GB1092981A - Arrangement comprising a mechanical memory for conveyoroperated storage and or sorting systems - Google Patents

Abstract

1,092,981. Endless conveyers. ELECTROLUX A.B. May 26, 1966 [May 26, 1965; Aug. 26, 1965], No. 23552/66. Heading B8A. A mechanical memory (18) (Fig. 1, not shown) for controlling the distribution of articles from a conveyer belt (10) to branch conveyer belts (11), (12), (13) . . . (14), comprises a drum 19, rotatable in synchronism with the conveyer belt 10, and having a number of axially spaced rows I, II, III . . . , of indentations 20. Each of the latter is adapted to convey a ball 21 along a channel 22 there being a respective one of the latter corresponding to each row I, II, III . . . . The balls collect in the channels 22 at a series of solenoid operated gates BU 01 , BU 02 , BU 03 ... respective to each channel. These gates are released according to the operation of keys (D 01 ), (D 02 ), (D 03 ) . . . (Figs. 10a, 10b, not shown) or alternatively depending on the setting of a switch (A8) by a punch card mechanism (A). The latter programmes the solenoid operated gates (BU 01 , &c.) automtically via relays (AO)-(AN). This permits a ball in the channel 23 concerned to fall until stopped by either a stop BM1-BM5 (there is one of each of these for each channel 23 (Figs. 6-8, not shown), or if the memory has not completed a previous programme, by a gate BM0. When the first article on the conveyer belt (10) reaches a micro switch (C6), the gate BM0 is withdrawn to permit the ball to proceed to a point in the associated channel 23 in which it can be entrained by a recess 20 of the drum 19. When the ball operates a switch B11S, B12S or B13S according to which branch conveyer (11), (12), or (13) the article in question has been programmed for, a stop (C9) on the conveyer belt (10) is raised and the article is allowed to proceed. The article then sequentially operates a series of micro-switches (C5)- (C0) The switches (C5)-(C1) operate to deenergize in succession solenoids of stops BM5- BM1, and switch (C0) operates a stepping switch (E) in a minus sense. The latter is operated in a plus sense by every signal originating either from the keys (D01) &c. or the punch card device (A). The stepping switch (E) activates the stops BM5-BM1 via a series of relays (E 1 )-(E 5 ). In this way a series of balls are collected by the stops BM1-BM5 in each of the channels 23 and this constitutes a memory of a programme as set manually on the keys (D01), (D09), &c. or by the punch card device (A). In a modification (Figs. 11, 12 not shown,) the rows of recesses 20 are replaced by a single spiral groove in the periphery of the drum 19. Each channel 23 is replaced by a channel (105) (one in respect of each branch conveyer belt) disposed axially of the drum 19. The branch conveyer belts (11), (12), (13) . . . may be replaced by discharge stations of the conveyer belt (10).