GB1436690A - Self levelling dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

1436690 Counterbalancing PETERS & CO Inc 10 July 1974 [16 July 1973] 30564/74 Heading B8B A self levelling dispenser includes a load carrying platform carried on arms 18 having an upward force applied thereto through cable systems 26, 28 influenced by an adjustably spring biased pivoted lever 38, whereby the level of the top of a stack of article on the platform, is maintained as the stack content is changed. The lever 38 is pivoted at one end 42 to a frame 52 and is arcuately curved on a radius equal to the distance between the pivot 42 and a pivot 44 on the frame 52 for a tension spring 46, the lever 38 being centred about the point 44 when the platform is unloaded and the spring 46 therefore not tensioned. The cables 26, 28 each extend from a load supporting arm 18 over respective pulleys 30, 32 on the frame 52, around coaxial pulleys 34 on the frame and coaxial pulleys 36 on the free end of the lever 38, and are anchored at 40 to the frame 52. Increased loading on the arms 18 causes downward pivoting of the lever 38 against the tension of the spring 46, the torque arm at which the spring 46 is effective on the lever 38 being adjustable by a further cable system. The latter comprises two cables 68, 64 anchored to a spring connection 48 slidable along the lever 38, the cable 68 extending in one direction along the outside of the lever 38 and guide on to one side of a takeup reel 70 whilst the cable 64 extends in the other direction, around a pulley into the interior of the lever 38 which is hollow, and is guided out of the pivoted end of the lever on to the other side of the take up reel 70. Manual rotation of the take up reel 70, once the latter has been lifted against spring bias 74 out of detent locking engagement adjusts the position of the spring connector 48 along the lever 38 to set the spring lever torque appropriate to the load on the platform. In a further embodiment, the lever torque available is adjusted by applying a load to the platform or by releasing spring bias on the platform, depending on the direction of adjustment, when the fixed pivot for the spring is off centre relative to the end of the lever. In another embodiment the torque is adjusted by varying the position along the lever of either the lever pivot to the structure or the cable pulley at the free end of the lever.