GB1468317A - Dispensing stacked articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1468317 Dispensing articles ETABS MATENIN 12 March 1975 [21 March 1974] 10391/75 Heading B8S Articles 1 are formed in longitudinal and transverse rows 3, 2 and in columns in two stacks 5a. 5b on a frame 4 for individual dispensation through an opening (9) into dispensing means (10), Fig. 1 (not shown), a pusher device 6 being provided to push each column of the foremost transverse row 2 of articles into pockets of a feed device 7, the arrangement being such that the four foremost columns of the stack 5a are pushed into corresponding pockets 8a-8d of the device 7 which then moves each of these pockets successively by means of a ram 25 over the opening (9) (which in Fig. 6 is under the pocket 8f of the device 7) so that the articles therein are dispensed individually by the means (10), and when the pocket 8a is above the opening (9) the pockets 8c-8f are respectively aligned with the four foremost columns of the stack 5b, so that the latter-mentioned columns are then pushed into those pockets which are then moved successively over the opening (9) for dispensing by the means (10). The pusher device 6 is movable along a guide beam 12 in the direction of the arrow F and comprises arms 11a, 11b which have fingers 14 which are engageable with the rear of the respective longitudinal rows of article columns, and a ram 21 whose pistonrod is attached to the arm 11a such that when the feed device 7 is located opposite the stack 5a as shown, extension of the ram 21 causes movement of the arm 11a relative to the arm 11b to move the foremost row 2 of the stack 5a into the pockets 8a-8d, and after those pockets have been dispensed and the pockets 8c-8f are aligned with the stack 5b retraction of the ram 21 causes movement of the arm 11b to move the foremost row 2 of stack 5b into those pockets, the arm 11a being prevented from moving at this stage due to its engagement with one boss 17b of a series of bosses on the guide beam 12. Alternate relative movement of the arms 11a, 11b causes the depletion of the stacks 5a, 5b. A bar 30 is vertically mounted in each of the pockets 8a-8f for rotation under the action of the column of articles being pushed into each pocket to stabilize that column. The dispensing means (10) comprises a ram (47) to whose piston-rod a slide (46) is attached for pushing the lowermost article in the column of articles located above the opening (9) into a discharge shoot (48) for each full cycle of the said piston-rod, Fig. 5 (not shown).