EP0067762B1 - Device for transferring elongated objects to a conveyor duct - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for introducing elongate objects (M) into a transfer corridor (4) from a feed corridor (10) along which the objects (M) are axially moved in sequence. The transfer corridor (4) has star wheels (3') driven rotationally in synchronism, each wheel (3') having at least one socket whose section corresponds to that of the object. A receiving wheel (1) receives the objects (M) at the outlet of the feed corridor (10), to which wheel the guide members (4) of the transfer corridor are extended. The receiving wheel (1) is rotated at regular intervals corresponding to the rhythm of succession of the objects. At least one intermediate wheel (2) is interposed between the receiving wheel (1) and a first transfer wheel (3) for the passage of the objects (M) from one wheel to the other. The intermediate wheel (2) is rotationally driven continuously and at variable speed between the angular velocity of the receiving wheel (1) and that of the transfer wheel (3).

Description

The subject of the invention is a device for introducing elongated objects into a corridor for transferring these objects one beside the other in a direction perpendicular to their axis and applies more particularly to the supply of ammunition from artillery turrets.

An artillery turret consists schematically of a barrel tube mounted on a frame oscillating around two trunnions defining a horizontal axis on a rotating support itself around a vertical axis. The ammunition is placed in a hold located below the carriage and must therefore be led one after the other to the barrel tube. For this purpose, the hold is connected to the carriage by a feed corridor in which the ammunition, introduced automatically or manually, moves one behind the other in the direction of their axes. At the exit of the feed corridor, the ammunition passes in a transfer corridor which brings them to the tube and which therefore consists of two parts, a fixed corridor placed in the carriage and a mobile corridor placed in the oscillating chassis .

Normally, in the transfer corridor, the ammunition moves one next to the other in a direction perpendicular to their axis, this arrangement in particular making it possible to rotate the ammunition gradually so as to bring it in a direction parallel to the barrel tube to facilitate their introduction into the breech.

Generally, to carry out the movement of the ammunition parallel to their axis, the transfer corridor is provided with a series of plates with nested cells and rotatably mounted around axes perpendicular to that of the corridor, the latter being limited by two organs of parallel guidance spaced a distance equal to the diameter of the ammunition.

Each of the transfer trays comprises at least two cells of section corresponding to that of the object, each framed by two arms which respectively take care of the object coming from the previous tray and its push towards the next tray.

Thus, at the same time as the object is pushed out of the cell, the next cell comes to take care of the object coming from the previous tray. Most often, the cell trays have four cells separated by four arms and thus have the shape of a Maltese cross.

There is therefore a discontinuity between the rate of succession of the objects in the feeding corridor and in the transfer corridor since, in the feeding corridor, the objects move one behind the other in the direction of their axes. and therefore arrive at the exit discontinuously while in the transfer corridor, thanks to the nested cell trays, the movement of objects can be carried out continuously.

The invention provides a solution to this problem by means of a device making it possible to continuously introduce into the transfer corridor the ammunition arriving discontinuously at the exit from the supply corridor.

The introduction device according to the invention comprises a tray for receiving objects at the exit from the feed corridor, up to which the guide members of the transfer corridor are extended, this tray comprising at least one cell capable of coming center on the axis of the feed corridor by rotation about an axis perpendicular to the guide members at regular intervals corresponding to the rhythm of succession of objects at the exit of the feed corridor; control means periodically determine the rotation of the receiving plate by an angle (A) corresponding to the replacement of the cell by the following in the axis of the feed corridor; an intermediate plate, also associated with the guide members and provided with cells in a number equal to that of the transfer plates, is interposed between the reception plate and the first transfer plate for the passage of objects from one to the other in the cells by rotation about an axis perpendicular to the guide members; the rotation of the intermediate plate is determined by means of continuous drive and at variable speed associated with means for controlling periodic progressive variations in the speed of rotation between an angular speed equal to that of the receiving plate and an equal angular speed to that of the transfer plate at each fraction of a turn corresponding to the passage of an ammunition from the reception plate to the transfer plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the means for periodically controlling the rotation of the receiving plate consists of an indexing member driven in continuous rotation by the general control means, at an angular speed of one revolution per replacement cycle of an object by the next and capable of engaging during a fraction of a turn on a ramp associated with each cell of the receiving plate and forming a cam for controlling the rotation of the plate at an angular speed progressively increasing or decreasing between two stopped positions separated by the replacement angle (A) of the cell.

