Patent GB-674390-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in stick dispensing machines
IPC: A23G7/00
Filed: 1950-04-05
Abstract: 674,390. Feeding sticks from stacks. ANDERSON, R. F. April 5,1950 [April 8, 1949], No. 8617/50. Class 117 In an apparatus for presenting sticks, such as confectionery sticks, spacedly positioned for reception by a stick holder (not shown) a number of aligned rows of stick feeders are arranged to eject sticks endwise from a magazine into stick receivers 122 which are mounted on a support separate from the stick feeders and the spaced therefrom to hold the sticks out of contact with the stick feeders. As shown the stick feeders comprise reciprocable push rods 61, sliding over bars 24 having bearing surfaces 28 and arranged in six spaced vertical rows of four, each bar being positioned at the bottom of a channel-shaped magazine 36, 37 mounted on the front face of a plate 22 upstanding from a casing 21. The front end of each bar 24 carries a stirrup 31 which determines the feed opening and has an upstanding stop portion 33 to prevent forward movement of the remainder of the stack on ejection of the lowermost stick thereoof. The stick receivers 122 comprise tubular members arranged in apertures 126 in twelve spaced rows of four in a plate 121 so that in one position of the plate 121 alternate rows of receivers will be in the receiving position aligned with the bars 24 and lateral movement of the plate 121 will position the other rows of receivers 122 in the receiving position. The plate 121 is carried by spaced lugs 141 mounted for rotation and reciprocation on a horizontal shaft 142 carried in fixed brackets 143 spaced in front of the rows of bars 24 on the casing 21. The rotational mounting of the plate 121 allows the plate to be swung away from the bars 24 to provide access to the latter in the event of a jammed feed. Each tubular receiver 122 is shorter than the sticks and has its outer end 127, Fig. 8, rectangular in section, a spring member 130 being arranged to project through a slot in the tube wall to a position beyond the tube axis so that a stick received within the tube is held resiliently therein with its end projecting beyond the outer end 127 of the tube for subsequent reception by a stick holder. Supporting members 161, 162, 163 are arranged on the face of plate 121' to receive a stick holder which has means for gripping and withdrawing the sticks from the receivers 122 for transport to confectionery moulding or other machines. Fig. 10 shows an alternative arrangement for the resilient retention of sticks in the tubular receivers wherein two adjacent tubes 131 have slots 136 facing the same direction to allow projection therethrough of one side of a coil spring 137 clamped to the tube support plate. Ejection of the sticks from the magazines 36, 37 is effected by a battery of push rods 61, one for each bar 24, mounted on a plate 56 slidable between advanced and retracted positions on guide rods 42, 43 secured to the rear face of plate 22. The plate 56 is connected to a piston 71 operating in a double-acting fluid-pressure cylinder 69, the supply of pressure fluid to one or the other end of the cylinder being selectively controlled by a solenoid valve unit 78. The unit 78, Fig. 13, comprises a floating valve member 93 mounted for movement in a valve casing 81 between two solenoids 96, 97, so that momentary energization of solenoid 96 attracts the float 93 and allows supply of pressure fluid to the rear end of the cylinder 69 to advance the plate 56, and energi- :zation of solenoid 97 moves the float 93 to supply pressure fluid to the front end of cylinder 69 and effect retraction of the plate 56. Energization of solenoid 96 is controlled by a manually operable switch 106 mounted adjacent the receiver support plate 121, and a switch 108 controlling energization of solenoid 97 is mounted on the rear of plate 22 for automatic operation by the plate 56 at the end of its advancement stroke, a knob 114 being provided on the exterior of the casing 21 for manual operation of switch 108 when desired. To ensure that the push rods 61 are not operated for ejection of sticks until one or other of the two sets of receivers 122 is in the receiving position, a further switch 111 is provided in the ircuit of solenoid 96 and arranged to be closed, via a cam on the lower edge of plate 121, only when the plate 121 is in either of its two receiving positions.