Abstract:
A method of, and apparatus for delivering articles to and discharging articles from a conveyor with differing motion characteristics. The conveyor comprises holders adapted to receive, deliver or handle articles from one or a plurality of supply devices adjacent to the conveyor, where each time only the part thereof which adjoins the supply device(s) stands still temporarily. One or more supply devices is or are arranged near one run of the conveyor, and one or more discharging or transferring mechanisms is or are disposed near the other run, the two runs of the conveyor following different motion characteristics.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an apparatus and method for delivering articles (such as eggs) to and discharging articles from a conveyor. A receiving run of the conveyor and a discharge run of the conveyor have differing motion characteristics. This invention includes a method for temporarily stopping a driven conveyor guided over reversing rollers, said conveyor comprising holders adapted to receive, deliver, or handle such articles from one or a plurality of supply devices superjacent or adjacent to said conveyor, and in which it is each time only the part thereof which adjoins the supply device(s) that stands still temporarily. 
     Such a method, and apparatus, are disclosed in German Auslegeschrift 1,303,722, and also in French patent 1,169,743. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of the above kind which offers the possibility of carrying out with, or on the articles, a plurality of operations independently one after the other. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To this effect, the method is characterized in that one or more supply devices is or are arranged near one run of the conveyor, referred to as a receiving run, and one or more discharging or transferring mechanisms is or are disposed near the other run, referred to as a discharging run, the two runs of the conveyor following different motion characteristics. 
     The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method described, using a reciprocating carriage, and is characterized in that the two runs each have their own separate drive unit. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the receiving part or run of the conveyor travels intermittently by increments of a number of holder distances equal to the number of supply devices, and the discharging part or run of the conveyor travels intermittently by increments of a number of holder distances equal to the number of discharging or transferring mechanisms. 
     In a further elaboration of the invention, the receiving part or run of the conveyor travels intermittently by increments of a number of holder distances equal to the number of actively functioning supply devices (that is to say, the supply devices need not all be active, but may for example stand still, be empty, or the like), and the discharging part or run travels intermittently by increments of a number of holder distances equal to the number of actively functioning discharging or transferring mechanisms. 
     A further possibility is that the receiving part or run of the conveyor travels intermittently by increments of a number of holder distances equal to the number of supplying devices, and the discharging part of the conveyor discharges the articles in a continuous movement. 
     In a further elaboration of the invention, the conveyor is arranged to function also as an article buffer, i.e., that the receiving part can receive a number of articles without the discharging part discharging the same number of articles at the same time. 
     Furthermore, the conveyor may comprise multiple article holders for simultaneously receiving or delivering a plurality of articles at a time (see FIG. 4). 
     The various motion characteristics of the two conveyor runs as well as the buffer function may be brought about by a carriage mounting the reversing rollers, said carriage being movable in a fixed frame (see FIG. 5). 
     In a further elaboration thereof, the two conveyor runs are driven by two drive means mounted in said carriage and running parallel to the conveyor, and which drive means, from two driving shafts mounted in said fixed frame, the first of which drives the article receiving part and the other the article delivering part, drives both according to the desired driving characteristics. 
     The desired driving characteristics can be realized in a simple manner by means of commercially available indexing units, camming mechanisms, or electromagnetically or mechanically controlled clutches or stepping motors. 
     The above-described method and apparatus also offer the possibility of uniformly filling two or more containers provided with article receiving cells from two or more independently and non-uniformly filled article supplying devices through one buffer conveyor provided with article holders and with two or more article delivering mechanisms, which method is characterized for the purpose in that the containers to be filled are supplied on the same packaging conveyor. 
     In that embodiment, each of the article delivering mechanisms may place one selected row of articles in each container. 
     Some embodiments of an apparatus for temporarily stopping a driven conveyor guided over reversing rollers, with holders for receiving and delivering articles, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic side-elevational view of a conveyor for receiving eggs from, in this instance, two supplying devices, and delivering the same to a packaging unit; 
     FIG. 2 shows an elevational view of an apparatus similar to FIG. 1, but formed with two separate delivering devices; 
     FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic top plan view of a sorter for articles, such as eggs, incorporating the apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic side-elevational view of the drive of the conveyor illustrated in the preceding Figures; 
     FIG. 6 shows a diagrammatic top plan view of a different embodiment of a continuously moving conveyor, a part of which can be temporarily stopped at intervals; and 
     FIG. 7 shows a corresponding view of yet another embodiment of the conveyor. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus for receiving and delivering eggs 1 comprises a conveyor 2. Provided above conveyor 2 are a plurality, in the present case two, supply devices 3, 4 moving transversely to the direction of travel of conveyor 2. Supply devices 3 and 4 will not be described further herein, as they are disclosed in British patent 1,598,749 (which corresponds to Netherlands patent 175,964) and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,613 (which corresponds to Netherlands patent 175,389). Supply devices 3 and 4 are fed by means of carrier chains I and II, moving over them, and shown schematically in both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Chains I and II are mounted on a common carrier 30, shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. 
