PRODUCTION OPERATION WITH POWER AND FREE PALLET CONVEYOR

• Main Authors: JAYNES, JOHN, SCHELL, KELSEY, EDWARDS, MELVIN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 17.02.2009
• Subjects: EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; RAILWAY SYSTEMS; RAILWAYS; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING

The present invention is directed to a pallet conveyor system that include s a pallet assembly having a pallet and a workpiece coupled to the pallet, a production area where a production task is performed on the workpiece, and a delivery area wherein the pallet assembly is moved to or from the first production area. The palle t conveyor system also includes a first conveyor assembly to drive the pallet assembly through the first production area and a chain conveyor assembly to drive the pallet assembly through the first delivery area. The first conveyor assembly operably engages the pallet in the first production area but not in the delivery area. Conversely, the chain conveyor assembly drivably engages the pallet assembly in the delivery area but not in the production area. The present invention also includes a conveyor driven production operation which generally incorporates the above described pallet conveyor system as well as a method of moving a plurality of pallet assemblies through a production area. The method relates to a method of moving a plurality of pallet assemblies through a production area wherein each of the plurality of pallet assemblies include a pallet and a workpiece coupled to each pallet. The production operation includes a first area and a delivery area wherein each pallet assembly is moved to or from the first area. The production operation also includes a first conveyor assembly drivably engaging the plurality of pallet assemblies in the first area and a power and free conveyor assembly drivably engaging the pallet assemblies in the delivery area. The power and free conveyor assembly includ es a power track and a free track. The free track includes a common free track in the delivery area and a drive trolley free track offset from and generally parallel to a load trolley free track in the first area. The method includes the steps of maintaining the plurality of pallet assemblies spaced from one another in the delivery area and abutting adjacen t pallet assemblies in the first area.