Patent GB-1258494-A (GB)
IPC: B65G1/133
Filed: 1969-05-29
Abstract: 1,258,494. Stacking and conveying articles; feeding electronic components to endless conveyers. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. 29 May, 1969 [19 June, 1968], No. 27176/69. Headings B8A and B8C. In an apparatus for feeding identical small size articles, such as electronic modular circuits 17, in each of the channels 16 of a tray 12 located on an inclined wall 11 of a support 10 each channel 16 is indexed successively below a passage 33 in a gate housing 34, a pivotally mounted toggle gate 35, adapted to block the passage 33, being open so that articles drop down into the channel past a retracted retainer spring 23, and the lower-most article being supported upon a blocking lever 38 which is in its raised position to block the lower end of the channel 16 at some distance above its lower end. The channel 16 is divided by a web 20 into two parallel portions 21, 22, and, when the gate 35 is open and the stack of articles in the channel 16 rises and cuts off the beam of a photo-electric cell 28, 29 sensor, with the blocking lever 38 in a raised position, a control cylinder 42 is actuated to successively cause the toggle gate 33 to block the passage 33 and the blocking lever 38 to be lowered against the action of a spring 44. The articles then drop down and are supported by a retainer spring 31 at the bottom of the channel portion 22, so that the upper two articles fall between the upper spring 23 and the toggle gate 35. When the piston-rod 43 is then lowered a rod 26 of a depressing linkage 25 connected thereto and which projects through an opening in the bottom of the channel portion 21, is withdrawn from abutment with an actuating spring 24 which presses the spring 23 forward into its retaining position. The actuation of the solenoid (66), Fig. 6 (not shown), which controls the control cylinder 42 downward movement to allow filling, of a channel cannot take place unless a tray actuated switch (87) is closed, a manual switch (91) and a switch (89), which is closed when the tray is not being indexed forwardly, are closed, and the light beams to the two photo-cells (28, 79) are obturated for a sufficient time to successively operate timers (75, 82) which close respectively switches (78, 82) in the circuit of the solenoid (66). A solenoid (65) controls an index cylinder 62, which, through a ratchet mechanism 59, 60, Fig. 5, and chain and sprocket drives 47, 54 and 48, 56 indexes the tray forward the width of a channel 16, the circuit to the solenoid (65) being made through a switch (95) which is opened when a tray reaches the end of the support wall 11, and a switch (96) which is closed by the lowered piston-rod 43. Energizing a relay (93), to close a normally open contact (92) when the home index switch (89) is closed due to the rod 61 of the index cylinder 62 being non-operative, is controlled by three parallel circuits one of which includes closed contacts (77), (84) of the timers (75), (82), one the closed loading switch (87), and the third a manual switch (101). When the home index switch contact (99) opens the relay (93) is supplied through a hold circuit comprising a relay (93) and contact (102), a switch (104) breaking the circuit at the end of the indexing stroke to return the piston-rod 61 to its initial position. Indexing is repeated if a tray has not been advanced to the loading position. In a modification, Figs. 7, 8, not shown an electromechanical drive arrangement for indexing the tray 12 replaces the pneumatic indexing cylinder 62 on index solenoid (121) controlling a clutch (116) to connect the drive from an electric motor (110) to a reciprocable arm (120) which carries a pawl (60) associated with a ratchet wheel 59 to rotate the drive shaft 58 of the tray indexing mechanism. The clutch also controls, through a cam wheel (127) and follower (28) and a bell crank lever (131) and crank (131) the downward movement of the blocking lever (38). A solenoid (140) also controls the link 26 for actuating the retaining spring 23.