Patent GB-841777-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for filling containers with an assortment ofarticles
Inventor: MAXFIELD HAROLD
IPC: B65B5/12
Filed: 1957-07-08
Abstract: 841,777. Photo-electric control systems. ELCOM Ltd., F. B. Oct. 8, 1958 [July 8, 1957], No. 21627/57. Class 40(3). [Also in Group XVII]  A machine for filling an assortment of articles into boxes etc. comprises a -number of filling stations, each dispensing one sort of article and each having a pair of magazines one of which discharges articles individually into a box while the other is being charged, the magazines being switched over to maintain an uninterrupted feed. In the described machine, each magazine is a rotatable compartmented drum separately driven and during charging, moved in response to articles being fed to it. During discharge, the relevant drum is controlled by the boxes. The compartments 31 of the drums 29, 30 open radially outwards and are closed by shields 34 when not adjacent the Charging arid discharging positions. Charging magazines. Articles such as wrapped sweets S are fed by a vibratory bowl feeder 1 on to a conveyer 11, a brush 4 ensuring that the articles are not piled one on another. The conveyer 11 is driven through clutch and brake mechanism 7-9 controlled by a solenoid 12. During periods of change-over of feed from one drum to another, the vibrator feed and conveyer 11 are stopped. Discharge from the vibrator on to the conveyer belt is controlled by photo-electric means 16, 17, the latter causing a member 23, Fig. 3, to engage a following article when a preceding article interrupts the light beam in its passage through a transparent guide shoot 13. The member may either press on the article, as shown, or enter the feed path 2 to prevent further progress of articles along the path. The shoot 13 positions articles for entry to one or other of the drums 29, 30 and is operated by a solenoid 15 controlled by change-over mechanism. As each article leaves the shoot it operates photo-electric means 26, 27 to cause the drum being charged to move to present an empty compartment 31. Magazine drive and discharge. Each drum has an indexing wheel 51 located by a pawl 55 pivoted at 56 and movable out of engagement with the wheel by a lever 71. The lever is moved by a solenoid 74 which may be energized either by the photo-electric means 26, 27 or by photoelectric means 37, 38, the latter being operated by boxes passing beneath the filling station on a continuously running conveyer C. Movement of the pawl by the lever causes a switch 79 to energize an impulse motor 52 to rotate the drum on its shaft 50, the pawl meanwhile being held retracted by a lever 59. The wheel 51 carries pins 53 corresponding to the drum compartments and when one of these contacts the lever 59, the pawl is released to engage the next notch 54 in the wheel. The closing of the switch 79 also actuated a solenoid operating pawl and ratchet wheel mechanism turning a cam shaft (one for each drum) the cams operating switches controlling the change-over mechanism, included cessation of article feed during change-over (Figs. 5-7 not shown) and the connection of the solenoid 74 of the particular drum to the relevant photoelectric means. Each drum has thirteen compartments, only ten of which are charged. Each article falls through a common shoot 33 into a box B below, and when the ninth article has left the discharging drum, the drum being charged has received all ten of its articles. The drum movement causing discharge of the tenth article corresponds with a cam movement effecting the change-over and temporary stoppage of the article feed. If the relevant drum has not been fully charged, the conveyer C is halted.