Patent GB-821545-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to bakery conveyor systems
IPC: A21C15/04
Filed: 1955-11-09
Abstract: 821,545. Conveyers. VICARS Ltd., T. & T. (Petersen Oven Co.). Nov. 9, 1955, No. 31983/55. Class 78 (1). In a bakery system including a continuously driven feed conveyer and two take-away conveyers having their head ends disposed in vertically spaced apart relation for delivering bread loaves to two separate, combination slicer-wrapper machines, a separately driven switch conveyer is interposed between the feed and take-away conveyers and is pivoted adjacent the discharge end of the feed conveyer with its opposite end vertically swingable to register with the head end of either of the takeaway conveyers and there is provided for swinging the switch conveyer mechanical means which is controlled by means associated with the slicer-wrapping machines in dependence upon which of the two slicer-wrapper machines is automatically or manually selected for operation. As shown, the system comprises two feeding conveyers 14, 15 leading from twin outlets of a cooler 12, the terminal ends of which are superposed, two switch conveyers 18a, 18b, the frames 53 of which are pivoted adjacent the respective terminal ends of conveyers 14, 15, and three takeaway conveyers 21, 22, 23 having their entry ends superposed and leading via arcuate conveyer sections 21a, 22a, 23a, and transverse conveyer sections 25, 26, 27 to respective slicing and wrapping machines 30a, 31a, 32a and 30b, 31b, 32b respectively. Each switch conveyer comprises an endless belt 45 composed of linked rods and running over pairs of sprockets 46 carried on shafts 51, 54 in the frame 53, the shaft 51 being extended to form the pivot for frame 53, being journalled in bearings carried by columns 50. Separate motors 59, 63 drive the shafts 51, each motor being carried by a rearwardly extending structure secured to the respective frame 53 so as to partially counterbalance the weight of the associated conveyer. Each frame 53 carries a cross-bar 76, that on the upper frame co-operating with stops 71, 72 while that on the lower frame co-operates with stops 73, 74, to limit swinging movement of the frames. The frames tend to rest in their lower positions so that the delivery ends of the switch conveyers are respectively in register with conveyers 22 and 23. Fluid-pressure cylinders 80 and 85 act respectively through yokes 82 and 87 on the two frames to raise both frames, or the upper frame only to the raised position, providing two further registering combinations of the conveyers, so that loaves may be delivered to any two of the three conveyers 21, 22, 23. The cylinders are controlled by valve gear designed to prevent both switch conveyers being simultaneously put in register with conveyer 22. The valve gear is in turn controlled electrically by the slicing and wrapping machines, two of which are operating simultaneously while one is a stand-by, the arrangement being such that when the standby machine is brought into service in place of one of the operating machines the switch conveyers are appropriately re-adjusted. To facilitate transfer between the various conveyers, transfer rollers 92 are mounted on the ends of the frames 53 and between the conveyers 14, 15 and the switch conveyers and are driven from shafts 54 and the terminal shafts of conveyers 14, 15 respectively, by chain gearing. In order that the switch conveyers may be adjusted while no loaves are being carried by them, the control of the valve gear is delayed until a gap occurs in the supply of loaves, which corresponds to the interval between arrival of the cooler trays at the position at which they are caused to deposit loaves on to the feed conveyers 14, 15. During this delay interval loaves are fed to the stopped machine. To avoid this, and also to safeguard against jamming of a machine, each of the transverse conveyers 25, 26, 27 comprises a conveyer belt 101 over which a pivoted deflector 114 is adapted to be swung by a fluidpressure cylinder 117 controlled by stoppage of the associated machine. Loaves are thereby diverted down a curved shoot 120 on to a collector conveyer 40 which passes below all three transverse conveyers and delivers these loaves to a sorting table 41, for recirculation, if undamaged. Specification 819,285 is referred to.