Patent GB-823869-A (GB)
Title: Automatic control mechanism for use with article feeding apparatus
IPC: B65B35/02
Filed: 1956-11-16
Abstract: 823,869. Endless conveyers. WRIGLEY CO., W. Nov. 16, 1956 [Dec. 30, 1955], No. 35070/56. Class 78 (1). [Also in Group II] Slabs 42 of chewing gum stacked in a hopper 17 are fed one by one by a reciprocating pusher 25 on to a surface 43 along which they are pushed in a direction transverse to that in which they were fed by the pusher 25 by pushers 26 on an endless chain 27, separate feeler members being arranged above the respective paths of movement of the slabs during the two pushing movements such that while allowing normal slabs to pass beneath them they are engaged by a bent or damaged slab and caused to operate means to switch off the drive to both the pusher 25 and endless chain 27. The slabs are pushed in a direction transverse to their lengths by the pusher 25 which slides along the bottom surface 40 of the hopper 17, and are pushed in the direction of their lengths for delivery to breaking rollers 18, 19, 20 and 22 by the pushers 26. One feeler member consists of a bar 74 spaced above the floor 40 of the hopper sufficiently to allow a normal slab to pass beneath, and the other consists of a bar 30 similarly disposed above surface 43. The bar 30 has a sloping upper surface 66 such that slabs bent upwardly during delivery by the pusher 25 are deflected upwardly out of the way if they have not actuated the feeler bar 74. Switches 28 and 29 for actuation by raising of the bars 30, 74, respectively, are connected in series in the circuit of the driving motor of the apparatus and are normally closed. For this purpose the bar 30 is pivoted at its forward end 50 and carries at its rear end a plate 54 having depending fingers 56 and 57, the former resting against a stop whilst the latter rests on the operating lever 58 of switch 29 to maintain the latter closed. When a bent slab has raised the bar 30 and switched off the drive the damaged slab can be cleared by raising the bar 30 manually into the vertical chain-line position, in which it is held by detent mechanism. The bar 74 is mounted on the ends of a pair of levers 72 secured to a shaft 70. Shoes 78 mounted at intervals along the bar 74 co-operate with a sloping wall 39 of the hopper in causing the slabs to arrange themselves in an inclined stack formation towards the bottom of the hopper 17. Projections 75 on the levers 72 co-operate with stops 76 to limit downward movement of the bar 74. When bar 74 is moved upwardly by a damaged slab the movement is transmitted to shaft 70 on which are mounted a pair of levers 80 connected by links 83 to levers 85 mounted on a shaft 86. Also mounted on shaft 86 is a lever 94 having a handle 92 which is moved by the damaged slab into the position 92a in which the lower end 96 of lever 94 has released the operating lever 110 of switch 28 to open the latter and switch off the drive. In moving to the position 92a the end 96 has depressed a spring-loaded roller 97 which prevents return of the lever 94 until manually-operated by the handle 92. In the position 92b of this handle the levers 32 carrying the bar 74 are moved to an out-of-the-way position 32b to allow removal of the damaged slab. Specification 733,375, [Group II], is referred to.