Preferably, the device comprises a single intermediate plate ensuring the connection between the reception plate and the first transfer plate and the indexing member determines an angular speed of rotation of the reception plate progressively increasing up to a speed equal to that of the transfer plates then progressively decreasing, the means for controlling the periodic variations in the speed of the intermediate plate determining a slowing down of said plate to a speed equal to that of the receiving plate then an increase in its speed in synchronism with the receiving tray up to the speed of the transfer trays during the rotation of the assembly necessary for the passage of objects from the receiving tray to the intermediate tray and finally maintaining the connection tray in synchronism with the transfer tray at less during the rotation of the angle necessary for the passage of the object from the intermediate plate to the first transfer plate, the speed slowing down again, at the start of the next cycle, until the speed of the receiving plate.

In a particular embodiment, the means for driving the intermediate plate in rotation is constituted by a differential, one planetary of which is driven in rotation by the general control means, in synchronism with the transfer plates, the other planetary controlling the rotation of the intermediate plate, and the means for controlling the variations of the speed of the intermediate plate is an arm for controlling the orientation of the planet carrier shaft of the differential, the end of which cooperates with a cam driven in rotation by the general control means at an angular speed, of one revolution per cycle of replacement of an object and whose profile determines, by means of the differential and according to the transmission ratios, the continuous variation at each cycle of the speed of the intermediate plate between the speed of the receiving plate and the speed of the transfer plates.

Thus, thanks to the use of an intermediate plate with variable speed, it is possible to gradually pass each munition at the speed of the transfer lane and smoothly.

In fact, at the exit from the feed corridor, the receiving tray is stopped for the time necessary for its loading by the ammunition coming from the feed corridor. For security reasons, the ammunition is obviously separated by an interval which corresponds to the time necessary for the replacement of the cell of the receiving plate by the following. This replacement is carried out itself at variable speed, the reception plate progressively increasing speed until turning at a speed higher than that of the transfer plates. During this time, the intermediate plate, driven in rotation in synchronism with the reception plate, was able to take charge of the ammunition coming from the latter. Thanks to this increase in speed, it was possible to make up for the position of the first transfer plate which is driven in continuous rotation. The speed of the receiving plate and the intermediate plate is then reduced, at the end of the movement of taking over by the intermediate plate up to the speed of the transfer plates. From this moment, the receiving plate slows down again until it stops in the centering position of the next cell on the axis of the feed corridor and the intermediate plate takes the speed of the transfer plate to push ammunition to it.

It can therefore be seen that, thanks to the periodic variations in speed of the reception plate and of the intermediate plate, it is possible to introduce the ammunition smoothly and continuously into the transfer corridor.

• La figure 1 représente très schématiquement la jonction entre un couloir d'alimentation et un couloir de transfert.
• La figure 2 est une vue de face des plateaux, en coupe par un plan perpendiculaire à leurs axes.
• La figure 3 est un schéma de l'ensemble du dispositif mécanique de variations de vitesse.
• La figure 4 représente la commande du plateau de réception, en coupe suivant IV-IV de la figure 3.
• La figure 5 représente la commande d'indexage et de variation de vitesse, en coupe développée suivant la ligne brisée V-V de la figure 3.
• La figure 6 représente le mécanisme de commande du plateau intermédiaire, en coupe développée suivant la ligne brisée VI-VI de la figure 3.
• La figure 7 est une vue de détail d'une came de commande.
• La figure 8 est un diagramme de fonctionnement de l'ensemble des trois plateaux.

