GB1601284A - Machines for boxing ceramic tiles - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO MACHINES FOR BOXING CERAMIC TILES (71) I, BRUNO BOSCHI, an Italian citizen of Strada Due Castagne 4/a, Fontanini, Parma, Italy, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates generally to the manufacture of ceramic tiles, and more particularly to a boxing machine for said ceramic tiles.

The production cycle for ceramic tiles consists substantially of moulding the tiles by means of suitable presses, firing the tiles in a kiln, glazing the fired tiles and finally firing the glaze.

A different production cycle, utilised by many ceramics industries, and commonly known as single firing, consists of glazing the still crude tiles and then simultaneously firing the tiles and the glaze.

The first of the aforesaid methods requires the glazed tiles to be previously disposed in convenient refractory boxes designed to contain a certain number of ceramic tiles.

If said boxing operation is effected manually, it clearly implies an excessive use of labour and consequently a high production cost.

The problem which arises is therefore that of inserting the tiles into the boxes simply and rapidly by automatic machines, without the tiles suffering any damage.

For this purpose, methods have been proposed in which for example the tiles are inserted one at a time into the box by means of a suitable pusher member, and when the first tile has been inserted the refractory box is displaced upwards or downwards by a distance equal to the distance between one shelf and the next in the box, so that the said pusher member can then insert a new tile therein.

In this manner, the box is moved through a number of steps upwards or downwards equal to the number of tiles which the box can contain. Consequently, the pusher member must be operated for each individual tile inserted, because of which if the box contains say ten tiles, this operation must be repeated ten times for each refractory box.

Furthermore, during each of these operations the flow of tiles to the loading region must be stopped.

Other known machines provide for simultaneously filling the box by means of one pusher, but these machines are of complicated and costly construction, giving rise also to considerable operating drawbacks.

In all machines of known type, an excessive amount of waste dust is produced during the transfer of the tiles into the boxes, deriving from the rubbing of the lower face of the tiles on the shelves of the refractory box.

This is a great drawback, which when the dust deposited on the glaze is excessive results in a product of poor quality, leading to obvious consequences.

An object of the present invention is to provide a boxing machine for ceramic tiles, which is of simple, functional, rational and highly reliable construction, and which obviates the aforesaid drawbacks.

The present invention consists in a boxing machine for ceramic tiles, comprising a vertical elevator unit disposed laterally to and downstream of a conveyor for the tiles to be boxed, and comprising two parallel endless belts each provided with a plurality of equidistant shelves and driven by a stepping motor by way of a chain which derives its motion from a Maltese cross device to which a geared motor is connected; means for stopping the flow of the tiles to the elevator unit, these means being disposed laterally to the guides which flank said tile conveyor; a pusher member positioned upstream of said elevator unit; a suction device disposed between the belts of said tile conveyor in its downstream region; a slide surface for the boxes, which is disposed downstream of said elevator unit and is orthogonal to the tile conveyor; a conveyor for empty boxes, which is disposed orthogonally to said slide surface and which terminates at the upstream end of this latter; a device for transferring the empty boxes from the upstream end of said slide surface to the outlet mouth of the elevator unit; a member for blocking the empty boxes during their filling and disposed downstream of said elevator unit; a device for blowing the full boxes and disposed to the side and downstream of said slide surface; and a device for collecting the tiles to be boxed, which is disposed in front of the outlet mouth of the elevator unit and is aligned with said tile conveyor.

The invention will now be further described, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of nonlimiting example, one preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which Fig. I is a plan view of a machine embodying the invention, Fig. 2 is a partly sectional side view of the machine, Fig. 3 is a perspective view from above of the boxing device with which the machine is fitted, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the comb device designed to transfer the tiles on the shelves of the refractory boxes, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view of an intermediate operating position of the aforesaid comb device.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular Fig. 1, it can be seen that the machine is constituted essentially by a welded tubular frame 99 on which there is disposed a V belt conveyor for the ceramic tiles 2. The said conveyor comprises two V belts 4 which run in the outer grooves of a pair of double grooved wheels 6, and on the upper straight portions of which are fed the ceramic tiles 2 in the normal manner.

