A conveyor device for parts through machines for the washing thereof

Abstract: A conveyor device for parts (1) through machines for the washing thereof, which comprises a conveyor belt (2) for said parts, on both sides of which there are disposed respective endless chains (3) of an articulated link type, which rotate synchronously around respective pairs of sprockets (5) associated with a gear (10) and transmission bar unit (11,12), there being opposedly disposed at least one first pair of front retaining stop members (7) which hold a part (1) when said part abuts said pair of retaining stop members (7), and at least one second pair of rear retaining stop members (8) which retain said part when the links to which the rear retaining stop members (8) are attached have just passed beyond the first pair of sprockets (5), such that the part is held by both pairs of retaining stop members (7,8) on the conveyor belt (2), throughout the whole of its passage through the interior of the washing machine.

Description: Technical field.- The present invention relates to a conveyor device for parts, particularly applicable to the conveyance of lightweight machined parts through washing machines, in which said parts are successively subjected to operations of immersion in washing liquid vats and/or solid material blasting and hot air jet drying. The conveyor device comprises a conveyor belt for said parts, provided with a continuous feed movement, on both sides of which there are disposed respective endless chains of which the paths lie in a horizontal plane, the chains being of a conventional articulated link type at a slightly higher level, which rotate synchronously around respective pair of sprockets associated with a gear and transmission bar unit, driven by a motor means providing the sprockets with an intermittent movement, there being opposedly disposed at least one first pair of front retaining stop members, attached to respective links of said chains and adapted to hold a part by the front leading portion of the part, when said part abuts said pair of retaining stop members, just after the links to which the front retaining stop members are attached have passed beyond the first pair of sprockets, and at least one second pair of rear retaining stop members, adapted in turn to retain said part by the trailing end of the part, when the links to which the rear retaining stop members are attached have just passed beyond the first pair of sprockets. Prior art.- Machines for washing machined parts are well known. Said parts are conveyed through the interior of such machines by various systems, the most used among which are those formed by two pairs of step by step feed bars. All these systems provide for the intermittent feed of the parts and the halting thereof in front of washing liquid jet stations, and hot air jet drying stations. When dealing with relatively lightweight parts, unless there is an adequate retaining system for them in front of each washing and/or drying station, the action of the jets may even dislodge the part, which may become misplaced in the feed system and make the washing inoperative, since the jets do not coincide with the locations of the part to be washed. The USA Patent No. 3,454,142 describes a positive straigt line article conveying mechanism suitable for conveying a plurality of bottles, including an article conveyor, article controlling means associated with said conveyor on opposite sides thereof and contactable with an article being conveyed on the conveyor for controlling the alignment and disposition thereof, means for driving said conveyor and said article controlling means in synchronism. This mechanism provides a good lateral conveying control of articles and is suitable to certain applications, but it presents some disadvantages in the case of conveyed articles which are to be controlled to avoid vertical movements of them, for example in the case of these articles should be subjected to the action of washing machines . Brief description of the invention.- Starting from the mechanism described in USA Patent No. 3,454,142 as it can be seen in the preamble of the independent claim of the present invention, the device in question allows all the aforesaid drawbacks to be overcome and thereby to achieve safe, reliable conveyance of lightweight parts along the inside of washing machines, without undesirable movements thereof, causing deficient washing. The device of the present invention is characterised in that said first and second pairs of retaining stop members are adapted to hold a part by the upper portion of the part, in such a way that the part is held by both pairs of retaining stop members on the conveyor belt, during the whole of its passage through the inside of the washing machine, after which the part remains deposited on the conveyor belt, but released from the grip of the retaining stop members from the time when the links to which said retaining stop members are attached start to move successively in front of said second pair of sprockets. According to an optional feature of the invention, above the conveyor belt and below the trajectory of the lower surface of the retaining stop members, there are disposed two lateral longitudinal guide members, adapted to prevent undesired lateral movements of the parts before they are retained by the retaining stop members. According to a further optional feature of the invention, each of the chain sprockets is associated with a gearbox, the gearboxes being coupled together by corresponding shafts and transmission bars, for intermittent synchronised movement thereof. Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the forward portion of the chains and of the conveyor belt; Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the overall device of the invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ensemble of Figure 2. Best method of embodying the invention In the drawings it may be seen that the conveyor device of the invention, applicable to the conveyance of lightweight parts 1 through parts washing machines, comprises a conveyor belt 2 on both sides of which at a slightly higher level there are disposed respective endless chains 3, of conventional type having mutually articulated links 4. Said chains 3 rotate around respective pairs of sprockets 5, associated to a gear and transmission bar unit driven by drive means 6, providing them with an intermittent movement. On the chains 3 there are disposed opposedly a plurality of pairs of front retaining stop members 7, fixedly attached to certain links 4 of said chains 3, with each of said pairs being adapted to retain a part 1 by the front upper leading portion thereof when said part 1 abuts said pair of stop members 7, after the links 4 to which the stop members 7 are attached have just moved beyond the first pair of sprockets 5. In the same way, a like number of pairs of rear retaining stop members 8 are provided, with each being adapted to retain in turn a part 1 by the rear portion and upper trailing edge thereof, when the links 4 to which the retaining stop members 8 are attached have just passed beyond the first pair of sprockets 5. Each part 1 is thus retained by a pair of front retaining stop members 7 and by a further pair of rear retaining stop members 8 on the conveyor belt 2, throughout the whole of its passage through the washing machine. At the end of such passage the part 1 remains on the conveyor belt 2, but released from retention by the retaining stop members 7 and 8, from the time when the links 4 to which said stops 7 and 8 start to pass succes sively by the second pair of sprockets 5. Above the conveyor belt 2 and below the path of the lower surface of the retaining stop members 7 and 8 (Figure 2) there are disposed two longitudinal lateral guides 9, adapted to prevent undesired lateral movements of the parts 1, before these are retained by the front retaining stop members 7. Each of the sprockets 5 of the chains 3 is associated with a gearbox 10, the four gearboxes 10 being coupled together by corresponding shafts 11 and transmission bars 12, to obtain synchronised intermittent movement thereof. Having sufficiently described the nature of the invention, as well as the way of reducing it to practice, it is declared that everything which does not alter, change or modify the scope of the claims, may be subject to variations of detail.

