Patent GB-999151-A (GB)
Title: Machine for stacking flat articles
Inventor: LAMB HAROLD WENDELL
IPC: B65G57/00
Filed: 1961-08-11
Abstract: 999,151. Delivering sheets. CROSSLEY MACHINE CO. Inc. Aug. 11, 1961, No. 29137/61. Heading B6H. [Also in Division B8] A machine for stacking plates, sheets or other flat articles, such as tiles, comprises a frame 10 on which is mounted a vertically movable support 14 carrying guide rods 26 which are slidable in the frame 10. Vertical movement of the support is effected by a hydro-pneumatic cylinder A. A ratchet wheel 20 is rotatably mounted on the support 14 and has secured thereto a platform 16 which carries four trays 18 on its periphery, each tray having side walls 22, 24. The ratchet wheel 20 and platform 16 are rotated by means of a pawl 34 actuated by a penumatic cylinder B. Two pairs of horizontal rods 36,40 are mounted on the frame 10 and have arch-shaped yokes 44, 50 respectively slidably mounted thereon. The yoke 44 has a trough 46 mounted at its upper end and the yoke 50 carries a member 54 above the trough 46. The member 54 has one downward projecting resilient blade 56 and one metal blade 58 and can be moved vertically in relation to the trough 46 by a pneumatic cylinder E. The yoke 44 is reciprocated along the rods 36 by a pneumatic cylinder C and the yoke 50 is biased towards the left in Figs. 1, 2, by springs 88. A fixed trough 94 is mounted at the left-hand end of the machine on a level slightly above that of the trough 46. The trough 94 is adjacent to the lower platen of a tile-forming machine 98. The stacking machine is synchronized with the operation of the tileforming machine. A batch of finished tiles T is ejected from the machine 98 on to the trough 94 by a clay dust tray 100 on its forward movement to supply clay dust to the machine 98. During this operation the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2. The ejection of a second batch of tiles from the machine 98 moves the previously ejected batch on to the trough 46 which is then moved forward by the cylinder C to the Fig. 9 position in which the trough overlies one of the trays 18. In the course of this movement a pair of lugs 74 on the yoke 44 engage a pair of lugs 72 on the yoke 50 and carries the latter along the rods 40 against the bias of the springs 88 until it is latched in the position shown in Fig. 9 by pivoted latch levers 76 engaging the lugs 72, at which point the cylinder E lowers the member 54 to the position shown in Fig. 9. The action of the cylinder C is then reversed and the trough 46 is withdrawn from the tray 18. The rear end of the batch of tiles on the trough 46 is engaged by the metal blade 58 of the member 54 and the batch is thereby slid off the trough on to the tray 18 as the trough is withdrawn. The batch of tiles on the tray is sensed by a feeler S4a which controls a switch S4; the latter actuates the hydropneumatic cylinder A and causes it to lower the platform 16 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the batch of tiles. At the left-hand end of its travel the trough 46 is loaded with a fresh batch of tiles T after which it travels a short distance to the right until the leading edge of the batch is engaged by the resilient blade 56 of the member 54 which realigns any tiles at that edge which have become displaced. The trough then moves to the left sufficiently to disengage the blade 56 from the tiles, the member 54 is raised by means of the pneumatic cylinder E and the trough passes under the blades 56, 58 to its extreme right-hand, Fig. 9, position. The cylinder E lowers the member 54 so that the blade 58 engages the rear edge of the batch of tiles on the trough and the cycle described above is repeated, the fresh batch of tiles being deposited on top of the batch previously deposited on the tray 18. When the tray 18 has been filled with a predetermined number of batches, the lower end of one of the rods 26 engages a switch S5, Fig. 1, which causes the platform 16 to be lowered slightly so as to bring the vertical walls 22, 24 clear of the feeler S4a. The pneumatic cylinder B is then actuated so as to rotate the platform and bring an empty tray 18 into the tile-receiving position and the cylinder A raises the platform to its highest position in readiness for a further stack of tiles to be delivered to the empty tray 18. The switch S5 also actuates pneumatic cylinders D which unlatch the levers 76 so that the springs 88 can carry the yoke 50 back to its Fig. 1 position in which it is clear of the trays 18. The yoke 44 is returned to its left-hand position by the cylinder C before the platform is rotated. Spring-urged pressure plates 96 engage the tiles as they pass through the trough 94 and help to prevent derangement of the tiles when they receive a sharp blow from the succeeding batch of tiles as the latter is ejected from the machine 98. An automatic electrical control system is incorporated in the machine, the several moving parts of which engage switches, such as S5, at the appropriate moments to open and close valves in the pneumatic circuits of the cylinders B-E and in the hydro-pneumatic circuit of the cylinder A. Specification 999,152 is referred to.