Patent GB-694453-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for transferring tubular articles from one machine to another
IPC: H01J9/24
Filed: 1950-12-08
Abstract: 694,453. Making tubular electric tamps. SYLVANIA ELECTRIC PRODUCTS, Inc. Dec. 8, 1950 [Dec. 29, 1949], No. 30147/50. Class 39(ii) Apparatus for transferring a. tubular electric lamp from a sealing machine 30, Fig. 1, to a conveyer 37 comprises an arm 1 which is secured on a rotatable vertical shaft 6 and provided at its outer end with a pair of tube-gripping jaws 8, 10, the operation being such that the arm is swung to and fro between the sealing-machine and the conveyer to take a tube 36 from the automatically opened jaws 35 of the sealing machine and place it within automatically opened jaws 40, 41 cf the conveyer 37, which comprises an endless chain 38. The transfer arm 1 is formed by two pairs of arms 2, 3 which are secured to two split blocks 4, 5, Fig. 4 (not shown) clamped together one on each side of the shaft 6, the outer ends of the arms being inter-connected by a vertical plate 7, Fig. 3 shaped to provide upper and lower bearings for a vertical shaft 9 to which a lamp-holding jaw 8 is fixed. The jaw 10 co-operating with jaw 8 is pivoted within shanks in the latter and drawn towards it by a tensioned spring. Vertical reciprocating movement is imparted to the shaft 6 at predetermined intervals by means such as an hydraulic cylinder device 14, 15, Fig. 2, the shaft being. guided by brackets 16, 17 in a back plate 8. The upper end of the shaft is provided with a lateral nose or projection 19 which extends through a helical slot 20 in a long cylindrical sleeve 21 with a collar 22 secured rigidly on its lower end and connected by links 24, 25 to a vertical shaft 23 that can be partially rotated by a cam-operated lever 26 at its lower end a roller at the end of the lever being held in contact with the face of a . cam 28 by a tensioned spring 66. With the arm 1 in the position shown in Fig. 1, vertical movement of the shaft 6 produces anticlockwise movement of the arm, due to the nose on the shaft moving upwardly in the helical slot 20. Before the arm arrives adjacent to the sealing turret 30, however, the jaws 8, 10 are swung around on their mounting pivot 9 into a position at right angles to the arm 1 to facilitate their contact with a lamp tube in the turret jaws as the latter are opened by means associated with the turret, which may be of the kind described in Specification 625,409. The rotation of the jaw mounting is effected by a disc 45 which is coaxial with and secured on the pivot 9 and operated by a crossed 'flexible metal band 46 passing around a larger disc 44 mounted loosely on the shaft 6. The disc 44 has a vertical pin 47, Figs. 3 and 5, extending upwardly between shanks 48, 49 on a pair of adjacent discs 50, 51 likewise mounted loosely on shaft 6, the shanks being provided with rollers 57, 58 respectively which bear on either side of a vertical guide rail 59 on the back plate 18. Since the transfer arm 1 is fixed on the shaft 6 and the disc 44 is free thereon, the counter-clockwise movement of the arm effects a displacement thereof relative to the disc 44, which is held stationary by the pin 47 thereon being located between the shanks 48, 49 of discs 50, 51, with the result 'that the metal band 46 also moves in a counter clockwise direction and rotates the disc 45. This rotates the pivot 9 secured to the disc 45 and also the jaws 8, 10 carried on mounting secured to the pivot. The rotation of the jaw mounting is limited by a stop 12 thereon abutting against the supporting plate 7, this occurring shortly before the jaws 8 and 10 engage the lamp 36, so that rotation of disc 45 on shaft 9 is also arrested. Continuing rotary movement of arm 1 produces, therefore, rotation of disc 44 due to further movement of the flexible band 46, and this rotation of the disc causes the vertical pin 47 thereon to displace disc 50 counter clockwise and distend the spring 52. The jaws 8, 10 move into engagement with the lamp and grip it while it is being released by the turret jaws, and the arm 1 is lifted upwardly by further vertical movement of shaft 6, the cam nose at this stage being within a straight vertical end portion of the cam slot 20. While thus lifted. the lamp is moved a short distance outwardly free from possible engagement with the parts of the sealing machine, this movement being effected by the cam 28 becoming operative to turn the vertical shaft 23 and, through the links 25, 24 turning the collar 22 and the cylindrical cam 21 in a clockwise direction. A corresponding rotary movement of the vertical shaft 6 and arm 1 is thereby produced, after which the hydraulic device 14, 15 initiates downward movement of shaft 6 and consequential clockwise movement of the arm 1 and the lamp carried by it towards the conveyer 37. On arrival at the conveyer the jaws 8, 10 have been moved on their pivot 9 through 180 degrees relative to their position while at the sealing turret 30. The driving mechanism of the conveyer is regulated so that a head 39 is located at the lamp-receiving station when the transfer arm 1 arrives with a lamp, whereupon a movable jaw 41 on the conveyer is opened by a roller 42 striking a rearward extension of the jaw and, after the insertion of the lamp against an angle plate 40 the jaw 41 is released and closes upon the lamp tube under the action of a tensioned spring. The return of the arm 1 is initiated and completed as already described with reference to the turret 30. Lost motion of the transfer arm 1 is taken up by a tensioned spring 56 connected between the plate 7 and a collar 53 mounted on a sleeve 54 on the shaft 6.