Patent GB-748063-A (GB)
Title: Conveyor system for advancing and dividing a series of articles to form groups and for further advancing the groups
Inventor: HATCH CHARLES THATCHER
IPC: A21C15/00
Filed: 1954-05-20
Abstract: 748,063. Conveyers. UNION STEEL PRODUCTS CO. May 20, 1954, No. 14808/54. Class 78 (1). Successive groups of articles are delivered to different ones of a plurality of delivery conveyers 18A, 18B, 18C, having their receiving ends in spaced relation, by a selector conveyer 13 swingable into register with each of the delivery conveyers in turn, control means being provided to swing the selector conveyer in timed relation with the passing of the groups from a first conveyer 10 to the selector conveyer, whereby the first conveyer is stopped while swinging of the selector conveyer is being effected. As shown, batches of loaves are periodically tipped from a cooler 1 on to an intermittently driven conveyer belt 3 from which they pass via slightly slower continuously driven belts 6, 7 and 8 to the first conveyer 10. Each delivery belt feeds the loaves via a slower belt 28A, 28B or 28C to a slicing machine 29A, 29B or 29C. Belts 3 and 10 are intermittently driven in timed relation to tilting of the trays 2 by interposing in their drives electromagnetic clutches 5, 12 respectively, the current to which is cut off by relays 65, 72, Fig. 7, for a time interval determined by a delay relay 69, whenever switch 59 is closed by a passing tray. Switch 59 also controls the movements of the selector conveyer 13 through a relay 77, as explained below. Conveyer 13 consists of a succession of interlinked transverse rods and has its framework 38 pivoted at 39, being raised and lowered to its various registering positions by a double-acting cylinder 24 whose pistonrod 23 is pivoted to framework 38. Fluid is supplied to the two ends of cylinder 24 under control of respective valves 52, 52A controlled as described below. As loaves pass along conveyer 13, they are straightened, if askew, by a hanging curtain 43. In each of its registering positions prongs 45, 46 on the delivery end of framework 38 and on the feed end of the delivery conveyer framework respectively mate in interdigital relationship to facilitate transfer of the loaves, and also a switch 53A, 53B or 53C is actuated. Each time relay 77 is actuated, swinging movement of conveyer 13 is initiated, the direction and extent of which is controlled by the switches 53A, 53B, 53C in conjunction with a settable sequence control switch 57 which consists of a number of ganged rotary switches. Fig. 7 shows four ganged switches 92A, 92B, 92C, 92D which provides control for any desired sequence of movements with respect to four delivery conveyers 18, whereas for the three conveyers 18 shown, only switches 92A and 92C will be operative. The switches 53A, 53B and 53C are two-pole, two-way switches and consist of the pairs of switches 94 and 95, 96 and 97, 98 and 99, the switches 100 and 101 being for a fourth delivery conveyer, when used. Fig. 7 shows the circuit when conveyer 13 is in its lowest position: Relay 77 is arranged to actuate " up " control relay 80 or " down " control relay 86 depending on the positions of switches 95-101, actuation of one relay automatically preventing actuation of the other.. Thus as shown, switches 96, 98, 100 are all closed so that " up " control relay 80 is actuated to energize solenoid 83 of valve 52A so that conveyer 13 moves up to its intermediate position where it actuates switch 53B so that switches 96 and 97 are opened, stopping the movement. By the selection of switch 92A, however, a thermionic delay switch 102 is actuated through contact 108 of switch 96 and bridges the opened contacts of switch 96 so that at the next actuation of switch 59 another upward movement takes place. At the highest position switches 98 and 99 are opened, the contacts of the latter, however, being shorted. As switch 95 was closed when conveyer 13 left its lowest position, a circuit is now completed when switch 59 is again actuated to the " down " control relay 86 which energizes solenoid 90 of valve 52. The circuit is broken by the opening of switch 97 at the intermediate position. The subsequent motion is now determined by the selection of switch 92C. In this case the corresponding thermionic delay switch 114 is not actuated while thermionic delay switch 102 can again be actuated so that the movement again reverses and on further successive actuations of switch 59 conveyer 13 oscillates between the intermediate and highest positions. Other sequences of movement are determined by altering the settings of switches 92A-92D. If No. 8 position is selected, conveyer 13 does not stop at the intermediate position going down, but continues in a single movement to the lowest position since thermionic switch 114 was actuated through contact 110 of switch 99 when conveyer 13 was in the upper position and its filament remains hot a sufficient time for it still to bridge contacts 97 when these open. This causes the loaves to be distributed equally between the three delivery conveyers.