Abstract:
Disclosed is a roller parallelism adjustment structure, which includes a roller feeder, which has a first end, a second end, and a transfer roller and an impression roller pivotally provided between the first end and the second end for transferring a material from the first end to the second end, and a roller parallelism adjustment mechanism installed in one side of the roller feeder to support one end of the impression roller and adjustable relative to the roller feeder to keep the impression roller in parallel to the transfer roller for accurate transfer of the fed material from the first end to the second end.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a roller feeder and more particularly, to a roller parallelism adjustment structure, which enables the user to adjust the transfer roller and impression roller of the roller feeder to a parallel status for accurate transfer of materials.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Following fast development of technology, people require more than the old concept of “workable” when buying or using a device. To survive in market competition, manufacturers shall have to provide products with less manufacturing cost having added values.  
         [0005]     Taiwan Patent Publication No. 529540 discloses a roller feeder entitled “Improved Structure of Roller Feeder”. According to this design, the roller feeder comprises a machine base  1 , a transfer roller  2 , an adjustment block  3 , an impression roller  4 , a release mechanism  5 , and a digital-control power unit  6 . The transfer roller  2  is pivotally mounted in the bottom side of the machine base  1 . The impression roller  4  is pivotally mounted in the adjustment block  3  and rotatable by the transfer roller  2 . The adjustment block  3  has an eccentric shaft  31  pivotally mounted between the two sidewalls  11  of the machine base  1 . A hand wheel  32  is fastened to one end of the eccentric shaft  31 . The user can rotate the hand wheel  32  to adjust the position of the adjustment block  3 , so as to further adjust the pitch between the impression roller  4  and the transfer roller  2  subject to the thickness of the material E. During operation of the roller feeder, the digital-control power unit  6  is controlled to drive a transmission belt  63  to rotate the transfer roller  2  and the impression roller  4 , so as to transfer the fed material. The transfer roller  2  and the impression roller  4  must be kept in parallel so that fed material can be accurately transferred to the processing machine for further processing. However, due to installation error or processing error (processing precision problem) of the transfer roller and the impression roller, the transfer roller and the impression roller may be not maintained in parallel perfectly, thereby resulting in a material transferring problem  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a roller parallelism adjustment structure, which enables the user to adjust the transfer roller and impression roller of the roller feeder to the perfect parallelism if the transfer roller and the impression roller are not kept in parallel after installation due to installation error or processing error (processing precision problem) of the transfer roller and the impression roller. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the roller parallelism adjustment structure comprises a roller feeder and a roller parallelism adjustment mechanism. The a roller feeder has a first end, a second end, and two rollers, namely, the transfer roller and the impression roller pivotally provided between the first end and the second end for transferring a material from the first end to the second end. The roller parallelism adjustment mechanism is installed in one side of the roller feeder to support one end of the impression roller and adjustable relative to the roller feeder to keep the impression roller in parallel to the transfer roller for accurate transfer of the fed material from the first end to the second end. In an alternate form of the present invention, the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism is installed in one side of the roller feeder to support one end of the transfer roller and adjustable relative to the roller feeder to keep the transfer roller in parallel to the impression roller.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective assembly view of a roller feeder according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 , showing the movable side plates moved and the pitch between the transfer roller and the impression roller adjusted upon feeding of material in between the transfer roller and the impression roller.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a part of the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism installed in one movable side plate according to the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing showing the impression cylinder slopped downwardly in direction from the left side toward the right side relative to the transfer roller according to the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is schematic side view showing the base block of the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism deviated relative to the movable side plate and the screws deviated relative to the adjustment through holes according to the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is schematic side view showing the base block of the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism adjusted and the screws in axial alignment with the respective center of the adjustment through holes according to the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 9  is a schematic drawing showing the transfer roller and the impression roller kept in parallel after adjustment according to the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing showing the impression cylinder slopped downwardly in direction from the right side toward the left side relative to the transfer roller according to the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 11  is schematic drawing showing the transfer roller and the impression roller kept in parallel after adjustment according to the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 12  is a perspective assembly view of a roller feeder according to a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 13  is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 14  is a schematic side view of the second embodiment of the present invention, showing the base block of the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism deviated relative to the side panel and the screws deviated relative to the adjustment through holes according to the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 15  is similar to  FIG. 14  but showing the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism adjusted, the screws in axial alignment with the respective center of the adjustment through holes. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a roller parallelism adjustment structure in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a roller feeder  10  and a roller parallelism adjustment mechanism  20 .  