Lateral guides for the tiles 2 are provided to the sides of the V belts 4. These guides are not shown for clarity and simplicity of drawing, and because they are of known type. To the side of one of said lateral guides there is disposed, but not shown, a normal device for stopping the flow of tiles to the boxing device. Said device for stopping the flow of tiles 2 can, for example, be essentially constituted by a small double acting cylinder-piston unit, the casing of which is hinged to the frame 99, its rod terminating at one of said longitudinal guides which is free to swivel in a horizontal plane, so that when required, the distance between the two guides can be reduced, so stopping the flow of tiles 2.In the inner grooves of the pair of double grooved wheels 6, there is wound a pair of V belts 5, which are again wound about a pair of grooves wheels 7 which, as shown in Fig. 2, are driven via a belt or chain 96, by an electric motor 33 disposed on an adjustable bracket 34.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 together, it can be seen that between the V belts 5 there is a suction chamber 15 to which a suction tube 27 of bellows type is fitted.

The upper horizontal wall of the suction chamber 15 is slightly below the horizontal plane defined by the upper straight portions of the V belts 5.

The upper horizontal wall of said suction chamber 15 is provided in its upstream region with a series of through holes 11 disposed in a central longitudinal line. The downstream region of this upper wall is provided with two opposing lines of through holes 8 located at the longitudinal edges of the upper horizontal wall of the suction chamber 15. At the downstream end region of the frame 99, there is disposed a boxing device supported by a frame 9 which branches from the said frame 99. The said boxing device, shown in detail in Fig. 3, is essentially constituted by two slat elevators 46, each of which lies in a longitudinal vertical plane disposed laterally to the corresponding V belt 5.In this respect, each slat elevator 46 is wound about two rollers 55 and 56 of horizontal axis, the shafts 54 and 57 of which are rotatably supported by the supports 53 which are fitted on the internal faces of the uprights of the frame 9. Each slat elevator 46 is provided with a plurality of shelves 68, each defined by a length of angle section.

Preferably, the length of each shelf 68 slightly exceeds the length of the ceramic tiles 2.

The distance between the various shelves 68 is equal to the distance between the shelves 51 branching from the inner faces of the vertical walls of the refractory boxes 18.

The distance between the facing portions of the elevators 46 slightly exceeds the width of the tiles 2, and is slightly less than the distance between the inner walls of the box so that the tile 2 can enter the box 18 easily without any interference.

On the left hand side of the upper front cross member of the frame 9, there is disposed a geared motor 45, the outlet shaft of which is connected to a mechanism 47 designed to drive the slat elevators 46 stepwise. This is attained by disposing on said outlet shaft a crank 77, the free end of which is provided with a pin for moving a Maltese cross 63.

This latter is keyed on to a shaft 64 mounted rotatably in a support fitted to the front face of the cross member which supports the geared motor 45.

On the free end of the shaft 64, there is keyed a ring gear 65 about which there is partly wound a chain 48, which is also wound about the ring gears 67 and 60. The ring gear 67 is keyed on to the shaft 57 for moving the left hand slat elevator 46, and the ring gear 60 is keyed on to a small shaft 59 which is rotatably mounted on a support 58 provided on the outer face of the rear right hand upright of the frame 9. The ring gear 60 constitutes a necessary intermediate gear for the chain 48, for providing unidirectional ascending movement to the facing portions of the two slat elevators 46.

This is attained by providing in proximity to the ring gear 60 a further ring gear 62 which partly engages with the chain 48 and is keyed on to the drive shaft 57 of the right hand slat elevator 46. Below the described mechanism, the rear uprights of the frame 9 are connected together by an intermediate cross member 10, orthogonally and externally to which there is disposed a cylinderpiston unit 12, the rod of which traverses the central region of said cross member 10 to reach a vertically extending thrust plate 13.

The lower transverse edge of the thrust plate 13 (see Figs. 2 and 3 together) is separated sufficiently from the belts 5 to enable the ceramic tiles 2 to pass. The front face of the thrust plate 13 is covered with a layer of soft material 14 which can for example be rubber, sponge or another like material.

The length of the thrust plate 13 is sufficient for contacting the total number of tiles which can be contained in the refractory box 18.

Furthermore, the width of the thrust plate 13 is slightly less than the distance between the free facing edges of the shelves 68 branching from the two slat elevators 46.

