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Materials Handling Equipment— Some Startling Innovations N e w idea in fluid transfer systems Electronic industrial tractor works on reflected light Hydraulic lift gate for delivery trucks
E V E R Y CHEMICAL or processing plant has the problem of materials handling. Raw materials (liquids) stored in tanks have to be moved to units for processing such as filtering, blending, or clarification. O r the liquids have to be pumped to storage tanks or packaging line. For a long time, the process piping installations in chemical plants have followed a conventional pattern. Storage tanks, processing units, and packaging lines have been interconnected by a system of fixed piping in which the control of the flow of liquid has been regulated by a system of valves. By turning valves on or off, the appropriate routing of material is accomplished. This pattern may be gradually replaced by a simpler system which is reported to improve plant operation and reduce piping installation cost. In this new system, the fixed pipelines can be conveniently run to a central point so that a snap-on, flexible hose link can be used to interconnect any one pipeline to another, resulting in a switch-
board type arrangement. While having the advantage of a simplified piping arrangement, it has the additional advantage of being able to meter the flow of liquid in a pipeline by manometers or rotational flow meters located at the appropriate switchboards and connected by flexible hose equipped with quick-connect couplings. This new system is made possible by a quickconnect or disconnect hose coupling manufactured by Titeflex of Springfield, Mass. In investigating various possibilities for a liquid transfer system at a new silicone fluid producing plant, Dow Corning decided to go to the switchboard system. T o satisfy Dow Coming's needs, the quick-connect coupling—key factor in the operation of this system—had to satisfy these requirements : 1. T h e coupling must be leakproof. 2. It must be free of internal obstructions so as to cause only slight pressure drop in the line. 3. It must be essentially maintenance free.
M a i n switchboard in new facilities f o r producing silicone fluids a t Dow Corning Corp., M i d l a n d , Mich. VOL. 48, N O . 12
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DECEMBER 1956
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The new tractor is a variation of a similar electronic tractor announced a few months ago. The earlier tractor gets its guidance from a wire embedded just beneath the warehouse floor. The wire emits an electronic signal which is sensed by the sniffer box. The sniffer then guides the tractor and starts and stops it. The guide system may also be a wire under a tape laid on the floor or a wire strung overhead. There is no physical contact between wire and tractor. The signals are picked up by a receiver mounted on the tractor. It is these signals when transmitted to the brain that control all movements of the tractor and trailers. The Guide-O-Matic tractor is manufactured by the Barrett-Cravens Co., Northbrook, 111.
Electronic tractor
The Titeflex coupling meets these requirements largely because of a patented sealing element consisting of a ring with a circumferential F opening. High pressure inside the line expands this V, making the seal tighter with increasing pressure. Since installation of the system, Dow Corning observed that there was a considerable savings in piping and piping space requirements.
Industrial Tractor Works Without Operator Automation has come to the materials handling equipment field. An industrial tractor that needs no operator is proving to be a valuable tool in helping warehousemen move merchandise. The tractor works on what the manufacturer calls an optical guidance system. Light emanating from a low-powered light bulb underneath the tractor is reflected from a white tape or painted white line on the warehouse floor. This reflected light actuates photoelectric cells in a sniffer box, which guides the tractor and senses signal variations, thus starting and stopping the tractor. Working in an undeviating path, the electronic tractor can pull up to 6000 pounds of freight or merchandise. It not only makes an operator available for other duties, but eliminates the danger of running off course and striking merchandise. The tractor has a top speed of 6 miles per hour but is usually run at about half that speed. It is equipped with hand controls for conventional battery-powered tractor use when desired. 106 A
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Hydraulic Lift Gate Holds at Any Elevation A hydraulic lift gate capable of handling loads up to 1000 pounds is helping to bring automation to trucks. The gate has a loading area of 82 by 30 inches and is powered by a batterydriven pump or a power take-off and pump combination. A hydraulic cylinder does the lifting and lowering. Since the gate can be held at any level, the lifting and lowering operations are controlled by one lever from either side of the truck. This is an added safety feature since the operator can operate the gate away from all traffic. Manufacturer of the lift gate, the Anthony Co., Streator, 111., reports that the equipment can be mounted on any truck having a body of standard dimensions.
Hydraulic lift gate
