GB1120173A - Apparatus for feeding sweets or articles for wrapping - Google Patents

Abstract

1,120,173. Wrapping m/c feeding apparatus; conveyors. F. THEEGARTEN. 17 Nov., 1965, No. 48839/65. Headings B8A and B8C. An apparatus for feeding rectangular sweets 14 to a wrapping machine comprises a vibratory conveyer 24 which serves to align the longitudinal axis of the sweets in the direction of conveyance. The sweets, 14 are fed from a hopper 13 on to a vibratory conveyer 21 which consists of eight individual channels arranged side by side, each resting on a pair of supporting springs 22 and each driven by an electrical vibratory drive 23. Above the conveyer 21 a brush 19 is provided to prevent sweets being fed along the conveyer one on top of another. The sweets, 14 are then fed on to the vibratory conveyer 24, which similarly consists of eight individual channels which are each driven by an electrical vibratory drive 26. The vibrations of the conveyer 21 are stopped for short periods of time in order to stop the flow of sweets, 14, on to the conveyer 24. This allows the sweets, 14 on the conveyer 24 to be spaced from each other and hence align themselves longitudinally in the channels. Alternatively, the conveyer 21 may operate at a slower rate than the conveyer 24. The sweets, 14 then pass on to a third vibratory conveyer 27. The conveyer 27 consists of a plate 28 which is divided into eight channels by plates (30), Fig. 3 (not shown). The vibratory conveyer 27 is driven by a single drive 34. Mounted above each of the channels of the conveyer 27 is a feeler 35 which operates a time switch 36. Each feeler 35 is raised as a sweet 14 passes through the channel beneath it. If a feeler 35 is raised for longer than a predetermined time, the switch 36 operates a time switch which stops the conveyers 21, 24. The conveyer 27 continues to operate and moves the sweets 14 to a pair of belt conveyers 31, 32 which feed the sweets, &c. into channels (15), (16), Fig. 4 (not shown). The upper belt 31, Fig. 1, is biased by springs 30 against the belt 32. The channels (15), (16), Fig. 4 (not shown), feed the sweets on to slides 17, Fig. 1, above an allocating plate 11. When the slides 17 are removed, plungers 18 push the sweets 14 into pockets (12) Fig. 4 (not shown), on the plate 11.