Patent GB-596925-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the automatic measurement and grouping into sizes of a succession of articles
IPC: B07C5/06
Filed: 1945-06-15
Abstract: 596,925. Sorting articles by gauging. CLEGG, F. W. June 15, 1945, No. 15264. [Class 106 (ii)] A means for measuring, in a direction parallel to their direction of travel, a succession of articles travelling on a conveyer or the like and for determining into which one of several groups of lengths each article belongs, comprises a rotating member and a plurality of levers or blocks, one of which is attached to the rotating member as the article to be measured strikes an electric switch, the lever or block rotating with the rotating member until it strikes one of several trip levers or the like, the trip lever operated corresponding to a particular group of lengths. A continuously rotating vertical ratchet-wheel 35 is driven from the same gearing as the conveyer, upon which the articles to be measured are carried, and a series of levers 18, cranked to bring their outer ends into the same plane, are mounted coaxially with the ratchet-wheel to which they may be clutched by means of spring-loaded pawls 19. The levers are normally stored in contact with one another, a projection 36 on the lowermost lever abutting against a stop 20 on a release lever 23 which is rotated by an arcuate member 29 (Fig. 6), moved laterally by means of a system of screws, gears and a spring-loaded rack 31. An electromagnet 30, controlled by a switch 21 which is closed by the passage of an article on the conveyer, moves the rack 31. A second stop 22 carried by the release lever 23 retains the second lever 18 when the stop 20 is withdrawn from the lowermost lever and, when the switch 21 is opened again,.this second lever becomes the lowermost and abuts the stop 20. The pawls of the levers 18 in the stored position are disengaged from the ratchetwheel by means of a curved plate 26 and an arm 26 of the release lever forms an extension of this plate so that when the lowermost lever 18 is freed, its pawl engages the ratchet-wheel and it is carried round therewith. Each lever 18 has three spring-loaded plungers, Fig. 4, in its outer end which may be clamped in any position by rotation of a stud 51 controlled by an arm 50. When the levers are in the stored position, the clamping arm 50 rides upon a curved plate 54 and the plungers are free. As a lever is carried round by the ratchetwheel and so long as the switch 21 is closed, the clamping arm rides upon a flanged portion of the arcuate member 29, but when the switch is re-opened, the arcuate member 29 is laterally displaced, the clamping arm is released and the plungers are clamped. The plungers ride upon, and are retained in their innermost position by, three guides 43, 44 and 45, Fig. 2, which are stepped at different positions so that the plungers are released one by one as the lever 18 rotates. The guides may be adjusted to vary the groups of lengths into which the articles are graded. The angular movement of the lever in the time taken by the corresponding article to pass over the switch 21, and so the number of plungers clamped in the outermost position, is proportional to the length of the article. In its rotation, each lever passes a trip mechanism comprising three levers 40, 41 and 42 and any plungers clamped in the outermost position trip the corresponding levers which are then held back by a spring-loaded catch lever 58. The trip levers are released by the projection 36 of an approaching lever which contacts a cam surface 60 on the catch lever. The form of the trip levers is preferably such that only the trip lever corresponding to the group of greatest lengths is held by the catch lever. The trip levers carry mercury switches arranged to initiate the desired operation upon the article which has by that time reached the position on the conveyer at which such operation is to be performed. In place of the trip levers a series of plungers may be used or a vertically pivoted arm may be provided which is engaged by the plungers in the outermost position and rotated' to close one of the three contacts or to shift a multiposition valve of a pneumatic or hydraulic system. The continuously rotating wheel may be arranged horizontally and the levers may be clutched thereto by frictional or wedging means. The levers may be replaced by blocks running in circular guides.