Overhead Conveyors
Overhead Conveyor is a form of Conveyors consisting of a continuous chain running beneath a continuous, stationary, flanged rail. Individual carriers spaced equidistant along the length of the conveyor are suspended from the chain. The chain pulls the carriers. Vertical support is derived from the fact that the carriers are also connected to a small trolley with wheels that roll cross sections, trolleys and carriers. A few common carriers include a tray, platform or simple hook. A less common alternative to the chain drive is a worm drive.Overhead or ceiling hung conveyor is often used to maximize space, sort, buffer, and distribute, and is one of the most economical methods of conveying while maximizing floor space.
Overhead conveyors which move automatically through the production process on a rail are used for the transportation of many components. A certain minimum distance is required so that components do not collide with each other during the transport.
The overhead conveyor comprises a main track and a branch track connected to the main track in a switch point, the tracks having a shape of a box-like beam with a longitudinal slit in its bottom flange for suspending a trolley carriage, the carriage supporting a rocking lever having at its ends guiding rollers, the operation of the switch point being safeguarded via tiltable tongues arranged on the lower flange of the track and cooperating with slide shoes provided on the ends of the rocking lever, and by means of locking rails attached to the side walls of the track to lock the rocking lever in the desired angular position; the ends of the rocking lever further support safety noses each having an inclined surface of a length sufficient for bridging the gap between the ends of the inclined tongues and the beginning of the locking rail when the slide shoe still engages the end portion of the safety tong.