Patent GB-326902-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to means for collecting and arranging biscuits or other articles
IPC: B65B23/12
Filed: 1929-01-03
Abstract: 326,902. Macfarlane, R. F., Prescott, W. E., and Baker Perkins, Ltd. Jan. 3, 1929. Adjustably supporting endless-belt conveyers; discharging - devices ; driving - gear; casings; stationary cleaners ; tensioning; guards and shields to prevent falling-off and spilling.-In a machine for collecting and arranging biscuits in which the biscuits are caused to travel in single file, or in several files, to form rows which subsequently are displaced from the file in a direction transverse to its direction of movement, the head of the main column of biscuits is arrested while the movement of the row is continued to separate it from the main column. Biscuits delivered from a machine such as a creaming or sandwich forming machine described in Specification 313,017, [Class 28 (i), Bread-making &c.], pass down a shoot 10 on to an endless belt conveyer 12 travelling in a channel formed by fixed and adjustable rails 13, 14, Fig. 2. Preferably the conveyer is narrower than the width of the biscuit and mav be mounted for lateral adjustment. Any tendency of the column of biscuits to buckle is prevented by a rail 20, Fig. 3, placed above the channel and adjustably mounted in supports 21. The conveyer extends across a platform 22 supported above a conveyer 23 on which batch plates are carried. The conveyer 23 is given intermittent motion by a ratchet and pawl device 24 actuated bv a hand lever 25 so that at each step a batch plate is moved forward the width of a biscuit and eventually successive rows of biscuits are arranged one behind the other on the tray in close order. The biscuits are transferred from the conveyer 12 by a pusher 27 comprising a frame having a vertical wall 28 which forms an extension of the rail 13 and is of the same length as a row of biscuits. A displaceable guide wall 29 is arranged opposite to the wall 28 at a distance from it equal to the width of the channel, and is so mounted that when the pusher is given a reciprocation to displace the biscuits from the line of the file, it is raised to give the biscuits, free passage. A rock-shaft, 30 pivoted to the frame of the machine is connected by an arm 32 and link 33 to the lever 25. A pair of brackets 36 mounted on the pusher 27 are connected by links 35 to a pair of levers 34 coupled to the rockshaft. The wall 29 is mounted adjustably on arms 39 depending from a secondary rock-shaft 38 carried by the brackets 36. The shafts 30, 38 are coupled by links 40, 41, 42. A rail 46 which acts in a similar manner to the rail 20 is suspended by light wire arms 45 from the brackets 36. A channel member 52 fits on the end of the wall 14 and carries a spindle 49 on which is mounted a blade 48 in such a manner that when actuated by a finger 50 and Bowden wire control 51, it prevents the movement of the biscuits along the channel. A transverse stop member 53 displaceable by a Bowden control 54 is mounted displaceably on the pusher guide 37 to arrest the movement of the biscuits fed across the platform. The controls 51, 54 are attached to levers 55, 56 mounted on the lever 25. The pusher 27 is formed by a central portion having telescopic end pieces 57 connected by links 58 to a rotatable plate 59, the parts being slotted and provided with wing-nuts 60<1> for locking the parts in their adjusted position. The tension of the band 12 is varied bv adjusting screws 63 associated with the idler pulley 60. Lateral adjustment of the band 12 is effected by adjusting the spindle 64 of the pulley 60 by a screwed spindle 66 and double armed lever 65. The lever 65 is fitted on a rockshaft 67 which extends through the machine and is provided with a forked lever engaging a groove on the driving pulley so that lateral movements of each supporting pulley are effected simultaneously. The lower run of the conveyer may be supported by a vertically adjustable member 69 which may be provided with a scraper 70' for cleaning the band. In a modification the pusher may comprise a bar 71, Fig. 7, mounted on a pair of slidable rods 72 and'carrying two adjustable end plates 74 and a fixed central plate 75. The joins between the plates are covered by thin plates 76. The adjustable end plate 75 is bent at right angles to form a support for the stop 53. Adjustment of the end plates is effected by a screwed rod 78 engaging nuts 79 on the plates and provided with a milled head 80 operating in a fork 81 mounted on the bar 71. The displaceable wall 29 is carried by bent screwed rods 82 which are mounted adjustably on a rock-shaft 83 pivoted in a bearing secured to the bar 71. Arms 85 fixed on the ends of the rock-shaft carrv rollers 86 which engage cam surfaces 87. Upwardly extending arms 88, Fig. 6, support wires 89 to which a guard rail 90 is attached. The pusher is reciprocated by a shaft 92 seated in a forked member 93 secured to the rods 72. The ends of the shaft are pivotally mounted in levers 94 connected to the lever 25 by a link 95. The apparatus may be actuated automatically by providing adjacent to the stop a detector finger carried by the pusher which is adapted to be raised by the first of the advancing row of biscuits when it is about to meet the stop. The raising of the finger establishes an electric circuit which may be arranged directly to actuate electromagnetic means for applying the brake and setting back the stop, or it may introduce through a switch a relay current suitable to perform these functions. Batch plates may be fed to the conveyer, automatically from a hopper by the engagement of fingers on the conveyer with the bottom batch plate in the hopper.