However, the invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows of a particular embodiment, given solely by way of example, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

• FIG. 1 very schematically represents the junction between a supply corridor and a transfer corridor.
• Figure 2 is a front view of the plates, in section through a plane perpendicular to their axes.
• Figure 3 is a diagram of the entire mechanical device for speed variations.
• FIG. 4 represents the control of the receiving plate, in section along IV-IV of FIG. 3.
• FIG. 5 represents the indexing and speed variation control, in section developed along the broken line VV of FIG. 3.
• FIG. 6 represents the control mechanism of the intermediate plate, in section developed along the broken line VI-VI of FIG. 3.
• Figure 7 is a detail view of a control cam.
• Figure 8 is an operating diagram of all three plates.

In Figure 1, there is schematically shown a vertical supply corridor 10 in which the ammunition M move one after the other1 following the direction of their axes, being separated by a safety space (e) .

At the exit from the supply corridor 10, the ammunition is housed in a pair of cell trays 1 and are led into the transfer corridor 30 via an intermediate corridor 20.

The transfer corridor is very conventionally made up of a series of nested cell plates 31 associated with parallel guides 4.

The intermediate passage 20 comprises a single pair of plates 2 interposed between the reception plates 1 and the first pair of plates 3 of the series of plates 3 ′ of the transfer passage 30.

In the same way, the intermediate plates 20 are associated with guides 40 placed in the extension of the guides 4 of the transfer corridor.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 2, each transfer plate like the plate 3 has four cells between which the thrust arms are interposed. The cells have a curvature which corresponds to that of the M munitions and the plates therefore, schematically, have the shape of a Maltese cross.

The guide members, such as the guides 40 of the intermediate passage and the guides 4 of the transfer passage are parallel and spaced from each other by a distance equal to the diameter of the ammunition. This distance obviously corresponds to the place where the guide members are supported. As can be seen in FIG. 5, two pairs of guide members are used, one, 41, called front guide, bearing on the projectile while the other, 42 bears on the sleeve. In the same way, the diameters of the alveoli of the plates vary since one of the plates, called the front plate, bears on the projectile while the other plate, called the rear plate, bears on the sleeve.

The two front and rear plates are wedged on a common drive shaft perpendicular to the guide members and the shafts of the plates 31 of the transfer passage are driven synchronously and in the same direction by a general control means, not shown. This is why, everything relating to the front plate also applies to the rear plate and each time, subsequently, we speak of a plate, it will obviously be the pair of front and rear plates.

In the example shown, two munitions M ₁ and M ₂ (FIG. 1) are separated from each other, in the transfer corridor 30 by two free intervals shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. This arrangement, which n is not essential, facilitates the smooth transfer of ammunition by leaving in the transfer corridor 30 an interval of two locations which corresponds to the period with which the ammunition M arrive one after the other in the receiving tray 1 It follows that each plate 3 rotates 3/4 of a turn between the times when it takes charge of two successive munitions, that is to say at each cycle of replacement of an ammunition. Thus, in this embodiment, the plate must have four cells separated angularly by 1/4 of a turn. It is this consideration which leads to the use of a Maltese cross shape which is the most common, but one could, for example, have used trays with a single cell, leaving three free spaces between the munitions.

The intermediate plate 2 must include the same number of cells as the plate 3. On the other hand, the receiving plate 1 could comprise only one cell since there is a certain time after the thrust of the ammunition out of the loaded cell to rotate the tray and bring the cell back into the axis of the feed corridor. However, for the sake of simplification, the receiving plate 1 is given the same Maltese cross shape with four cells as the other plates and, in this way, the angle (A) by which the plate 1 must be rotated to bring the next cell in the axis 10 of the supply corridor is 90 °.

The pairs of plates 1, 2, 3 are each wedged, respectively on rotation shafts 11, 21, 31 driven by pinions, respectively, 12, 22, 32 shown in the lower part of Figure 3 which is a schematic view general of the drive mechanism.

