Patent GB-955715-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to an automatic transfer device for bottles or like articles
IPC: C03B35/12
Filed: 1960-11-15
Abstract: 955,715. Transferring articles from one conveyer to another; gripping devices. P. CATTANEO. Nov. 15, 1960 [Sept. 23, 1960] No. 39155/60. Headings B8A and B8H. Apparatus for transferring simultaneously a number of bottles or like articles from a conveyer belt d, which carries them out from a forming machine, and depositing them on a lehr belt to form a row of articles extending transversely of the lehr, comprises a pair of grippers b carried by a support a which is vertically movable in the end of a horizontal arm e, the latter being longitudinally displaceable with respect to a vertical supporting column f which is rotatable in a base g. A motor Mr is provided on the base g for rotating the column f via a crank mechanism 12, Fig. 16, rack 16 and pinion 17 so that the column f oscillates through a 90 degree arc, and a second motor Mt is provided on a bracket 21 carried by the column f for acting on the arm e via another crank mechanism 26, Fig. 18, to extend and retract the arm, the latter being guided by rollers 28. Limit switches 34, 34<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 9, stop the motor Mt at each of the end positions of the crank mechanism 26 by the engagement therewith of abutments carried by an arm 32 which rotates with the mechanism 26. The support a comprises a bar 38, Fig. 23, carried by a rod 37 which carries a piston 40 operating in a cylinder 41, a notch 37<SP>1</SP> being provided in the rod 37 which co-operates with a bolt 46 to determine one lowered position of the support while an adjustable end stop 48 determines a second further lowered position. The bolt 46 is normally urged inwards to engage the notch 37<SP>1</SP> by a spring 46<SP>1</SP>, but is withdrawn when the arm e is retracted fully by the engagement of an abutment 30 carried by the bracket 21 with a lever 45 mounted pivotally on a bracket carried by the cylinder 41 and connected to the bolt. By the above described arrangement the support a and its associated grippers are arranged to follow a predetermined sequence of movements, under the control of cam-operated valves and switches in a programmer D, Figs. 9 and 31, the cams being driven in synchronism by a motor R. The sequence comprises extension of the arm e to place support a above the belt d, lowering of the support a to the position determined by the notch 37<SP>1</SP>, operation of the grippers carried by support a to grip a number of bottles from the line of bottles o on the belt d, raising of the support a, swinging of the arm e through 90 degrees by rotation of column f, retraction of the arm e, lowering of support a to its second fully lowered position, opening of the grippers to deposit the bottles as a row on the lehr belt, raising of the support a, and finally swinging of the arm e back to its starting position. Gripping devices.-Each gripper comprises at each end 51, Fig. 26, of the bar 38 a cylinder 50 secured by nuts 52, 52<SP>1</SP> and containing a piston 55. A cross-bar is provided at the lower end of the piston-rod having two pins engageable in respective slots 59 in a pair of arms 60 which are pivoted on a common spindle carried by a pair of lugs provided on the cylinder, the lower ends of the arms 60, having resilient pads to engage the bottles. Control circuitry.-There are ten cams C 1 - C 5  and C<SP>1</SP> 1 -C1 5 , Fig. 31, in the programmer D of which cams C 1 , C<SP>1</SP> 1  control valves operating in conjunction so that one supplies air to the cylinders 50 while the other exhausts the air and vice versa, cams C 2 , C<SP>3</SP> 1  and C 3 , C<SP>1</SP> 2  similarly operate in conjunction servo-cylinders 35, 36, cams C 4 , C<SP>1</SP> 4  operate micro-switches controlling respectively via relay r 1  forward and reverse operation of motor Mr, and cams C 5 , C<SP>1</SP> 5  similarly control motor Mt. The servocylinders 35, 36 respectively control shut-off valves V 1 , V 2  in an independent air supply to the cylinder 41 which is exhausted when either of these valves is closed by a slow leak. The cams operate the various associated valves and micro-switches in the sequence desired to produce the sequence of movements of the support a and operations of the grippers described above.