As shown in Fig. 2, two horizontal appendices branch from the upper front cross member of the frame 9, and on these are mounted, by way of a suitable resilient support, two swivel arms 44 the free ends of which are each provided with an idle roller 43 of horizontal axis. The said idle rollers 43 overlie the outlet mouth of the boxing device, and when they are in their lowered position their lower generating lines are at a level lower than that of the upper horizontal face of the refractory boxes 18.

A slide surface 16 is disposed transversely to the frame 99 at the said outlet mouth, and below it there is positioned a double acting cylinder-piston unit 22, the free end of its rod carrying a bar 119, the working face of which is covered with a layer of soft material 20, which can for example be rubber, sponge or another like material.

The bar 119 extends above the slide surface 16 by way of a longitudinal slot 21 in the upstream end thereof. A conveyor for the empty refractory boxes 18 terminates at the upstream region of the slide surface 16, which is disposed laterally to the boxing device.

The said conveyor is constituted essentially by a pair of V belts 19, to the sides of which are provided the usual guides 17. Fig.

1 shows that the longitudinal axis of the refractory boxes 18 is disposed parallel to the transfer direction defined by the V belts 19.

Downstream of the outlet mouth of the boxing device and to the side of the slide surface 16 there is disposed a blowing nozzle 23 to which a bellows-type delivery tube 24 is connected. A collection chamber 25 is provided in front of the blowing nozzle 23, on the opposite side of the slide surface 16.

Although not previously stated, it is apparent that the suction tube 27 and delivery tube 24 are each connected to a suitable suction and delivery unit respectively.

Parallel and laterally to the downstream region of the conveyor for the refractory boxes 18, there is disposed a collection device for the tiles 2, which is placed in front of the outlet mouth of the boxing device and is aligned with the V belts 5, but is on the other side of the slide surface 16 to that occupied by the boxing device. The said collection device is constituted essentially by a base 26 branching from the support frame for the conveyor for the refractory boxes 18, and orthogonally to which there are a rear vertical column 31 and a front vertical column 40, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 taken together. On the front face of the front column 40 there is fitted a stop 41, the length of which is at least equal to the height of the refractory boxes 18.The front surface of the stop 41 is covered with a layer of soft material 42, which can for example be rubber, sponge or another like material.

Between the rear column 31 and front column 40 there are housed two horizontal overlying cylindrical bars or guides 30, on which a slide 35 is slidably mounted, its rear end being connected to the free end of a rod emerging from a double acting cylinderpiston unit 32 fitted to the outer face of the rear column 31.

Two combs 36 are connected to the vertical side walls of the slide 35. Each of said combs 36 is essentially constituted by a vertical cross member 37 from which a plurality of horizontal teeth 38 branches, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 taken together.

The distance between the inner faces of the teeth 38 of the pair of combs 36 obviously exceeds the width of the stop plate 41.

The distance between the outer faces of the teeth 38 of the pair of combs 36 is slightly less than the distance between the longitudinal free edges of the shelves 51 of the refractory boxes 18. Obviously, the number of teeth 38 in each comb is equal to the number of shelves 51 with which each refractory box 18 is provided.

The length of the teeth 38 exceeds the length of the refractory boxes 18, and also exceeds the length of the tiles 2. The upper faces of the teeth 38, as shown in Fig. 2, are substantially coplanar with, or slightly lower than, the plane of the upper face of the shelves 68 on the slat elevators 46.

In addition, the upper faces of the teeth 38 are at a level slightly higher than that of the upper faces of the shelves 51 of the refractory boxes 18. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 taken together. the points of the teeth 38 are tapered by means of one angular cut 39 so that their lower pointed edge is always at a level which is lower both than the shelves 68 of the slat elevators 46 and than the shelves 51 of the refractory boxes 18.

On the base 26 there are two limit switches 28 and 29 for the double acting cylinderpiston unit 32.

Finally, the machine according to the invention is provided with a plurality of microswitches. feelers, solenoid valves and limit switches designed to cause all the drive devices and conveyors fitted to the machine to operate in synchronism.

A detailed description of these sensors or feelers has not been given because their use and construction are well known to experts of the art.

The machine heretofore illustrated and described operates in the following manner.

On operating the start button to start the operation, the motor 33 is started and drives the V belts 5 and 4, the V belts 19 of the conveyor for the refractory boxes 18 are driven, the device which blocks the flow of tiles on the V belts 4 is put into operation, the chamber 15 is put into a state of suction, the blowing nozzle 23 is fed with pressurised air, and the rod of the double acting cylinderpiston unit 32 is completely withdrawn so that the slide 35 is located in its extreme right hand position in contact with the limit switch 29.

