Patent GB-894824-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyor assemblies comprising a roller slat conveyorand diverter mechanism
Inventor: SYKES THOMAS ROBERT
IPC: B65G47/54
Filed: 1958-05-05
Abstract: 894,824. Endless conveyers. TORONTO STAR Ltd. May 5, 1958, No. 14311/58. Class 78 (1). Bundles of newspapers 1 carried by an endless in-feed conveyer 2 comprising an endless series of load-supporting rollers 3 carried between a pair of endless chains 4 are diverted laterally of the conveyer by apparatus comprising a stop plate 16 or other means to arrest a bundle in diverting position, a reciprocating push plate 22 for diverting the bundle, and a further stop or other means for interrupting the feed of following bundles while the bundle is being diverted and until the push plate is in a position to divert a following bundle. In one embodiment, Figs. 1 and 2, the conveyer 2 delivers each bundle in turn over a driven roller 17 on to a platform comprising a number of rollers 15 where it is arrested by the stop plate 16. Two out-feed conveyers 13, 14 similar to conveyer 2 extend at right angles to the latter in opposite directions away from the platform to receive diverted bundles. A driven roller 30 is disposed between each of these conveyers and the platform. A pair of stops 20 which can be projected or retracted by fluidpressure cylinders 21 are arranged in a position to stop a following bundle. The push plate 22 is reciprocated by another fluid-pressure cylinder (not shown) through its pistonrod 26, the plate 22 being mounted on a cross - head guided on rods 24. A brake shoe 18 is movable by a further fluid-pressure cylinder 19 into and out of engagement with the underside of the load-supporting rollers of conveyer 2 as they approach the platform. An electro-pneumatic control circuit is provided to control the operation of the various cylinders and includes a pressuresensitive switch 27 operated by a bundle on the platform, switches operated at the opposite extremes of movement of the push plate 22, and a selector switch 29 manually settable to one of three positions, viz., a middle position in which successive bundles are delivered alternately to the two out-feed conveyers 13, 14, a left-hand position in which each bundle is delivered to the conveyer 13, and a right-hand position in which each bundle is delivered to conveyer 14. In operation, the brake shoe 18 is normally in engagement with the undersides of the rollers of conveyer 2 so that the leading bundle is accelerated away from a following bundle on to the platform and against the stop plate 16 to operate switch 27. This causes operation of cylinders 21 to raise the stops 20 and also operation of cylinder 19 to lower the brake shoe device so that a following bundle is stopped. A shuttle valve is also operated to cause push plate 22 to move over to its other end position and deliver the bundle on the platform to one of the conveyers 13, 14, If the control switch 29 is in its middle position the plate 22 remains in its other end position, the stops 20 are lowered and the brake shoe 18 raised to deliver a following bundle to the platform for delivery to the other of the two conveyers 13, 14. If the control switch 29 is in either end position the plate 22 is returned automatically to the appropriate side before a following bundle is delivered to the platform. In a second embodiment, Fig. 7, two in-feed conveyers similar to conveyer 2 deliver bundles from opposite sides to a platform comprising rollers 36 over intermediate driven rollers 37. Retractable members 49L and 49R which are projected or retracted by cylinders 50L, 50R respectively are provided as back stops and feed interrupting of following bundles is effected on the two conveyers by upper brake shoes 40L, 40R engageable with the upper surfaces of the rollers of the respective conveyers by operation of cylinders (not shown). Brake shoes 38L, 38R operated by further cylinders 39L, 39R are engageable with the lower surfaces of the rollers of the respective conveyers. A push plate 43 is mounted on a cross-head 41 slidable on rods 42 and operable by a piston-rod 45 of a cylinder (not shown). The various cylinders are operated through an electro-pneumatic control circuit including feeler switches 47L, 47R adjacent the back stops and further switches which are operated by the cross-head 41 at its limit positions. In addition feelers 51L, 51R over the respective infeed conveyers operate switches 52L, 52R respectively when a bundle passes them. In operation, the back stops 49L, 49R are normally raised. When a bundle engages a feeler 51L or 51R the appropriate back stop 49L or 49R is lowered to allow the bundle to be moved on to the platform and the respective lower brake shoe is raised into engagement with the conveyer rollers whilst the respective upper brake shoe is raised out of engagement with the conveyer rollers, so that the bundle is accelerated on to the platform and arrested by the other back stop. In this position the bundle closes the appropriate switch 47L or 47R which raises the lowered back stop, returns the brake shoes to the position shown in which the upper brake shoes engage the upper surfaces of the conveyer rollers to form a stationary table preventing feed of a following bundle, and operates the push plate 43 to deliver the bundle on the platform. When the push plate 43 has returned ready to deliver a subsequent bundle it prepares the control circuit for feeding a further bundle. The circuit is so arranged that if a further bundle is waiting in contact with the feeler 51L or 51R at the same conveyer as that from which the previous feed occurred this bundle is now fed to the platform even if a bundle is waiting on the other conveyer in contact with the other feeler, the latter bundle being fed to the platform only when a gap occurs in the supply of bundles on the conveyer from which a bundle was originally fed to the platform. In a further embodiment, Fig. 11, there are provided two in-feed conveyers 72L, 72R and two out-feed conveyers 73L, 73R. The arrangement of back stops, brake shoes, feelers and switches is the same as that of the previous embodiment, the control circuit being generally similar but incorporating a selector switch W similar to the switch 29 of the first embodiment and settable manually to determine whether successive bundles will be diverted to alternate out-feed conveyers, or to one, or to the other of the out-feed conveyers. In addition, there is provided a manuallyoperated switch N<SP>1</SP> operable to cut out the control circuit, to cause a normally inoperative driving belt (Fig. 14, not shown) to be moved into engagement with the rollers 75 of the platform, and to drive both the conveyers 72L and 72R in the same direction so as to provide a through feed of bundles without diversion. In a further embodiment, Fig. 18, the arrangement is generally similar to the previous embodiment, but the vertically reciprocating back stops are replaced by sets of rollers 140 mounted on bars 141 which depend from respective transverse spindles 123L, 123R. The spindles are manually swingable by levers 124L, 124R respectively so that one set of rollers can be raised to horizontal position to allow feed of bundles from that side, the feelers over the in-feed conveyers being therefore omitted. The upper and lower brake shoes associated with each in-feed conveyer are mechanically linked so that they can be operated simultaneously by one cylinder, the upper brake shoe, e.g. 132L, being raised from contact with the upper surfaces of the conveyer rollers whilst the corresponding lower brake shoe 121L is simultaneously raised into contact with the conveyer rollers and vice-versa. The push plate 110 is mounted on a cross-head 111 above the platform, the cross-head being reciprocated by a cylinder 114. Switches 131L, 131R are operated by the cross-head at the ends of its movement, and switches 126L, 126R are operated by cams on the spindles 123L, 123R respectively when these are rotated manually, these switches being effective to start the diversion cycle. A selector switch 136 for selecting whether the bundles are delivered to one or other or both of the out-feed conveyers 116, 117 is also provided. In a modification, Fig. 20, the platform comprising rollers 144 is mounted, together with the push plate assembly 147 and vertically sliding back stops 149L, 149R, on a vertically reciprocating ram 145 so that diversion of the bundles mav be effected at a higher level than that of the in-feed conveyers 142L, 142R. Specifications 870,483 and 894,825 are referred to.