     Conveyor 2 essentially consists of holders 5 secured to an endless chain, and each equipped with a large number of rotatable fingers 7 together forming a carrying cavity. As shown in the drawings, the cavities are filled at the top of conveyor 2 by means of a supply device 3 or 4, and are opened at the bottom for delivering the eggs through a discharging device 6 to a container 7 disposed on conveyor belt 8, which last is equipped with pushers 9 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1). The discharging device designated by 6 may be similar to that designated by 3 and 4, so that device 6 will not be described in further detail herein either. 
     For the sake of completeness, it is noted that the chain with holders 5, as indicated hereinbefore, is described in detail in applicants&#39; U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,154, and will not, therefore, be described in any detail herein. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, supply devices I and II are mounted in a frame 10. 
     Conveyor 2, which is equipped with a pair of reversing rollers, not shown, is mounted in a reciprocating carriage 11, the traveling distance of which is shown in dash lines. 
     The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 shows a construction comprising two discharging devices 6. As shown, in the rear station, as viewed in the downstream direction, an egg is introduced first, and subsequently, in the next station as viewed in the downstream direction an egg is introduced into the first receptacle or cavity of tray 7, so that in each step a tray is completely filled. 
     The apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is described in detail in the above Netherlands patent 175,389, or the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,613, so that it will not be described in detail herein. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, conveyor 2 is mounted in a carriage 11 mounted for reciprocating movement. Conveyor 2 is driven by a drive means 21, consisting for example of a chain or gear belt. This drive means moves over a pair of reversing rollers 12, 13. The upper run thereof is driven by a drive unit 14, with tensioning rollers 15 and 16 being disposed on opposite sides thereof. 
     Similarly, at the lower run, a drive unit 17 is provided for the delivery part with a pair of tensioning rollers 18 and 19 on opposite sides thereof. 
     FIG. 4, which shows a top plan view of a part of the apparatus of FIG. 2, shows a pair of supply devices 3, 4, fixedly secured to frame 20. On the right-hand side of FIG. 4, a top plan view of a holder 5 is shown. As the apparatus is fully known per se, it will not be described in any detail herein. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, eggs 101 supplied on a supply belt 102 are transferred in a row 103 to a conveyor part or run 104, which stands still at the moment of transfer. For details thereof, reference is made to applicants&#39; U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,998. 
     Disposed in opposition to conveyor run 104 are two conveyor parts 105, which however are driven continuously at a constant rate, so that the articles can be discharged as desired, and in sequence, at any packaging position 109 of the associated sorter tracks 110 by means of a discharging mechanism 11, which is not described herein, as it is disclosed in, for example, the above U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,998. 
     The realization of the standstills of the conveyor part 104, which forms part of a continuously driven endless conveyor 104, 105, is accomplished as follows. Conveyor part 105 is provided with a loop portion determined by drive wheel 113 and circulating wheels 114. Wheel 113 is mounted on a main drive shaft 112 mounted in a frame not shown, and is driven by a motor not shown. Provided on shaft 112 is further a cam 115 incorporating a follower roller 116 mounted on a carriage 107 journalled in guide blocks 108 secured to the frame not shown. Carriage 107 carries reversing rollers 106 of conveyor 104, 105. When shaft 112 is rotated, cam 115 is rotated, with the result that carriage 107 is reciprocated in accordance with the double arrow s, and so is conveyor 104, 105. The two end positions of rollers 106 are shown in dash-dot lines. 
     The shape of the cam has been selected so that, during the desired period of standstill of conveyor part 104, the movement of carriage 107 is directed oppositely to that of conveyor part 104, but in velocity is a certain proportion thereof, conveyor part 104 is, as it were, relatively moved back, so that in an absolute sense it comes to a standstill, or at least will get a different motion characteristic. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, conveyor 104, 105 performs a loop-shaped movement, which, however, gives quite some problems in constructional respect, if vulnerable articles, such as eggs, are transported with the holders of the conveyor. 
     A solution to this problem is given in FIG. 7, in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals. 
     In the embodiment Of FIG. 7, conveyor part 104 travels straight on, similarly to conveyor part 104 of FIG. 6. In order to achieve the desired period of standstill, however, carriage 107 in this embodiment is equipped with reversing rollers 117, 118, about which a drive chain 119 is lapped. As the reversing rollers move along with the carriage, these are shown in both final positions. Chain 119 is driven by gear 113 with circulating wheels 114, similarly to the construction FIG. 6. Drive gear 113 is in this case mounted on a drive shaft 112. Drive means 112-115 are fixedly mounted on a frame not shown. The carriage is now moved to and fro in the same manner as described hereinbefore with reference to FIG. 6, so that conveyor part 104 can be temporarily stopped during intervals. 
     In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cam 115 on shaft 112 controls the follower roller are both mounted on the carriage, but this is not essential. It is also possible to have embodiments using a lever mounted for rotation on the frame outside the circumference of the conveyor, and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the carriage, the follower roller being mounted between these two points for cooperation with a rotating cam. In the last case, the cam can be mounted on the drive shaft in the same way as described before. Similarly, countless variants are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.