In addition, as can be seen in Fig. 1, the bar 119 is at the open end of the slot 21 provided in the slide surface 16 in proximity to its upstream end. The motor 33 remains in operation for the entire duration of the operating cycle, whereas the motor which drives the conveyor for the refractory boxes 18 remains in operation until a refractory box 18 arrives on the slide surface 16 where it comes into contact with a suitable feeler which stops the motor driving the V belts 19.

Simultaneously the double acting cylinderpiston unit 22 is operated so that by means of the bar 119 it causes the refractory box 18 to slide on the slide surface 16 so that it is brought in front of the outlet mouth of the slat elevators 46 in perfect alignment with the V belts 5.

During said transfer, the refractory box 18 comes into contact with the idle rollers 43 which are forced upwards, overcoming the opposing action of the resilient supports provided on the arms 44, such that when the bar 19 reaches its end position, the refractory box 18 is kept in its exact operation position by the pressure applied by the idle rollers 43 on its upper horizontal face. As soon as the box 18 has been positioned, the double acting cylinder-piston unit 22 operates so that its rod emerges, with the result that the bar 119 returns to its initial position, and makes contact with a feeler which starts the motor operating the V belts 19.

In this manner, a second refractory box 18 is transferred on to the slide surface 16, where it makes contact with a suitable sensor to again stop the motor driving the V belts 19. As soon as the refractory box 18 has been positioned in front of the outlet mouth of the slat elevators 46, the device stopping the flow of tiles on the V belts 4 is released, so that the ceramic tiles 2 are fed between the slat elevators 46 by the V belts 5. Almost simultaneously, the double acting cylinderpiston unit 32 is operated so that the slide 35 slides towards the left, with the result that the combs 36 are inserted into the refractory box 18 previously positioned in front of the elevators 46.When a tile 2 arrives between the pair of slat elevators 46, it makes contact with a feeler which sends a control signal to the geared motor 45, the outlet shaft of which operates the step device 47, which causes the Maltese cross 63 to make a partial rotation.

This partial rotation causes the chain 48 to move and drive the ring gears 67 and 62 so that the slat elevators 46 are moved upwards through one step.

After these operations, the geared motor 45 again stops, and awaits a new control signal.

Those facing shelves 68 of the two slat elevators 46 which before the operation of the geared motor 45 lie in the horizontal plane defined by the upper straight portions of the V belts 5 raise the tile 2, and then stop in their attained position when the Maltese cross 47 has stopped moving.

As soon as a further tile 2 arrives between the two slat elevators 46, the geared motor 45 receives a further control signal so that said elevators 46 lift the said second tile 2 in the manner already described.

This stepwise motion obviously continues until the two slat elevators 46 have accommodated a number of tiles 2 equal to the number of shelves 51 provided on the refractory box 18.

Mention must be made at this point of the importance of the suction chamber 15 positioned between the V belts 5, in that as the tiles 2 at a certain point are no longer guided by the lateral guides, the suction generated by said chamber 15 in the through holes 11 enables the tiles 2 to be held against the V belts 5, so preventing the ceramic tiles 2 from varying their position relative to the V belts 5. This would in fact be most damaging, in that the ceramic tiles 2 would make contact with the inner vertical walls of the slat elevators 46, with consequent jamming and malfunctioning of the machine.

A further effect of the opposing longitudinal lines of through holes 8 and the suction nal lines of through holes 8 and the suction exerted by them is that during the time in which the tiles 2 are in the region between the two slat elevators 46 and are then being raised by the shelves 68 thereof, they are firstly held against the V belts 5 and then, as they are raised by the shelves 68, they are prevented from jumping about on said shelves 68, so that they are prevented from varying their position.

When the slat elevators 46 have collected a number of ceramic tiles 2 equal to the number which a refractory box 18 can receive, the first tile collected comes into contact with a suitable limit switch which stops the flow of tiles on the V belts 5, and at the same time feeds a control signal to the double acting cylinder-piston unit 12.

