GB1237821A - Appartus for handling articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,237,821. Conveyers. MIEHLE-GOSSDEXTER Inc. 9 May, 1969 [24 Sept., 1968], No. 23844/69. Heading B8A. Book bodies 11 deposited end-to-end or in spaced relationship on a conveyer belt 12 are transferred in sets of two, to a second conveyer belt 30 by driven escapement wheels 17. The belt 30 forms part of a book pick-up station 16 wherein stops 109, 110 are movable to arrest, and accurately space, the two books, the wheels 17 and the belt 30 being driven at an appreciably higher speed than the belt 12. The station 16 also includes a reciprocable carriage consisting of slides 39 having clamps 40 with gripper pads 240, the slides extending through subsequent stations (not shown) of book-forming apparatus. The books, while on the belt 10, are guided by trough-like guides (55, 56), Fig. 14 (not shown), and, when on the belt (30), are engaged by inverted U-shaped guides (166) mounted on sub-frames (159), Fig. 16 (not shown). Tensioning means are provided for both belts. Fig. 18 shows how a motor 19 drives the belts 12, 30, the escapement wheels 17, a crank 35, and a cam 44. The crank 35, by means of a composite cam 36 and linkage 37, Fig. 10, causes longitudinal reciprocation of the two slides 39. The cam 44, by means 41, 42 and linkage 45, causes clamps 40 to be closed after receiving books when the slides 39 are to the left of the station 16 and to be opened after the books have been carried to the right of the station. The conveyer belts 12, 30 are mounted on two connected sub-frames 54, 82 which are simultaneously adjustable vertically to accommodate books of different widths. Books of different thicknesses are accommodated by adjustable sub-frames 159 for the slides 39 and by adjustably mounting the vertical shafts 64 on which the escapement wheels 17 are supported. The book stops 109, 110 are adjustable longitudinally for handling books having differing heights and are movable into their operative or retracted positions by air cylinders 111. Control of the apparatus, including a clutchbrake 20 in the drive to the escapement wheels 17, is by a photo-electric cell 25 for detecting the books and by a switch unit 325 (Fig. 18) which comprises switch cams driven in synchronism with the main motor-driven shaft 18.