Carrier Chain Attachment Link Wing for Tilt Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carrier chains in conveying systems experience excessive differential tilt of support members due to applied forces, leading to improper packaging of cartons, especially when unloaded, which is difficult to manage with current manufacturing methods that require tight tolerances or increased pitch adjustments.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of an improved attachment link with a wing that interlocks with adjacent chain links, restricting rotation and increasing the effective pitch of the combination, thereby reducing tilt without increasing the standard chain link pitch, and allowing for easy manufacturing and integration into standard roller chains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are used to control the distance between guide track surfaces and chain rollers, then the tilt of support members is reduced, but manufacturing cost increases and wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment link is segmented into multiple components including a body, wing, and arm, allowing each part to be manufactured separately with standard tolerances and then assembled. This eliminates the need for tight overall tolerances while achieving the desired functional precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing acts as an intermediary element that contacts the guide track surface to indirectly control the position and tilt of the support member. This mediator approach allows standard tolerance components to achieve precise positioning through the mechanical interaction of the wing with the guide track.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the pitch of attachment links is increased to reduce tilt, then support member alignment improves, but compatibility with standard sprockets is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pitch increase is applied locally only to the attachment link rather than the entire chain. The attachment link's body and arm are dimensioned to provide the necessary increased pitch and forward tilt, while the roller links maintain standard pitch dimensions for compatibility with conventional sprockets.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment link is designed with asymmetric dimensions where the forward tilt is built into the structure. This dynamic geometric configuration allows the link to maintain proper alignment under load while still engaging standard sprocket teeth through its roller connections.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If play between guide track and chain rollers is increased to reduce friction, then wear decreases, but support member tilt increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wing is designed as a simplified geometric form that replicates the essential function of tight tolerance control without requiring actual tight tolerances. By copying the positional control function through the wing's contact geometry, the system achieves alignment stability with larger clearances that reduce friction and wear.
Data Source
AI summary
A carrier chain includes an attachment link with a wing to limit the tilt of a support member. The wing extends from a base portion of a plate of the attachment link toward a plate of a pin link. When the attachment link begins to rotate in reaction to a force that is applied to the support member, the lower edge of the wing contacts upper edge of the plate of the pin link such that the adjacent roller link is constrained to be generally in line and to rotate with the attachment link. By extending the pitch between reaction rollers that contact upper and lower surfaces of a guide track, the attachment link restricts the rotational displacement of the support member.