Patent GB-1467161-A (GB)
Title: Bundle forming apparatus
IPC: B65B27/10
Filed: 1974-03-13
Abstract: 1467161 Bundling elongated articles MORGAN CONSTRUCTION CO 13 March 1974 [30 March 1973] 11211/74 Heading B8C A device for bundling elongated articles, such as rolled bars, includes a transfer table 12 along which groups of bars 14 are fed to an assembly apparatus 18. The loose assembly of bars thus formed is lowered by carrier 36 on to a transfer apparatus 10 provided with a series of chains 62 which encircle the assembly and, when tightened, compress the bars into a densely packed assembly. The densely packed assembly is transferred to strapping apparatus 176, by which straps 188 are wrapped around the assembly at spaced intervals, and then to take-off roller conveyer 24 on to which the strapped assembly is dumped. Transfer table and assembly apparatus.-The transfer table 12 comprises a series of chains 26 which feed the groups of bars to a set of separating rollers 30. The rollers accelerate the bars one at a time down a ramp 32, through an adjustable opening 34 and on to a set of pivoted carriers 36, against which a loose assembly of bars gradually accumulate. When a sufficiently large assembly has been formed, the carriers are pivoted to lower the assembly on to the transfer apparatus. Transfer apparatus.-The transfer apparatus includes a carriage 46 reciprocable by a chain 170 and dog 174 along rails 50 and carrying, at spaced intervals along its length, base structures 52. Each base structure carries a fixed arm 52 and a pivotable arm 56 movable by a crank and lever mechanism (not shown) from a closed position in which it is locked by latches 112, 114 to the fixed arm, to an intermediate position in which it is spaced from the fixed arm by an amount sufficient to facilitate passage of the loose assembly, and an open position in which it is spaced from the fixed arm by a distance sufficient to allow discharge of the strapped assembly. Each arm is provided with idler sheaves 68, 70, 72, 76, 78, 80 over which a chain 62 runs, the ends of the chains being gripped by pins 66 carried by a crosshead 64 reciprocable over the base structure 52 by means of a rack and pinion mechanism 92, 94. The chain is biased downwardly by a pair of light-weight chains 102a, 102b tensioned by a spring loaded retractor 110. In use, the carriage is moved under the assembly apparatus and the pivotable arms are moved to their intermediate positions to enable the slings formed by the chains 62, previously put into the loose condition by movement of the crossheads 64 to the right as viewed in Fig. 3, to receive the loose assembly. When sufficient bars have been received, the carriage is moved along the rails to a position under the strapping apparatus. During this movement the pivotable arms are moved to their closed positions and the crossheads are moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 to tighten the chains 62, and compress the bars into a densely packed cylindrical assembly After strapping, the carriage is further moved along the rails to the take-off conveyer 24. The pivotable arms are moved to their open positions and the chains 62 are slackened by appropriate movement of the crossheads to release the strapped bundle on to the take-off conveyer. Strapping apparatus.-The strapping apparatus 176 includes a pair of strap tracks 178a, 178b, pivotably carried from a carriage movable along rails 184 extending over the transfer carriage. The strap tracks are movable to embrace the assembly of bars carried by the transfer carriage and a strapping head 186 is lowerable into engagement with the strap tracks in this position.