GB1481996A - Apparatus for handling articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1481996 Discharging hoppers TRW Inc 16 Sept 1974 [27 Sept 1973] 40283/74 Heading B8S Articles, e.g. fasteners, are fed in succession along a track 20 from a vibratory bowl (14) to a transfer station (22) at which each fastener in turn is pushed from the station (22) into a workpiece (26), Fig. 1 (not shown), the transfer station (22) including a passage 60 which is a continuation of the track 20 and a ram 24 disposed above the end of the passage 60 which is movable downwardly to push the leading fastener down into the workpiece, the leading fastener when in the station (22) being located on two spring loaded feet 68, Fig. 9, while the next fastener is also located on two such feet, each of the feet 68 being biased by a spring 78 such that their ends are located below the passage 60 to support a fastener thereon. The transfer station 22 also includes means for keeping the leading and the second or next fastener prior to the engagement, and during the engagement, of the ram 24 with the leading fastener, this means comprising a carrier 82, Fig. 6, having a pair of downwardly extending fingers 90 (only one shown in Fig. 6), and a pin 98 which extends through the upper portion of the carrier 82 rests near its ends on springs (102) which bias the carrier 82 upwardly, Fig. 12 (not shown). Downward movement of the ram 24 from its initial position of Fig. 5 (not shown) causes its engagement with a member 106 located on the carrier 82 such that the carrier 82 is moved vertically downwardly to its position shown in Fig. 6 until the pin 98 is prevented from further movement whereby the carrier 82 then rotates in a clockwise direction and its fingers 90 engage the second fastener thereby pushing the latter away from the path of the ram 24 as shown in Fig. 7 (not shown). This action of the carrier 82 results in the separation of the second fastener even when the latter is initially located partially over the leading fastener as shown in Fig. 6. The downwardly tapering punch member extending from the ram 24 extends through a cylindrical bore in each fastener. When the ram 24 is retracted the carrier 82 is rotated anticlockwise to its position shown in Fig. 6 by the action of a spring and plunger not numbered in Fig. 6, the carrier 82 then moving upwardly to its initial position under the action of the springs (102). If during the clockwise rotation of the carrier 82 to its position shown in Fig. 7 (not shown) the fingers 90 are unable to move due to jamming of fasteners in the passage 60, the member 106 on the carrier 82 is movable relative to the carrier 82 under the pressure of the ram 24 to prevent damage to the carrier 82.