Patent GB-745209-A (GB)
Title: Automatic machine for filling cases with containers
IPC: B65B21/18
Filed: 1952-12-23
Abstract: 745,209. Endless conveyers; gripping devices for handling bottles. OKULITCH, G. J., ZOZULIN, I., HANDBERG, C., and FALCK, G. Dec. 23, 1952 [Dec. 26, 1951], No. 32654/52. Classes 78 (1) and 78 (4). [Also in Group XVII] In a machine for filling cases with containers, e.g. bottles, containers are conveyer fed on to a platform beneath a loading head 60 and three switches 19 are closed by levers 14 which are normally pivoted forwardly by weights on arms 18 but which are pushed back by the leading containers when a group made up of three rows is in position. The switches 19 complete the circuit of an electromagnet 20, and a gate 38 is raised behind the group which is then allowed to spread slightly by levers 14 being permitted to move back. The electromagnet 20 also actuates a valve to admit air to a cylinder 51 thus actuating a piston connected to a bar 61 which by arms 62 and shafts 63 operates gripping members each consisting of a rod 65a on a finger 65 and a pivoted bifurcated finger 64 with a rod 64a, each container in the group being raised slightly by the rods 64a, 65a engaging beneath annular projections on the neck of the container, Fig. 5. The valve also admits air to a cylinder 50 of which the piston and connecting-rod 52 are connected to a lever 53, 53a which moves the loading carriage 57 carrying the loading head 60 horizontally. Removal of the containers permits the levers 14 to swing forwardly, the electromagnet 20 is de-energized and an electromagnet 71 is energized by the closing of a switch 70. A clutch 73 on a driven shaft 74 is thus operated and a crank disc 80 on the shaft 74 is rotated. An elevator 58 which slidably carries the loading carriage is thus caused to drop and the containers are released into a case 83. A catch 85 of a bell-crank safety lever 84 engages a lug 86 on the loading carriage when the carriage is retracted and prevents it from accidentally moving outwardly when the elevator 58 is not in its uppermost position. The release of the containers from the grippers is effected by tripping the valve which controls the cylinder 51; tripping this valve also reverses the operation of the cylinder 50 which thus projects the carriage 57 outwardly over the container conveyer but this operation is delayed until the carriage moves back to its upper position and the catch 85 is released. The outward movement of the carriage actuates a link mechanism of the gate 38 which drops and permits more containers to be moved beneath the loading head. The case conveyer is of the endless chain type and a case stop roller 94 projects into the path of a case which is stopped beneath the elevator. After the case is loaded, a cam on the disc 80, by means of an arm 97 and connection rod 100, causes an arm 94a carrying roller 94 to rock outwardly and the case is allowed to move forward, the roller 94 engaging the side of the case and then dropping back to stop the next empty case. The cases are spaced by two dogs 111, 112, Fig. 8, which are raised and lowered on a shaft 113 rotated by a shaft 102 rocked by the connecting-rod 100. The cases are positioned laterally on the conveyer by oppositely disposed horizontal bars 125, 126 linked by levers 122, 123, bar 125 being given a small lateral movement by a vertical shaft 119 and a cam 117 on the shaft 74 acting on a lever 118.