Patent GB-1392402-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for piling board blocks or the like
IPC: B65H15/02
Filed: 1973-01-23
Abstract: 1392402 Apparatus for piling blocks of boards RENGO CO Ltd 23 Jan 1973 [15 March 1972] 3463/73 Heading B8C An apparatus for piling board blocks 9 which are successively fed, lying flat, to the aparatus, comprises a substantially horizontal feed conveyer 1, Fig. 1, for delivering board blocks 9 to an erecting conveyer 2 whose transporting face extends downwardly from the feed conveyer 1 to facilitate the operation of receiving and erecting the blocks 9 substantially vertically from the feed conveyer 1; a transport conveyer 3 for sequentially receiving the blocks 9 erected substantially vertically on the erecting conveyer 2 and delivering them to a discharge end; a reversing gear 4 for rotating and piling the blocks erected and arranged on the transporting conveyer 3; and a discharge conveyer 5 for discharging the blocks piled on the reversing gear. In operation a limit switch 62, Figs. 1, 2 is initially moved by operating a handle 76, Fig. 5, in the feeding direction of the transport conveyer 3 in accordance with the desired height H for piling up the blocks 9, a limit switch 66 is set, longitudinally of the discharge conveyer to a position where it is not blocked by a pile of boards 9 which is at the discharge end of the conveyer 5, and one of a pair of reclining supports 32, carried, substantially equally spaced by the transport convyer 3, is placed at the feeding end of the latter. To commence an operation a push button switch (PB2) of an electrical control circuit, Fig. 6 not shown, is pushed so that blocks 9 of boards are fed from the conveyer 1 and slide successively over a guide plate 13, which is notched at 131 to receive the reclining supports 32, and on to the downwardly-inclined, erecting conveyer 2 where an adjustable plate 27, for aligning one end of the blocks, is located, When a block 9 actuates a limit switch 61 a drive motor for the erecting conveyer 2 is energized so that the latter transports the erected blocks 9 supported thereby, on to the adjacent relining support 32 whereupon a drive motor 35 for the transport conveyer 3 is operated to move the latter forward a step, successive blocks 9 being fed on to the conveyer 3, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1, as the conveyer 3 is stepped forwardly. When a given number of blocks 9 are erected on the transport conveyer 3, as indicated by the limit switch 621 being operated by the leading block 9, the conveyer 3 is operated continuously until the leading block 9 reaches the limit switch 63. Operation of the latter causes a drive motor 47 to be energized so that horizontally extending forks 41 of the reversing gear 4 are rotated from a position below the transport conveyer 3 into a vertical position and simultaneously, vertically-extending base members 42 of the reversing gear 4 are rotated from a vertically-extending position to a horizontal position where they are located below the discharge conveyer 5. In this manner the selected pile of blocks 9 is lifted, by the reversing gear 4, from the transport conveyer 3, and deposited, as a vertical stack, on to the adjacent end of the discharge conveyer 5, the transport conveyer 3 stopping when the reclining support 32, which supported the blocks, reaches a limit switch 64 and the other of the pair of reclining supports 32 is located at the feeding end of the transport conveyer 3 ready for a subsequent piling operation. As the pile of blocks 9 is placed on the conveyer 5 a limit switch 65 is operated to stop the reversing gear motor 47 and energize a motor 56 to operate the discharge conveyer 5. After the vertical stack of boards 9 has completely passed the limit switch 66 as it approaches the discharge end of the conveyer 5 the latter is stopped and the reversing gear 4 is rotated back into its normal position, being switched off when it operates a limit switch 67. The transport conveyer 3 comprises a pair of chains 31, 31 which carry slats surrounded by straps 315, the upper runs of the chains 31, 31 being supported by members 316. The four lower ends of each reclining support 32 are pinned to the respective chains 31, Fig. 3, and carry at each side, pairs of wheels 321, which, to ensure stability, engage between corresponding guiding rods 317, 318 on the supporting members 316, 316. The delivery conveyer 1 is of the roller type; the erecting conveyer 2 comprises four endless belts 21; and the discharge conveyer 5 comprises three slotted endless chains 51, 51, 51, the upper runs of which are supported.