Patent GB-645355-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in piling equipment for structural material
IPC: B65G57/18
Filed: 1947-06-11
Abstract: 645,355. Piling layers of girders; conveyers. BIRDSBORO STEEL FOUNDRY & MACHINE CO. June 11, 1947, No. 15432. Convention date, Aug. 10, 1945. [Classes 78 (i) and 78 (iv)] A method of piling structural shapes (i.e. shaped girders) in layers, each layer having a plurality of shapes side-by-side, in which layers of shapes are transferred to the pile in normal position and one or more layers of shapes are transferred to the pile in reversed upside-down position so as to form interspersed interlocking layers, the upside-down shapes being in alignment with but laterally staggered with respect to the shapes in normal position, so that individual upside-down shapes do not lie directly above normal shapes. Figs. 1 and 6. Lay-out.-Shapes arrive from the right along motor-driven rolls 25, are stopped by stop 30, are transferred by reciprocating dogs 31 to endless-belt conveyers 32, slide down inclines 71, and are conveyed by shuffle conveyer 85 to magnetic arm 95. Lifting magnet 130 transfers the shapes in normal position layers straight from arm 95 and builds up a pile 44 and interleaves them with upsidedown layers from star-wheels 122, the layer having been reversed by one back-and-forward movement of magnetic arm 95 and deposited on star-wheel 122. Figs. 3 and 4. Transfer from rolls 25 to endless conveyer 32.-Rocking arm 52 drives operating-bar 60 through spring link 53; the bar 60 being pivotally suspended by links 59 and 59<1> from slide 54 which slides reciprocatingly in guides 55 and which has the two stops shown. Link 59<1> is extended to form pushing dog 31. Rocking of arm 52 causes the dog to project upwards in its leftwards movement to move a shape on to endless conveyer 32 and to be depressed downwards on its return rightwards movement. Fig. 6. Shuffle bar conveyer 85.-After being conveyed from the right by endless conveyer 32 the shapes slide down shoot 71 on to shuffle bars 85. Each bar is fixed at one end by arm 73 or 74 to a crank-shaft 76, and the bars are supported at the other end on rollers reciprocating in slots 81 (not shown). The shapes are moved along the shuffle conveyer and are stopped to await transfer by magnetic arm 95 by stop 92, the latter being urged upwards by a spring 91 inside supports 89 and its vertical movement being limited by side stop 93 working in slot 94. Figs. 6, 10 and 20. Magnetic arm 95.- Consists of arms 95 and 96 which carry magnet 27 fixedly suspended between them and are fixed to shaft 107; which shaft is rocked by power transmitted from motor 108 through gearing 109, crank 112, arm 113, lever 114 and segmental gear 116. When the magnetic arm is in the position shown (Fig. 6) it depresses stop 92 so that the shuffle bars 85 convey the shapes on to the arms 95-96 to form a layer thereon. Magnet 97 is then energized so that the layer of shapes is gripped by the arms, which swing over anticlockwise, the magnet being de-energized to allow the layer of shapes to be deposited upside-down on ribs 122 and stop 92 serving meanwhile to check the flow of shapes leftwards. When the arms swing back clockwise to the position shown the stop 92 is depressed and this allows the next layer of shapes to be formed on the arm 95-96. Lifting magnet 130 is thus able to build up a pile of the layers of shapes at 44 by selecting layers from either of positions 122 or 95 as are suitable to form a stable pile. As shown in Fig. 6, at 44 the pile has been formed of three layers from 95 and a top layer from 122. In Fig. 20 magnet 97 is shown as having one pole at 98 and two opposite poles at 99 and having lugs 103-104 for attachment to the arms 95-96. Fig.18.-Ribs 122 on which the shapes are deposited upside-down are formed as a star, each point of the star having a different set of shaped ribs which can be rotated into position by handle 427 to receive and hold the shapes till they are transferred by lifting magnet 130.