The pinion 32 for driving the shaft 31 of the plate 3 is controlled in synchronism with the control pinions of all the plates 3 'of the transfer corridor 30 by a kinematic chain of general control symbolized in FIG. 5 by a pinion 33 driven in rotation at a speed of 3/4 of a turn per cycle and which, in the figure, drives in the same direction and at the same speed the pinion 32 of the same diameter by means of a pinion 34.

The general control pinion 33 also controls the rotation of an indexer 5 consisting of a finger 50 fixed to the end of a crank wedged on a shaft 51 rotated by the pinion 33 via a pinion 52, the number of teeth of which is calculated as a function of that of the pinion 33 so that the shaft 51 rotates at a speed of 1 revolution per cycle. As a result, the indexing finger 50 makes a full turn during the time for replacing one munition with the next.

The indexing finger 50 cooperates with an indexing plate 53 on which are formed four rectilinear grooves 54 directed the axis towards the plate 53 and spaced angularly by 90 °. The depth of the grooves 54 corresponds to the position occupied by the indexing finger 50 when the crank 5 is directed towards the center of the plate 53. In this way, by turning around the shaft 51, the indexing finger 50 which engages in a groove 54, rotates the plate 53 by an angle of 90 ° at a progressively increasing then decreasing speed. The groove 54 therefore forms a cam whose profile determines the variation in speed and it is quite certain that if a rectilinear shape is simpler, one could imagine many other forms giving other laws of variation in speed.

Thanks to this arrangement, the plate 53 therefore rotates 90 ° per cycle at a variable speed which depends on the shape of the cam 54. On the shaft of the plate 53 and wedged a pinion 55 connected by a kinematic chain, for example a pinion 56, to the control pinion 12 of the shaft 11 of the receiving plate 1. The pinions 12 and 55 have the same diameter and are rotated in the same direction and at the same speed. Thus, the indexer 5 controls the rotation at 1/4 turn per cycle and at variable speed of the receiving plate 1.

The speed of rotation of the indexer 5 is adjusted as a function of the speed of desalination of the ammunition M in the feed corridor 10 so that the receiving plate 1 rotates 1/4 of a turn and therefore ensures replacement of a cell by the next one in a time (T) less than that which the munition M takes to traverse the space (e) which separates it from the previous one. Thus, during this time (T), the receiving plate pushes the ammunition M that it had in charge in the intermediate corridor 20 and puts the next cell back on hold in the axis of the supply corridor 10.

These movements of the transfer trays 3 and reception 1 have been represented in FIG. 8 which is a diagram representing on the abscissa the angle of rotation of the indexing control shaft 51 rotating at one revolution per cycle, and on the ordinate the angles of rotation of the honeycomb plates.

We have seen that at each cycle, the transfer plate 3 rotates 3/4 of a turn at constant speed. The representative curve of the transfer plate is therefore a straight line (A G).

During 2/4 of the turn of the plate 3, the receiving plate 1 is stopped and its representative curve is therefore made up of two segments of horizontal lines (H C) and (F J) connected by a curve (C F). The abscissas and ordinates of the extreme points (C) and (F) are separated by 90 ° since the plate 1 rotates 1/4 of a turn at a speed of 1 revolution per cycle, i.e. for 1/4 cycle. The position of the points (C) and (F) as well as the shape of the curve (C F) are determined by the characteristics of the cam 54.

• - Une partie (A B) de la droite (A G) pendant laquelle le plateau intermédaire 2 se trouve à la vitesse du plateau de transfert 3;
• - une partie (B D) pendant laquelle la vitesse du plateau intermédiaire 2 diminue progressivement pour se mettre à la vitesse du plateau récepteur 1 et qui par conséquent est représentée par une courbe tangente en B à la droite (A G) et en D à la courbe (H C F J);
• - une partie (D E) pendant laquelle les deux plateaux 1 et 2 tournent à la même vitesse et qui est donc constituée par un segment de la courbe représentative du plateau 1. C'est pendant ce temps que se produit le transfert de la munition du plateau récepteur 1 au plateau intermédiaire 2 et l'écartement en abscisse des points (D) et (E) doit donc être supérieur à l'angle dont tourne le plateau intermédiaire 2 entre le moment où il commence à prendre en charge la munition venant du plateau récepteur 1 et celui où la munition commence à être prise en charge par le plateau de transfert 3. Cet angle peut être par exemple de 60°.

