Patent GB-1072743-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyors
IPC: H01J9/46
Filed: 1965-03-01
Abstract: 1,072,743. Elevated railways. A. H. CROUCHER. Feb. 28, 1966 [March 1, 1965], No. 8732/65. Heading B7L. [Also in Divisions B8 and F2]  A conveyer comprises a track consisting of portions 14, 15, 16, 17, Fig. 1, along which carriers 19 are pushed by indexing mechanisms 20, 21, 22, the carriers carrying components, e.g. caps 10 for electric light bulbs, between a feed point, e.g. a feed hopper 11, and a take-off point having an unloading mechanism 12 for removing the caps from the carriers, probes 41, 42 being provided for testing the caps and a rotatable drum 43 being provided for removing carriers with faulty caps from the portion 14 of the track and returning the carriers minus the faulty caps, to the portion 15. The mechanisms 20, 21 feed the carriers 19 stepwise along the portion 14 of the track at frequencies which are greater than that at which the caps 10 are removed from the carriers by the mechanism 12, to ensure that. the latter is continually supplied despite the removal by the drum 43 from the portion 14 of carriers having faulty caps, the mechanisms 20, 21 being yieldable so that they continue to operate without advancing any carrier which is obstructed by preceding carriers. The track is a tube of circular crosssection having a continuous longitudinal slot and the portions 16, 17 are telescopically slidable on the portions 14, 15 and are urged on to the latter by springs 18. Each carrier, Figs. 3 to 6 (not shown), comprises a body (23) for supporting a cap 10 and flanges (26, 27), the flange (26) having a locating lug (28) for engaging the slot in the tube to orientate the carrier. The slot may be convoluted to turn the carriers. The mechanism 20 comprises a reciprocable carriage 30 driven by means (not shown) with a stroke equal to a carrier length, and includes a pawl 31 adapted to engage the leading flanges of successive carriers on a forward stroke and to pass under the flanges of the carriers on the return stroke, the pawl 31 is loaded by a funk spring 33 so as to yield if a carrier engaged thereby is obstructed. The mechanism 21 is similar to the mechanism 20 except that it comprises a plurality of pawls 34. The mechanism 22 comprises a reciprocable block 37 carrying a pawl 38 and having a stroke equal to two carrier lengths. The movements of the block 37 are synchronized with those of the carriage 30, and a retractable stop 52 prevents backward movement of the carriers by the springs 18. Stops 39, 40 are synchronized with the mechanism 20 to locate the carriers for testing by the probes 41, 42. A solenoid-operated release mechanism 44 at the hopper 11 is synchronized by means of a micro switch with the mechanism 20. The drum 43 has a thickness equal to one carrier length and has peripheral holes (45), Fig. 2 (not shown), adapted to be aligned with so as to form part of the portions 14, 15 of the track. An injector 46 is provided to apply paste to the inside of each cap. In operation the carriers are successively located in the uppermost hole (45) of the drum 43 which is rotatable indexed when a carrier with a faulty cap is so located. The faulty cap is ejected by gravity or a stationary cam before the carrier is aligned with the portion 15 of the track to be entrained by the mechanism 22. The springs 18 permit movement of the track portion 17 to accommodate the entrained carrier. The springs 18 and the telescopic movement of the track portions 16, 17 may be dispensed with. Carriers 19 with sound caps are pushed out of the drum 43 against stop 47, 48 locating the carriers under the injector 46, the stops 47, 48 and the injector 46 being synchronized with the mechanism 20. The carriers are thereafter stepped forward by the mechanism 21 to the unloading mechanism 12 where they are located by stops 49, 51 synchronized with the mechanism 21. The tube may be of square or rectangular crosssection and the locating lugs on the carriers may be dispensed with. In a second embodiment, Figs. 7 to 19 (not shown), two tracks (61, 65) are provided and the components, e.g. a bulb glass (68) or a cap (69), are carried by platforms (63) supported on carriers (62) disposed in the track (61) which is a tube and by rollers (64) running on the