Referring now in particular to Figs. 2 and 5 taken together, it can be seen that as soon as the double acting cylinder-piston unit 12 has received the control signal, it causes its rod to emerge so that the covering 14 comes into contact with the transverse edges of all the ceramic tiles 2 supported by the slat elevators 46. In this manner, the ceramic tiles 2 are transferred from the shelves 68 of the slat elevators 46 on to the teeth 38 of the combs 36 which in this moment are housed inside the refractory box 18. This transfer terminates when the double acting cylinderpiston unit 12 reaches its end position, where it receives a control signal causing it to immediately withdraw.

At the same time, the double acting cylinder-piston unit 32 also receives a control signal causing it to withdraw the slide 35.

It should be noted that during the transfer of the tiles 2 from the shelves 68 of the slat elevators 46 on to the teeth 38 of the combs 36, the front transverse edges of the tiles 2 do not come into contact with the covering 42 of the stop 41. As soon as the double acting cylinder-piston unit 12 has returned to its initial position, i.e. with its rod completely withdrawn, the device stopping the flow of tiles 2 on the V belts 5 is again released, and the loading cycle for the slat elevators 46 takes place substantially as previously described.

This loading cycle obviously stops when the slat elevators 46 have collected a number of ceramic tiles 2 equal to the number of tiles which one refractory box 18 can receive.

As stated heretofore, as soon as the double acting cylinder-piston unit 12 receives the control signal causing it to withdraw, the slide 35 is also withdrawn towards the right, so that, as can be seen from Fig. 5, for a certain length the ceramic tiles 2 follow the teeth 38 which support them, and then come into contact with the covering 42 of the stop 41.

At this point, whereas the teeth 38 continue to withdraw, the tiles 2, which cannot follow this movement because of the fixed stop 41, slide on the said teeth 38.

This obviously leads to perfect vertical alignment of the front and rear edges of the tiles 2.

Initially, the tiles 2 slide over the entire upper horizontal face of the teeth 38, but as soon as their centre line has passed beyond the tapered points 39 of the teeth 38, contact between the lower face of the tiles 2 and the teeth 38 becomes substantially linear, so that friction between the said elements becomes a minimum so leading to an almost imperceptible formation of waste dust.

As the tiles 2 are withdrawn from the teeth 38, they are immediately deposited and/or collected by the shelves 51 of the refractory box 18.

When the slide 35 reaches the end of its return, it comes into contact with the microswitch 29 which causes a control signal to be fed to the double acting cylinder-piston unit 22, which draws a second box 18 which had already reached the upstream region of the slide surface 16, as previously described.

Thus this control signal operates the double acting cylinder-piston unit 22, which besides pushing the empty refractory box also at the same time pushes the refractory box 18 which has just been filled. At the same time, the entire line of full refractory boxes 18 present in the downstream region of the slide surface 16 is moved towards the said downstream region, so that the boxes 18 encounter the air flow from the blowing nozzle 23, with the result that this pressurised air removes any dust present on the tiles 2 and boxes 18.

This dust then reaches the collection chamber 25, where it is suitable eliminated.

As soon as the new empty refractory box 18 reaches the outlet mouth of the slat elevators 46, the double acting cylinderpiston unit 22 receives a control signal which makes it again extend its rod, and almost simultaneously the double acting cylinderpiston unit 32 receives the control signal for again inserting the combs 36 into the empty box 18 which has just been positioned. This latter is maintained in its exact working position by the idle rollers 43, which because of the said movements had ceased to act on the box 18 which had just been filled, and now contact the upper face of the refractory box 18 which has just been positioned in front of the slat elevators 46.

The operating stage heretofore described coincides with the initial stage of the operating cycle described previously, so that from this moment onwards, the next operating cycle takes place as heretofore described.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the operation as heretofore described, and which is given by way of example only, can vary slightly in certain working stages from that described according to the positions and timings of microswitches, solenoid valves, feelers, sensors and limit switches which are disposed and set on the machine represented and described.

The invention is not limited to the single embodiment heretofore described and modifications and improvements can be made thereto.