The intermediate plate (2) must be during part of the cycle at the speed of the receiving plate (1) and during another part of the cycle at the speed of the transfer plate (3), these two parts being connected by periods during which the speed of the plate 2 gradually increases or decreases to reach the desired value. This is why, on the diagram, we will successively distinguish:

• - A part (AB) of the line (AG) during which the intermediate plate 2 is at the speed of the transfer plate 3;
• - a part (BD) during which the speed of the intermediate plate 2 decreases progressively to get to the speed of the receiving plate 1 and which consequently is represented by a tangent curve in B to the right (AG) and in D to the curve (HCFJ);
• - A part (DE) during which the two plates 1 and 2 rotate at the same speed and which therefore consists of a segment of the curve representative of plate 1. It is during this time that the transfer of the munition from the receiver plate 1 to the intermediate plate 2 and the spacing on the abscissa of the points (D) and (E) must therefore be greater than the angle which the intermediate plate 2 rotates between the moment when it begins to take charge of the ammunition coming from the receiving plate 1 and the one where the ammunition begins to be supported by the transfer plate 3. This angle can be for example 60 °.

At point (E) where, precisely, the ammunition begins to be taken over by the transfer plate 3, the speed of the intermediate plate 2 and therefore of the receiving plate 1 must be equal to the speed of the transfer plate 3. C '' is why the shape of the cam 54 is calculated so that the curve (CF) representative of the speed variation of the receiving plate 1 is tangent at (E) to the right (AG) representative of the rotation of the transfer plate 3.

After point (E) the speed of the receiving plate 1 gradually decreases until it is canceled out in (F). On the other hand, the speed of the intermediate plate 2 is equal to that of the transfer plate 3 and the curve representative of the rotation of the plate 2 is therefore represented by the segment (EG) extended by the segment (AB), that is to say say to the point where the speed of the intermediate plate begins to decrease again for a new cycle. It is during this time that the ammunition is transferred from the intermediate plate 2 to the transfer plate 3.

In the figures, there is shown by way of example a mechanism making it possible to vary the speed of rotation of the intermediate plate according to the desired law.

The control pinion 22 wedged on the shaft 21 of the plate 2 is connected by a pinion 23 to a pinion 24 of the same diameter, so that the pinions 22 and 24 rotate in the same direction and at the same speed.

The pinion 24 is integral in rotation with a sun gear 61 of a differential 6, the other planetary 62 of which is integral in rotation with the pinion 35 (FIG. 5) driven in rotation at the same speed as the pinion 32 for driving the plates 3 and in reverse. In this way, if the differential 6 does not make any correction, the drive pinions 22 of the intermediate plate 2 and 32 of the transfer plate 3 are driven in the same direction and at the same speed by means of the planets. differential 6.

The satellites 63 of the differential 6 are carried by a central shaft 64 which is provided with a crank 65 carrying at its end a roller 66. This roller rolls on a cam 7 formed on a disc wedged on the shaft 51 for controlling indexing.

In Figure 7, there is shown by way of example, on an enlarged scale, the profile that may have the cam 7 which cooperates with the roller 6 and the crank 65 to accelerate or decelerate the intermediate plate 2 relative to the transfer plate 3.

As soon as the plates 2 and 3 rotate at the same speed for the time necessary for the passage of the ammunition from one to the other, we have all the rest of the cycle to vary the speed of the intermediate plate 2. On Figure 8 for example we see that we have chosen to rotate the intermediate plate 2 at the speed of the transfer plate 3 during half the cycle which corresponds to the segments (EG) and (AB). During all this time, no correction must be made to the speed of the sun gear 61 relative to the sun gear 62 and therefore the corresponding part 71 of the cam 7, between points E 'and B' (Figure 7) is a demicer - key.

