Patent GB-954166-A (GB)
Title: Lamp-sealing apparatus
IPC: H01J5/24
Filed: 1962-12-28
Abstract: 954,166. Sealing mounts to lamp tubes. SYLVANIA ELECTRIC PRODUCTS Inc. Dec. 28, 1962 [Dec. 28, 1961], No. 48944/62. Heading H1J. Lamp mounts are simultaneously sealed into opposite ends of the tube of an elongated lamp e.g. a fluorescent discharge lamp, in a machine in which the tube is horizontally disposed with a mount inserted in each end and fed in continuous motion during sealing, the machine having a pair of spiders supporting the lamp carrying heads, one at least of the spiders being horizontally adjustable so that the machine can be used for tubes of different lengths. Fig. 1 shows one of the spiders 18 supporting a plurality of heads 100 to which the tubes are fed by a tube and inert loader 300 and after sealing are removed by an unloader 400, the heads 100, spiders 18, loaders 300 and unloaders 400 being continuously rotated by a common drive. Spacing adjustment. One of the spiders is caused by a fixed pedestal while the other comprises a pair of upstanding side members 11, Fig. 18, extending from a base plate 13 having depending spaced plates 15 carrying rollers 27 which travel along a bar rail 23 under the action of rollers 21 on a shaft 17 rotated by a sprocket 41 driven by a chain 37 from a hand wheel 29, clamping means 57 being provided to lock the assembly in set position. The heads.-Each head consists of a base plate 104, Fig. 4, and a pair of bearing housings 106, 108. The housing 106 supports a mount for shaft 126, the other end of which is supported within a burner shaft 154 surrounded by a tube chuck shaft 148 mounted on the housing 108. The shaft 154 is fixed, the shafts 126 and 148 being synchronously rotated by gearing driven from a sprocket 124 and being provided with keyways 128, 150 in which are driving dogs 130, 152 so that the shafts can be reciprocated while mounting the driving connection. The shaft 126 carries a pin 198 for receiving a mount 3 and moving this into the mouth of the tube 1 under the action of a cam follower 140. The shaft 154 is moved into and out of heating position by a cam follower 158. The tube chuck shaft 148 has arms 166 carrying fingers 172 for gripping the tube 1 and is reciprocated by the cam follower 158, to bring the fingers into and out of contact with the tube 1. Combustible gases are supplied to the interior of the burner shaft 154 through ports 194 communicating with a cavity 196 in the block 156 which is connected by a flexible pipe to a port in the base plate 104 in register with a bore 50 in the spider 18 registering with a sweep 52 connected by tubing 54 to a valve assembly 56 consisting of a fixed valve plate and a rotatable valve plate in gastight contact therewith. Both plates have parts which come successively into register as the movable valve plate is indexed at a speed such that a continuous flow of gas is maintained from a manifold assembly having gas, air and oxygen supply valves by which the composition and quantity of the gas supply can be regulated. Loading the heads.-The tubes 1 are picked up by carrying members 302, Fig. 23, supported by a pair of endless chains 306 driven by a sprocket 385 and delivered to a pick up part where they are received by the heads 100. Each member 302 consists of a cradle 324 having three arms of different lengths so as to define three V-shaped pockets to receive tubes of different diameters and a pivoted clamping arm 326 spring-urged into contact with the tube, the arm being deflected to receive or release the tube by a tail 330 on the arm engaging cams 386, 387 at the appropriate points in the travel of the chain. During the travel of the tubes mounts are picked up from a supply and fed one into each end of the tube by a reciprocating mechanism, Figs. 19 and 20 (not shown). Unloading the heads.-After travel through the sealing machine, the sealed lamps are received in tube carrying heads 412, Fig. 27, carried by a pair of spaced endless chains 410. Each head consists of a base member 414, a fixed jaw 416 and a pivoted jaw 418 having a tail 424 which opens the jaws to receive the tube when it contacts a fixed cam 426 and again to release the tube when it contacts a fixed cam 428, the tube being received by a conveyer 430. The loading and unloading devices are driven by a chain drive from the driven shaft of the spider 18. A separate drive effects rotation of the heads 100. Specifications 625,409, 751,376 and U.S.A. Specification 2,294,400 are referred to.