US2848138A - Article feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Aug..19, 1958 B. E. CASWELL ETAL' 3 1 ARTICLE FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 1 0 w m [Q uvwsivroxs BENSON E. CASWELL MART N M. THERIAUL BYMCL-.J%

ATTOQNEY Aug. '19, 1958 B. E. CASWELL ET AL 2,348,138

ARTICLE FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 19, 1952 I s Sheets-Sheet 2 FigZ lae IN VEN TORS BEN ON E CASWELL MARTIN M.THER\AULT A-FT O NEy B. E. CAQSWELL ET AL 2,848,138

Aug. 19, 1958 ARTICLE FEEDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 19, 1952 w m Mm mm am My Unite ARTICLE FEEDING APPARATUS Application February 19, 1952, Serial No. 272,382

4 Claims. Cl. 221-209 This invention relates to feeding apparatus, particularly for automatically supplying a succession of tray-like articles from a stack of these articles.

Among the objects of the present invention is the pro vision of novel feeding apparatus that furnishes a highly reliable feed of the above type.

The above as well as additional objects of the present invention will be more completely understood from the following description of several of its exemplifications, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away of one form of feeding device illustrative of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 taken along the line 2-2 with other portions shown in plan view;

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged side views partly in section of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed side elevational view of the picker and escapement assemblies and their associated parts; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the hollow escapement bar assembly.

According to the present invention, an article feeding apparatus of the type described above includes a movable support structure for holding an elongated stackof these articles and advancing it along a predetermined path, picker elements are located in said path and actuating mechanism is connected to said elements to move them alternately toward and away from the advancing end of the stack, these picker elements including a set of fingers, some spaced from each other longitudinally of the guided stack, and positioned to engage an edge of the stack, the longitudinal spacing between the fingers being substantially equal to the distance between the corresponding edge portions of the individual articles for causing the engagement of the end of the stack by atleast one of the fingers to automatically position at least one other finger between the two articles at the end of the stack and cause. the endmost article to be removed from the stack by the movement of the picker elements away from the stack.

The movable stack-supporting structure is advisably in the form of a conveyor belt having an approximately horizontally extending stack carrying portion. It is advantageous to move this belt through an angular break, or change in direction, that causes stacked articles to be loosened from nested relation as they move toward the picker elements. In addition, effective feeding is provided by arranging for the stack support to move faster than the picker elements remove individual articles, and providing a positioning barrier for periodically engaging the advancing stack end in synclnonism with the operation of the picker elements.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a framework 10 on whichis mounted a set of conveyor belt rollers 12, 14 and 16. Around these rollersis Patent looped conveyor belt 18, the top run of which is bounded on each side by a side plate or guide 20. If desired, the top conveyor run can also be backed up by slide plates 22 which keep a load on the conveyor from causing it to sag.

The conveyor is driven in the direction of arrows '24 by an impelling device shown as electric motor 26 through a set of intervening belt-driven pulley wheels or chainconnected gears 28, 30, 32 and a speed reducer 34. The final driving connection is conveniently made to roller 14. A stack of tray-like articles 36 can be laid down on its side on the top run of conveyor 18 so that it is advanced by the operation of the conveyor toward a feeding zone at its right hand end, as seen in Fig. 1. Additional side supports 38 for this stack can also be provided at this end, if desired.

Pivoted at the feeding zone, as for example about the same shaft which carries roller 14, there is mounted a picker frame 40 which can in general have an outline corresponding to that of the individual articles in stack 36, and large enough to fit around them. The upper end of frame 40 carries a journalled link 42 on which is rotatably mounted a follower roller 44 received in a suitably shaped guide channel 46 on a fixed guide member 48 secured to framework 10. Duplicate links and guides 42, 46 can be provided on either side of frame 40 with the links connected, if desired, in thegeneral form of an integral U-shaped member 50 (see Fig. 2).

To the links is secured a set of picker elements includingslidable fingers 52 and pivoted fingers 54. As shown more clearly in Fig. 3, fingers 52 are slidably held on angles 56 by means of headed studs 58 bolted to angles 56 and anchoring in place spaced slide plates 60 between which the fingers 52, provided with suitably shaped studreceiving slots, are slidably fitted. The plates are shown as held apart by marginal spacer extensions 61 formed on one or both of them.

The fingers 52 include rearward extensions 62 from which are depended pivot clamps 64 to the lower ends of which the picker fingers 54 are pivoted. Stops 66, 68, shown as threaded studs held by jam nuts on exten sions 62, limit the amount of pivoting which the fingers 54 can undergo.

