Patent GB-1210925-A (GB)
Title: Brick stacker
IPC: B65B35/50
Filed: 1967-11-23
Abstract: 1,210,925. Stacking-apparatus; grippers for bricks, feeding sheets. PEARNE & LACY MACHINE CO. Inc. 23 Nov., 1967 [14 Feb., 1967], No. 53409/67. Headings B8C, B8H and B8R. A machine for stacking articles, e.g. bricks, comprises a gathering means operable to form a line of abutting, aligned articles, a platform beside the gathering means, a transfer means operable to move a row of articles in a horizontal line from said line of articles to the platform, and means to move the platform to a position below the horizontal line after the transfer means has placed the row of articles thereon. The stacks, which may have separator boards between brick rows and apertures for lift forks formed by omitting bricks, are bound by a tying machine (not described). Operation.-Bricks are carried along a conveyer 10 to form a row 52 against a stop member (39), Fig. 5 (not shown), at a stacking station 11, Fig. 1. When the force against the stop member indicates that the row is of at least sufficient length, a signal enables transfer grippers 12 to operate to grip the row 52 and move it laterally to a position above a platform 13, the level of which is just below the bricks. The row is dropped on to the platform which is then automatically lowered by the height of the bricks. This position may be determined by a photo-cell device. The grippers now retract to engage a further row of bricks, during which time a board 14 may be lifted from a hopper 16 by an actuator 18 and deposited on the stack of bricks on the platform 13. When a complete stack has been formed, the platform 13 is at the same level as the bottom of a shuttle car 19, into which the stack is now moved by a pusher 21. While the platform is being raised and a further stack formed, the shuttle car moves along rails 22 into the line of a conveyer 23 on to which the stack is pushed by a further pusher 24, enabling the stack to be transported to a strapping machine (not described). Two or more stacking machines may deliver stacks on to the same conveyer, the pusher 24 being movable away from the conveyer. Transfer grippers.-When a row of bricks 52, Fig. 6, has been assembled on the conveyer 10, it is gripped between a pad 53, located on a flange 51, and a resilient tubular element 54, carried on a swinging frame 56 mounted in turn on a frame 47 by links 57. The element 54 is brought into the gripping position by retracting a piston 58, and the retraction of a further piston 46 firstly brings the pad 53 into engagement with the bricks and then causes the row to slide across a table 68 to a position above the previously stacked row 69. Extending piston 58 releases the row 52, and another piston 49 is now retracted to raise the grippers above the bricks. By the action of piston 46, the grippers are returned by way of position 47 ready for a further cycle. If it is desired to leave spaces in a row of the stack, a piston 64 is operated to raise two doors 62 (see also Fig. 5 (not shown) in the flange 51. When these doors are thus opened, four bricks in the row are not gripped by the pad 53 and are held back by raised stops 72. Insertion of separator boards.-In forming a stack, spaces are normally left in the row next to the bottom row, and above this a veneer board 14 is inserted, Fig. 1. Chip boards 17 are positioned between other rows in the stack. The boards 14, 17 are held in separate piles in the hopper 16, which can be reciprocated by means of links 81 so that one pile or the other is beneath the actuator 18. The boards are pushed upwards by pistons 86 into contact with a suction nozzle 87 on telescoping tubes 93, 94, Fig. 7, and when suction is applied to a port 101, a valve 98 opens and the top board 17 is gripped by the nozzle 87. The vacuum then causes the portion 94 to rise clear of the hopper and also causes a piston-rod 91 to extend to carry the board to the stack on the platform 13. A stop 106 holds the piston 91 back if the gripper 12 is in the way. When the piston is extended, pressure is applied at the port 101, causing the assembly to release the board and reurn to its original position. Discharge of stacks.-In the case of two or more machines delivering stacks to the same conveyer system, stacks from the further machine move along a conveyer 26, Fig. 1, and across a conveyer section 27 which is carried by the shuttle car 19 and is therefore moved away when the car takes up the discharge position. In this position, the stack is pushed from the car on to conveyer 23 by the pusher 24 mounted on a carriage 118 which is driven by one of the motors 116, 119. The motor 116 is low speedhigh thrust and is used for single machine delivery, but when more than one machine is in use the higher speed motor 119 is used initially.