Thus for example. if required, the pair of idle rollers 43 mounted on the resilient support can be ac xa ntageously replaced by a vertical double acting cylinder-piston unit, with the end of its rod carrying a pad which, after the empty refractory box 18 has been positioned in front of the outlet mouth of the slat elevators 46, presses on the upper face of said refractory box 18. Finally, instead of being intermittent, the movement of the device with the Maltese cross 47 could be continuous, in synchronism with the feed of the tiles 2 by the V belts 5, and stop only if any tile does not arrive.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A boxing machine for ceramic tiles, comprising a vertical elevator unit disposed laterally to and downstream of a conveyor for the tiles to be boxed, and comprising two parallel endless belts each provided with a plurality of equidistant shelves and driven by a stepping motor by way of a chain which derives its motion from a Maltese cross device to which a geared motor is connected; means for stopping the flow of the tiles to the elevator unit, these means being disposed laterally to the guides which flank said tile conveyor; a pusher member positioned upstream of said elevator unit; a suction device disposed between the belts of said tile conveyor in its downstream region; a slide surface for the boxes, which is disposed downstream of said elevator unit and is orthogonal to the tile conveyor; a conveyor for empty boxes, which is disposed orthogonally to said slide surface and which terminates at the upstream end of this latter; a device for transferring the empty boxes from the upstream end of said slide surface to the outlet mouth of the elevator unit; a member for blocking the empty boxes during their filling and disposed downstream of said elevator unit; a device for blowing the full boxes and disposed to the side and downstream of said slide surface; and a device for collecting the tiles to be boxed, which is disposed in front of the outlet mouth of the elevator unit and is aligned with said tile conveyor.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelves fixed to the elevator belts are constituted by equal portions of metal angle section, of a length slightly greater than the length of the tile, and spaced apart by a distance equal to the distance between the shelves of the box; the distance between the two opposing belts to which the shelves are fixed being slightly less than the distance between the inner walls on which the box shelves are located, and slightly greater than the size of the tile, whereas the distance between the edges of two opposing shelves is slightly less than the width of the tile so that this latter can rest on both without falling.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for stopping the flow of tiles consist essentially of a cylinder-piston unit, the rod of which is connected to a mobile portion of one of said two guides so as to enable their distance apart to be reduced.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the pusher member is constituted essentially by a double acting pneumatic cylinder-piston unit, of which the rod, which is parallel to the shelves of the elevator unit, has its end provided with a vertical plate, which is covered with a suitable soft material and is arranged to simultaneously thrust all the tiles contained in the elevator unit.

5. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said suction device is constituted essentially by a suction chamber connected to a suction or vacuum unit, and of which the upper horizontal wall is at a slightly lower level than the level of the upper faces of the straight upper portions of said tile conveyor, and which is provided in its upstream region with a plurality of through holes distributed along the longitudinal axis of said wall, which, in its downstream region, is provided with two opposing lines of through holes disposed close together, each of said lines being provided in proximity to the longitudinal edges of said upper horizontal wall.

6. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said transfer device is constituted essentially by the rod of a pneumatic cylinder-piston unit disposed below said slide surface, and on which there is mounted a metal bar which extends, by way of a suitable longitudinal slot, beyond the slide surface so as to relate to the central strip of the face thereof, said bar comprising a suitable covering of soft material.

7. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said blocking member is essentially constituted by a pair of idle rollers disposed at the free ends of two swivel arms mounted on a resilient support, and which overlie the longitudinal central strip of the face of said slide surface.

8. A machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said box blocking member is constituted essentially by a cylinder-piston unit, the rod of which is provided with a pad arranged to act or press on the upper horizontal part of the boxes.

9. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said blowing device is constituted essentially by a blowing nozzle

