CA2718034A1 - Article feeder and spacer - Google Patents

Article feeder and spacer Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2718034A1
CA2718034A1 CA2718034A CA2718034A CA2718034A1 CA 2718034 A1 CA2718034 A1 CA 2718034A1 CA 2718034 A CA2718034 A CA 2718034A CA 2718034 A CA2718034 A CA 2718034A CA 2718034 A1 CA2718034 A1 CA 2718034A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
carrier
items
articles
rotary surface
feed roll
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA2718034A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2718034C (en
Inventor
Real Perreault
David Sullivan
Gerald Duclos
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Conception R P Inc
Original Assignee
Conception R P Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Conception R P Inc filed Critical Conception R P Inc
Priority to CA2718034A priority Critical patent/CA2718034C/en
Publication of CA2718034A1 publication Critical patent/CA2718034A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2718034C publication Critical patent/CA2718034C/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65GTRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/02Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
    • B65G47/04Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
    • B65G47/12Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles
    • B65G47/14Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding
    • B65G47/1407Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl
    • B65G47/1442Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl by means of movement of the bottom or a part of the wall of the container
    • B65G47/1457Rotating movement in the plane of the rotating part

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)

Abstract

A feeder for orienting and aligning disorderly incoming articles includes a table having a peripheral wall, a rotary surface surrounded by the peripheral wall, and a discharge substantially tangential to the peripheral wall, the discharge being sized to receive one article at a time from the rotary surface in a predetermined orientation; and at least one pile eliminating member extending above the rotary surface and defining a gap with the rotary surface, the gap being sized to solely permit passage of non-superposed articles laying in the predetermined orientation on the rotary surface. It also relates to a method for doing same and a method and an apparatus for removing obstructing blocks from the discharge and/or providing a predetermined spacing between two consecutive oriented items.

Claims (63)

1. A feeder for orienting and aligning disorderly incoming articles, comprising:

a table having a peripheral wall, a rotary surface surrounded by the peripheral wall, and a discharge substantially tangential to the peripheral wall, the discharge being sized to receive one article at a time from the rotary surface in a predetermined orientation; and at least one pile eliminating member extending above the rotary surface and defining a gap therewith, the gap being sized to solely permit passage of non-superposed articles.
2. A feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the articles in the discharge aperture have a face in contact with the rotary surface and the gap is sized to solely permit passage of articles having the face in contact with the rotary surface.
3. A feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one pile eliminating member comprises a longitudinal brush conveyor.
4. A feeder as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one longitudinal brush conveyor is rotatable in a direction bringing the articles towards the center of the rotary surface, away from the peripheral wall.
5. A feeder as claimed in claim 3, comprising at least two longitudinal brush conveyor and at least one of the at least two longitudinal brush conveyors is mounted proximate to the discharge, upstream therefrom.
6. A feeder as claimed in claim 1, comprising a rotary brush disposed over the rotary surface, the rotary brush being spaced from the peripheral wall by a distance sufficient to permit only articles in the predetermined orientation to circulate therebetween, the rotary brush being rotated in a direction dislodging the articles not in the predetermined orientation.
7. A feeder as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rotation axis of the rotary brush is substantially parallel to the rotary surface.
8. A feeder as claimed in claim 1, comprising a carrier disposed proximate to the discharge, the carrier withdrawing, from the table, the articles introduced into the article discharge.
9. A feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the articles are elongated wood blocks with a length distribution.
10. A method for orienting and aligning disorderly incoming articles, comprising:

feeding a rotary surface with the articles;

driving the rotary surface to carry the articles to a discharge aperture defined in a peripheral wall surrounding the rotary surface, the discharge aperture being configured to only permit passage of one properly oriented article at a time;

eliminating article piles on the rotary surface proximate to the peripheral wall; and individually withdrawing properly oriented articles from the rotary surface through the discharge aperture.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10, comprising displacing the articles on the rotary surface for eliminating article piles on the rotary surface.
12. A method as claimed in claim 11, comprising brushing the articles in a direction bringing the articles towards the center of the rotary surface, away from the peripheral wall.
13. A method as claimed in claim 11, comprising brushing the articles with at least one longitudinal brush conveyor including an endless belt covered with stiff bristles.
14. A method as claimed in claim 10, comprising displacing the articles not in the predetermined orientation towards the center of the rotary surface, away from the peripheral wall.
15. A method as claimed in claim 10, comprising carrying the articles withdrawn from the discharge aperture towards a processing apparatus.
16. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the articles are elongated wood blocks with a length distribution.
17. A feeder for aligning and orienting disorderly incoming items, comprising:

a table having a peripheral wall, a rotary surface surrounded by the peripheral wall, and a discharge substantially tangential to the peripheral wall, the discharge being sized to receive one item at a time and in a predetermined orientation; and at least one a dislodging arm disposed proximate to the discharge, the dislodging arm being movable between a retracted position and an extended position, the dislodging arm, when deployed to the extended position thereof, dislodging obstructing items from the discharge and pushing the items towards the center of the rotary surface, away from the discharge, thereby permitting oriented items to be received in the discharge to be withdrawn from the table.
18. An aligning and orientating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, comprising at least one sensor detecting a presence of an item at a predetermined location.
19. An aligning and orientating apparatus as claimed in claim 18, a controller calculating a duration of the presence of the item at the predetermined location and comparing the duration to a threshold duration wherein the threshold duration is a maximum time of the presence of the item at the predetermined location if the item is not obstructing the discharge.
20. An aligning and orientating apparatus as claimed in claim 19, at least one linear actuator operatively connected to the at least one dislodging arm, the at least one linear actuator moving the at least one dislodging arm between the retracted position and the extended position, if the calculated duration is longer than the threshold duration.
21. An aligning and orientating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, comprising at least one at least one pile eliminating member extending above the rotary surface and defining a gap therewith, the gap being sized to solely permit passage of non-superposed items laying on the rotary surface.
22. An aligning and orientating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, comprising a rotary brush disposed over the rotary surface, the rotary brush being spaced from the peripheral wall by a distance sufficient to permit only items in the predetermined orientation to circulate therebetween, the rotary brush being rotated in a direction displacing the items not in the predetermined orientation towards the center of the rotary surface.
23. An aligning and orientating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the items are elongated wood blocks with a length distribution.
24. An aligning and orientating apparatus as claimed in claim 17, comprising a carrier disposed proximate to the discharge, the carrier withdrawing, from the table, the aligned and oriented items introduced into the discharge.
25. A method for orienting and aligning disorderly incoming items, comprising:

feeding a rotary surface having a first rotation direction with the items;
driving the rotary surface in rotation;

aligning the items substantially tangential to a wall disposed at the periphery of the rotary surface;

withdrawing the items aligned in a predetermined orientation from the rotary surface through a discharge aperture in the peripheral wall;
detecting a presence of an item at a predetermined location;

calculating a duration of the presence of the item at the predetermined location;

comparing the duration to a threshold duration wherein the threshold duration is a maximum time of the presence of the item at the predetermined location and after which the item is considered as obstructing the discharge aperture; and extending an extendable arm through the discharge aperture, if the calculated duration is longer than the threshold duration, the extendable arm in the extended position abutting the item obstructing the discharge aperture and pushing the item towards the center of the rotary surface, away from the discharge aperture.
26. A method as claimed in claim 25, comprising rotating the rotary surface in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction for one of a predetermined time period and a predetermined rotation distance, if the calculated duration is longer than the threshold duration, for dislodging the item obstructing the discharge aperture.
27. A method as claimed in claim 25, comprising displacing the items not aligned in the predetermined orientation proximate to the discharge aperture towards the center of the rotary surface.
28. A method as claimed in claim 25, comprising eliminating item piles on the rotary surface.
29. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the items are elongated wood blocks with a length distribution.
30. A method as claimed in claim 25, comprising carrying the items withdrawn through the discharge aperture towards a processing apparatus.
31. A feeder for orienting and aligning disorderly incoming articles in combination with an article spacer for spacing the aligned and oriented articles, the feeder comprising:

a table having a peripheral wall, a rotary surface surrounded by the peripheral wall, and a discharge substantially tangential to the peripheral wall, the discharge being sized to receive one article at a time from the rotary surface in a predetermined orientation; and a first carrier disposed proximate to the discharge, the first carrier withdrawing, from the rotary surface, the articles introduced into the discharge, the first carrier cooperating with the article spacer to provide a distance between two consecutive articles withdrawn from the feeder.
32. A combination as claimed in claim 31, wherein the first carrier imparts a first traveling speed to the articles and the article spacer comprises a second carrier extending after the first carrier, the second carrier imparting a second traveling speed to the articles, the second traveling speed being faster than the first traveling speed for distancing the two consecutive articles.
33. A combination as claimed in claim 32, wherein at least one of the first and the second carriers are conveyors.
34. A combination as claimed in claim 31, wherein the articles are elongated wood blocks with a length distribution.
35. A combination as claimed in claim 32, comprising at least one controller controlling the first and second traveling speeds for providing one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive articles.
36. A combination as claimed in claim 31, wherein the first carrier imparts a first traveling speed to the articles and the article spacer comprises at least one feed roll extending after the first carrier, the at least one feed roll conveying the articles to one of a second carrier and a processing apparatus, the at least one feed roll imparting a second traveling speed to the articles, the second speed being faster than the first traveling speed for distancing the two consecutive articles.
37. A combination as claimed in claim 36, wherein the at least one feed roll comprises a driven feed roll and an idler feed roll, the driven and idler feed rolls defining a gap therebetween in which the articles circulate.
38. A combination as claimed in claim 36, comprising at least one controller controlling the second traveling speed for providing one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive articles.
39. A combination as claimed in claim 31, wherein the article spacer comprises at least one feed roll extending after the first carrier, the at least one feed roll being adapted to be in one of a rotating state and a stationary state, the at least one feed roll being in the rotating state for conveying one article to one of a second carrier and a processing apparatus and being in the stationary state for distancing the two consecutive articles.
40. A combination as claimed in claim 39, wherein the at least one feed roll comprises a driven feed roll and an idler feed roll, the driven and idler feed rolls defining a gap therebetween in which the articles circulate.
41. A combination as claimed in claim 39, comprising at least one controller controlling the state of the at least one feed roll.
42. A combination as claimed in claim 31, wherein the article spacer comprises a second carrier extending after the first carrier; and a barrier member disposed between the first and the second carriers, the barrier member being movable between a closed position preventing the passage of the articles from the first carrier to the second carrier and an open position allowing the passage of the articles from the first carrier to the second carrier.
43. A combination as claimed in claim 42, comprising at least one controller controlling the movement of the barrier member between the open and the closed positions for providing one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive articles.
44. A combination as claimed in claim 43, wherein the second carrier imparts a second traveling speed to the articles and the at least one controller controls the second traveling speed imparted to the articles to provide one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive articles.
45. An apparatus for aligning and spacing items, comprising:

a rotatable table having a peripheral wall and a discharge opening in the peripheral wall, the discharge opening allowing the items in a predetermined orientation to be successively withdrawn from the rotatable table in a single file line, the rotatable table being fed with disorderly items;

a first carrier disposed proximate to the discharge opening, the first carrier recovering the oriented items exiting through the discharge opening; and an item spacer mounted proximate to the first carrier, the item spacer providing a predetermined spacing between two consecutive oriented items.
46. An apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein the first carrier imparts a first traveling speed to the items and the item spacer comprises a second carrier extending after the first carrier, the second carrier imparting a second traveling speed to the items, the second traveling speed being faster than the first traveling speed for distancing the two consecutive items.
47. An apparatus as claimed in claim 46, comprising at least one controller controlling the first and second traveling speeds for providing one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive items.
48. An apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein the first carrier imparts a first traveling speed to the items and the item spacer comprises at least one feed roll extending after the first carrier and conveying the items withdrawn to one of a second carrier and a processing apparatus, the at least one feed roll imparting a second traveling speed to the items.
49. An apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein the second traveling speed is faster than the first traveling speed for distancing the two consecutive items.
50. An apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein the at least one feed roll comprises a driven feed roll and an idler feed roll, the driven and idler feed rolls defining a gap therebetween in which the articles circulate.
51. An apparatus as claimed in claim 48, comprising at least one controller controlling the second traveling speed imparted by the at least one feed roll for providing one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive items.
52. An apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein the item spacer comprises at least one feed roll extending after the first carrier, the at least one feed roll being in a rotating state for conveying one item to one of a second carrier and a processing apparatus and the at least one feed roll being in the stationary state for distancing the two consecutive items.
53. An apparatus as claimed in claim 52, comprising at least one controller controlling the state of the at least one feed roll.
54. An apparatus as claimed in claim 52, wherein the at least one feed roll comprises a driven feed roll and an idler feed roll, the driven and idler feed rolls defining a gap therebetween in which the articles circulate.
55. An apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein the item spacer comprises a second carrier extending after the first carrier; and a barrier member disposed between the first and the second carriers, the barrier member being movable between a closed position preventing the passage of the items from the first carrier to the second carrier and an open position allowing the passage of the items from the first carrier to the second carrier.
56. An apparatus as claimed in claim 55, comprising at least one controller controlling the movement of the barrier member between the open and the closed positions for providing one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive items.
57. An apparatus as claimed in claim 56, wherein the second carrier imparts a second traveling speed to the items and the at least one controller controls the second traveling speed to provide one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive items.
58. A method for aligning and spacing items, comprising:

feeding a rotary surface with the items;
driving the rotary surface in rotation;

aligning the items substantially tangential to a wall disposed at the periphery of the rotary surface;

withdrawing the items aligned in a predetermined orientation from the rotary surface through a discharge aperture in the peripheral wall;
carrying the items withdrawn from the discharge aperture on a first carrier; and providing a spacing between two consecutive items withdrawn from the discharge aperture and carried by the first carrier.
59. A method as claimed in claim 58, comprising transferring the items withdrawn to a second carrier extending after the first carrier, the first carrier imparting a first traveling speed to the items, the second carrier imparting a second traveling speed to the items, the second traveling speed being faster than the first traveling speed for spacing the two consecutive items.
60. A method as claimed in claim 58, comprising transferring the items to at least one feed roll extending after the first carrier, the first carrier imparting a first traveling speed to the items, the at least one feed roll imparting a second traveling speed to the items, the second traveling speed imparted to the items by the at least one feed roll being faster than the first traveling speed imparted to the items by the first carrier for spacing the two consecutive items.
61. A method as claimed in claim 58, comprising conveying the items proximate to at least one feed roll extending after the first carrier;
rotating the at least one feed roll for transferring the items to one of a second carrier and a processing apparatus extending after the at least one feed roll; and stopping the rotation of the least one feed roll for spacing the two consecutive items.
62. A method as claimed in claim 58, comprising opening a barrier member disposed between the first carrier and a second carrier extending after the first carrier for transferring the items from the first carrier to the second carrier; and closing the barrier member for preventing the passage of the items from the first carrier to the second carrier.
63. A method as claimed in claim 62, comprising controlling the barrier member between the open and the closed positions for providing one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time lapse between the two consecutive items.
CA2718034A 2005-04-29 2005-04-29 Article feeder and spacer Active CA2718034C (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2718034A CA2718034C (en) 2005-04-29 2005-04-29 Article feeder and spacer

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2506000A CA2506000C (en) 2005-04-29 2005-04-29 Article feeder and spacer
CA2718034A CA2718034C (en) 2005-04-29 2005-04-29 Article feeder and spacer

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA2506000A Division CA2506000C (en) 2005-04-29 2005-04-29 Article feeder and spacer

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CA2718034A1 true CA2718034A1 (en) 2006-10-29
CA2718034C CA2718034C (en) 2012-04-17

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CA2506000A Active CA2506000C (en) 2005-04-29 2005-04-29 Article feeder and spacer
CA2718034A Active CA2718034C (en) 2005-04-29 2005-04-29 Article feeder and spacer

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110346371A (en) * 2019-07-26 2019-10-18 重庆工商大学 A kind of swivel nut testing agency of view-based access control model detection
CN116715000A (en) * 2023-08-10 2023-09-08 烟台鑫特机械设备有限公司 Feeding device for disc feeder

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112046846B (en) * 2020-09-05 2021-09-07 河北泽恒纸塑包装制品有限公司 Cake knife distributing device for cake knife production line
CN112046845B (en) * 2020-09-05 2021-09-03 河北泽恒纸塑包装制品有限公司 Cake knife distributing device used on cake tray fork packaging production line

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110346371A (en) * 2019-07-26 2019-10-18 重庆工商大学 A kind of swivel nut testing agency of view-based access control model detection
CN110346371B (en) * 2019-07-26 2022-03-04 重庆工商大学 Swivel nut detection mechanism based on visual detection
CN116715000A (en) * 2023-08-10 2023-09-08 烟台鑫特机械设备有限公司 Feeding device for disc feeder
CN116715000B (en) * 2023-08-10 2023-10-03 烟台鑫特机械设备有限公司 Feeding device for disc feeder

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2506000A1 (en) 2006-10-29
CA2718034C (en) 2012-04-17
CA2506000C (en) 2011-01-04

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