Gravity Drum Conveyors

Here is a full drum accumulation conveyor. The gravity rollers are pitched to allow 450 lb drums to flow freely. When a fork truck removes four full drums, a photo eye recognizes the vacancy and signals the drum escapement to release another group of four drums, (two from each lane), where they are cradled by the padded drum stops.

The third drum in line is held back by the air operated drum escapement which uses a set of steel pins in front and behind the drum. When the front pins lower to release a drum, the back pins raise up between the rollers behind it, holding back the second and remaining drums in accumulation. When a photo eye recognizes two full drums in each lane, the escapement is locked in place to hold back the line. This holding back reduces the line pressure, which allows the fork truck no resistance when lifting up four drums.