DE2538169C2 - Device for transporting workpieces between a workpiece loading station and a workpiece unloading station, including the return stroke - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for transporting workpieces between a workpiece loading station and a workpiece unloading station including the return stroke, with a machine base, at least a coupling that engages a shaped portion of a workpiece in response to its movement to and from the workpiece loading station and the workpiece loading station can access and release, with Conveyors that are movably mounted with respect to the machine base and the coupling for a repeated movement along respective first and second paths of travel / u and away from the Wear appropriate stations for loading and unloading, with devices for actuating the clutch for gripping and releasing the workpiece in response to the arrival of the clutch at the Loading station or at the unloading station, with devices for inserting workpieces individually into the Coupling when the coupling arrives at the charging station and with drive devices for the Conveyor devices, the conveyor device having bearings for a rotatable mounting of the coupling, whereby the coupling is rotatable about an axis passing through the bearings, and means for rotating the coupling around the axis when conveying from the workpiece loading station to the workpiece unloading station are provided.

A device of the type defined above is known from DE-OS 22 64 444. The one in this The device described in printing has a conveying device for a device for manufacturing a glass container with a plastic coating, with an endless loop-shaped conveyor track a conveyor frame and conveyor elements are provided, which can be guided along the conveyor track and in carry multiple container handling jaws or couplings in a housing. These jaws or couplings are connected to the housing in a wobbly and rotatable manner. In the known device is the conveyor is designed for a continuous advance, with the rotary movement of the couplings can only take place depending on the delivery rate. However, it is in this known device as disadvantageous to assess that misalignments of workpieces during the gripping of these workpieces are tolerated from the outset by the conveyor device or by the associated clamping jaw elements, where the workpieces are, for example, glass containers or bottles. So goes in particular from the aforementioned document that a certain error alignment of the scope of the

■ »ο the edge of the bottle during operation for handling the bottles is absolutely permissible and that the center of the axis of the bottle and the center of the axis of the clamping jaw or coupling are not exactly centered and aligned with one another at the point in time at which the bottle is picked up by the coupling to need. When the extent of the edge bead of a bottle within the inner circle limiting a gripping lip of the jaw jaws in the open position of the same, albeit moved from de-Mitte, is then

so the clamping jaws move the bottle into the Clamped position as they close. On the other hand, if a bottle to be handled is in is greatly misaligned with respect to the jaw, so that the circumference of the bead If the bottle is outside the inner circle of the gripping lip, the bottle will not be picked up. In such a case will always be the misaligned bottle that will not be detected by the coupling can, from the end of the conveyor down into a

μ Holding device tilted in. It can therefore with this known device it happens again and again that one or even more couplings are empty, d. H. without workpieces to be conveyed through the conveyor, which of course leads to an uneconomical one

h5 mode of operation can lead.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a device of the type defined at the outset indicate the misalignments of workpieces

makes avoidable while gripping by the coupling of the conveyor, in particular with Consideration that, above all, the handling or treatment of easily scratched workpieces, for example, of workpieces made of plastic, soft metal or the like, is intended, wherein the workpieces fed into the transport device even when the conveying movement is interrupted for example, heated uniformly through an oven or treated in some other way should.

Starting from a device of the type defined at the outset, this task is carried out according to FIG Invention achieved in that the drive devices for the conveyor are designed in the manner are that the movement of the conveyor is alternating and periodic between the workpiece loading stations or workpiece unloading stations is interrupted to thereby intermittently the conveyor to stop and drive up a predetermined distance and that facilities are provided by soft the coupling continuously around the axis when conveying from the workpiece loading jam to the Workpiece unloading station is rotated in such a way that the workpiece held in the coupling also during Interruptions of the conveying movement is rotated continuously.

According to an advantageous development of the invention it is provided that the device for insertion the workpieces in the coupling are connected to the conveyor system via a timing system, to actuate the workpiece insertion device when the conveying movement is interrupted.

The invention leads to the essential advantage that an intermittent conveying movement at the same time continuous rotary movement of the couplings is made possible. By stopping intermittently or advance of the conveyor device is a precise gripping or releasing of the workpieces by the Couplings ensured at the appropriate stations while at the same time being ready; within a Treatment line located clutches with the workpieces contained in these continuously be rotated further, completely regardless of whether the movement of the conveyor is straight is interrupted or not. This means that even treatment of the workpieces is also absolute ensured.

