Patent GB-316035-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in apparatus for sorting sheet material according to thickness
IPC: B07C5/02
Filed: 1928-08-24
Abstract: 316,035. Rayner, G. F., (Harding Engineering Co.). Aug. 24, 1928. Separating and sorting gauges.- Sheet material such as hides is sorted according to thickness by means of a rack provided with a series of compartments, which rack is' positioned according to the thickness of the hide being dealt with to receive automatically the hide in the appropriate compartment. The skin or hide 136 travels through the machine, Fig. 1, from right to left, first, under a gauging device 12 the thickness being indicated on a mechanism 11. The gauging device, Fig. 19, comprises rollers 12 suspended in pairs from an arm 142 adjustably suspended in turn from a weighted beam 146 working on a fulcrum 147 the angular movement about which is transmitted by quadrant and pinion 149, 150 to a pointer 152 running over a scale of average thickness. A sprocket wheel 103 is geared by chain 102 and other gear to a vertical shaft 87 which positions one or other of vertically movable members 90 attached to the shaft. As soon as the shaft 87 starts to move, a contact 106 engages a segment 105 and closes the circuit of a motor 80 which through gears 86, 83 moves a rack 85 and the frame upwards until the bracket 91 engages the positioned arm 90 when the shaft 87 is lifted until the bracket 82 meets the bracket 88, the gears 86, 83 being moved out of engagement with the pinion 81 and contacts 106, 105 broken. The frame 78 is now at rest with the selected shelf opposite the conveyer. A second contact in the circuit of the motor is also broken. The hide after gauging is printed or stamped with the size by the mechanism 13 and moves on to a conveyer frame 21. This supports endless belts 26 driven from the gauging machine through a toothed gear 28. The frame 21 together with the conveyers is mounted to slide in a support 14, the frame being provided with racks 24 adapted to be driven through gearing from a motor 63. A roller 119 carried on an arm 118 on the shaft 72 normally lies with its periphery in the plane of the top surface of the machine as shown in full lines in Fig. 20. When a hide passes under the roller the latter is first lifted into position c, and the arm 124 also on shaft 72 is moved to the position d. It then drops, and an arm 120 bridges contacts 122, 123 and makes the circuit of a solenoid 70 which moves the plunger armature 66 down to engage the clutch device 57. This connects the shaft 54 to the constantly rotating motor 63. The contacts 126, 127 are made later, but as the contacts 131, 132 are broken after the arm 130 begins to rotate the circuit of the solenoid 129 is not completed. This is completed on contacts 131, 132 being made at the completion of a revolution of the shaft 54, the plunger 128 rocking the shaft 72 to bring the roller 119 back to normal. The gears are chosen so that when the clutch member 66 is moved out of engagement with the member 57 by the solenoid 70, the gear 53 will rotate gear 49. One revolution of the shaft 54 will cause the frame 21 to move its full travel to the left in position over the selected shelf. The laterally extending bars 27 form teeth which slip under a pawl during this movement. At the extreme end a clutch is moved to reverse the gear and as the frame 21 is moved to the right, Fig. 1, the pawl holds the extension 27 it engages and the conveyer delivers the skin on to the shelf.