Patent GB-1074441-A (GB)
Title: Automatic feed mechanism for a press
IPC: B44B5/02
Filed: 1964-11-13
Abstract: 1,074,441. Coining. E. W. BLISS CO. Nov. 13, 1964 [Nov. 29, 1963], No. 46312/64. Heading B3Q. A coining press has a pair of vertically movable upper dies (308, 308a, Fig. 11), for pressing two streams of coin blanks (350) against lower dies (256, 256a) which are raised after a coining operation to facilitate lateral ejection of the coins by the ends of feeding fingers (146, 146a, Fig. 9). The fingers also transfer the blanks to the dies from feedtubes (368, 369) to which they are supplied, along tracks (484, 486, Fig. 15) from a rotary hopper (470). The supply of blanks is controlled by photo-cells or magnetic field detecting devices in the feed tubes and gates on the tracks, and further detecting devices stop the press in the absence from the feed fingers of a blank, or if a coin is not ejected. Construction.-The press rests on legs (14, 16, Figs. 1 and 2) (not shown), and has a motor (18) driving, through a belt (22) and a clutch- and-brake mechanism (26), a crank-shaft (24). A connecting rod (30) and toggle links (32, 34) drive the top dies. Power for operating the feeder and raising the lower dies is taken from an eccentric (52) on the crank-shaft which, through a rod (54), oscillates a shaft (60) carrying a yoke (64, Fig. 3). This is linked (at 66, 68) to bars (78, 80) operating the feeder and (at 72, 74) to a cam bar (76) with an adjustable cam (174) for raising the lower dies. A pivoted dog (222) transmits movements in one direction of the cam bar (76) to a plunger (214) which carries a yoke (236) bearing on pins (240, 240a, Fig. 11). These lift adjustable wedges (268, 260, Fig. 13) for raising the dies (256, 256a) against return springs (296). The dies may also be raised by a cam (322) operated by a handle (324). Also on the crank-shaft are a sprocket (38) driving limit switches, and a brake disc (48) surrounded by shoes (44, 46) applied by a solenoid. Feeding and transferring.-The hopper (470) is rotated, through a gear-box (476, Fig. 14), by a motor (474) and has radial passages (480, 482, Fig. 15) at different levels co-inciding with the levels of entry sections (492, 494) of the oppositely-inclined tracks (484, 486, Fig. 17). The blanks pass solenoid gates (508, 510) and enter pivoted gauges (516, 518) having escape openings (526, 538) for small blanks. If the blanks are too large for the gauges, they may be removed from the tracks by opening pivoted doors (544, 546) above the gauges. A high-level sensor (576, Fig. 7) in each feed tube, generates a signal if the head of blanks in the tube reaches the level of the sensor. A control circuit receiving the signal, operates the appropriate fence-solenoid (508, 510) to interrupt the supply of blanks for a predetermined period. If both sensors operate or if only one track is in use, the hopper motor is stopped for a period. If the level of blanks in the feed tubes falls below low-level sensors (578), a control signal is generated for stopping the press. Blanks from the feed tubes fall into recesses (360) in the tops of the feed fingers when these are in the retracted position (Fig. 7). At their rear ends the fingers (146, 148) are fixed to a slide (142, Figs. 5 and 6) having top and bottom plates (116, 118) bearing on brake linings (108, 110) on rails (104, 106) under the pressure of springs (122, 124). A lost-motion connection between the slide (142) and coupling rods (78, 80) connected to the link (68) is provided by a pin (94) on a crosshead (88) linking the rods (78, 80). The pin (94) bears against one limb (130) of the slide to advance it and against a screw (160) to retract the slide, the slide and fingers (146, 148) pausing in the retracted and advanced positions due to the lost-motion connection. As the fingers advance, the blanks in the rear ends of the recesses (360) are carried beneath spring-pressed hold-down shoes (372) to a position in advance of spring-pressed catches (394) preventing return movement of the blanks. A leading blank, already in an opening (364) of the leading end of the recess (360), is advanced over the die-opening where it is ejected into the opening by spring-pressed fingers (428, 430, Figs. 9 and 10) pivoted on the fingers (146, 148) the coined blank raised by the lower die having been removed by the leading end of the feed finger. During return movement of the feed finger, the blank retained by the catch (394) enters the opening (364 and the fingers (428, 430) are raised by a cam surface (456). Sensing devices (458, 468) in the slideway (334) beneath the feed fingers and at the end of the feed path stop the press in the absence of a blank or a finished coin ejected from the dies. Control diagrams and displacement graphs are included (Figs. 19-21) and a diagram indicating gaps in the output signal from the switch mechanism driven by sprocket (40) which must be filled by signals from the blank sensors (458) and the ejection sensors (468) if the press is not to stop.