W. H. ROBERTSON
TRAVELING CONVEYER
Filed Feb..15 1924 5 SheetsSheet 1 co
April .
W. H. ROBERTSON
TRAVELING CONVEYER Filed Feb.15 1924

5 SheetsSheet 2
95

April 19 1927.
W. H. ROBERTSON
TRAVELING CONVEYER Filed Feb.15 1924
5 Sheets—Sheet 3
31 44 43 . ". 43
3
9
48
April 19 1927.
W. H.' ROBERTSON TRAVELING CONVEYER Filed Feb.15 1924
L J
s5
jnvenkoz
1
73
@31t I
Qttoznett
April 19 1927.
W. H. ROBERTSON
TRAVELING CONVEYER Filed Feb.15 1924

5 Sheets—Sheet 5
8q

88
X54
SS

62.
$2
Patented Apr. 19 1927.
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON OF DAYTON OHIO. TRAVELING CONVEYER. Application filed February 15 1924. Serial No. .
This invention relates to improvements in automatic conveyers and more particularly to an automatic system of car distribution.
The present invention will find a wide
s range of usefulness in factories warehouses and the like for the automatic distribution of materials and supplies from a central supply station to various departments or to the benches of different workmen in a given
10 department and for the distribution of freight and merchandise on wharfs freight houses or shipping points. It is also contemplated that the present system may be employed for the distribution of cooked
15 foods from a central depot or cooking station to each of a large number of residences or apartments within an area to be supplied and to return the empty dishes. The same system might be employed for distributing
20 other merchandise throughout a community performing the usual function of individual messenger service.
In this invention there is contemplated an
automatic conveyer system or a system of
25 automatic car distribution wherein a series
of separate carriers of cars each operating
preferably though not necessarily under its
own motive power are started from a cen
tral station or distributing point for opera
tion over an extended track circuit and are
automatically shunted from the main track
or to sidings at different predetermined sta
tions in accordance with selective mecha
nism carried by the cars or carriers. The
:n selective mechanism may be adjusted or set
for any one of a series of stations or stops
throughout the system. While the traveling
cars or carriers are intended to operate at
uniform speed means is provided for tern
40 porarily disconnecting the motive power in
the event that one car overtakes another.
Car controlled means is provided to prevent
the return of a car from a siding to the main
track at a time when a second car is ap
45 proachng within predetermined distance to
prevent interference. Automatic means is
further provided in the event that a siding
or station track is already occupied to its
capacity any additional ears on which the
5o selective mechanism has been set for a par
ticular siding or station will be shunted onto
an overflow siding or will be continued on
the main track and returned to the central
or distributing point notwithstanding the
55 setting of the selective mechanism. Manu
ally adjustable means is provided regulating the number of carriers or cars which may be received on any particular siding or station track. Furthermore means is provided for group selection of cars whereby various cars intended for different stations particularly upon a branch track may be selected as the cars pass a transfer point and be shunted to such branch track for subsequent selection according to particular destinations. The system provides for practical transportation through long distances of varying loads at irregular intervals under conditions wherein a continuous traveling conveyer would be impracticable.
The invention has been applied to a monorail system. Instead of the usual movable switch point transfer is made from the main line track to sidings or branch tracks by lowering a second set of carrying wheels into engagement with the siding or branch track which runs parallel with the main track at the switch point and raising the main line carrying wheels. This shifting of carrying wheels and consequent transfer of the vehicle from one track to another is effected during the progress of the car by means of trip arms carried upon the cars or carriers engaging with ramps or track positioned stops.
The ramps or station stops are located in different positions transversely in relation with the track rail. The trip arms upon the cars are transversely adjustable in order that they may be positioned to aline with 90 and engage the ramp or stop of the desired
station. To increase the range of selectivity or number of stations or destinations to which a particular car may be directed the trip arms' and station stops or ramps are 05 employed in multiple. That is to say in order to make a selection and transfer the car from the main line track to a siding it may be necessary that two or more trip arms be operated by their correspondingly positioned ramps or stops. The range of usefulness is thus increased for whereas one trip arm would enable the selection of only stations 1 to 9 two of such trip arms will permit the selection of stations or destinations  to the total of ninetynine while an additional trip arm will increase the range to nine hundred and ninetynine stations.
The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and
60 65 70 75
so
s5
lu0

