end of the platforms is finished (position of platform 55D) these platforms are engaged in the transport area 52, the slabs 60C and 60D--as shown in FIG. 19-- can be brought down to an inoperative unobtrusive position in such a way as not to cause a useless lateral encumbrance.

The plates 60 can be completely disengaged from the platforms while the platforms go through the high speed zones 52 and 51.

They must in any case be reassembled to the large sides of the platforms and arranged in the same plane as these when the platforms arrive at the entry of the connecting zone 53 in which the plates 60 are maneuvered in a manner which is inverse to that in the connection zone 54.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A conveyor for providing a continuously moving load-carrying surface, including a low speed zone, a high speed zone, and a connection zone between the low speed and high speed zones, the conveyor comprising: a series of conveyor elements slidable one against the next between the side edges of the conveyor in said connection zone; drive means and support means for said conveyor elements; and a plurality of separate movable elements positioned at and in engagement with edges of the conveyor elements, said movable elements constructed and arranged to move relative to said conveyor elements on sliding of said conveyor elements to vary the configuration of the load-carrying surface.

2. A conveyor for providing a continuously moving load-carrying surface, including a low speed zone, a high speed zone, and a connection zone between the low and high speed zones, the conveyor comprising: a series of conveyor elements slidable one against the next between the side edges of the conveyor in said connection zone; drive means and support means for said conveyor elements; and movable plates pivotally attached to end edges of said conveyor elements, the plates pivotable in a plane parallel to said load-carrying surface, said plates extending between adjacent ends of conveyor elements and so constructed and arranged that, on sliding of the conveyor elements, the plates pivot from an operative to an inoperative position to vary the configuration of the load-carrying surface.

3. A conveyor for providing a continuously moving load-carrying surface, including a low speed zone, a high speed zone, and a connection zone between the low speed and high speed zones, the conveyor comprising: a series of conveyor elements slidable one against the next between the side edges of the conveyor in the connection zone; drive means and support means for said conveyor elements; and a plurality of individually retractable fingers extending side-by-side in engagement with edges of said conveyor elements, said fingers arranged to extend and retract on sliding of said conveyor elements to provide a lateral extension of the load-carrying surface.

4. A conveyor as claimed in claim 3, each finger of an articulated construction and comprising a train of finger elements linked head to tail.

5. A conveyor as claimed in claim 4, the finger elements located in a guide tube having resilient means for urging the finger to an extended position.

6. A conveyor for providing a continuously moving load-carrying surface, including a low speed zone, a high speed zone, and a connection zone between the low speed and high speed zones, the conveyor comprising: a series of conveyor elements slidable one against the next between the side edges of the conveyor in the connection zone; drive means and support means for said conveyor elements; and a plurality of individually retractable fingers extending side-by-side in engagement with edges of said conveyor elements, said fingers each comprising a pair of arms angularly inclined with respect to each other, the arms connected by an articulated joint for relative angular movement in a plane substantially at right angles to the load-carrying surface of the conveyor.

7. A conveyor for providing a continuously moving load-carrying surface, including a low speed zone, a high speed zone, and a connection zone between the low speed and high speed zones, the conveyor comprising: a series of conveyor elements slidable one against the next between the side edges of the conveyor in said connection zone; drive means and support means for said conveyor elements; and a plurality of substantially rigid arms extending side-by-side laterally from each side of the conveyor, each arm having an inner end in engagement with an edge of a conveyor element, the arms mounted for simultaneous angular and lateral movement in a direction substantially transverse to a direction of movement of the conveyor elements.

8. A conveyor as claimed in claim 7, including a support roller at the inner end of each arm and a support for the outer ends of the arms, the support in a raised position relative to the load-carrying surface of the conveyor, the outer ends of the arms arranged for sliding or rolling engagement with the support.

9. A conveyor as claimed in claim 7 including pneumatic means in engagement with said arms and arranged to bias the arms into engagement with the edges of the conveyor elements.

10. A conveyor for providing a continuously moving load-carrying surface, including a low speed zone, a high speed zone, and a connection zone between the low speed and high speed zones, the conveyor comprising: a series of conveyor elements slidable one against the next between the side edges of the conveyor in said connection zone; drive means and support means for said conveyor elements; and a movable element at at least one end of each conveyor element to engage with a next conveyor element, the movable element arranged to vary the configuration of the related conveyor elements.

11. A conveyor as claimed in claim 10, said movable element comprising a generally triangularly shaped member, the shaped member mounted for angular movement between two positions in a plane parallel to the surface of the conveyor.

12. A conveyor as claimed in claim 11, a triangularly shaped member mounted on each end of each conveyor element, each shaped member of resilient material.