Patent GB-607707-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in distributing apparatus for loading articles on to a conveyor
IPC: B65G69/00
Filed: 1945-10-19
Abstract: 607,707. Conveyers; shoots. SOC. ANON. DES MANUFACTURES DES GLACES ET PRODUITS CHIMIQUES DE ST.-GOBAIN, CHAUNY, & CIREY. Oct. 19, 1945, No. 27567. Convention date, Dec. 17, 1943. [Class 78 (i)] In apparatus for loading articles supplied at a regular rate on to a conveyer and positioning them thereon in accordance with a predetermined scheme, the means for delivering the articles has imparted to it movements along and transverse to the direction of travel of the conveyer, the ratio of these movements being such that any predetermined scheme may be obtained which is variable at the wish of the user. The apparatus is described in connection with the transfer of glass articles from an automatic forming machine to the endless belt of a lehr. Articles pass from a forming machine 1, Fig. 12, to an elevator 2 which delivers them on to an endless belt 3a. A similar belt 3b conveys them from the belt 3a to a shoot 4. Each article comes to rest on an L-shaped member 9a, 9b forming the foot of the shoot which is pivoted and is rocked to deposit the article on the belt 7. The article is displaced from the base 9b by a pusher 11 and is maintained upright during transfer by a fork 12 movable about, an axis 13. The shoot 4 is suspended by parallel links 21 from the transverse member of a supporting arm 22 which is oscillated about a vertical axis 14. The shoot is connected also by an articulated arm 19 carrying a roller 18 to a cam 15 which is rotatable about an axis, 16. Transverse flaps 24, 25, 26 are provided in the shoot to slow down the articles and time their arrival at the foot. Articles pass to the shoot from the belt 3b through a funnel 27, Fig. 14, and two parallel spring blades 28, connection being ensured between the funnel and conveyer during the longitudinal movement of the shoot by a braid 29 tensioned by a weight 30. The elevator 2, Fig. 17, comprises a pair of parallel endless chains 39 connected' by buckets 40. Each bucket receives an article from basket 41 when the latter is swung to the position shown in dotted lines by the engagement of a tappet 43 on the chain with an arm 44 on a shaft which is connected by chain-and-sprocket mechanism to the shaft carrying the basket. A counterweight 47 returns the basket to initial position when the arm 44 is released. Each article passes down a shoot 48 to the belt 3a. In a modification (not shown) each bucket is comb-shaped and picks up the article from a similarly shaped basket. The driving and control mechanism, which is operated by compressed air, is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 15. The flaps 24, 26 and the member 9a, 9b are connected by links 63 to a disc 62 which is oscillated by a double piston 60, 61 working in a cylinder 59 to which compressed air is supplied by pipes 57, 58. The fork 12 and flap 25 are connected to the disc by links 64. Communication between the pipes 57, 58 and the main supply 54 is made at intervals by a main valve 53 which is actuated by an electromagnetic pulsator 55, 56. The valve 53 controls also a pneumatic cylinder 65, the pistonrod 67 of which oscillates a crank 68. This crank is connected by a rod 70 to a pawlcarrying member 71 mounted on the spindle 75 of a ratchet wheel 73. The connection 74 between the parts 68, 70 is adjustable to vary the amplitude of the movement of the wheel 73. The spindle 75 is connected to shafts 79, 80 by worm gearing 76, 77, 78. Gears 81, 82 mounted loosely on the shafts 79, 80 oscillate a toothed sector 83 on the shaft 14, a clutch (not shown) being provided for engaging alternately one of the gears 81, 82 with one of the shafts 79, 80. At each end of its oscillation the sector 83 actuates one of the valves 84, 85 controlling communication between pipes 86, 87 and branch pipes 90, 91 leading from the pipe 89. Pipes 86, 87 lead to opposite sides of a valve 88 and are so controlled that air from the pipe 89 is admitted to either end of the valve to displace it and establish communication between an auxiliary supply 92 of compressed air and either end of a cylinder 94 in which works a double piston 93. The lever 17, which oscillates the cam 15, is pivoted to the piston 93 between its ends. At each end of the travel of this lever it actuates one of the valves 95, 96, which are supplied with compressed air through pipes 97, 98, to supply compressed air to either of the cylinders 99, 100. The pistons of these cylinders control the engagement of the gears 81, 82 to cause reversal of the movement of the shoot when the cam has completed its movement.