track (65). The components are loaded on to the platforms (63) at (74) and are tested at (75) and (76), and the platforms (63) and carriers (62) having faulty components are removed from the feed run of the tracks and returned to the return run of the tracks by a rejection mechanism (73). An intermediate operation, e.g. pasting is performed at (77) and the components are removed at (78). The carriers are fed to the point (74) by an indexing mechanism (80) and to the point (77) by an indexing mechanism (83). An escapement mechanism (81) ensures that the carriers leave the point (74) at a maximum frequency and a positive drive escapement mechanism (84) is synchronized with a transfer mechanism at the point (78) to operate at the same frequency as the transfer mechanism. The pitch of each of the mechanisms (80, 83) and (81, 84) equals one carrier length and a double pitch indexing mechanism (85) operates at the exit point (86) of the rejection mechanism (73). The mechanisms (85) and (81) are synchronized. The track runs may follow a complex path and may include helical loops having a by-pass to act as storage zones between stages. The tracks may be tilted at the removal point (78) to assist gravity removal initiated by ejection pins in lieu of the. transfer mechanism, or the rollers (64) may be cammed upwardly relative to the carriers (62) for the same purpose. The track may transfer the components to a different level for succeeding operations. The indexing mechanism (80), Figs. 10 to 14 (not shown), comprises a carriage (91) reciprocable along a fixed guide rod (92) and pivotally supporting a plurality of levers (99) loaded by funk springs (105), alternate lever (99) being on opposite sides of the carriage. The levers (99) carry gravity loaded, pivoted pawls (108) adapted to engage the rear edges (109) of abutments (70) provided on the platforms (63) but to override the forward edges (111) thereof. The rearward end of the carriage (91) is engaged by a pivoted lever (121) which is reciprocated by a cam (123). The mechanisms (83, 85) are similar to the mechanism (80). The escapement mechanism (84), Figs. 15 to 18 (not shown), comprises a carriage (131) in two parts adjustably secured together by a screw (132) and reciprocable on a guide rod (133). The carriage carries a pivoted drive pawl (135) similar in function to the pawls (108), and a stop lever (137) which is gravity or spring loaded to engage the forward edge (111) of the abutment (70) on the platform (63) propelled by the pawl (135) at the conclusion of a forward stroke, to provide a position stop. DA cam (138) mounted on the carriage retracts the lever (137) at the start of a return stroke. Another stop lever (139) pivotally mounted on a fixed bracket (141) engages the forward edge (111) of the succeeding platform (63) to provide a stop therefore as it is advanced by the mechanism (83). The lever (139) is connected, by a link (142) to a pivoted lever (144) actuated by a cam (145). The rearward end of the carriage (131) is engaged by a bell-crank lever (151) reciprocated by an interior cam (148). The rejection mechanism (73), Figs. 7 and 19 (not shown), comprises a star mechanism including four carrier supports (161) each adapted to form part of the tube (61) when in its upper and lower positions. The supports (161) also include portions (not shown) for supporting the opposite ends of the platforms (63) and are mounted on levers (162) pivoted on a rotatable spider (164). The levers (162) are connected by links (165) to a shift element (166) which is reciprocable by a bellcrank lever (168) operated by a pneumatic or hydraulic-cylinder (169) to move the levers (162) between positions indicated in full and dotted in Fig. 19 (not shown). In the latter position the supports (161) are clear of the track (61) and are free to rotate for rejection of faulty components. A retaining ring (171) prevents components falling from the platforms (63) during indexing of the mechanism (73). Plates (172) prevent movement of the carriers (62) out of the supports (161) during indexing and -also provide an indexing drive. A fixed support (not shown) may be provided at the intermediate position (173) to prevent movement of the carriers (62) in the supports (161) while the latter are withdrawn from between the plates (172).