Claims: A conveyor device for parts through machines for the washing thereof, particularly applicable to the conveyance of lightweight machined parts (1) through washing machines, in which said parts are successively subjected to operations of immersion in stirred washing liquid vats, washing liquid jets and/or solid material blasting and drying by hot air jets, the conveyor device comprising a conveyor belt (2) for said parts, on both sides of which there are disposed respective endless chains (3) of which the paths lie in a horizontal plane, the chains being of a conventional articulated link type at a slightly higher level, which rotate synchronously around respective pairs of sprockets (5) associated with a gear and transmission bar unit, driven by a motor means (6) providing the sprockets with an intermittent movement, there being opposedly disposed at least one first pair of front retaining stop members (7), attached to respective links (4) of said chains and adapted to hold a part by the front leading portion of the part, when said part abuts said pair of retaining stop members, just after the links to which the front retaining stop members are attached have passed beyond the first pair of sprockets, and at least one second pair of rear retaining stop members (8), adapted in turn to retain said part by the trailing end of the part, when the links to which the rear retaining stop members are attached have just passed beyond the first pair of sprockets, characterised in that the conveyor belt (2) is provided with a continuous feed movement, and in that said first and second pairs of retaining stop members are adapted to hold a part by the upper portion of the part, and in that the stop members (8) are fixedly attached to the links, in such a way that the part is held by both pairs of retaining stop members on the conveyor belt, during the whole of its passage through the inside of the washing machine, after which the part remains deposited on the conveyor belt, but released from the grip of the retaining stop members from the time when the links to which said retaining stop members are attached start to move successively in front of said second pair of sprockets. The device of claim 1, characterised in that above the conveyor belt and below the path of the lower surface of the front and rear retaining stop members there are disposed two longitudinal lateral guides (9), adapted to prevent undesired lateral movements of the parts, before these are retained by the retaining stop members. The device of claim 1, characterised in that each of the sprockets of the chains is associated with a gearbox (10), the four gearboxes being coupled together by corresponding shafts (11) and transmission bars (12) for synchronised intermittent movement thereof.

Inventors: AGULLO NEGUI MIGUEL, AGULLO NEGUI, MIGUEL
Applicants: AGULLO ING, INGENIERIA AGULLO, S.A.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65G15
IPC codes: B65G49, B65G21, B65G37, B65G17