The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a clock or cycle conveyor.
In its more particular aspects the present invention relates to a clock or cycle conveyor comprising a plurality or multiplicity of entrainment members which can be individually summoned or called for by means of a release or summoning mechanism. The summoned entrainment members are coupled by means of at least one shuttle or transfer wheel individually and at a substantially uniform spacing from one another in succession at an endless revolving driven traction element.
Such type of clock or cycling conveyors serve, for instance, to render uniform or regular the mutual spacing of different types of articles, items or piece goods or the like, so that there can be accomplished at these articles, items or piece goods further working operations which are cyclically accomplished or carried out.
A clock conveyor of the previously mentioned type has been disclosed, for instance, in Swiss Pat. No. 618,398 and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,286, granted May 6, 1980, the disclosure of which is extensively comparable to the contents of the first mentioned Swiss Pat. No. 618,398.
With the heretofore known clock conveyors the entrainment members are equipped with controlled grippers or gripper elements and displaceably guided by means of rails parallel to themselves. Each of the entrainment members is additionally provided with a sprocket wheel which is freely rotatably mounted, however this sprocket wheel constitutes a brakeable sprocket wheel provided with a force-locking or frictional brake device. The sprocket wheel continuously engages with an endless revolvingly driven chain serving as a traction element. The brake device is constructed such that the braking action is eliminated when one of the entrainment members either abuts with the release mechanism or with a preceding or leading entrainment member which, in turn, has not yet been summoned or called for by the release mechanism, in other words such preceding entrainment member is still in a blocked state. Under these conditions the sprocket wheel can freely rotate, and thus the entrainment member is not entrained by the chain. As soon as the release mechanism has released the forwardmost or foremost entrainment member, then the sprocket wheel thereof is braked by the brake device and, since such brake device engages in a form-locking or frictional fashion with the chain, is entrained by the chain with a force which is dependent upon the braking force of the associated brake device. Moreover, the shuttle or transfer wheel which is provided dictates the spacing with respect to the preceding or leading entrainment member.
This heretofore known clock or cycle conveyor and, in particular, the entrainment members thereof, constitute quite complicated designed elements which, in order to remain functionally operational, necessitate intensive maintenance and servicing at regular intervals. This is particularly the case for the brake device provided at each of the entrainment members. Additionally, the prior art clock conveyor, when in operation, generates an appreciable amount of noise.