In FIG. 8, it is possible to measure at each instant (t) of the cycle the angular offset (p) which must exist between the plates 2 and 3 which corresponds to the difference of the ordinates of the points (P1) of the straight line (AG) representative of the movement of the plate 3 and (P2) of the curve (ABDEG) representative of the movement of the plate, which correspond to the instant (t) of the cycle. The angle (9) therefore corresponds to the correction which must be made ted at all times by the cam 7 to the movements of the plate 2. This maximum ext correction at the point (K) where the tangent to the curve (ABDEG) is parallel to the right (AG). The plate 2 rotates at a speed lower than that of the plate 3 between the points (B) and (K) and at a higher speed between the points (K) and (E). If we take as an ordinate at each point the angular correction (p) which must be made, we can deduce the curve (L) representative of the correction which must be given by the cam. As indicated, this correction is distributed between the points (B ') and (K') of the cam and the point (K1) of the curve (L) angularly corresponds to the top K 'of the cam for which the correction is maximum. The ratio between the ordinates (p1) of the curve (L) and the distances (p ') from the points of the cam to the center of rotation is calculated by taking into account the gear ratios given by the differential.

• Les deux plateaux tournent en synchronisme sur les segments (E G) et (A B). A partir du point (B), la vitesse du plateau 2 diminue jusqu'à se trouver égale à celle du plateau 1 au point (D). Cette vitesse est d'ailleurs presque nulle puisqu'en ce point, le plateau de réception vient seulement de commencer à se mettre en rotation. La vitesse des deux plateaux 1 et 2 augmente rapidement jusqu'à se trouver égale au point (K) à celle du plateau 3. Elle continue à augmenter pour que le plateau 2 tourne de l'angle nécessaire pour rattraper la position angulaire du plateau 3 puis diminue de nouveau de telle sorte qu'au point (E) les trois plateaux se trouvent à la même vitesse. Entre les points (D) et (E), la munition a été transférée du plateau 1 au plateau 2. A partir du point E, la munition peut être transférée du plateau 2 au plateau 3, dont les arbres tournent à la même vitesse.

In summary, the movements of the intermediate plate 2 relative to the plate 3 are as follows:

• The two plates rotate in synchronism on the segments (EG) and (AB). From point (B), the speed of stage 2 decreases until it is equal to that of stage 1 at point (D). This speed is also almost zero since at this point, the receiving plate has only just started to rotate. The speed of the two plates 1 and 2 increases rapidly until it is equal to point (K) to that of the plate 3. It continues to increase so that the plate 2 rotates by the angle necessary to catch up with the angular position of the plate 3 then decreases again so that at point (E) the three plates are at the same speed. Between points (D) and (E), the ammunition has been transferred from plateau 1 to plateau 2. From point E, the ammunition can be transferred from plateau 2 to plateau 3, whose shafts rotate at the same speed.

We have thus defined the means making it possible to introduce into a continuous movement cycle the ammunition arriving discontinuously at the exit of the supply corridor. It is obvious, however, that the embodiment which has been described has been given only by way of example since one could imagine many other variants making it possible to obtain the same result by equivalent means. In particular, the speed variations of the plates which are controlled, in the example given, by mechanical means, could also be obtained by hydraulic or electronic means.

Finally, if the invention has been described in the case of the transport of ammunition, it could also be applied to the transport of other objects whenever it is necessary to introduce into a corridor of continuous movement of objects arriving discontinuously at its Entrance.