Fingers 52 are arranged to resiliently positionthemselves against the forward face of the stack so that they find the right stopping point even though the forward articles have an irregular front face. Resilient bias, as by springs 72 connected betweenposts on the fingers and on a slide plate, urges the fingers 52 rearwardly with respect to the advancing stack to provide effective engage.- ment. A rear limit stop which is shown as adjustably fixed in place on framework 10 keeps the fingers 52 from going too far back when the fingers are approaching the end of the stack. v

The pivoted fingers 54 areprovided with forwardly projecting and downwardly extendingends 7.4 solocatedwith respect to fingers 52 that when fingers 52 are brought. into engagement with the article 37 at the advancing face .of stack 36, finger ends 74 climb over this article and drop. between it and the next. article 39.

The links 42 are also shown as carrying a set of positioning bars or plates 76 shown in Fig. 2 as adjustably. held by means of threaded studs 78.and lock nuts 30 for engaging the advancing face of the stack 36 adjacent-the. engagement. zone for the picking fingers every time the picker frame 40 reaches its rearmost position against the stack 36. An additional bar 82 is shown as separately pivoted by means of arms 33 suitably journalled on shaft 15 for oscillation by any convenient linkage such as a crank 83A on the far end of an operating shaft, this crank 83A being connected to a crank arm on shaft 132. This bar 82 extends across the width of the can J veyor to similarly engage the lower portion of the stack face at the same time as plates 76 engage the upper portion. It is not necessary to use all the positioning bars shown or even to use a symmetrical arrangement of such bars. One of the bars 76 can be omitted for example without changing the operation materially.

In operation, frame 40 is oscillated to and fro about shaft under the action of a suitably shaped cam 84 carried by shaft 132, and a cam follower arm 86 integral with the frame and advantageously provided with a contact roller 87. A bias spring 88 is arranged to bias frame 40 in counterclockwise direction as: seen in Fig. 1 thereby holding the cam-following end of the follower arm 86 against its actuating cam.

An escapement mechanism indicated generally at 100 is also arranged to cooperate with the picker mechanism. The escapement mechanism includes a stop bar 102 and a release bar 104, both slidably held for vertical reciprocation in a housing 106. The stop end release bars are connected respectively by links 108, 110 to one arm of T-shaped levers 112, 114, the other arms of which are pivoted to pivot pin 116 suitably fixed in place on the framework 10.

The stems of these T levers are in turn connected by links 118, 120 to an oscillating wheel 122 (see Fig. 2) fixed to a journalled shaft 124. The shaft is oscillated by means of a drive arm 126 connected between a crank 128 fixed to shaft 124 and the crank arm 130 carried by the shaft 132 rotatably held on framework 10 and driven as by the belt or chain 134 connecting with a pulley or sprocket on shaft 31. Picker-frame-actuating cam 84 is shown also as carried by shaft 132 so that escapement bars 102, 104 are synchronized with movements of picker frame 40. Lower positioning bar 82 is also synchronized by driving it from shaft 132. The various linkages are designed to bring the stop bar 102 down into blocking position, and withdraw release bar 104, as shown in Fig. 1, while picker frame 40 is moving toward the endmost article 37 of stack 36. As the picker frame begins to move away from the stack after engaging the endmost article of the stack, stop bar 102 is lifted and release bar 104 is lowered to permit the endmost article to be pulled away from the stack by fingers 74. Before the picker frame 40 returns, the escapement bar 102 is lowered and the release bar 104 then raised, so that the face of the stack can advance to the position shown after the previous endmost article is removed. To help the lower end of bar 104 in making its way between the last two articles in the stack, a stream or blast of air can be projected against the upstanding edges of these articles. Such a stream or blast is conveniently introduced through the bar 104 as by making it hollow and connecting it to a compressed air tube not shown. This is illustrated in Fig. 6 where hollow release bar 104 is shown connected, through suitable valving, not shown, to a source of fluid pressure 105. t

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. l, a second conveyor 150 is suitably positioned to receive the individual articles pulled forward by the picker frame 40 which permits them to drop after they are sufliciently tilted. Inasmuch as only the upper portion of the articles are pulled forward, these articles tilt about their lower edges. By reason of the upward travel of the fingers 52 at the forward end of their stroke under the guiding action of channel 46, these fingers are disengaged from in front of the tilted articles, permitting them to drop on conveyor 150. The tilting can be accelerated by having the lower bar 82 timed to move rearwardly and strike the lower portions of the dropping articles. Such striking causes the forward ends of the articles to reach conveyor 150 more promptly and positively. Conveyor 150 can be conveniently connected for rotation as by pulley 29 connected to the shaft driven by pulley 28 as shown. Conveyor 150 can be arranged to carry the fed articles in uniformly spaced single file to any desired 4 treating apparatus such as an after-press unit as described in the Randall Patent No. 2,704,493, granted March 22, 1955.