rode if operation of conveyers and distributing apparatus. whereby it will not only be cheapened in construction but will be more efficient in use positive in operation
5 uniform in action economical in. operation
and unlikely to net out of repair.
A further object of the int'en'tion i s to provide a conveyer system which will be flexible providing for a. concentration of moving traffic elirni.nating periods of idle operation and providing for concentration of moving troT ne 1vhen t:he nett itv arise:s or for intermittent .operation )..t more of less extended intervals as Occasion may retitrice. By this ]dean: the expense of operation add maintenance i directly proportioned to the material conveyed and is materially. less than
that o t continuously traveling belts chain
or bucket con eyerºs.
A. further object of.the invention is to provide a. yielding' bumper control!. for the traveling car whereby <a collision 1ietreen a fast traveling and slow traveling car will autoniaticalli but temporarily disconnect the
t U
motive power O1 the can having the greater speed. while the impulse given. by such col
lision will accelerate the speed of the slow
moving car thei'eb% tending to keep the cars in approximately ford1 rate of travel.
30 A further object of therilventwon is to provide a. detent for cars. neon a siding and to provide meals ol'crated by cars upon the main track and passing the siding or in the vicinity thereof by which the detent will
35 be locked i n ear enraging osition to temporarily prevent the return of a car from the siding to the malin track and in cooperation therewith a. trip lever or trigger set beyond the siding and opera ed by the cars
40 passim on the track to release such. detent after the main lira cars have passed beyond tale siding and there is no longer danger of interference or collision.
. further object of the ii vent ion is to pro
.45 ride automatic means ..for shifting the sta
tion stop or ramp out nt' the path of the
selective mechanism on the car traveling the
main track when a a 'il' rl siding is Filled.
to capacity and 10 further provide to the
al:r'.onlatic return f the rºaim or station stop
a
to operative position to effect file transfer of additional car s to the siding whenever. one or more cars shall have left siding siding.
11.1ith the above primary and other incidental objects  view. as will move fully appear in the apt ifica ion the invention
appear
s of the :features es of construction the parts and comb'inirtians t hereaf and. the mode of operation or their equivalents as
00 11endnofter described and. set forth in the claims.
lieferr'iing to the accompanying drawings
wherein is shown the preferred but not nec
essarily the only :form of eu bodiulent of the
65 invention Fig. 1 is a. aide elevation of a
traveling carrier or .car c(ll.iippcd with the selective mechanism far 'raiis:tciring the car automatically irt'rn the main line track' to a siding and vice versa at a predetel.'liline1 transfer point. Fig. ' is ai l.Dottoin plan view. 70 of the ear and egrripnicat shown in h'i. 1. Fig. i is an end elevation of the carrier .or car shown inFig. 2. Fig'. 4 is a detail side elevation. of a portion of a car equipped with selective means operative i'ee an increased number of stations or sidings. Fig. ai is a bott n ].lair. view of the car mitt. equip
ment shoivii in Fig. l. h it1. tS is a: detail
perspective view of the adjustable trip arm
for. the selectiv( intohiallism. t 1<?'. 7 is t1. diagrammatic view of the iirotive powelr contr'oi. means by which the power pis teportarily rut oil in the event of collision by one
(.'a11' overt :alc.lug tlie. other 41ig. U is as diag'r'ammatic side elevation showing the relative levels of the main track and the siding the ears cn.te .ng find halving the .siding upon inclines. Fig. 1) is a plan view of the interlocking detent mecll<rnism by ivllich cars are retained upon the siding so long as other cars alrc passing upo. the main. track within interfering di .ta.rlee. Fig. 10 is a detail plan view of a odification of this automatid detent con'tr'ol metans and Fig. IA is a. diagrammatic view of a main tract: and sidings. vies. Ll is a top plan viewand Fig. 1:3 a side elevation of the automatic regulating 1 11:1lls ioi' preventing overcrowding Otl a given siding. hip s. .14 tln:1 1: are del ills of the mecllartis]ii allon'ii irl ligs. 1:? and. 1  Fig. :1.6 is a .nonreverse mechanism for the diving drat r. ti >'. is is a further odillcati on of the car detent ulealns in a ci ulpl i lied form.
Like par'l.s are indic.'ated by sinfilar charaicters of reference Iii anl) holrt the several Vi("VS.
The present conveyer and taw
apparatus has been WandFated as applied. to
al monorail cvsterli t.t is to lie ull ''rdnod  however that ii is not so limited lain nary tie ehnslied in a (linable tra1(11 construction. 1e the preferred (iil osLicent file cars or. conveyers travel upon the monorail (rack 1 and are supported in ri.pc i.ht position and til held i['ainst lateral tilting: niovenrerd by engagement of n trolley roller in. air elevated caranneled. trolley guile 2. It is obvious that the channeled trolley guide 2 .may be
employed as an. electrical coad.uctor and the
cars "nay be prrop lled electrically .frorn a.. central power Titani as in. an ordinary trolley car system: However for econoin y of operation and to accommodate the system to iar'1(?nR conditions :of use eda"11 tI'al'E?1n1' cal' 12i is preferably though not necessarily individually propelled by a small power plant mortnt eel directly upon the earlier or ear. Such individual power plant rn 11' lie i)eimia.!.i.'ntly in.>alteal or may be detachably connected as 1.30
lo
75 80 85 00 95