Patent GB-900269-A (GB)
Title: Container handling apparatus
IPC: A23L3/06
Filed: 1958-11-17
Abstract: 900,269. Endless conveyers for handling containers; shoots. INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY CORPORATION S.A. Nov. 17, 1958 [Nov. 20, 1957], No. 36930/58. Class 78 (1). In apparatus for feeding containers, e.g. cans, to a processing machine, e.g. a cooker G, cans J pass from an endless feed table A to a can turner B and thence via a shoot C to an endless chain conveyer D from which the cans are carried by an endless elevator E to the feed valve F of cooker G, the feed table A, the shoot C, the chain conveyer D, and the endless elevator E being adapted to alternatively convey a single row of containers of a certain height or two rows of containers of half said certain height. The feed table A comprises an endless belt 24, the upper run of which is supported upon a plate and over which are provided a series of guides 38, 38<SP>1</SP>, 44, 44<SP>1</SP>, 70, 70<SP>1</SP> of which the guides 44, 441 are pivoted at 45, 45<SP>1</SP> for oscillation by a pair of cam wheels 66, 661 acting through follower rollers 57, 57<SP>1</SP> and slides 50, 501. A removable partition 77 divides the space between the guides 70, 701 into two channels 80a and 80b when short cans are used, or is omitted when tall cans are used. The canturning section B comprises two spiral troughs 81, 82 for use with short cans, which are replaced by a single spiral trough when tall cans are used. The shoot C at its upper end comprises a pair of runways 94 carried respectively by bars 96, 97, each pivoted at 98 and a fixed extension comprising a number of rods 140, side rods 93 passing along the length of the shoot to guide the ends of the containers. The plates 94 are normally maintained in a lowered position by the weight of cans carried thereon against the action of counter-weights 108, 109 acting through respective crank assemblies 101, 102 connected to the respective bars 96, 97. If the number of cans being fed to the shoot is insufficient to keep it full, the counter-weights 108, 109 cause the bars 96, 97 to rise so that pins (Fig. 8, not shown), on these bars actuate valves 110, 111, either of which when operated supply air under pressure to a cylinder 149, causing a brake shoe 148 to be applied to the cans leaving the lower end of the shoot. Removable partitions 105a and 152 are provided to adapt the shoot for two rows of short cans or one row of tall cans as desired. The chain conveyer D comprises two endless chains 162, 163, each provided with a series of cups 164 which receive the cans from the shoot C, and pass them around a guide 166 extending below the lower runs of the chain, and discharges them in timed relation into the spaces between cross-bars 207 carried between a pair of chains 202 which form the endless elevator E. Detectors 171, 212, Fig. 1, are positioned respectively adjacent the entrance end of the conveyer D and on the elevator E, each of which comprises a pivoted finger adapted to be displaced by a container standing upright on these conveyers to cause actuation of a switch to switch-off the drive to the conveyers. In order that only pairs of cans shall be fed to the cooker G means are provided for the rejection of single cans which occur on the elevator E as the result of removal of any upright cans which have stopped the conveyer system. This means comprises three rejector devices 218, 240, 241, each of which comprises a pair of fingers 219, Fig. 13, pivoted on vertical spindles 220 and urged towards one another by springs 230. Immediately beyond these fingers in the direction of movement of the elevator chains there is provided in the floor 198 of the elevator an aperture 238. A presser plate 246 extends above the central portion of the path of the cans so as to lie above each of the apertures 238 of the various rejector devices and is urged downwardly towards the cans by springs 254. As a result, any single can is centred by the pairs of fingers 219 and is caused to pass through the aperture 238 of one of the rejector devices so as to be received by a respective discharge shoot 239, 244 or 245, Fig. 1, for return to the feed table A. After being discharged from the cooker G by the discharge valve H, Fig. 14, the cans are delivered in pairs side-by-side on to a pair of shoots 272, 273, Figs. 14 and 16, the entrance portion of the shoot 272 being narrower than the length of a can and being provided with a ramp 274 adapted to engage between the beads on the ends of one can of a pair to cause this can to run straight whilst allowing the other can of a pair to run down a sloping surface 271 to the shoot 273. A partition 275 is provided between the two shoots and includes a rod arranged along its upper edge, the end portion 275<SP>1</SP> of which is bent upwardly and outwardly away from the shoot 272 to direct cans into this shoot. The floors 284, 285 of the two shoots are pivoted at 286, 287 respectively, and each is provided with a counter-weight 291 such that when either of the shoots becomes overloaded it will pivot downwardly, allowing the cans in it to be discharged. Detector fingers 280, 281 mounted on a horizontal shaft 277 are adapted to be engaged respectively by any upright can in the respective shoots 272, 273 and to cause operation of a switch 282 upon such engagement to cause the drive to the cooker G to be discontinued.