Patent GB-448466-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for automatically feeding metal pigs to a melting pot
IPC: B22D35/04
Filed: 1934-12-08
Abstract: 448,466. Endless - chain conveyers and elevators. PIRELLI - GENERAL CABLE WORKS, Ltd., 343, Euston Road, London, and TOBIA, V., 19, Meadow Crescent, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire. Dec. 8, 1934, No. 35366. [Class 78 (i)] Apparatus for automatically feeding metal pigs to a melting pot comprises a belt or like conveyer on which groups of pigs arranged in two or more superposed layers are placed, and a cooperating elevator having one or more cradles which lift the layers one at a time and deliver the pigs on to a delivery device such as a shoot or roller platform. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment in which metal pigs 1, stacked in groups comprising five layers with adjacent layers at right angles, are raised from turntables 2 on an endless-chain conveyer 6 to a roller-way 26 by cradles C on an endlesschain elevator 19. Each cradle comprises members 22, Fig. 3, pivoted at 23 on the elevator and formed with arms 28 bearing extensions 29 which when travelling upwards adjacent the conveyer 6 engage one of a series of cam plates 30 whereby the members 22 are rocked so as to hold the lugs 24 clear of the pigs. At the appropriate moment, the extensions 29 disengage from the cam plates to permit the member 24 to swing inwardly and engage beneath the lugs 25 of the uppermost layer of the group of pigs adjacent the elevator. The extensions 29 of the succeeding cradles engage different sets of cam plates, the lengths of the extensions and their corresponding cam plates being such that the cradles clear all the layers save that which is uppermost in a group for the time being. The spindle 18 of the driving- sprocket 8 of the conveyer is driven intermittently from the continuously-running shaft 12 of the lower elevator-sprocket by gears 13, 14 and a segment 16 gearing with a toothed wheel 17. The turntables 2 are rotated through 90‹ after each layer is removed from a group, by the engagement of a projection 34 thereon, Fig. 4, between a pair of dogs 32 on a disc 31. This disc is driven from a shaft 35, itself driven through bevel gearing from the shaft 12, through worm gearing 36, 37 including a friction drive, rotation of the disc 31 being arrested periodically by an oscillating plunger 46 engaging projections 44, on the disc, the plunger being actuated by a lever co-operating with a cam on the shaft 12. The pigs run off the runway 26 one-by-one under the control of a detent 51, Fig. 1, which is rocked periodically by a crank disc 54 driven from the spindle of the upper elevator sprocket. In a modification in which the elevator, conveyer, and turntables are driven by separate motors, the elevator is provided with one cradle only comprising levers 66, Fig. 9, pivoted on a cross-beam 70 secured to the elevator chain, the cradle, after delivering a layer of pigs on to the runway 26 being returned along the same path to engage another layer. The return movement of the cradle is controlled by a plunger 71, secured to the beam 70 which on engaging the uppermost layer of a group of pigs causes a plunger 76 to engage a frame 78 and operate a switch C<1> to reverse the elevator motor, the extensions 67 on the levers 66 simultaneously engaging beneath the uppermost layer of pigs. After depositing the pigs on the runway 26, the levers 66 are diverted by ramps 81, Fig. 10, to the back of pivoted flaps 83 so that when the elevator is reversed by engagement of a ramp 86, Fig. 9, on the beam 70 with a switch E, the levers are held apart until they are clear of the runway 26, thus preventing them engaging the pigs which have just been deposited and have failed to run down the run-way 26. Rotation of the turntables is controlled by the engagement of a ramp 102 on the beam 70 with a switch D controlling a driving motor, and the intermittent movement of the conveyer is effected by a switch operated by a lever co-operating with the turntable mechanism. When the last table has been emptied, the conveyer and elevator are stopped by a switch which is actuated by a button, roller or the like attached to the last table or to a point on the conveyer-chain in proximity thereto.