Patent GB-963364-A (GB)
Title: Automatic loading of a lamp capping machine
IPC: H01J9/30
Filed: 1961-12-28
Abstract: 963,364. Conveyers. ASCOT LAMPS & LIGHTING Ltd., and F. W. JEFFERIES. Dec. 28, 1962 [Dec. 28, 1961], No. 46381/61. Heading B8A. [Also in Division H1] A machine for loading a capping machine for electric lamps comprises an indexing carrier with spaced holders for the lamps, which are indexed along an endless path, means being provided to impart an upward displacement to the lamp located at a predetermined indexing position during each period of dwell of the carrier, the cap end being uppermost and free so that it can be received into the capping machine, the means also operating to release the lamp from its holder. The carrier can be loaded by hand or by a transfer mechanism from a machine in which the caps are threaded over the electrodes of the bulb. Fig. 1 shows the layout of a plant for fitting and threading caps on to sealed lamp bulbs and transferring them to a capping machine. The bulbs are fed from a conveyer LC and transferred by a mechanism X (e.g. an oscillating arm) to a threading machine TM of the type described in Specification 961,928, to which pasted caps are fed by a shoot C. After threading the caps are transferred by a mechanism X<SP>1</SP> to the loader L by which they are delivered to the capping machine CM, all the machines being operated in timed relation. The mechanism X<SP>1</SP> consists of a block 60, Fig. 10, carried on a horizontal spindle 61 and supporting two vertical spindles 67 connected by meshing gears 72 and carrying two pairs of jaws 69, 70. The jaws are closed to hold a lamp by a lever on a spindle 74 operated by a cam (not shown) and the spindle 61 is then rotated to swing the block 60 through 180 degrees, a lever 75<SP>1</SP> on the spindle 74 then operating to open the jaws 69, 70, a supporting cup being at the same time located beneath the bulb. The bulb and cap are received in jaws 11, 19 on the loading machine, which consists of four bulb holding heads around a spindle 2, Fig. 3, the heads being successively indexed into positions I (for receiving a lamp), II, III and IV (for delivering the lamp to the capping machine). The jaws 11 engage the wider end of the cap and the jaws 19 the bulbous part of the bulb. Both sets of jaws are urged to closing position by springs and are opened at position IV by rollers 18, 27 on levers 17, 26 on the shafts carrying one of each pair of jaws, the shafts carrying the second jaw in each case being geared to these shafts. A vertically moving shaft 28 carries a bracket 32 supporting two levers 33, 34 movable by connecting-rods 37, 38 from a cam (not shown). The shaft 28 is moved upwards at each indexing motion of the turret and brings bosses 39, 40 connected to the levers 33, 34 into contact with the rollers 18, 27. The upward movement brings the lamp cap into the receiving device of the capping machine and the jaws 11 open. Further upward movement brings the lamp nearly to final position and the jaws 19 open, a bulb supporting cup 43 on the capping machine rising beneath the bulb to move it into final position. The rollers 18, 27 are released by the lowering of the shaft 28 but at the same time encounter the face of a quadrant plate 42 which retains the jaws in open position until the loading position I is reached, part of the quadrant plate being pivoted so that the levers are released and the jaws closed successively.