Patent GB-835407-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to bakery plant
IPC: A21B1/46
Filed: 1955-08-03
Abstract: 835,407. Endless conveyers; rollerways. VICARS Ltd., T. & T. (Petersen Oven Co.). July 20, 1956 [Aug. 3, 1955], No. 22240/55. Class 78 (1). [Also in Group XII] Baking containers are removed from a continuously moving oven conveyer, of the kind comprising trays which are maintained level throughout their movement, by a displaceable platform to which the containers are transferred from the trays and which transfers them to a discharge conveyer, the arrangement being such that the containers remain horizontal during both transfer operations and the intervening travel of the platform. As shown, the conveyer comprises two pairs 20 and 62 of endless roller-carrying chains the former supporting the front ends of the trays by means of cross-bars 28 and the latter supporting the rear ends of the trays in an adjustable manner for levelling purposes. The chains run on guide tracks 24 and 66 respectively. The supporting surface of each tray is made up of a plurality of longitudinal rods 32 bent downwardly at their front ends 34 and upwardly at their rear ends 38, the ends being secured to cross members 36 and 40, respectively. The trays also include side members 46, each provided with a longitudinal slot 46 in which the adjacent end of a transverse discharge rod 56 is slidable. Rod 56 normally rests in a recess formed by the rear ends 38 of the rods 32 and a retaining member 54, but at the discharge point is adapted to be moved forwardly to transfer a baking container from the tray by a pair of arms 134 carried on a transverse shaft 144 slidable longitudinally in the framework. Arms 134 have curved ends 140 to engage extensions 58 of rod 56 and are reciprocated in timed relation with the conveyer by a pair of endless chains 172. Each chain 172 for this purpose comprises a pair of support members 168, 170 to which a slotted plate 164 is secured. The shaft 144 passes through the slots in plates 164 and is supported at each end for longitudinal movement by a roller 146 engaging a guideway 150. In addition the shaft 144 carries at one end a lever 152 on whose end is mounted a roller 154 engaging a guide track 158. At the rear of track 158 a cam surface 160 is provided so that towards the end of their rearward movement the arms 134 are raised clear of the rod 56 of the next following tray. The baking containers are transferred by the arms 134 acting through the rod 56 to a platform 90 consisting of a number of equally spaced rods 92 secured at their ends to a pair of cross members 94, 96. These cross members form two of the four corners of a parallelogram linkage consisting of pairs of links 98, 100 by which the platform is supported from two shafts 102, 104 which form the other two corners of the linkage. Shaft 102 carries a counterweight 126 and a lever 106 linked to a cam follower 122 engaging a cam 124 driven in timed relation with the conveyer. In operation, as the baking container is received on the platform the latter is lowered until the rods 92 pass between the gaps between a series of driven rollers 78 forming the discharge conveyer, to deposit the container on the latter for discharge from the oven. After a pause the platform 90 returns to receive a fresh batch of baking containers from the next tray. As each tray passes beyond the discharge point the discharge rod 56 is returned to the rear of the tray by a stationary cam 179, 180, in readiness for the feeding of a fresh container of unbaked articles to be fed on to the tray. The fresh containers are fed to the trays over a pivoted platform 72 which is oscillated in the vertical plane in timed relation with the passage of the trays.