Patent GB-674001-A (GB)
Title: Arrangements for feeding trays from a stack to a receiving station
IPC: A23G7/00
Filed: 1949-10-17
Abstract: 674,001. Endless chain conveyers. CURRIE MANUFACTURING CO. Oct. 17, 1949. [Dec. 11, 1948] No.. 26610/49. Class 78 (i). An arrangement for delivering trays to a machine comprises an endless conveyer having upwardly and downwardly moving runs for conveying trays from a stack of trays located at the upwardly moving run of the conveyer to a tray receiving station of the machine, means for controlling the operation of the conveyer in accordance with the operation of the machine, and means for releasing the trays from the conveyer as they reach the receiving station. The figures show the application to a candy making machine wherein trays t, Fig. 1, containing starch charged with cooled and set candy mixture are arranged in stacks and transferred one-by-one by an endless chain elevator F to an endless chain pusher conveyer 70 which feeds them to a machine M where the candy and starch are emptied from the trays, the starch separated from the candy, the trays re-filled with renovated starch, mould cavities pressed in the starch and the trays re-charged with molten candy mixture. From this machine M the re-charged trays are fed to a stacking machine N such as is described in Specification 629,982 where they are stacked prior to transfer to cooling rooms in which the candy is cooled and set preliminary to being delivered to the elevator F. A stack of trays is fed to the elevator on a carriage 141, Fig. 5, slidably mounted in a frame 130. The trays are picked up one-by-one from the stack and deposited on the chains 75 of the conveyer 70 by pairs of opposed hook members 80, Figs. 2, 16A, pivotally mounted on a pair of endless chains 56, Figs. 3, 5 and adapted to be moved to or from tray-gripping position at appropriate position along the path of the chains 56. The hooks are moved from a folded or inoperative position as they start upwards along the ascending path of the elevator by studs 120 thereon contacting the inclined lower end of a releasing bar 245, Fig. 2. The hooks are partially extended so that a flattened part 110 of a link 100 contacts the adjacent ends of the trays t in the stack, this part being of sufficient extent to bridge the space between two adjacent trays so that the hooks move upwards along the stack as shown by the second hook from the bottom in Fig. 2. When the part 110 passes above the topmost tray of the stack, springs 102 cause gripper members 113 to move into engagement with the bottom of the tray whereby this is securely held at each end and carried to the descending run of the elevator. As the hooks approach the conveyer 70, trip fingers 121 thereon contact blocks 124 whereby each hook is moved to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 16A and the trays are released and set down on the conveyer chains 75 to be conveyed into the machine M by cleats 79. The chains 56, Fig. 3, are guided in their vertical runs through channels 61, 65 comprising spaced strips 58 and pass round sprockets 53 having spur gears 52 meshing with gears 51 secured on a shaft 40 and driven by chains 43 passing round sprockets 44 on a shaft 45. This shaft extends into a casing 47, Fig. 1, containing clutch mechanism and gearing by which it is driven byamotor301, Figs. 1, 2. When a pair of cleats 79 of the chains 75 engage a tray, a cleat at the opposite end of the conveyer passes out of contact with a lever 292, Fig. 6A, which is then pivoted clockwise by a spring 297, thus moving a link 290 forward into such a position that a pin 288 on an arm 287 fixed on a shaft 285 engages in the vertical portion of a bayonet slot 289. When a succeeding cleat 79 swings the lever 292 clockwise, the shaft 285 is turned clockwise so as to engage a clutch in the casing 47 and turn the shaft 45 through one revolution during which the chains 56 are advanced a distance equal to the space between two adjacent hooks 80 and another tray is set down on the conveyer 70. During the first part of the turning of the shaft 45, the link 290 is raised by a roller 201. on an arm 202 secured to the shaft, thus allowing the arm 287 to be returned to its normal position by the spring 297 and thereby position a trip finger for releasing the clutch referred to above. When the last tray of the stack is raised from the carriage 141, a trip finger 180, Figs. 9, 11, is released and a sleeve 185, Fig. 9, is turned counter-clockwise by its associated weight 189, whereby through a roller 193 swinging the head 194 of a link 195 rearward into such position that a pin 206 on an arm 207 fixed to a shaft 186, engages in the horizontal portion of a bayonet slot 205. Shortly after, the roller 201 actuates a lever 197 so as to turn the shaft 186 clockwise, Fig. 9, and so move a locking finger 214 downwards out of notches in bars 215 which normally lock bars 238 which ensure that the trays of the stack are aligned. These bars 238, together with the releasing bars 245, are then moved outwards to inoperative positions by springs 243, the hooks travelling along the upward run of the elevator being retracted so as to clear a succeeding stack of trays. A control bar 280, Fig. 6, is normally held in a rearward position by the stacked trays, but when the last tray reaches a position above the bar 280 so that it will clear the top tray of the succeeding stack moving into position adjacent the elevator, the bar moves forward and downward by gravity turning a lever 269 clockwise so that a pin 268 engages the top of a slot 267 in a link 266 so as to raise the link and the rearward end of a plate 261 rockably mounted on the shaft 45. This causes a pin 275 to enter the vertical portion of a bayonet slot 263 so that when the shaft 45 is next operated to move the bottom tray one step above the bar 280 whereby the plate 261 is moved forward by a roller 258 on the arm 202 engaging a flange 259 on the plate 261. a shaft 277 is turned clockwise. This shaft controls a second clutch in the housing 47 whereby the shaft 158 is rotated by the motor 301 through one revolution and arms 151 are swung so as to move the carriage 141 to its rear position in the feeder or elevator F and thereby move the succeeding stack R into position, and then to return the carriage to its forward position ready to receive another stack.