Patent GB-1286804-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of tiles
Inventor: MARSHALL LESLIE JAMES
IPC: B65G49/08
Filed: 1968-09-09
Abstract: 1286804 Moulding tiles REDLAND TILES Ltd and L J MARSHALL 22 Aug 1969 [9 Sept 1968] 42883/68 Heading B8A [Also in Division B8] Tiles on pallets 86 (Fig. 5) are fed in a single stream on a conveyer 22 (Fig. 1B) from a tile extrusion machine (not shown) and alternate pallets are lifted by a conveyer 46 thereby forming a pair of slower-moving upper and lower streams of pallets on conveyer belts 101, 102 (Fig. 6). These feed the pallets on to slides 103, 104, with which are associated counters 105, 106. Reciprocating pivoted pushers 113, 114, feed the pallets in groups of five pallets at a time from the slides 103, 104, on to shelves 144 of racks 141 (shown in dot-dash outline in Figs. 6 and 10; also in full lines in Figs. 7-9, not shown). As pallets carrying the green tiles are pushed on to the shelves, they push out pallets carrying cured tiles at the other end of the rack on to two belt conveyers 201, 202 (Figs. 13, 14). The apparatus of Figs. 13, 14 holds up the feed on one conveyer 201 or 202, while it is taking place on the other, and vice versa, to enable the streams of pallets to be reunited in a single stream on a conveyer 208 (Fig. 12). The racks are vertically traversed to present successive shelves to the slides 103, 104, and conveyers 201, 202 by vertical endless conveyer chains 166 carrying rack supporting dogs 169 (Fig. 10, the plane of which is at right-angles to the plane of Figs. 6 and 12). A roller conveyer 151 leading from a curing station (not shown), feeds racks (with pallets carrying cured tiles) to the dogs 169 of the conveyer chains 166. A roller conveyer 179 receives pallets loaded with the green tiles and feeds them away to the curing station. The lifting conveyer 46.-The pallets 86 are conveyed on laterally-spaced endless bands 23, but are also engaged by pushers 40 on a fasterrunning endless chain (37) (Fig. 2A, not shown). This positively determines the spacing of the pallets at the entry to the conveyer 46. This comprises a laterally-spaced pair of endless chains 69 each carrying lifter sections 67. The drive of the chains 69 is synchronized with the chain 37 and pushers 40 so that respective lifter sections 67 on the inner opposed runs of the two chains 69 converge successively to grip alternate pallets and carry them along an upwardly inclined path. Each lifter section comprises plates 75, 76 (Fig. 5), secured to each link 73 of chain 69. The plate 75 co-operates with the flanges of a chain guide 74 on the straight runs of the chain between its return sprockets 65, 66 (Figs. 3 and 4, not shown). As the chain passes around the sprockets 65, (66), the plates 75 engage peripheral recesses in guide-wheels 71, 71. Each plate 76 carries a horizontal plate 81, which carries pallet supports 84, 84 (each capped with resilient material) and a resilient roller 82 on an axle 83. The lifter sections are also each supported by a respective resilient roller 78 on a track 79. The various dimensions are such that the lifter sections grip the pallets between them and their outward thrust on the chains 69 is borne by chain support members 89, adjustable at 91. The feed to the racking shelves.-The pushers 113, 144, are carried by respective square cross-section beams 109, 109a, the diagonals of the latter are vertical so that they are supported for longitudinal reciprocatory movement between respective groups of horizontal and vertical V-rimmed pulleys 111. Each beam 109 is connected by linkage 119, 122, to a shaft 123 connected to micro-switches 133, 140, 134. The switch 133 controls the drive of the racking converyer chains 166. The switch 134 is connected to the controls of a motor 108. The switch 140 operates to reset a logic gate. The latter is fed by signals from the counters 105, 106. The latter also control respectively, motors 106, 107, which drive the conveyers 101, 102. In operation, when five pallets have been fed on both slides 103, 104, past the counters 105, 106, the motors 106, 107 are stopped, and the motor 108 is operated. This both causes reciprocation of the two pushers 113, 114, so as to feed each batch of five pallets on to the shelves, and rotates a member 130 which operates the switches 133, 134, 140. The pallet racking machine.-The racks of pallets of cured tiles on the roller conveyer 151 successively engage under the shoulder of a pointed head 176 on the end of an extended pneumatic piston of a cylinder 174. The piston is retracted so as to feed the rack into position in engagement with the racking conveyer chains 166. The rack engages a buffer 149 which then extends the piston 175 and head 176 so as to engage the next arriving rack. The rack which has just arrived on the chains 166 is initially supported by the rack immediately below until projections 145 of the just-arrived rack are engaged by the dogs 169 of the chains 166. In their downward path, the racks are guided by rollers 172. As each rack has its cured tiles discharged, and is fed with green tiles, as above described, it is stepped down until it engages a roller platform 183. A drive motor 156 of the chains 166 is started by the switch 133 (Fig. 6), and it is stopped by the action of a switch 171 operated by a pin-wheel (164) (Fig. 11, not shown) on the drive-shaft (158) of the chains 166. The switch 171 also starts the conveyers 101, 102 (Fig. 6). The roller platform 183 deflects under the weight of the rack so as to bring about the operation of a valve controlling a pneumatic ram 188 which discharges the rack on to the conveyer 179. Re-combining the pallets on conveyers 201, 202, to a single stream 208 (Fig. 12).-This is effected by a member 207 which connects conveyer 201 with conveyer 208, but which is lifted up by the action of pallets on the conveyer 202 so as to enable these to proceed on to the conveyer 208. It is thus necessary to hold back a pallet on the conveyer 201 when one is proceeding on the conveyer 202 and vice versa. This is brought about by the action of a pair of combined stop and feeler members 199, 200 (Fig. 14), respective to the conveyers 201, 202. These are connected by linkages 214, 215, to cam members 225, 226. When one of the cam members is lifted by the action of a pallet lifting the respective stop/ feeler member 199 or 200, it deflects a pivotally mounted plate 228. The latter is then in a position in which it effectively blocks the linkage of the other stop/feeler member which thus stops the pallet on the other conveyer.