Patent GB-1015870-A (GB)
Title: Endless conveying systems
IPC: A23L3/00
Filed: 1964-04-14
Abstract: 1,015,870. Endless chain conveyers. FMC CORPORATION. April 14, 1964 [May 3, 1963], No. 15299/64. Heading B8A. An endless conveying system for moving cans through a hydrostatic cooker 15, Fig. 1, comprises two endless chain conveyers 22, 23, Figs. 5 and 6, having carriers 30, 37 for the cans, the conveyers being driven and guided so that the carriers move along adjacent paths at the same speed with the openings of the carriers on one of the conveyers facing the openings of the carriers on the other conveyer for a major portion of the path, the carriers being bowed outwardly from each other at a loading and discharge zone B, Figs. 1 and 6. The cooker comprises a steam-filled cooker 17, a waterfilled heating unit 18 and a cold-water filled cooling unit 21 and the conveyers are driven therethrough by a motor 52 through sprockets 42 and 43. Each conveyer comprises a pair of spaced roller chains between which extend the carriers, the chain rollers 34 and 28, Fig. 5, being in planar but not axial alignment and being disposed in guides 38 and 39. Each carrier consists of a pair of curved and flanged side plates 71, 72, with end plates 83, 84, the side plate 71 being slightly narrower than the plate 72 for movement round curves without mutual interference; the flanges of the carriers of each conveyer co-operate with the carriers of the other conveyer to retain the cans therein except at zone B, Fig. 6, at which there is provided a feed mechanism 85 and a discharge mechanism 86. The conveyers 22, 23 are bowed outwardly over sprockets 100 and adjustable sprockets 87 and 98. The discharge mechanism 86 comprises a V-shaped baffle 103 retaining the cams in the carriers until they reach the lower ends of the baffle where they are alternately discharged from the conveyers 22, 23 on to an upper run 107a of a transverse conveyer 107, the upper run 107a being supported by a fixed U-shaped guide 111. The lower run 107b of the conveyer 107 supplies cans to the conveyers 22, 23, the cans being pushed in rows from the lower run 107b alternately into the conveyers 22, 23 by a push-off mechanism 123, the lower run 107b of the conveyer 107 being supported by a guide plate 114. The mechanism 123 consists of guide rails 121 and 122 secured on V-shaped supports 124, stop bars 121a and 122a being provided to prevent a subsequent row of containers entering the mechanism while a row of containers is being pushed off the belt run 107b by the rail 121 or 122; the mechanism 123 is actuated by a cam 131 rotating with one of the sprockets 100, a cam follower 141 being supported on a lever 134 which is connected to the V-shaped supports 124 by a link 137 and is loaded by a tension spring 142. In a second embodiment, Figs. 7 and 8 (not shown), the carriers are one-piece curved bodies. In a third embodiment, Figs. 9 and 10 (not shown), two-piece carriers are connected to alternate chain links of the conveyers. Means may be provided for adjusting the positions of the carriers of one conveyer relative to those of the other conveyer in a direction parallel to the paths along which the conveyers move.