Patent GB-1168589-A (GB)
Title: Transfer conveyor apparatus for candy bars and the like.
IPC: B65G47/244
Filed: 1968-07-01
Abstract: 1,168,589. Endless conveyers. PACKAGE MACHINERY CO. 1 July, 1968 [18 July, 1967], No. 31275/68. Heading B8A. Candy bars 4 in transverse rows on longitudinally spaced endless conveyer belts B, B<SP>1</SP> are transferred on demand by elevators C situated between adjacent ends of the conveyers B, B<SP>1</SP>, to endless conveyers D, E extending transverse of the conevyers B, B<SP>1</SP> and feeding the candy bars in a single line to packaging machines W. The bars 4 are fed to the endless conveyer belt 10 in uniformly uneven transverse rows from an endless conveyer 2. The conveyer 10 is driven at a greater speed than the conveyer 2 to longitudinally space the rows of candy bars, so as to allow the temporary stopping of each row by a stop 20 to transversely align each row. The stop 20 is controlled by a photo-electric scanner EE-3 which detects the leading bar of each row and then initiates a cycle to lower the stop 20 into the path of the candy bars and then raise the same after a delay sufficient for all the bars to abut the stop. Also mounted for movement with the stop are a plurality of fingers 210 pivotally mounted above the conveyer 10 so that candy bars on contacting certain fingers will pivot them upwardly while the fingers adjacent to each side of a candy bar will align the bar longitudinally of the conveyer. At the discharge end of the conveyer 10 a photo-electric scanner EE-2 detects the presence of a row of candy bars and thereby actuates a cycle of a cam 322 (Fig. 4) to lower the elevator C until its upper endless conveyer 30 is in alignment with the conveyer 10 to receive the row of candy bars and then to raise the same to its upper position in alignment with an endless belt 36 extending transverse to the conveyer 10. When the upper belt is in its upper positions, a lower endless belt 32 bridges the gap between the ends of adjacent conveyers 10, 10<SP>1</SP> to transfer succeeding rows of candy for delivery to further packaging machines. The lower conveyer belt 32 is continuously driven from the conveyer 10 and the upper conveyer is driven only in its lower position by engagement between gears 140 and 132. The latter is pivotally mounted at 126 with the aid of a spring 136 and a stop 138 such that as the upper conveyer is raised the gears 140, 132 disengage and vice versa. When the upper conveyer 30 reaches its upper position a limit switch LS2 is tripped to initiate movement of a cam 358 which drives a pusher 34 to transfer the row of candy into a single line formation on the endless belt 36. The movement of the pusher trips a limit switch LS1 which prevents actuation of the elevator and movement of the conveyer 36 until the pusher returns and resets said switch. A plurality of fingers 351 are mounted for movement with the pusher and function similarly to fingers 210. The conveyer 36 feeds a further endless conveyer 40 which in turn feeds an endless belt 50. The latter conveyer 50 is driven at a slower speed than the conveyers 36, 40 to arrange the candy bars in abutting relation. The conveyers 36, 40, 50 are driven from the main conveyer 10. The drive of the conveyer 36 is through a cyclic clutch (360), Fig. 9 (not shown) which cycle is sufficient to clear the conveyer 36 of candy bars or alternatively to clear that portion of the belt in the path of the pusher 34. The drive to the conveyers 40, 50 is through a clutch (610) controlled by article sensing devices to be described. A photo-electric scanner EE-1 detects the candy bars on the conveyer 40 and upon the absence of said bars initiates movement of the conveyer 36 through clutch (360) which in turn trips a limit switch LS-3 to initiate movement of conveyers 40, 50. A low inventory switch LS-4 situated above the conveyer 50 is connected with the scanner EE-1 such that when both of them signal the presence of articles a gate G may be operated to release the candy bars into the packaging machine W. The limit switches and the photo-electric scanners with the exception of EE-3 are connected into a control circuit, Fig. 10 (not shown) whereby to prevent operation of the elevator, the pusher means and the conveyer 36 simultaneously with the operation of the others which immediately precedes or succeeds in the sequence of steps.