The invention is described below for the purpose of illustration without being restricted to this application in connection with devices for handling workpieces described, the preforms from Injection molded plastic, which is reheated to a carefully controlled temperature immediately before they become a bottle with a screw-threaded neck for closure blow molded by means of a screw cap. The preform has a circular cross-section and the parts of the coupling which come into engagement with the preform are likewise circular Cross-section on, the blow mold has an increasingly important position in the field of manufacture of hollow bodies, such as sticks or the like. Made of a wide variety of plastics and synthetic resins, such as for example polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride. Polyacrylic and nitrile, polyethylene terephthalate and the like. Taken. The technical field of etlasforming has evolved with reference to the way in which the Working material is entered into the mold in which it is blow molded, developed in two main directions, namely, extrusion blow molding and injection blow molding. As already indicated above, the present Invention explained in more detail with reference to injection blow molding. In injection blow molding, the Plastic is first injection molded to make a preform. For example, if the end product is a Bottle with a screw neck offers that

ίο Injection molding has the advantage that the thermal Problems caused by memory are reduced and a screw neck is created, which hardly changes in shape or size during further processing. After the preform is made by injection molding, it is conveyed to a blow molding operation where it is in the mold Pressurized gas, such as clean compressed air, is used to drive the preform into the mold the blow mold to expand and the finished container is obtained. In many cases it is It is necessary to carefully regulate the temperature at which the preform is made into the blow mold. the Temperature regulation is easily achievable where injection molding and blow molding are in the same machine take place, in many cases the heat contained in the preform is used. Where, however, is injection molding and blow molding are carried out on different machines, it is necessary to reheat or rewarm. The apparatus of the present invention is particular suitable to make a preform during the reheating process of the type just described and to convey this in a bias molding device submit. During this process, the preforms are conveyed through an oven, where they are placed in be heated evenly. This is achieved in that the preform through the coupling is gripped, and then passed through an oven by means of the conveyor on which the coupling is mounted while continuously rotating the preform to uniformly heat it. After that, the preform moved out of the oven and released from the clutch and conveyor, whereupon the Preform is fed into a blow molding system where it is formed into a container. It will be on it pointed out that the blow molding system does not form part of the present invention.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to embodiments illustrated by way of example in the drawings.
It shows

F i g. 1 is a partially sectioned side view of a device which includes a conveyor device in FIG Corrbiration with a number of clutches and

■ -, -, shows workpieces that are gripped by the clutches are;

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned end view alongj the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, which swivel cams for loading the clutch, the rotary drive of the clutch, Face cam disks for the timed advance of the deformations or workpieces and a bearing and Shows gear arrangement on one for continuous and and intermittent rotation common shaft is arranged;

* "> Fig. 3 is an end view at the release or ejection end the machine in a partial sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the rotary drive of the Clutch, the release cam, the guide track and

shows the follower of the conveyor as well as part of the intermittent drive;

4 and 5, each on an enlarged scale, lateral sectional views of a coupling on a Bearing carrier and the release cam in a workpiece gripping or holding position or a workpiece release or loading position; and

F i g. 6 and 7 isometric schematic representations of the linkage, which the pivot cam according to FIG F i g. 2 actuates or the gear trains, one of which is both continuous and intermittent Creates movement.

In the following, a preferred embodiment of a device is described which is useful for conveying workpieces or preforms 2 made of polyethylene terephthalate. the one in Figs. 4 and 5 and from a loading device 8 through an oven 9 using a conveyor 10 according to FIGS. 2 and i are promoted, where they are heated to a previously defined /.usland (Fi g. 1, 2 and 3), after which the preforms are then sent to a blow molding device Il be released of any conventional kind. Since the furnace and the die forming device do not form part of the present invention, these two details are not explained in further detail. The workpiece 2 is held or gripped by a coupling 12, which according to FIGS. 4 and 5 is formed. from that point on. in which it is charged by the loading device 8 until the point in time when it is released at the other end of the conveyor by a release cam device 15, as further below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5 will be explained in more detail. The coupling is continuously rotated during the period in which it passes through the furnace in order to achieve a uniform transfer of intense heat, hence a uniform temperature. The conveyor itself has an array of clutches 12 and periodically moves and stops the clutches alternately (ie

intiir fi it! iprpnrlf »r \ yr \ rc / *» l "> iiK \ H-jfl riot I ar \ r * n ■ / 1 1 tnl.Kon

Times takes place when the clutches 12 are do not stoop. even if some of them turn..

