Patent GB-855887-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to feed mechanisms in glass working machines
IPC: C03B23/11
Filed: 1958-12-05
Abstract: 855,887. Glass tube feeding. DICHTER, J. Dec. 5, 1958 [Dec. 6, 1957], No. 39220/58. Class 56. In the mechanical feeding of glass tubes into the chuck of a glass working machine; such as for making ampoules, in which the tubes are vertically inserted into an apertured magazine to be brought into alignment with the openings of the chuck to allow the tube to drop therein, the tube drops through the opened jaws of the chuck upon an adjustable resilient catch arm provided with brake means and arranged to be moved into the path of the dropping tube, whereupon, after the jaws of the chuck are closed tightly upon the tube, the arm is returned by a reverse movement to its starting position. A number of drum magazines 4 are mounted on shafts 6 projecting upwardly from arms 27 on an annular support 2 of a rotatable spider 1, each magazine 4 having a plurality of open ended tube holders 5 supporting. glass tubes 35 which rest on a circular plate 3 centred on shaft 6 but held from rotation by a peg 11 on arm 27. Each plate 3 has an opening 36 to be aligned with the designated tube holder 5 and the opening of the chuck 31 which is supported below the magazine 4, the chuck being not shown in detail, but including a circular flange 24 and operating yoke 12. The catch arm 23 is pivoted about a horizontal axis below a slide member 25 reciprocating in a block 26 mounted on a frame 20, the arm 23 being connected to slide 25 by a spring-biased frictional coupling 34 adjustable by a wing nut to varying degrees of frictional resistance to pivotal movement of the arm 23. An adjustable stop screw 22 defines the downward limit of pivotal movement. The slide member 25 carries a chuck-operating cam 18, curved to correspond to the path of rollers 13 on operating yokes 12, and lying under the path of a roller 13 in the forward position of the slide 25 to move the yoke 12 to open the chuck 31. The slide 25 is normally held in its rearward position by a lug 29 which passes under a yoke 15 pivoted at 33 and having its forward end lying in the path of a roller 13 only when its chuck 31 is empty and requiring a new tube 35, the yoke 15 being pivoted to release the lug 29 and the slide 25 s pressed forwardly by a spring 28 to move chuck-opening cam 18 and catch arm 23 into position to receive a tube 35. The slide 25 is returned to its rear position by a bell crank assembly with spaced arms 17, 21 on a shaft 32, the arm 17 being coupled to slide 25 and arm 21 engaging the flange 24 of the next approaching chuck. The magazine 4 is rotated to position a new tube 35, when the slide 25 is operated, by an arm 8 pivoted on a pedestal 10 on slide 25 and presssd by a spring 9 so that a pin 7 engages one of the notches 30 on the magazine. The catch arm 23, which is pressed down by the falling tube 35 to the full line position of Fig. 1, is returned to its horizontal, dotted line, position on rearward movement of slide 25 by a fixed cam 19 on the frame 20 which engages the end of the arm. The tube-engaging end of the arm may have a slot open at the outlet side to accommodate tubes necked at the end, as in the formation of double-necked ampoules.