摘要 |
<p>A conveyor having an endless series of holders equipped with cushions to carry fragile objects has an upper run extending from a receiving station to a discharge station and a lower return run with an upward arcuate return path from the lower run to the start of the upper run. The holders are turned upside down on the lower run of the conveyor and are subject to centrifugal force on the upward arcuate return path. The cushions are envelopes of flexible sheet material containing masses of pellets. A free-falling object lands on a cushion at the receiving station of the conveyor and is decelerated without harm by forming a seating recess in the mass of pellets. The return journey of the cushions redistributes the pellets to eliminate the seating recesses and thus enables newly received objects at the receiving station to be decelerated by forming new seating recesses.</p> |