Patent GB-717444-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in case unloaders
Inventor: MEYER GEORGE LEO NICHOLAS
IPC: B65B21/18
Filed: 1952-06-26
Abstract: 717,444. Unpacking. MEYER MANUFACTURING CO., G. J. June 26, 1952, No. 16096/52. Class 94 (1). [Also in Group XXX] A machine for unpackirig articles, e.g. bottles, from cases comprises at least one transfer head mounted on a beam carried by swing frames which are pivoted to move the beam from a position above a case, the contents of which are to be removed by the transfer head, to a position over an articledelivery conveyer, the beam being also movable relative to the frames to raise or lower the transfer head relative to the case. As shown, cases of bottles 35 are fed by an input conveyer 37 into engagement with pushers 55 on an endless chain conveyer 25 (see Group XXX) which is driven intermittently by an electric motor 71 to move them along a. table 50 until they are centred beneath transfer heads 38, 39 mounted on a beam 116 adjustably supported at its ends by members 1192 slidable in guideways 117 in swing frames 110, 111 which are pivoted to parallel links 112, 113 and 114, 115. The link carries a roller 124 engaging a cam 123 on a shaft 45 which operates to swing the frames from the position shown in Fig. 3, where the bottles are removed from the cases, to the position shown in Fig. 4 where they are deposited on the delivery conveyer 27, and vice versa. The members 1192 are coupled by links 119 to levers 118 on a transverse shaft 132 which is rocked periodically to raise or lower the beam by a cam 150 on the shaft 45 operating through an overload release coupling. The beam is counterbalanced by air cylinders 166, 167 coupled to levers 169 on the shaft 132. Each transfer head (see Group XXX) comprises a series of pneumatically-operated bottle grippers 185, controlled by a valve 215 actuated by a cam 47 on the shaft 45, and a stripper frame 200 which fits the top of a case and is supported by slidable rods 202, 203 connected by a yoke 205 to the rod 206 of a piston in an air cylinder 207. Air is supplied to the upper or lower end of the cylinder under the control of a valve 208 mounted on the beam 116 and actuated by a cam 210 on the frame 110, whereby when the beam and transfer heads are moved downwardly, the stripper frames are forced down to engage the cases and prevent upward movement thereof with the bottles during the subsequent upward movement of the transfer heads. As the beam moves upwardly, the valve is operated to retract the frames from the empty cases so that the latter may be moved out of the machine by the conveyer 25 and fed on to a roller conveyer go. The cam shaft 45 and delivery conveyer 27 are driven through gearing by a shaft 162 which is coupled to a power take-off from the machine, e.g. a bottle washer, to which bottles are supplied by the conveyer 27. An abutment 79 on the cam 47 operates a switch 81 in the circuit of the motor 71, whereby the conveyer 25 is driven until the cases are positioned beneath the transfer heads. A projection on one of the links of the conveyer then operates a second switch to stop the motor until the switch 81 is again operated. As the cases are centred, the frames 110, 111 are swung to the position of Fig. 3, the beam 116 is lowered and the grippers are opened to embrace the necks of the bottles. The cam 47 then operates the valve 215 to close the grippers, the beam is raised through the action of the cam 150 to lift the bottles from the cases, the cam 123 swings the frames to the position of Fig. 4 and the beam is lowered a small amount so that the bottles are deposited gently on the conveyer 27 as the grippers are opened under the action of the cam 47. The beam.is then raised to clear the bottles and the frames are swung back to their initial position. The conveyer 27 (see Group XXX) comprises a series of groups of three endless chains, the central chain 241 of each group being driven at a higher speed than the outer chains 240, 242, whereby the bottles are distributed as shown in Fig. 2 and enter in single file between partitions 265. Pivoted agitators 271, Fig. 5, embracing the forward edges of some of the partitions, are oscillated to assist the distribution of the bottles. The central chains 241 extend between the partitions to feed the bottles to tilting cradles 228 from which they are ejected by oscillatory fingers 226. The fingers and cradles are mounted on rock shafts 223, 229 operated by links 220, 221 extending from the bottle washer 43. Stop fingers 230 are oscillated in synchronism with the fingers 226 to hold back each file of bottles during the tilting operation.