Patent GB-194813-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to automatic feeding devices
IPC: A43D33/00
Filed: 1921-12-21
Abstract: 194,813. British United Shoe Machinery Co., Ltd., and Roberts, W. T. B. Dec. 21, 1921. Sheet-separators; pile tables and supports; pusher-feeds for single sheets; carriers. - In a device for feeding articles of sheet stock such as boot soles, heels, &c. one by one from a magazine to a machine such as the grading and evening machine described in Specification 181,838, [Class 31 (i) Cutting and severing machines &c.], the articles are fed from the bottom of a magazine by the reciprocation of two supports, the lower support being provided with pivoted feed-fingers which penetrate the bottom article to a certain extent. The article is pushed past a gate formed of two relatively movable members, the first of which prevents a second article from passing along with the one being fed. The bottom slide is given an initial movement and a final movement which is combined with a lifting movement of the feed-fingers to ensure the article being directed into the bite of the calipering-rolls of the grading-machine. The articles are acted on in the magazine by a presser which is withdrawn after the magazine has been replenished, the pressure of this device being continued during the insertion of new stock. The driving of the feed-devices is controlled by a clutch which is opened automatically and is put into action by the passage of the article, beyond a certain point in the machine. The articles are fed from an adjustable magazine supported on a casting 1 bolted to the evening and grading mach. ine. The. sides of the magazine are simultane. ously adjustable by a right-and-left screw 8. The articles are placed on a slide 2 and are positioned correctly by the aid of a hinged piece 17, Fig. 3, which can be set in either of the positions shown for dealing with left or right soles &c. An adjustable bar 25 with a lower toothed inclined face serves to prevent movement of the articles as the slide 2 moves to the left. The front edges of the article are engaged by a longitudinally adjustable plate 32 and a rod 33 angularly adjustable about a vertical member 35, which is longitudinally ad. justable on one side of the magazine. The separ. ation and feeding of the bottom article from the magazine is effected by the reciprocation of a slide 61 formed with pivoted feed-members 90, Figs. 1 and 4, at its right end, the slide 61 carrying with it for a part of its reciprocating movement a top slide 2 with serrations 101 at its right end upon which the stack is placed. The slide 61 is reciprocated by a link 76 and lever 77 which is given an oscillating motion by mounting it on a crank-pin 78 of a gear wheel 79 geared to a wheel 83 of twice its radius formed with a crank pin 84 with a roller 85 engaging a radial slot 86 in the lower arm of lever 77. To ensure the articles reaching the calipering-rolls 88, 89 of the grading and evening machine, the feed-slide 61 receives first a long feeding movement adapted to advance the work into the bite of the rolls, then a partial return movement, and then a short feeding movement equal to this partial movement. As the slide 61 moves to the left preparatory to a feeding operation, a latch 93 on the slide 2 moves down into the path of a pin 94 on the slide 61, and, as the slide 61 moves to the right, the two slides move together. The pivoted fingers 90 are controlled by a bar 104, Fig. 4, acted on by fixed friction members 105, 106, and are turned clockwise so as not to act on the articles to an extent which is limited by the engagement of sloping surfaces 113 on the fingers with a surface 114 on the bar 104. The feeding-motion of the slide 2 is limited by the engagement of a projection 95 on latch 93 with the casting 1, which frees the latch from pin 94 and the slide 61 then moves to the right, and by the action of a spring 96 moves the slide 2 until the slide 2 is arrested by contact with the casting 1. The spring 96 is then compressed and subsequently assists the movement of the slide 2 to the left. As the slide 61 moves relatively to the slide 2 the fingers 90 are raised further, and the front end of the article is directed accurately into the bite of rolls 88, 89. The gate mechanism, for preventing the feeding of two sheets at a time, comprises a main gate 132 mounted on links 130, normally depressed by springs 137, and formed with an inclined face 133 and with a narrow face which presses on the back of the separated sole. A second gate with a wide bottom 134 is depressed by springs 135, and is controlled by a stop to cause the two surfaces 133, 134 to be at the same level normally. The articles are pressed down by a presser 40, several of which are mounted in carriers 41 which travel around a substantially triangular frame work 42 formed with grooves to receive rollers 44, 45 on the carrier. On the shaft of the rollers 44 is a spring-pressed arm 47 which straddles a chain 49, a pin on which engages recesses in the arm 47 and presses the presser downwards. The chain 49 is intermittently advanced by a ratchet wheel operated from the slide 61, and drives the sprocket wheel 50 through a friction coupling. The presser 40, when it reaches the bottom of the magazine, is withdrawn by a horizontal motion, and so the stack can be built up upon the acting presser without interference with the feed. The presser 40 which is about to come into action is automatically uncoupled from the chain and held by a lever 55, which can be released by a cord 60 when the presser is required to act. The shaft 80 is driven by a clutch which is automatically closed by a wedge-lever 124 connected by a link 121 to a spring-pressed lever 118 moved in a counterclockwise direction to close the clutch when the article 119 under operation has passed the presser 120 of the grading-machine. The clutch is automatically opened at the end of two revolutions of shaft 80 by the action of a pin 127 on gear 79 which depresses the link 121 so as to free the lever 124 from its action. A spring then returns the lever 124 when permitted by a cam 117 on the shaft 82. After a run of work the clutch may be tripped by a hand-lever 124<x>. A gate 140 and locking dog associated with the evening and grading mechanism is fitted to the machine as described in Specification 17808/09, [Class 31 (i), Cutting and severing machines &c.].