Patent GB-1258492-A (GB)
IPC: B65B43/44
Filed: 1969-05-28
Abstract: 1,258,492. Packing apparatus. SEYMOUR FOODS Inc. 28 May, 1969, No. 27033/69. Heading B8C. A dispensing apparatus for containers, for example egg cartons and filler flats, which are arranged in a nested stack C comprises a magazine 18 for receiving the stack of the containers on edge with means for advancing the stack as the containers are removed, one by one, from the forward end, and a device 20 for gripping successive endmost containers and withdrawing the same by a forward then downward movement to position the container generally horizontal on to a conveyer 17 for forwarding to a packing station or other processing equipment. After the first carton has been removed by the dispensing head 20 the stack is stepped forward along the bottom plate 32 of the magazine by a pusher 65 which is slidably mounted on horizontal frame bars 36 and carries a pair of downwardly biased-friction pads 71 on a cross bar 66. The pads 71 co-operate with bars 40, 40<SP>1</SP> which extend in recesses 41, 41<SP>1</SP> in the bottom plate 32, and which are mounted at their opposite ends, by means of angle brackets 43, on eccentrics 42, 42 carried on cross shafts 44, 45 journalled in sides frame plates 33, 33<SP>1</SP> of the machine and connected by a chain 46. The shaft 44 is connected to a drive shaft 30 through a slip clutch 59 and a chain 51 to provide a four motion movement to the shoes 40, 40<SP>1</SP> and impart a forward movement to the pusher 65. Arms 82, 83 on a shaft 84, pivoted between side plates 73, 74 of the dispensing device 20, have slots 80, 81 which are engaged by the ends of a shaft 76<SP>1</SP> which extends through "L"- and "T"- shaped slots 78, 77 respectively in the plates 73, 74 and which has adjustably secured thereto a centre plate 90 which carries two pairs of arms 95 having slots 100 in their outer ends adapted to engage behind the side of the foremost egg carton. The arms 95 in each pair are urged towards each other by a spring 98 and, when the plate 90 is moved from a horizontal position above the conveyer 16 to a vertical position by an arm 60, connected between one arm 82 and a lever 57 connected to the shaft 44, each pair of arms 95 is first pushed together as the arms engage the angled portions 103 of link plate members 103 adjacent each plate 73, 74. The members 103 are then urged away from the stack C as they swing about pivots 105 against the action of leaf springs 37 so that inwardly extending retaining members 112 on the members 103 move outwardly of the stack and allow the side edges of the leading carton to be engaged in the slots 100 of the arms 95 as the shaft 76 begins to move back horizontally in the cam slots 77, 78, and the arms 95 move toward each other. As the retracting movement of the head 20 continues the members 103 move toward each other so that the retaining members 112 move against the rim of the next leading container, the head assembly 20, which includes the shaft 76, centre plate 90 and arms 75, being turned downwardly through an angle of 90 degrees by means of a radially extending-arm 115 adjacent the support plate 73. The arm 115 has a cam roller 116 which operates in the upper portion of the "T"-shaped slot 78 and has a cam forming finger extension 118 which engages a cam member 120 mounted on the plate. The container is released from the head unit 20 as the arms engage abutments on the conveyer 16 and are spread apart. The conveyer 17 comprises a chain 17 which extends upwardly through a recess 134 in a table 16, carries spaced pusher members 135, and passes around a sprocket 131 which has a group of fine pins 136, 137 which extend parallel to the drive shaft 30. The sprocket 131 is combined with a slip clutch 138 and a co-operating holding mechanism for engaging the pins 136, 137 and advancing the cartons a distance either between two rows of egg receiving cells, or to advance the carton to a loading station. Alternatively, the cartons can be advanced in properly spaced relation. The holding mechanism, Fig. 11, comprises a plate 139 which is mounted on a shaft 140 rockable by cam mechanism (151, 152), Fig. 13 (not shown), and which has a slot 142 which receives a pin 143 on a bell crank 144 which is pivoted at 145 on the plate 139 and is connected to a manual pull rod 147. The latter, when pulled, causes the pin 143 to co-operate only with two longer pins 136 in the set carried by the sprocket 131 so that the conveyer 17 is set to handle cartons. When the pin 143 is moved to the other end of the slot 142 the conveyer is set to handle filler flats. The power shaft 30 is driven by a motor 155 and the rotation of the shaft 49, is controlled by a notched disc 55 adapted to be engaged by a dog 56 controlled by a solenoid 56<SP>1</SP>. A modified form of the container dispensing apparatus is also described with respect to Figs. 14-22, not shown, and which may be employed for feeding cellular cartons, either moulded on chipboard, or filler flats, to a packing machine, or packing line