Adjustable height trolley assembly

Abstract

A trolley assembly for a conveyor system includes a pair of trolley arms having wheels for rolling engagement with a track or rail of the conveyor system. A trolley attachment is adjustably mounted to the trolley arms and adjusted relative to the trolley arms to adjust a position of the trolley attachment relative to the wheels. The trolley attachment is positionable at a selected one of a plurality of vertical positions relative to the trolley arms and the trolley attachment is retained at the selected one of the plurality of vertical positions by engagement of the trolley attachment with the trolley arms. The engaging elements of the trolley arms or attachment may comprise projections, and the engaging elements of the other of the trolley arms or attachment may comprise recesses, with the recesses receiving the projections when the trolley attachment is positioned between the inner surfaces of the trolley arms.

1 . A trolley assembly for a conveyor system, said trolley assembly comprising:
 a pair of spaced apart trolley arms having wheels rotatably mounted at said trolley arms for rolling engagement with a track or rail of said conveyor system;   a trolley attachment adjustably mounted to said trolley arms and adjusted relative to said trolley arms to adjust a position of said trolley attachment relative to said wheels; and   wherein said trolley attachment is positionable at a selected one of a plurality of vertical positions relative to said spaced apart trolley arms and wherein said trolley attachment is retained at said selected one of said plurality of vertical positions by engagement of said trolley attachment with said trolley arms.   
     
     
         2 . The trolley assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said trolley arms comprise inner opposed surfaces having an engaging element, and wherein said trolley attachment comprises opposite outer surfaces having an engaging element, wherein said trolley attachment is positioned between said inner surfaces of said trolley arms such that said engaging element of said trolley arms engages said engaging element of said trolley attachment, whereby said trolley attachment is positionable at and retained at said one of said plurality of vertical heights relative to said spaced apart trolley arms by engagement of said engaging element of said trolley arms with said engaging element of said trolley attachment. 
     
     
         3 . The trolley assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said engaging elements of said trolley arms comprise evenly-spaced elongated horizontal projections, and wherein said engaging elements of said trolley attachment comprise evenly-spaced elongate horizontal channels, said channels receiving said projections when said trolley attachment is positioned between said inner surfaces of said trolley arms. 
     
     
         4 . The trolley assembly of  claim 2 , wherein a first one of said engaging elements comprises at least one projection and wherein a second one of said engaging elements comprises at least two recesses, and wherein said at least two recesses receive said at least one projection when said trolley attachment is positioned between said inner surfaces of said trolley arms. 
     
     
         5 . The trolley assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said second engaging element comprises more horizontal channels than said first engaging element comprises horizontal projections, and wherein each of said horizontal projections is positionable in one of said horizontal channels and repositionable in an adjacent one of said horizontal channels to adjust the vertical height of said trolley attachment relative to said trolley arms. 
     
     
         6 . The trolley assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said second engaging element comprises at least four horizontal channels at each of outer surfaces of said trolley attachment, and wherein said trolley arms comprise at least two horizontal projections at each an inner surface of each of said spaced apart trolley arms. 
     
     
         7 . The trolley assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said trolley attachment comprises a generally vertical recess established along said channels to facilitate selective vertical movement of said horizontal projections to different channels when said projections are aligned with said recess. 
     
     
         8 . The trolley assembly of  claim 5  further comprising at least one spacer element that is selectively positioned between a portion of said trolley arms and a portion of said trolley attachment when said trolley attachment is moved to a lower position relative to said trolley arms. 
     
     
         9 . The trolley assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said trolley attachment is positionable at the selected one of a plurality of vertical positions relative to said spaced apart trolley arms via rotational adjustment of a cammed fastener received through said trolley attachment and said trolley arms. 
     
     
         10 . The trolley assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said trolley attachment is movable from a first position relative to said trolley arms to a second position relative to said trolley arms, said second position being lower than said first position. 
     
     
         11 . The trolley assembly of  claim 10  further comprising at least one spacer element that is selectively positioned between a portion of said trolley arms and a portion of said trolley attachment when said trolley attachment is moved from said first position to said second position. 
     
     
         12 . The trolley assembly of  claim 1  further comprising at least one position indicator that visually indicates a position of said trolley attachment relative to said trolley arms. 
     
     
         13 . A free trolley assembly for a conveyor, said free trolley assembly comprising:
 a trolley body having wheels rotatably mounted thereat;   an engaging member movably mounted to said trolley body and movable relative thereto between an engaging position, where said engaging member is configured to engage a driven device to move said free trolley assembly along a track, and a disengaging position, where said engaging member is configured to disengage from a driven device; and   wherein a range of travel of said engaging member between said engaging position and said disengaging position is selectively adjusted to set a desired range of travel of said engaging member.   
     
     
         14 . The free trolley assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said engaging member is guided between said engaging position and said disengaging position via a guide pin mounted to said trolley body and received through a slotted aperture in said engaging member. 
     
     
         15 . The free trolley assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said guide pin has a non-circular shaft portion at and within said slotted aperture, said guide pin being selectively rotatable to generally align a desired surface of said non-circular shaft portion with an upper or lower end of said slotted aperture to set an end stop of the desired range of travel of said engaging member. 
     
     
         16 . A method of adjusting a trolley assembly for a conveyor, said method comprising:
 providing a trolley assembly having a pair of spaced apart trolley arms having wheels rotatably mounted at said trolley arms;   providing a trolley attachment;   positioning said trolley attachment at a selected one of a plurality of vertical heights relative to said spaced apart trolley arms and retaining said trolley attachment at said selected one of said plurality of vertical heights by engagement of said trolley attachment with said trolley arms; and   adjusting said trolley attachment relative to said trolley arms to generally vertically adjust a position of said trolley attachment relative to a position of said wheels.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein adjusting said trolley attachment comprises moving said trolley attachment from a first position relative to said trolley arms to a second position relative to said trolley arms, said second position being lower than said first position. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  comprising providing at least one spacer element and selectively positioning said at least one spacer element between a portion of said trolley arms and a portion of said trolley attachment when said trolley attachment is moved from said first position to said second position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said trolley arms have an engaging element and said trolley attachment has an engaging element, wherein positioning said trolley attachment comprises positioning said trolley attachment relative to said spaced apart trolley arms by engaging said engaging element of said trolley arms with said engaging element of said trolley attachment, whereby said trolley attachment is positioned at said selected one of said plurality of vertical heights relative to said spaced apart trolley arms. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a first one of said engaging elements comprises at least one projection and wherein a second one of said engaging elements comprises at least two recesses, and wherein positioning said trolley attachment relative to said spaced apart trolley arms comprises positioning said trolley attachment relative to said spaced apart trolley arms by receiving said first engaging element at least partially in said second engaging element.