The workpiece 2 being handled preferably has an engaging portion and preferably a head on the top of a long body. so that the coupling locks can reach under the head and hold it. For the present purposes, a soft plastic preform will be assumed which is generally shaped like a test tube with a threaded spout 16 (Figs. 4.5) for use in blowing a bottle. Such a preform has υ. a. Due to the extreme stresses to which it is subjected during the "bladder", see "Filling and Closing". a shark construction with an externally threaded spout 16 which lies directly above an unscrewing locking ring 17 which is closely spaced above a retaining ring 18. The Abschraubsicherungsring and the thread course be used in connection with the filling and sealing of the final container, the preform and the au "df> r preform bottle made while hanging \ ^{ie;. r} e manufacturing processes from the retaining ring 18 zoom.

The injection-molded veins are loaded by hand or by a suitable loading device into the loading assembly 8 which is connected to the left end of the conveyor of Fig. 1. This loading device is in timed relation to the movement of the conveyor and each individual clutch 12 is actuated, whereby each preform is fed into the clutch while it is temporarily stopped in the loading position (reference symbol i2B) (cf.Fig. I). During loading, the clutch parts are in the open (release) position according to FIG. ¹ ) held until the workpiece is inserted, whereupon the coupling is closed, ie moved into the engaged or holding position according to Fig. 4. After the workpiece or preform is loaded in this way into the coupling 120, the conveyor picks up its advance again, whereupon each loaded clutch (e.g. 12C "to \ 2D) is continuously rotated as it moves from position to position in a periodic manner d Through the furnace and to the point of release 12 / T moves wild, as shown on the right-hand side of FIG. I and in the F i g. 3 and 5 is illustrated.

As can be seen from the drawings, in particular from FIGS. I to 3 can be seen, the couplings are arranged in a pattern of parallel rows. In the illustrated embodiment (FIGS. 2 and 3) a number of clutches are arranged in rows of four clutches each on a bearing bracket 20, whereby these four clutches can be moved together through all operations and at the same time deliver four preforms to the blow mold 11. As best seen in Fig. 1, the couplings are likewise arranged in rows one behind the other, that is to say one behind the other, so that the loaded couplings under the action of the driving force supplied by the conveyor from the loading device 8 through the furnace 9 to the release point 12 £ "(in the area of a chute the blow molds 11, which is illustrated without the usual vertical spacing due to the spatial limitation of the drawings) can be moved. the emptied couplings "i-prniin Hann -to AETR I 3 / lpcla! inn -Tliriiritapfilhrt u / r» Km

this process is repeated over and over again.

The conveyor 10 provides a convenient device for the continuous rotation of each charged clutch, while at the same time the intermittent advance of the clutches of the loading station to the unloading station of the machine is guaranteed.

The structure of the coupling is explained in more detail below. A preferred embodiment of the coupling 12, as it is to be used in the context of the present invention, is shown in the cross-sectional view in FIG 4 and 5 illustrates Fig. 5 shows the position of the various individual parts of the coupling, when a preform or other workpiece is held or gripped by the coupling or when the Clutch is empty and is returned for reloading. F i g. 5 shows the relative positions of the parts, v / enn the coupling releases or picks up a workpiece.

The coupling 12 engages and releases the preform in response to the relative movement between them Individual parts, this movement being an axial movement converted into a radial movement. The coupling consists of a first and a second cup-shaped Part 25 or 26. The first cup-shaped part 25 is the outermost part and forms a Bearing or support from which a hollow shaft 27

borrows upwards. Ki has a closed end 28 from which a tall shaft extends and also a tubular one. preferably cylindrical wall 29. The wall of the first part also has a cam surface 30 on the inner side of its lip or skirt located at the bottom. this cam surface being divided into two parts, of which the furthest '; fi the lower part is a release cam surface 31 and the upper part is a holding or workpiece gripping cam surface 32. I'.a step 33 or any suitable inclined surface joins these two cam surfaces. The wall 31, 32 can also serve as a heat shield to prevent the injection-molded neck and screw threads 16, 17, 18 from being heated on the preform, so that the injection-molded shape with minimal deformation due to the thermal memory capacity generated per hlpmr rrhallpn hlnihl

F. a number of detents 35, which are preferably formed by spherical bodies, such as ball bearings, are carried by the second cup-shaped part or carrier 26. The locks are the components that physically engage the preform. In the preferred embodiment is the inclined surface on the underside of the sealing ring or locking ring provided on the preform 17 such that an inward radial movement of the locking means that the locking is underneath wedged this surface to secure the top or lip of the V-shape against seat 36 of the preform press, which is held in the upper end of the bracket by the seat flange 37, which engages a Holding ring 38 is in place, which is received in a groove 39.

