Patent ID: 8047530
Filing Date: 2011-11-01
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
1. A rotary transfer mechanism for extracting a flat article from the discharge opening of a magazine and depositing it at a receiving station on a conveyor comprising: a support member; a drive shaft rotatably mounted on and extending from the support member, a servomotor for rotatably driving the drive shaft; a carrier rotatable with the drive shaft, said carrier including a gear segment on a pivot and a cam follower; at least one support shaft rotatable on the carrier substantially parallel to the drive shaft, whereby the support shaft can orbit round the drive shaft; at least one suction cup attached to the support shaft, said suction cup being carried by a cantilever from a bracket secured on one end of a crank arm, the other end of which is pivoted to the support shaft, the bracket being secured to one end of a link arm the other end of which is pivoted to one end of a rocker arm the other end of which is freely rotatable on the drive shaft, such that as the crank arm swings the suction cups are oriented firstly for contact with an article at the discharge opening of the magazine, and secondly as required for passage through the receiving station on the conveyor, a continuous stationary cam track for engaging the cam follower, said cam track being provided on a disc mounted inside a casing forming the carrier along with the gear segment and cam follower, and a pinion secured coaxially to the support shaft and meshing with the gear segment, said pinion, with the support shaft exiting through a sealed bearing, and with the drive shaft passing through the support member and coaxially through the casing via sealed bearings, from a gearbox and motor to the rocker arm, thus effecting driving of the casing through the link arm, the crank arm and the support shaft, whereby the profile of the cam track being such as to act on the gear segment along one part of the track to oscillate the pinion to create a partial path of the at least one suction cup with a node point at the discharge opening of the magazine, and along another part of the track to partially rotate the pinion so as to cause the suction cup to move past the receiving station in the same direction as the conveyor with the article generally parallel to the conveyor.