Patent GB-853084-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for arranging articles for delivery
IPC: B65G47/68
Filed: 1958-12-01
Abstract: 853,084. Endless conveyers for articles such as cans or bottles. MEYER MANUFACTURING CO., G.J. Dec. 1, 1958 [July 9, 1958], No. 38645/58. Class 78 (1). Containers A, for example cans or bottles, which are arranged in a disorderly mass or in a plurality of rows on one or more receiving conveyers 31, 31a, Fig. 2, or 31x, Fig. 6, are combined into a single row on a feeding conveyer 20, Fig. 6, for delivery to a processing, e.g. packing, machine by one or more series of endless conveyers each comprising a receiving conveyer, an intermediate conveyer travelling at a faster speed, spring fingers associated with the intermediate conveyer for urging the conveyers thereon into a single row, and a delivery conveyer travelling at a faster speed than the intermediate conveyer on to which the articles are delivered in a single row. The speed of the receiving conveyer, or the combined speeds of the receiving conveyers where there is more than one series of conveyers, is such that it or they handle the maximum number of articles which the processing machine can treat per unit of time. In one embodiment, Fig. 6, containers pass in a disorderly mass from a conveyer Y into an accumulator 32x comprising a number of endless belts 33x arranged side by side and pass from this accumulator on to an endless receiving conveyer 31x from which they are diverted by guides 30x on to an endless intermediate conveyer 29x. They are then combined into a single row by leaf springs 27x, 28x in co-operation with a guide rail 26x, and are diverted by the latter on to an endless delivery conveyer 25x from which they pass via a further endless conveyer 23x into the feeding conveyer 20. Separate driving motors are provided for the accumulator 32x and receiving conveyer 31x, while another driving motor is provided for the two conveyers 29x and 25x. If the containers become blocked on the conveyer 20 the switch S<SP>1</SP> is opened, thereby cutting off the drive to the conveyers 25x, 29x, while if a blockage should occur on the conveyer 29x a feeler operated switch 84 is opened, thereby cutting off the drive to the conveyer 31x and also to the accumulator 32x. A further feeler operator switch K is provided in the accumulator 32x so that if the accumulation of bottles becomes too large the switch is opened to cut off drive to the conveyer Y. In a second embodiment, Figs. 2 and 3, two series of endless conveyers 31, 29, 25 and 31a, 29a, 25a are provided each of which combines three rows of articles from the receiving conveyer 31 or 31a into a single row of articles on the conveyer 25 or 25a. The articles on the conveyer 25 and 25a are combined on a further endless conveyer 35 and are then delivered to a delivery conveyer 36 from which the articles then pass to a conveyer corresponding to the conveyer 25x, Fig. 6. On each of the conveyers 31, 31a the articles are constrained between a pair of guides 50, 51 which include oblique portions 52, 53 to divert the articles on to the corresponding conveyer 29 or 29a. The guides 50 terminate at 57, while the guide 51 has a short straight portion 55 and then an oblique portion 56 passing across the conveyer 25 or 25a, this being followed by inwardly directed oblique portions 63 and an outwardly directed oblique portion 64, leading to a guide rail 65 at the side of the conveyer 25 or 25a. Beyond the end 57 of the guide 50 there is provided a resilient guide plate 58 extending obliquely across the conveyer 29 or 29a and leading to a guide rail 59 at the opposite side of the conveyer 25 or 25a. At the ends of the conveyers 25, 25a the guide rails 65 are connected together by a portion 65a overlying the conveyer 35 while the guide rails 59 have inwardly converging portions 66, 66a leading to portions 67, 67a at the sides of the conveyer 35. The portion 67 terminates at 68, while the portion 67a leads to an oblique portion 74 extending across the conveyer 36, this being followed by inwardly and outwardly directed oblique portions 75, 76 which lead to a rail 71 at the side of conveyer 36. Beyond the end 68 of the rail portion 67 there is provided a resilient guide rail 69 leading to a rail 70 at the side of the conveyer 36. Each of the resilient guide rails 58, 69 are movable outwardly under the pressure of bottles, this movement being limited by stops 61, 62 and 77, 77a, respectively. Light spring fingers 86, 87 extend across the conveyers 29, 29a and 25, 25a, respectively, and co-operate with the resilient guide rails 58 to cause the containers to combine into a single row on the conveyers 25, 25a. Further light spring fingers 88, 89 extend across the conveyer 35 and co-operate with the resilient guide rail 69 to cause the articles issuing from the conveyers 25, 25a to combine into a single row on the conveyer 36. The conveyers 35, 36 are driven by a motor M2 which is controlled by the switch S<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 6. The conveyers 29 and 25 are driven by a common motor M3 while the conveyers 29a and 25a are driven by a corresponding common motor M4, these motors being controlled through a switch 84 so that if the bottles should accumulate on conveyer 35 sufficient to contact the feeler 85 the switch 84 is operated to switch off these motors. The conveyers 31, 31a are driven by separate motors M5, M6 which are separately controlled through switches 82, 82a, each of which when an accumulation of bottles occurs on the respective conveyer 29 or 29a is operated by contact with the bottles with a feeler 83 or 83a, respectively, to switch off the respective drive motor.