         [0023]     The roller feeder  10  comprises a machine base formed of two side panels  13  a top panel  14 , a front panel X and a rear panel Y, defining a first end  11  and a second end  12 . The first end  11  is for in-feed of materials. The second end  12  is for out-feed of materials. Two movable side plates  15  are respectively pivotally mounted on the side panels  13  by a pivot shaft  16  for oscillation relative to the side panels  13 . A transfer roller  17  and an impression roller  18  are provided between the movable side plates  15 . The transfer roller  17  is driven by an external rotary driving force to rotate the impression roller  18  in the reversed direction so as to transfer fed materials from the first end  11  toward the second end  12  (see the double-arrowhead sign in  FIG. 2 ). The transfer roller  17  is pivotally mounted between the side panels  13 . The impression roller  18  is pivotally mounted between the movable side plates  15 . Spring members  151  are respectively coupled between the side panels  13  and the movable side plates  15  to bias the movable side plates  15  relative to the side panels  13 . When biasing the pivot shaft  16 , the impression roller  18  will be forced against the transfer roller  17 . When a material is fed in between the impression roller  18  and the transfer roller  17 , the impression roller  18  will be slightly forced upwards by the fed material, and the movable side plates  15  will be biased to adjust the pitch between the transfer roller  17  and the impression roller  18  subject to the thickness of the fed material.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism  20  is mounted on one movable side plate  15 . The impression roller  18  has one end pivoted to one movable side plate  15  that does not carry the parallelism adjustment mechanism  20 , and the other end pivoted to the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism  20 .  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the movable side plate  15  has a slot  152  for receiving one end of the impression roller  18  and the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism  20 , and a plurality of screw holes  153  around the slot  152 . The roller parallelism adjustment mechanism  20  comprises a base block  21  and a plurality of screws  22 . The base block  21  comprises a flat stop wall  212 , a bearing hole  211  cut through the flat stop wall  212 , an insertion flange  213  perpendicularly expended from the back side of the flat stop wall  212  around the bearing hole  211 , and a plurality of adjustment through holes  214  cut through the flat stop wall  212  around the bearing hole  211  outside the insertion flange  213 , The screws  22  are respectively mounted in the adjustment through holes  214 .  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the insertion flange  213  is inserted into the slot  152  in the movable side plate  15  with the flat stop wall  212  stopped against the movable side plate  15  outside the slot  152 . After insertion of one end of the impression roller  18  into the bearing hole  211  of the base block  21 , screws  22  are respectively inserted through the adjustment through holes  214  and threaded into the respective screw holes  153  to affix the base block  21  to the movable side plate  15 . In order to smoothen rotation of the impression roller  18 , a bearing  154  is mounted in the bearing hole  211  of the base block  21  to support the respective end of the impression roller  18 .  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in case the impression roller  18  is tilted relative to the transfer roller  17  in one direction and sloping downwards in direction from the left side toward the right side after installation due to processing error (processing precision problem) of the transfer roller  17  and the impression roller  18 , the transfer roller  17  and the impression roller  18  are not maintained in parallel at this time, and fed material will not be accurately fed to the processing machine. Referring to  FIG. 7 , when the transfer roller  17  and the impression roller  18  are not maintained in parallel, the base block  21  of the parallelism adjustment mechanism  20  is deviated from the movable side plate  15 , and the screws  22  are respectively deviated from the respective center of the adjustment through holes  214 .  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , at this time, the screws  22  are loosened, and then the base block  21  is moved in the slot  16  relative to the screws  22  to have the screws  22  be in axial alignment with the respective center of the adjustment through holes  214 , and then fasten tight the screws  22  again, keeping the impression roller  18  in parallel to the transfer roller  17 .  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the impression roller  18  may be tilted relative to the transfer roller  17  and sloping downwards in direction from the right side toward the left side, causing a material feeding problem. At this time, the screws  22  are loosened, and then the base block  21  is moved in the slot  16  relative to the screws  22  to have the screws  22  be in axial alignment with the respective center of the adjustment through holes  214 , and then fasten tight the screws  22  again, keeping the impression roller  18  in parallel to the transfer roller  17 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 12  shows roller parallelism adjustment structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention with the exception that the impression roller  18  is pivotally mounted between the two movable side plates  15 , and the parallelism adjustment mechanism  20  supports one end of the transfer roller  17 . Referring to  FIG. 13 , one side panel  13  of the roller feeder  10  has a slot  131  and a plurality of screw holes  132  around the slot  131 . The insertion flange  213  is inserted into the slot  131 , and the flat stop wall  212  is stopped against the side panel  13  outside the slot  131 . After insertion of one end of the transfer roller  17  into the bearing hole  211 , the screws  22  are respectively mounted in the adjustment through holes  214  and threaded into the respective screw holes  132  of the respective side panel  13 . In order to smoothen rotation of the transfer roller  17 , a bearing  154  is mounted in the bearing hole  211  of the base block  21  to support the respective end of the transfer roller  17 .  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIG. 14 , in case the transfer roller  11  is tilted relative to the impression roller  18  in one direction after installation due to processing error (processing precision problem) of the transfer roller  17  and the impression roller  18 , the transfer roller  17  and the impression roller  18  are not maintained in parallel, the base block  21  of the parallelism adjustment mechanism  20  is deviated from the respective side panel  13 , and the screws  22  are respectively deviated from the respective center of the adjustment through holes  214 . At this time, as shown in FIG.  15 , the screws  22  are loosened, and then the base block  21  is moved in the slot  131  relative to the screws  22  to have the screws  22  be in axial alignment with the respective center of the adjustment through holes  214 , and then fasten tight the screws  22  again, keeping the transfer roller  17  in parallel to the impression roller  18 .  
         [0032]     As indicated above, the invention has the following advantages:  
         [0033]     1. By means of adjusting the roller parallelism adjustment mechanism, the nonparallel problem between the transfer roller and the impression roller due to processing error (processing precision problem) or installation error is eliminated, and therefore material can accurately be fed by the roller feeder to the processing machine for further processing.  
         [0034]     2. The roller parallelism adjustment mechanism can be selectively installed in the roller feeder between two positions to support the impression roller or the transfer roller to fit different types of roller feeders.  
         [0035]     3. The roller parallelism adjustment structure is practical for use in any of a variety of roller feeders as well as a three-in-one flattening roller feeder.  
         [0036]     A prototype of roller parallelism adjustment structure has been constructed with the features of FIGS.  1 ˜ 15 . The roller parallelism adjustment structure functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
         [0037]     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.