The second part or carrier 26 is axially movably held in the first part or bearing part 25 and has an end wall 41 and a tubular wall 42 in order to effectively hold the detents 35 as supports for them so that the detents can move radially when the carrier is moved axially routes 26, sufficient to detents 35 g 4 shows the rreigabenockentiacne Ji gemab ι V of the holding cam surface 32 according to. t> and vice versa to move.

The carrier 26 of the detents has a closed end 41. of which a cam follower part 44 after protrudes at the top and from which the tubular, preferably cylindrical wall 42 extends downward, the one Number of openings 45, which completely through the wall are carried out. Three openings are preferably provided, as a result of which three locking devices 35 can be used. The openings 45 are actually shaped as obliquely formed holes that are designed to diverge towards the outside from the central part of the housing. The the locks forming balls 35 are consequently held in these beveled holes, but can go far from this protrude enough to. as in Fig. 4 illustrates gripping the workpiece firmly.

The cam member 44 connected to the carrier is slidably supported in the hollow shaft 27 and engages through this and extends over the shaft (see. F i g. 4 and 5) by a distance that sufficient to engage with an actuating device, such as various cams (see swivel cam described below and the Enable cam 15). to come into engagement, as illustrated in FIGS. A yielding one

Fire device 47 is by a hall spring Serving coil spring formed, which between the shaft 27 forming the bearing and the Cam follower part 44 of the housing arranged under Druckvorspan voltage and on this by a retaining ring and a washer 48 or 49 is held and biases the carrier of the detent in the bearing part, d. H. the Parts in the F i g. 4 illustrated relative positions biased.

A second resilient spring device is used as a seat spring 50 between the closed end 41 de « Lock carrier and the workpiece seat 36 see easily. The seat spring is under compression preload pushes the carrier and the seat away from each other.

A pinion or toothed wheel 51 is also attached to the upper end of the hollow bearing shaft in order to continuously rotate the coupling about an axis running through the coupling when it is in contact with the conveyor.

* _ ■ ■ -

Bearing bracket 20 supported in a pair of slide bearings 52, which are preferably formed by permanently lubricated bearings of the insert-like bush type which are readily available on the market.

Each clutch 12 works in the following way (see FIGS. 4 and 5): The workpiece 2 is initially through Depressing the cam follower 44 inserted or released, which the housing spring 47 compresses and the carrier 26 axially downwards in the direction of the position illustrated in FIG moved, whereupon by the seat 36 and the spring 50 formed, the ejection assisting means are effective, so that the seat spring 50 the seat 3f pushes down to a position where the retaining ring 38 stops further movement of the seat. Because of of these movements, the detents 35 are moved radially into their openings 45 against the release cam surface 31 moves and thereby releases the workpiece. At this point in time, the individual parts reach the values shown in FIG. 5 illustrated positions and. if there is a workpiece in the coupling at the beginning, e < released, however, if the coupling is empty. it is loaded by inserting a workpiece 2 and axially is moved until the detents 35 flash it, wherein finally the one shown in FIG. 4 illustrated position is assumed. How it works when you hold takes place essentially in the reverse order of the steps described first and the locks 35 fully engage the preform as they climb up onto retaining cam surface 32. Consequently will a relative axial movement between the two cup-shaped parts 25, 26 into a radial movement de / locking devices 35 implemented.

The conveyor device is explained in more detail below. The conveyor device 10 forms the machine frame or basis on which the entire system is stored. The base has a pair of side plates 55 of the conveyor (Fig. 1. 2 and 3) on the in the distance are held to each other by a horizontal frame plate 5 € and at one end by means of a vertical end plate 57 interconnected and on feet 58 at a convenient height above of the soil are stored. The various frame parts form a storage facility on which a number of bearings. Main drives and guide parts is stored

The couplings i2 are in rows of four above the Conveyors placed in the bearing supports. Each bearing support 20 is at its ends on a pair of

