Patent GB-966359-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for feeding articles
IPC: H01J9/46
Filed: 1963-03-20
Abstract: 966,359. Endless conveyers. SYLVANIA ELECTRIC PRODUCTS Inc. March 20, 1963 [March 27, 1962], No. 11093/63. Heading B8A. [Also in Division H1] An apparatus for transferring lamp filaments 1 sequentially to a position where they are received in hooked wires 3 of a lamp stem 5 comprises a pair of endless conveyer chains 38 supporting between them filament carriers 40 and mounted on pairs of sprockets 42, 44, the shafts 43, 54 of which are mounted on a slide 12 reciprocable relative to the conveyer supporting frame 10, and a spring-loaded pawl 74 over which the chains 38 pass during the advancing movement of the slide 12 but which engages the chains on the return stroke of the slide and causes the chains to index around the sprockets to deposit the filament in the hooks 3a. Reciprocation of the slide 12 is effected by means of a cam 34 which via a rocket arm 28 and connecting rod 26 causes a bell-crank lever 22 to displace a block 16 secured to the slide 12, against a pair of springs 20. A pair of rods 18 secured at one end to the block 16 pass axially through the springs and extend through the bracket 10. The forward sprocket shaft 43 is mounted in a yoke 46 attached to one end of the slide 12 whereas the rear sprocket shaft 54 is mounted in a pair of spaced brackets 52 which are in turn mounted on a pair of rods 50 slidably disposed and spring loaded in a rod housing 48 attached to the other end of the slide 12. The filaments 1 are carried in transverse grooves in the carriers 40 and are maintained central, transversely, by means of filament positioning plates 62, 64 which extend along each side of the upper run of the carriers 40. These positioning plates close together to engage the filaments periodically under the action of a cam and lever arrangements, Fig. 5 (not shown), and incorporate return springs. The final positioning of the filament 1 in the hooks 3a is effected by means of fingers 174a provided on filament centering arms 174. The latter, which are slidably mounted on U-shaped back jaws 180, move towards each other and the filament therebetween, under the action of springs 182 once a pair of centering levers 166 are moved under the action of cams towards the filament and disengaged from back jaw pins 176. The back jaws 180 are secured to a back jaw bracket 142 to which the centering levers 166 are pivotally connected. The back jaw bracket 142 is pivoted with, and adjustably coupled to a pivot bracket 140 which when the action of a bar cam 126 pivots the back jaws 180 into a position where the fingers 174a are in alignment with the filament 1 and where plates 180a projecting from the jaws 180 engage the lamp stems 3. The bar cam 126 and the centering lever operating cams are mounted on a shaft 120 which reciprocates vertically under the action of a further cam arrangement. Clamping of the hooks 3a about the filament 1 is effected by a pair of clamping heads 184 which are mounted on clamping head arms 186. The latter are slidably mounted to either side of the filament conveyer and are moved forward to clamp the hooks 3a against the plates 180a, by means of a lever 208 adjustably connected to each arm 186 and operated through a lever, rod and cam arrangement 204, 202, 198 and 192. In one cycle of operation, commencing with the conveyer slide 12 fully retracted, the fingers 174a fully apart, and the back jaw plates 180a and clamping heads 184 spaced from the lamp stems 3, the filament positioning plates 62, 64 close together to centre the filament. Upon the plates 62, 64 opening, the slide 12 fully advances and then partially retracts to index the chains 38 around their sprockets until the carrier 40 is holding the filament 1 between the hooks of the lamp stems 3. The slide 12 then remains stationary while the back jaw plates 180a and the filament positioning fingers 174a are moved into the position shown in Fig. 14, after which the heads 184 are advanced and clamp the stem hooks 3a around the ends of the filament. Following this, the clamping heads 184, plates 180a and fingers 174a all retract as the slide 12 is fully retracted, causing a further index of the chains 38 which lowers the filament carrier 40 away from the clamped filament 1. Specification 639,048 is referred to.