GB1015171A - Apparatus for stacking bricks and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

1,015,171. Stacking-machines, conveyers, chains &c. R. SCHWEIGER. Dec. 21, 1961 [Dec. 22, 1960], No. 45878/61. Headings B8A and B8C. Bricks are arranged on kiln trucks in spaced narrow stacks, spaces being provided also between bricks in the rows of the stacks and alternate layers being staggered to bond the stacks. The end two bricks in each row are closed together and alternate pairs turned through 90 degrees. Apparatus for loading the trucks includes a vertically reciprocating carrier on which a stack is built as it descends in stages, the base of the carrier then withdrawing to deposit the stack on the truck and the latter moving forward to receive the next stack. Means are provided to eliminate faulty bricks. Dried bricks arranged in slats 1c are forwarded by tiered conveyers 1a, Figs. 1, 11, belts 1b centering the slats. The forward slats contact switches 1d to stop the conveyers 1a and a horizontally reciprocating transfer means 2 engages under the foremost tier of bricks and slats, Figs. 2, 11, to deposit them on supports 3b of vertically ascending conveyers, Fig. 3, which engage the extreme ends of the slats. As each row of bricks reaches the uppermost position it is moved on to a belt 3e by a pusher 3c for forwarding by the flights 3f of an overhead conveyer while the slats are engaged by the return movement of the pusher to fall on to a conveyer 3g for ejection. Plates 3d on the pusher move towards each other to close and straighten up the bricks during transfer. A higher speed belt 4d causes separation of the bricks, aligned by belts 4a and they then pass along a narrow path 4b whereby broken bricks will topple to one side or the other and thus be removed. A heavy roller may bear on the bricks to break unsound ones. After traversing a roller conveyer 4c, the bricks pass beneath belts and a roller (Fig. 5, not shown) at a position 5 where they are once again closed up on conveyer 5b and again spaced and divided into groups of predetermined length on belts 5c. An overhead pusher means 8a, Fig. 8, advances each group from the belts over a roller conveyer 8e on to transverse belts 6 which may move to centre each group in its line of travel. Plates 6a close up bricks at either end of the group, Fig. 6. Further advance of the group brings its ends on to turntables 7, one of which rotates through 90 degrees to turn a pair 8d at one end. The belts 6 and turntables 7 are carried by a frame 6b which is movable transversely to stagger alternate groups so that in the stack, the spaces between bricks will not be vertically aligned. Each group finally arrives on a carrier 8, Fig. 8, which descends in steps so that a stack is built up on its base 8b. When the base reaches a kiln truck 9 it withdraws beneath the carrier rear wall 8c to deposit the stack. The truck then moves to enable a further stack to be placed adjacent the first and so on. The carrier 8 is adjustable for difference stack heights.