Rollers or wheels 61 mounted, which are preferably cam follower rollers and which are on a side on the Frame arranged rail or guide track 62 run, which in an advantageous manner by a be formed by cutting in the Scitcnplattcn groove. It is preferred, however, to be machined Reduce machining so that it can be advantageous to use angles or U-irons on the Fasten the side plate with bolts, which then act as rails for the bearing brackets in the horizontal ·> serve straight cuts, so that only one semicircular groove at the ends of the corresponding side plates as a rail (see. Fig. I) by cutting must be made.

leather bearing bracket 20 is at its ends by a pull tab 65 with a conveyor chain 66 on both Connected sides of the conveyor. The conveyor chain itself is around the drive gear 67 or the deflection gear

Umlenkwellc 70 are mounted. The drive shaft 69 is ■> / wipe the side plates 71 mounted in bearings 55 (FIG. 3). The deflection shaft 70 is supported in bearings 72 in the corresponding side plates. It should be noted that each end of each bearing bracket 20 is supported on a rail or track 62 and has a pull tab 65 at each end. Among other things, this avoids operational disruptions that could result from the inclined position of the bearing beam, as would be the case if only a single-point connection were used.

The clutches 12 are continuously rotated by a horizontally arranged double link chain 73 or double-width chain is provided, the lower half of which meshes with the gears 51 of the clutches and the upper half of a clutch drive gear 74 and a clutch reversing gear 75 is performed. The use of the chain

73 double width and the arrangement of the gear

74 of the clutches in a plane or level lower in the vertical direction than the drive and deflection gears avoids a mechanical disturbance which could have occurred if they were at the same level, and at the same time it is possible for each clutch to begin its rotation earlier and can terminate it later in its path of travel from the loading station to the unloading station A pressure plate 76 is mounted such that it engages the rear of both the tensioned sls and the slack side of the chain 73 in order to maintain the drive contact between the As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the tensioned and loose sides of each chain mesh with a plurality of clutch sprockets. ^■; voltage of the coupling chains 73, its drive gears 74, 75 and the pressure plates 76 between each pair of R Because of the number of clutches, a minimum number of drive systems must be used for the clutches. ^j

The gear train described below and illustrated in FIG. 7 rotates the shaft 69 of the Conveyor drive gear intermittently in that the chain 77 to the main conveyor gear 78 in periodic intervals intermittent force pulses "" sent. The rotating system 73, 74, 75 of the couplings is continuously separated by a and continuously operating drive train, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 7 is explained and the power to your drive gear for the clutches and deflection gear supplies. In the following the loading and unloading devices for the workpieces explained in more detail. Workpieces or preforms are made by Facilities used in you couplings and released from these, which with swivel cams 80 and Release cams 15 work together to provide the various Individual parts of each clutch in a timed manner between the positions according to F i g. 4 and 5 to thereby load and unload the clutch. The duty cycle in terms of the coupling positions / around loading. Conveying and unloading a workpiece is as follows:

a) Actuating the cam of the clutch 12S (FIG. 1) into the release-loading position according to FIG. 5;

b) in the position according to FIG. 5, use the loading device 8 (left side of FIG. 1) and place the workpiece 2 in the coupling until the seat 36 is pushed against the closed end 41 of the carrier;

c) at this point in time, cam actuation of the clutch into the gripping / holding position according to FIG. 4, then move the coupling on to the unloading station £ 12 while the coupling is in the Position of F i g. 4 is held,

d) Release of the workpiece at the unloading station 12 £ by moving the coupling into position according to FIG. 5; and

e) Returning the clutch to the position shown in FIG. 4 and movement of the coupling to the unloading station.

As a simpler of the two, reference is first made to FIG. 1, 3, 4 and 5 describe the mode of operation and the structure of the unloading / releasing station. The unloading station I2E is at the right end of the conveyor in the view of FIG. I illustrated and is achieved when a clutch is moved into the position of the clutch 12 £, in this position the cam follower part of the clutch with the Fre'gabeocken 15, which is shown in FIG. 4, is initially engaged. The release cam 15 is fastened to the horizontal frame plate 56 by bolts or the like (only shown in phantom in FIG. 1 in order to keep the drawing clear, see therefore FIGS. 3 to 5). A rightward movement of the coupling 12 £ is interrupted and it remains in the position 12 £ for a period of time which is sufficient to insert a preform 2B into the coupling 12S at the other end of the machine. The next advance of the clutch moves the cam follower 44 along the release cam 15 until the release point of the cam is reached, which is shown in FIG. Fig. 5 is illustrated exposing the preform 2 £. The clutch continues to move during this advance until it is no longer in contact with the release cam, and it actually moves to the position of the clutch 12F in Fig. I. This continued advance allows the cam follower to move over the rear edge of the release cam 15 and apart from any contact with the release cam, so that the sequence spring 47 moves the now empty coupling parts into the FIG. 4, with the exception that the part 36 rests on the bottom of the ring 38. The coupling parts remain in this holding position until the coupling reaches the charging station at the point of coupling 12 '

