LEVEL GRAVITY CONVEYOR

2104301 9214662 PCTABS00015 A conveyor arrangement (21), as associated with a storage rack (11), employs a plurality of individual trolleys or cars (45) supported on sloped runways segments (42) which in turn are supported on a pulsating or cyclically-actuated vertical lifting arrangement (56), with the complete arrangement being supported within a rail (26, 27) having upper edges which function as supporting flanges (33) for the loads. When the lifting device (56) is activated to lift the inclined runways (42) and cars (45) upwardly, the loads (12) are lifted away from the supporting flanges (33), whereby the weight of the loads causes the cars (45) to move downwardly by gravity along the sloped runways (42) whereby the loads are forwardly advanced a small amount, until the loads again contact the support flanges (33). When the cars (45) are lowered due to lowering of the lifting arrangement (56), the cars (45) are biased back to a raised position along the upper end of the runway (42) whereby they are again engaged under the load so as to permit a repeat of the cycle.