GB2068871A

GB2068871A - Apparatus for the sequential transfer of metallic objects between conveyors

Info

Publication number: GB2068871A
Application number: GB8033271A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Anchor Hocking LLC
Current assignee: Anchor Hocking LLC
Priority date: 1979-10-15
Filing date: 1980-10-15
Publication date: 1981-08-19
Also published as: JPS56127515A; NL8005655A; IT8049894A1; CA1168665A; FR2467155B1; AU6327380A; IT8049894A0; AU535425B2; DE3038959A1; IT1188958B; GB2068871B; BE885702A; FR2467155A1

Abstract

A transfer means is described which sequentially transfers metallic articles such as closure covers or the like 2 from a first conveyor 5 moving in one direction at one speed to a second conveyor 7 moving in a differing direction at a differing speed. The transfer means includes magnetic pick-up heads 10 controlled by sensors 12 responsive to the arrival of an article for sequentially engaging the articles on the one conveyor, and means for adjusting the article speed and direction for their delivery to a second conveyor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for the sequential transfer of metallic objects between conveyors The present invention relates to means for sequentially transferring a group of articles in an article manufacturing operation from one conveyor to another. More particularly, it relates to a means for efficiently and effectively transferring articles in sequence from a straight line conveyor moving at one speed in one direction to a row conveyor moving in a differing direction and at a differing speed.

The manufacture of metallic objects including closure cap covers and the like has normally used certain steps in their manufacture to transfer the articles from one conveyor to another. Such transfers have previously been accomplished for example, by physically engaging the articles with guides or plungers or other transfer means to push the articles from one conveyor to another conveyor. Certain articles are transferred only with considerable difficulty by these prior devices, and in particular, relatively flat articles are not effectively transferred by known apparatus. Also present transfer devices do not handle articles with wet or uncured gaskets or coatings on their surfaces without damaging these coatings or gaskets.A closure cover which is relatively flat and which also has a ring-like gasket on its upper surface and which is normally transferred during cap manufacturing from a single line conveyor to an oven row conveyor while the gasket is still liquid, is illustrated, for example, in United States Patent 3,913,771 dated October 21, 1975.

The apparatus of the present invention provides for an effective and rapid sequential transfer of such articles from one conveyor to another conveyor and particularly from single line conveyors to row-type conveyors.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for sequentially transferring metallic articles from one conveyor to another conveyor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for sequentially transferring relatively flat and metallic articles from one conveyor to another conveyor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for sequentially transferring metallic articles from a single line conveyor to row conveyor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for transferring closure portions including an uncured liquid gasket from one conveyor to another conveyor such as a gasket curing oven.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for sequentially transferring articles from a conveyor having a certain speed and direction to another conveyor having a differing speed and/or direction.

Accordingly the present invention provides a transfer apparatus for transferring magnetically engageable articles from one conveyor to another comprising: means for movably supporting a plurality of electro-magnets; means for driving said supporting means for movement on a path from one conveyor to the other and back; circuit means for sequentially energising said electro-magnets for the portion of the path of the supporting means from said one conveyor to said other conveyor.

This transfer is made by the improved apparatus of the present invention by means which magnetically and sequentially engages and lifts a group of articles from one conveyor and which then moves them to a second conveyor along a path and at a velocity which matches that of the article receiving conveyor. The second conveyor, for example, may be a row conveyor for an oven or other article treating means which cures or otherwise treats the gasket portion or other portion of the transferred articles.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are top plan views of the preferred embodiment of the transfer apparatus of the present invention in the cap pickup and release positions, respectively.

Figures 3 and 4 are side elevational views of the transfer apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2 in the successive positions.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the electrical control system for the transfer apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a logic diagram for the control system of the present invention.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention for transferring metallic objects such as closure cap covers from a straight line conveyor to a row conveyor. The particular example illustrated shows an apparatus 1 for transferring metal closure covers 2 having ring-like gaskets 3 on their upper surfaces from the gasket applying station 4 to a gasket curing oven 8. The closure covers 2 are carried to the transfer means 1 on the straight line conveyor with random spacing and with the gasket 3 still soft and uncured.

The transfer apparatus 1 periodically removes the endmost group of closure covers 2 from the single line conveyor 5 and carries them to a broad belt or row conveyor 7 of a gasket curing oven 8. On the row conveyor 7, spaced rows of closures are advanced through the curing oven 8.