The conveyor chain 66 moves the coupling around the right end of the conveyor in the view according to FIG. I and runs along the horizontal rail or track 62 on the top of the conveyor in order to finally move it around the left end of the conveyor (in the view from '- i g. 1) into the loading position designated as coupling I2ß. A bracket 82 holds the loading device 8 on the end plate 57 of the frame. Mechanisms are used at the loading station to operate the clutch, place a workpiece therein, and grip and hold the workpiece.

While the clutch moves from position 124 to position 12ß on its bearing bracket around the left End of Fig. I moves (its parts are in the holding-Z-gripping position according to FIG. 4), the Cam follower engages swing cam 80 and movement of the clutch is interrupted, when the clutch reaches position 123. The swing cam 80 at this point has the Cam follow. "Tc; l printed down so that the The coupling parts are in the loading position as shown in FIG.

The conveyor system according to FIG. 1 is driven intermittently in such a way that the clutch is in the loading position 12ß is held still in accordance with FIG. 1 for a period of time sufficient to have a workpiece 2ß therein to be used (consequently all clutches are temporarily held still). Once the preform or workpiece is in the When the clutch is inserted, the swing cam 80 will pivot clockwise to disengage itself from the Contact with the cam follower part 4 * so that the clutch is in the holding position (Fig. 4) can spring back, which means that the detents grip the preform.

The pivot cam 80 is mounted on a pivot shaft 83 (with a large number of identical cams) and is driven by the system shown in FIG. 6 actuated articulated system shown, which operates from a face cam 84 which, for reasons of convenience, is fastened by a bolt connection to the rear surface of a pair of loading face cam 85 and is mounted in such a way that it is mounted on the shaft together with this duT ücin Gciiäusc 56 lier rCugeiiagereinncniung Ö7 70 rotates. All face cam disks 84 and 85 are driven by a force which is derived from chains 88 on toothed wheels 89, which are likewise fixedly bolted or otherwise firmly attached to their associated ball bearing devices 87 and whose driving force is provided by the in more detail in FIG . i ¹ illustrated gear train obtained.

In any case, the face cam 84 comes into engagement with a cam follower part 91 (FIG. 6), which is arranged between the ends of a cam follower arm 92, one end of which is pivotably mounted on the frame about the point 93 and the one fork connection 94 at the other end with a horizontal joint system 95, 96, 97, which controls the movement of the cam follower part 9 *. to the crank 98 of the pivot shaft 83 in such a way that the pivot cam 80 is moved out of contact with the coupling so that the latter can assume the position illustrated in Figure 4, whereupon the pivot cam 80 is returned to a position, where he can nsciiStiOigcnucn n.uppiung nsen ίΐΐΐΐεπ urucrCcn the cam follower part Tr.

The in Fig. 6 illustrated joint system has a first and a second push rod 95 and 97, which are connected by conventional pin or fork connections 101, 102 to a horizontal lever 96 which is pivotably mounted in a bearing 103 on the horizontal frame plate. The cam and the entire articulation system illustrated in Figure 6 are shaped in this manner. claLS they hold the swing cam 80 in a position for a period of time sufficient to allow insertion of a preform in c ¹ * to allow ■ coupling (by the latter g in the position of F i. 5 is held), and then the clutch is in the ! current position according to FIG. 4 by pivoting the cam clockwise out of contact with the cam follower 44, whereupon the pivot cam is held in this non-contact position until the conveyor 10 has moved the coupling away from the position I2ß. The swivel cam is then swiveled back into the contact position. The next periodic movement of the conveyor then moves the coupling out of the loading position, moves a next coupling into the loading position and preferably brings each coupling to approximately the position I2C, where it initially comes into contact with the double-width chain and begins to rotate.