Claims (5)

1. Device for feeding elongated objects (M) into a passage (30) for transfer of the said objects side by side in a direction perpendicular to their axis and defined by parallel guide means (4), form a supply passage (10) along which the objects (M) move one after the other in the direction of their axis, the transfer passage (30) being provided with a series of discs (3') with overlapping cut-outs mounted to rotate around axes perpendicular to the guide means (4) and driven rotationally in synchronism by a general control means (33), each of the said transfer discs (3') including at least one cut-out with a section corresponding to that of the object, associated with two arms, respectively for taking over the object coming form the preceding disc and for pushing towards the following disc, characterised by the fact that it comprises a disc (1) for reception of the objects (M) at the exit from the supply passage (10), the guide means (4) of the transfer passage (30) being extended close to the said exit, and the reception disc comprising at least one cut-out capable of moving into alignment with the axis of the supply passage (10) by rotation about an axis (11) perpendicular to the guide means (4), means (5,53) for periodical control of the rotation of the reception disc (1) through an angle (A) corresponding to the replacement of the cut-out by the following one along the axis of the supply passage (10), at regular intervals corresponding to the rhythm of succession of the objects at the exit from the supply passage (10), at least one inermediate disc (2) likewise associated with the guide means (4), provided with cut-outs equal in number to those of the transfer discs and interposed between the reception disc (1) and the first transfer disc (3), for passing the objects (M) from one to the other in the cut-outs by rotation about an axis (21) perpendicular to the guide means (4), means (22) for rotationally driving the intermediate disc continuously and at a variable speed, and means (6, 7) for controlling progressive periodic variations of the said speed of rotation between an angular velocity equal to that of the reception disc and an angular velocity equal to that of the transfer disc (3) in each fraction of rotation corresponding to the passing of one object from the reception disc (1) to the transfer disc (3).

2. A feeding device according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact the the means for periodical control of the rotation of the reception disc (1) is constituted by an indexing member (5) driven to rotate continuously by the general control means at an angular velocity of one rotation for each cycle of replacement of one object by the following one, and capable of being engaged during a fraction of a rotation on an inclined surface (54) associated with each cut-out (13) of the reception disc and forming a cam for controlling the rotation of the disc (1) at an angular velocity which progressively increases and then decreases between two rest positions separated by the angle (A) of succession of the cut-outs.

3. A feeding device according to Claim 2, characterised by the fact that the device comprises a single intermediate disc (2) linking the reception disc (1) and the first transfer disc (3), and the indexing member (5) determines an angular velocity of rotation of the reception disc (1) progressively increasing up to a speed equal to that of the transfer disc (3) and then progressively decreasing, and the means (6, 7) for controlling the periodical variations of the speed of the intermediate disc (2) determine a deceleration of the said disc (2) to a speed equal to that of the reception disc (1), then an increase of speed in synchronism with the reception disc (1) up to the speed of the transfer disc (3) during rotation through the angle necessary for passing the object (M) form the reception disc (1) to the intermediate disc (2), and finally the maintenance of the linking disc (2) in synchronism with the transfer disc (3), at least during the rotation through the angle necessary for passing the object (M) from the intermediate disc (2) to the first transfer disc (3), followed by a fresh deceleration at the beginning of the following cycle.

4. A feeding device according to one of the preceding Claims, characterised by the fact that the means for rotary driving of the intermediate disc is constituted by a differential (6), of which one sun gear (62) is driven in synchronism with the transfer discs (3'), the other sun gear (61) controlling the rotation of the intermediate disc (2), and that the means for control of variations of the speed of the intermediate disc (2) is an arm 65 for controlling the orientation of the shaft carrying the planets (64) of the differential (6), the extremity (66) of which arm cooperates with a cam (7) rotationally driven by the general control means (33) at an angular velocity of one rotation per cycle of replacement of an object, and the profile of which, by the interposition of the differential (6) and in proportion to the transmission ratios, determines the continuous variation of the speed of the intermediate disc (2) between the speed of the reception disc (1) and the speed of the transfer discs (3'), in each cycle.

5. A feeding device according to Claim 2, characterised by the fact that each inclined surface associated with a cut-out of the reception disc (1) is a straight groove (54) formed in a radial direction in a disc (53) fixed on the shaft (11) of the reception disc (1), and in which can engage a finger (50) located at the end of an indexing arm (5) fixed on a shaft (51) driven rotationally by the general control means (33) at a speed of 1 revolution per cycle of replacement of an object.

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