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (15)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. timings of microswitches, solenoid valves, feelers, sensors and limit switches which are disposed and set on the machine represented and described. The invention is not limited to the single embodiment heretofore described and modifications and improvements can be made thereto. Thus for example. if required, the pair of idle rollers 43 mounted on the resilient support can be ac xa ntageously replaced by a vertical double acting cylinder-piston unit, with the end of its rod carrying a pad which, after the empty refractory box 18 has been positioned in front of the outlet mouth of the slat elevators 46, presses on the upper face of said refractory box 18. Finally, instead of being intermittent, the movement of the device with the Maltese cross 47 could be continuous, in synchronism with the feed of the tiles 2 by the V belts 5, and stop only if any tile does not arrive. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A boxing machine for ceramic tiles, comprising a vertical elevator unit disposed laterally to and downstream of a conveyor for the tiles to be boxed, and comprising two parallel endless belts each provided with a plurality of equidistant shelves and driven by a stepping motor by way of a chain which derives its motion from a Maltese cross device to which a geared motor is connected; means for stopping the flow of the tiles to the elevator unit, these means being disposed laterally to the guides which flank said tile conveyor; a pusher member positioned upstream of said elevator unit; a suction device disposed between the belts of said tile conveyor in its downstream region; a slide surface for the boxes, which is disposed downstream of said elevator unit and is orthogonal to the tile conveyor; a conveyor for empty boxes, which is disposed orthogonally to said slide surface and which terminates at the upstream end of this latter; a device for transferring the empty boxes from the upstream end of said slide surface to the outlet mouth of the elevator unit; a member for blocking the empty boxes during their filling and disposed downstream of said elevator unit; a device for blowing the full boxes and disposed to the side and downstream of said slide surface; and a device for collecting the tiles to be boxed, which is disposed in front of the outlet mouth of the elevator unit and is aligned with said tile conveyor.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelves fixed to the elevator belts are constituted by equal portions of metal angle section, of a length slightly greater than the length of the tile, and spaced apart by a distance equal to the distance between the shelves of the box; the distance between the two opposing belts to which the shelves are fixed being slightly less than the distance between the inner walls on which the box shelves are located, and slightly greater than the size of the tile, whereas the distance between the edges of two opposing shelves is slightly less than the width of the tile so that this latter can rest on both without falling.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for stopping the flow of tiles consist essentially of a cylinder-piston unit, the rod of which is connected to a mobile portion of one of said two guides so as to enable their distance apart to be reduced.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the pusher member is constituted essentially by a double acting pneumatic cylinder-piston unit, of which the rod, which is parallel to the shelves of the elevator unit, has its end provided with a vertical plate, which is covered with a suitable soft material and is arranged to simultaneously thrust all the tiles contained in the elevator unit.

5. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said suction device is constituted essentially by a suction chamber connected to a suction or vacuum unit, and of which the upper horizontal wall is at a slightly lower level than the level of the upper faces of the straight upper portions of said tile conveyor, and which is provided in its upstream region with a plurality of through holes distributed along the longitudinal axis of said wall, which, in its downstream region, is provided with two opposing lines of through holes disposed close together, each of said lines being provided in proximity to the longitudinal edges of said upper horizontal wall.

6. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said transfer device is constituted essentially by the rod of a pneumatic cylinder-piston unit disposed below said slide surface, and on which there is mounted a metal bar which extends, by way of a suitable longitudinal slot, beyond the slide surface so as to relate to the central strip of the face thereof, said bar comprising a suitable covering of soft material.

7. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said blocking member is essentially constituted by a pair of idle rollers disposed at the free ends of two swivel arms mounted on a resilient support, and which overlie the longitudinal central strip of the face of said slide surface.

8. A machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said box blocking member is constituted essentially by a cylinder-piston unit, the rod of which is provided with a pad arranged to act or press on the upper horizontal part of the boxes.

9. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said blowing device is constituted essentially by a blowing nozzle

connected to a blowing unit and of which the vertical aperture is at least equal to the height of the refractory boxes; on the opposing side of the slide surface there being disposed a collection chamber for the dust and refuse removed by the said blowing nozzle with which said chamber is aligned.

10. A machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said collection device is constituted essentially by two vertical combs connected to a slide driven with horizontal reciprocating straight-line motion and which is disposed on two cylindrical guides and connected to the rod of a double acting cylinder-piston drive unit, the number of teeth on said combs being equal to the number of shelves in the refractory boxes, and having a length, equal for all teeth, which exceeds the length of the tiles.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the height of said teeth is less than the vertical opening in the refractory boxes and their transverse dimension is less than the distance between the free ends of the opposing shelves in the refractory boxes.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the free end of the teeth is tapered by means of an angular cut, the lower edge of which is at least at a level slightly lower than the upper surfaces both of the shelves of the elevator unit and of the shelves of the refractory boxes.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the upper horizontal face of said teeth is coplanar with or slightly lower than the upper horizontal surface of the corresponding shelf of the stepwise elevators, whereas it is at a slightly higher level than the level of the upper horizontal surface of the corresponding shelf of the refractory boxes.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein between said combs, and in a position substantially corresponding with the point of maximum elongation of the slide, there is disposed a fixed vertical stop of height slightly greater than the height of the combs, and having that surface which faces the stepwise elevators covered with a suitable soft material.

15. A boxing machine for ceramic tiles, constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.