The loading device 8 is a loading device for inserting individual workpieces from a loading chute (not shown) into couplings located one after the other in the loading position, which is designated as coupling 120 (actually four workpieces in four couplings, if the four-row arrangement according to FIGS 3) in a fixed temporal relationship to the operation of the conveyor, the loading device being actuated by a face cam 85. Thus, the machine includes a timing system (the facing augers 84, 85 and the intermittent drive 189 of the conveyor of FIG. 7) which operates the loader when the conveyor, ie, the various clutches, stop. As best seen in Fig. 2, a face cam disk is provided at each end of the shaft 70 and the ball bearing devices 8b, 8 / allow a relative rotational movement between the shaft 70 L. d of each face cam disk unit 84 to 87 or 85 to 87. The loading face cam disks are shaped in this way that they cooperate with the swing cam to insert a preform into the coupling and hold the preform there until the swing cam 80 has moved to cause the coupling at 125 to grip or hold the workpiece and then around the loader returned to the starting position until the next following clutch is at position 128 .

A carrier 82 with a carrier plate 112 (see. Fig. 1) holds the charger 8 in place. The loading device 8 causes the preforms under The action of gravity is promoted by the chute in the position indicated by the preform 2ß where they axially by a lifting device, not shown, in the manner described above in the coupling is raised.

In the following the gear train is explained in more detail F i g. Figure 7 shows a preferred embodiment of the gear train for the device according to the present invention. Two iCraft drives in the form of electric motors 140 and 141 are provided. The motor 141 drives a horizontally arranged chain 143

on, which is guided around a number of deflection wheels 144, 145 and which serves to drive the primary gears 146, 147 to rotate the couplings, which are in bearings 148,149 on the plate 56 on the same shafts 150, 151 are mounted on which the chain wheels 74 are also mounted.

The motor 140 is a gear motor and uses both ends of an output shaft or two output shafts 160, 161 such that the gear train is divided into two parts, namely an output shaft 160 of the continuously rotating system and an output shaft 161 of the intermittent system the advance of the preforms. The gear motor 140 is preferably on top of the conveyor system mounted, as shown schematically in FIG. 1 is illustrated. Its continuous propulsion system is supported by the Shaft 160 guided and through shafts, bevel gears, 162, a timing shaft 164, timing gears 166, timing chain 88 and gears 89 with the face cam disks 84, 85 of the Charging system connected to drive this continuously.

The intermittent drive system takes place via

. a switching device, such as a magnetic clutch or a Maltese cross 189, to a sprocket 191 which drives the chain 77, which in turn drives the main sprocket 78 and the shaft 69, so daO as a result, the conveyor system 10 and consequently the bearing brackets 20 and the couplings 12 intermittently be advanced.

Both motors 140, 141 operate continuously while the system is in operation. That by the engine 140 powered system operates in the manner described above. That by the engine 141 powered system works continuously, thereby continuously operating the clutches and consequently to continuously rotate the preforms.

For this purpose 4 sheets of drawings

Claims (2)

Patent claims: 1. Device for transporting workpieces between a workpiece loading station and a workpiece unloading station including the return stroke, with a machine base, at least one coupling which can grip and release a shaped section of a workpiece depending on its movement to or from the workpiece loading station and the workpiece unloading station, with conveyors movably mounted with respect to the machine base and carrying the coupling for repeated movement along respective first and second paths of movement to and away from the respective loading and unloading stations, with means for actuating the coupling for gripping and releasing the workpiece in dependence of the arrival of the coupling at the loading station or at the unloading station, with devices for inserting workpieces individually into the coupling when the coupling arrives at the loading station, and with drive devices for the conveying devices, the Conveying device has bearings for a rotatable mounting of the coupling, whereby the coupling is rotatable about an axis leading through the bearings, and devices for rotating the coupling around the axis when conveying from the workpiece loading station to the workpiece unloading station are provided, characterized in that ait drive devices (140, 141, 189, 191) are designed in such a way that the movement of the conveying direction (10) is alternately and periodically interrupted between the stops (126 and 12e ^ , in order to thereby stop the conveying device intermittently and to advance a predetermined distance, and that devices (73 to 76, 141) are provided by which the coupling (12) is continuously rotated about the axis during the conveyance from the workpiece loading station (t2b) to the workpiece unloading station (12e ^, such as that the workpiece (2) held in the coupling is rotated continuously even while the conveying movement is interrupted. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (8) for inserting the workpieces into the coupling (12) is connected to the conveyor device (10) via a timing system (84, 85, 189) in order to move the workpiece insertion device (8 ) to be activated each time the conveying movement is interrupted.