GB2061237A

GB2061237A - Beaker stacking apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2061237A
Application number: GB8030217A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Adolf Illig Maschinenbau GmbH and Co KG; Illig Maschinenbau GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Adolf Illig Maschinenbau GmbH and Co KG; Illig Maschinenbau GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1979-10-09
Filing date: 1980-09-18
Publication date: 1981-05-13
Also published as: DE7928591U1; GB2061237B

Abstract

Stacking apparatus for the formation of individual stacks of beakers of plastics material arranged beside one another and staggered relative to one another, comprises a frame, a horizontally and downwardly extending metal bottom plate and metal side plates (7) defining guide chutes (6) corresponding to the size of the beakers (2), a push rod arranged at the end of each chute (6) and substantially horizontally extending stacking chutes (10). Pivotable flaps (12) are arranged in front of the inner metal side plates (7) in alignment therewith and are connected through entraining members and a rod (15) with each other and with a drive (14). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Beaker stacking apparatus The present invention relates to a stacking apparatus for the formulation of individual stacks of beakers arranged in staggered rows.

It is known to mould beakers from thermoplastic plastics material in several rows in a deep-drawing machine, to then transport them horizontally out of the moulding station while connected together by a waste strip, and thereafter to withdraw them by a suction belt and feed them to stacking apparatus. In this stacking apparatus, the beakers slide in downwardly inclined U-shaped channels. Arranged at the lower end of these channels is a reciprocatable push-rod which transfers the beakers into horizontal stacking channels. In order that only one beaker at a time is positioned in front of the push-rod and that no difficulties arise in this region, a pawl, which only allows the beakers drop down singly, is preferably mounted above each channel.

The number of the channels corresponds in known manner to the number of beakers in each row. When round beakers are to be formed in several rows in the moulding machine during each operating cycle, then it is advantageous for economical utilization of the plastics sheet material to arrange the mould nests in a W-shape, i.e. the beakers in a second row are positioned opposite the gaps between the beakers in a first row. In this case, the known stacking device is not satisfactorily usable, as the beakers are not always conducted into the downwardly inclined channels without trouble but are inclined to wedge.

With beakers disposed only beside one another, it was possible to arrange the downwardly inclined channels to extend in the horizontal region of a metal inlet plate. However, when the beakers are fed to the stacking apparatus in the described staggered formulation, then this channel arrangement is not possible.

There is therefore a need for stacking apparatus which can receive beaker rows staggered in Wshape and allow these to be fed without difficulties into adjacent guide channels and then to be transferred into stacking channels.

According to the present invention there is provided stacking apparatus for forming stacks from beakers fed to the apparatus in staggered rows, the apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of downwardly extending guide channels each of a size sufficient to permit guided movement therealong of individual ones of the beakers, means defining a plurality of substantially horizontally extending stacking channels, transfer means arranged at outlets of the guide channels for transferring beakers from the guide channels to the stacking channels for the formation of stacks therein, and a plurality of guide elements arranged at entrances to the guide channels and pivotable together to define different guide paths into the guide channels.

With stacking apparatus embodying the invention, the beakers can be prevented from improperly entering and thus wedging at the guide channel inlets, the pivotable guide elements being operable to ensure exact guidance into the guide channels. In addition, there is also the possibility of reducing the number of guide channels relative to the number of the beakers, i.e., when a row is moulded with six beakers arranged in W-shape, four or five guide channels in the stacking apparatus may suffice.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example -with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa schematic longitudinal sectional view of stacking apparatus according to the said embodi ment, Figure 2 is an elevation in the direction of the arrow X in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the W-shaped arrange ment of beakers produced in a mould and to be formed into individual stacks by the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown stacking apparatus 1 to which thermoplastic plastics beakers 2 are fed by, for example, a suction belt 3 from a moulding station 4 of a thermal moulding machine, the beakers being set down on a metal base plate 5. Successive ones of beakers 2 push preceeding beakers standing on the plate 5 into the downwardly inclined channels 6, which are disposed alongside each other and are of U-shaped cross section. The plate 5 is bent to form the bottom of the channels 6 and metal plates 7 form the side walls of the channels 6. Narrow metal cover plates 8 are fastened to the tops of the side plates 7 so that the beakers 2 cannot fall out and are securely guided.

The cover plates 8 are recessed and a push rod 9 is arranged at the lower end of the base plate 5. The push rod pushes beakers 2, which have dropped down the channels 6, into substantially horizontally extending stacking channels 10. In order that the beakers 2 drop down singly, a known form of pivotable pawl device 11 is arranged in each channel 6 and cyclically operated. A respective flap 12 is connected by a hinge 13 with each of the inner ones of plates 7 at the upper end thereof. The flaps 12 can be moved continuously to and fro through a drive 14, a rod 15 and entraining members 16, in particular between the positions illustrated in dashed lines.

These positions define guide paths into the channels 6 that vary in dependence on the relationship of the beakers in each approaching row of the channels.

The drive 14 can comprise a pneumatic pistoncylinder unit, the reciprocating movement of the piston of which can be controlled by switches 17 and 18 or by a motor through a crank drive. With the use of a pneumatic piston-cylinder unit as the drive, the cyclic rate of the flaps 12 can be influenced by throttling of the air. A cover 19, preferably of a transparent material, provides guidance of the beak ers 2 in the region of the passage of the beakers over the bend in the plate 5 and in the region of the flaps 12.

In operation, the beakers 2 are thus brought forward by the suction belt 3 and set down on the base plate 5. Successive beakers push these forwardly, so that they are deflected and slide down the channels 6. Due to the different dispositions of the flaps 12, the beakers are always securely guided by the flaps into the channels 6. Wedging of the beakers and formation of blockages are avoided.

Claims

1. Stacking apparatusforforming stacks from beakers fed to the apparatus in staggered rows, the apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of downwardly extending guide channels each of a size sufficient to permit guided movement therealong of individual ones of the beakers, means defining a plurality of substantially horizontally extending stacking channels, transfer means arranged at outlets of the guide channels for transferring beakers from the guide channels to the stacking channels for the formation of stacks therein, and a plurality of guide elements arranged at entrances to the guide channels and pivotable together to define different guide paths into the guide channels.

2. Stacking apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the transfer means comprising a pusher element arranged at the lower end of each guide channel.

3. Stacking apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, the means defining the guide channels comprising a horizontally and downwardly extending base plate and a plurality of said plates.

4. Stacking apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the base and side plates are metal.

5. Stacking apparatus as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the guide elements comprise a plurality of pivotable flaps arranged in front of and in positions aligned with the side plates.

6. Stacking apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide elements are coupled to a common drive.

7. Stacking apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the guide elements are coupled to the drive by means of respective entraining members connected to a common drive rod.

8. Stacking apparatusforforming stacks from beakers fed to the apparatus in staggered rows, the apparatus being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.