Where the molded pulp articles fed by the apparatus of Fig. 1 are egg cartons or the like, they can be directly taken by conveyor through a filling apparatus where they can be filled with eggs, either manually or automatically. Alternatively, they can be fed through a printing unit as for example by providing a chute 152 and a resiliently held escapement finger 154 against which the conveyor 150 moves the fed articles. The successive articles are arranged to take the face-down positions shown at 156. A printing block carried by an endless chain 162 in the direction of arrow 164 brings its forward edge into the concave end of the article that projects from chute 152, thereby positively engaging the article and carrying it past the escapement finger which it forces to tilt up out of the way. This tilting brings another finger 166 pivotally held integral with finger 154 down against the conveyor 150, preventing the next article from moving down, until the first article has cleared the finger 154 and this finger has dropped down again raising finger 166. The dropping can be under the bias action of a spring or suitably distributed weights. The next article accordingly slides down to the position shown at 156 and awaits the arrival of the next printing block.

The blocks 160 have an upper face that matches all or part of the lower face of the fed articles and can also be used as a pressing mold against which the fed articles are pressed by a mating mold moved down from above for example, and carried by a rotary holder for example. Where the articles are printed on, a printing roller can be used instead of a pressing arrangement.

Any type of molded pulp or similar articles can be fed by the apparatus of the present invention, from molded pulp plates to egg cartons, egg flats, etc. It is usually helpful, particularly where the articles have been tightly pressed together in the stack, to direct an air jet from a nozzle 168 at the tops of the articles over the break in the conveyor at roller 16 to better loosen the articles and assure a good separation by the picker fingers. The nozzle is connected to a source of fluid pressure diagrammatically illustrated at 170. When the articles are of generally concave or dished shape, as in egg cartons or dishes, they can be fed while facing in either direction. Some articles such as foldable egg cartons have weakened fold lines along which they bend relatively readily. Such articles are best fed with their fold lines directed toward the edge engaged by the picking fingers. However, additional fingers can also be mounted on the vertically extending side members of picker frame 40 to engage the vertically extending sides of the articles, so that easily folded articles can be fed in any position. If desired, the side mounted picker fingers can even be used without the top mounted ones.

The article feeding apparatus of Fig. 1 can advantageously be driven by the machine it is feeding as by a chain-and-sprocket or gear drive replacing pulley 28. This will assure that the machine being fed automatically is kept operating at its highest efliciency.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope hereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments hereof, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A feeding device comprising a framework, a feed conveyor on said framework, an escapement mechanism and a picker mechanism on said framework in operative relationship to said feed conveyor, said escapement mechanism comprising a pair of vertically movable escapement bars movable in a vertical plane situated adjacent one end of said feed conveyor, linkage individually connecting each of said escapement bars to a reciprocating means for alternate vertical movement thereby, said escapement bars being adapted to engage the endmost article of a stack of articles on said feed conveyor upon movement of the escapement bars to their lowermost vertical positions, said picker mechanism being positioned adjacent said escapement mechanism and comprising a pivotally-mounted picker frame having picker fingers at one end, said picker fingers comprising a slidable finger having a pivoted finger connected thereto, said fingers being resiliently biased in the direction toward the end of the stack, whereby said slidable finger is urged into engagement against one face of said endmost article, and said pivoted finger being provided with an offset end adapted to climb over one edge of said endmost article and engage the opposite face thereof while the said one face thereof is engaged by said slidable finger, an oscillating means for rocking said picker frame about its pivot, and linkage operatively connecting said picker frame to said oscillating means, said oscillating means being connected to said reciprocating means for synchronous operation therewith.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said escapement mechanism includes an air-blast means to direct a blast of air between a pair of stacked articles held on the conveyor adjacent said escapement bars, said air-blast means comprising a hollow portion in one of said escapement bars, said hollow portion being connected to a source of air under pressure.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said feed conveyor comprises a belt movable around supporting pulleys, additional supporting means for the uppermost flight of said belt, said additional supporting means deflecting the belt to provide a peaked portion adjacent the vertical plane of said escapement bars.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said picker fingers are movable in a guide channel, said guide channel being fixed to the framework and being convexely curved at a predetermined position intermediate its length whereby when said fingers move across the curved predetermined position, they are moved vertically upward and out of engagement with said endmost article.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 861,184 Jaeger July 23, 1907 945,870 Scovill Jan. 11, 1910 1,344,692 Hill June 29, 1920 1,460,314 Deck June 26, 1923 1,658,724 Kendall Feb. 7, 1928 1,767,634 Weiss June 24, 1930 1,913,843 Marcuse June 13, 1933 2,289,325 Harris July 7, 1942 2,419,351 Glassner Apr. 22, 1947 2,611,470 Rudolph Sept. 23, 1952 2,624,647 Lawson Jan. 6, 1953

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