The transfer means includes an elongated transfer bar 9 mounting a number of electro magnets 10. The transfer bar 9 is slidably mounted on transverse bearing rods 11 to permit the magnet transfer bar 9 to be moved from the pick-up position illustrated in Fig. 1 to the release position above the row conveyor 7 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The movement of the transfer bar 9 between these two positions is done by a suitable drive cylinder such as the air operated cylinder 14.

An electrical system is provided which energises the magnets 10 in a sequential manner under the control of the arriving closure covers 2. This system, which will be further described below, has proximity detectors 1 2 at each electro-magnet. As the end most closure cover 2 on the straight line conveyor 5 reaches the end most electromagnet 10 its proximity sensor detectors 1 2 activate that magnet 10. At the same time this sensing circuit then energises the second electro-magnet detecting system so that the arrival of the next closure cover 2 at the second electromagnet 10 proximity detector 1 2 energises it.

This procedure occurs successively or sequentially for each of the succeeding electro-magnets 10 until a closure cover 2 is detected and engaged by the last electro-magnet 1 0.

When the last closure cover 2 has been detected and engaged the circuit energises the power cylinder 14 which moves the transfer bar 9 from the single line conveyor at the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 to the release position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4.

The transfer bar 9 is mounted on a pair of spaced slide bearings 1 5 on slide rods 11.

This permits the transfer bar 9 to be moved from a position above the straight line conveyor 5 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 to a position above the row conveyor 7 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. The transfer bar has a bearing 1 5 mounted at each end which slidably supports the transfer bar on the spaced slide rods 11. The drive cylinder 14 is mounted on a suitable support frame 1 7 and its piston 1 8 is pivotally attached at 1 9 to the transfer bar 9.

The straight line conveyor 5 continues to present the closure cap covers 2 to a transfer position below the transfer bar 9. During the transfer cycle, the transfer bar 9 returns from a prior cover transfer to its pick-up position before the endmost cap cover 2 is moved on conveyor 5 beneath the end magnet 10 on the transfer bar 9. When this cover 2 arrives at a transfer position on the straight line conveyor 5 and adjacent to the end magnet 10 on the transfer bar 9, it is detected by the proximity detector 1 2 for energising the related electro-magnet closure cap pick-up 1 0.

The following closure caps moving on the single line conveyor 5 successively activate the second and third and the additional electro-magnets 10 in the same manner.

When a closure cap cover 2 has activated the last detector 1 2 on the transfer bar 9, that closure cap cover 2 is engaged by a related electro-magnet 10 and the transfer bar 9 is moved by the drive cylinder 14 to carry all of the engaged closure cap covers 2 from the straight line conveyor 5 to the cap release point above the row conveyor 7. When the transfer bar reaches this point it operates the closure cover release switch LS2 to deactivate all of the electro-magnets 10 and to drop all of the transferred closure covers 2 to the row conveyor 7 for movement through the curing5 oven 8.

The electro-magnet control circuit 21 for the cap transporting magnets 10 is illustrated in Fig. 5 and the related logic diagram is shown in Fig. 6.

The magnet control circuit 21 is powered by a regular commercially available power circuit such as a 11 5 volt A.C. circuit 22. This power circuit includes an on-off switch 23, and a fuse 24 and an indicator lamp 37. A number of control amplifiers 25 and a D.C.

rectifier 26 are illustrated connected across the power circuit 22.

The rectifier control circuit 26 converts the 11 5 volt A.C. power supply to a 24 volt D.C.

power source for the cap transfer magnets 1 0.

Described generally, the control circuit 21 operates as follows. Each of the amplifiers 25 controls one of the cap pick-up magnets 10.

When the transfer bar 9 is adjacent to the straight line conveyor 5, a first amplifier 25 is energised so that its sensor 1 2 closes the relay contacts 27 for activating the next amplifier 25 and contacts 28 for connecting the first pick-up magnet 10 across the 24 volt D.C. rectifier output. With the second amplifer 25 now activated, its sensor 1 2 upon detecting the next closure cap 2 in line, closes the relay contacts 29 to activate the third amplifier 25 and contacts 30 to energise the second cap pick-up magnet 10. This action continues for each of the successive amplifiers 25 and the associated cap pick-up magnets 10.

The last amplifier 25 in the line operates the control relay CR1 for closing the air motor 1 4 control valve 31 for advancing the transfer bar 9 to its cap release position over the row conveyor 7. The advancement of the transfer bar 9 to this position opens switches LS2, LS3 and LS4 to deactivate the magnets 10 for releasing the caps 2 and to open the air motor control valve 31 while closing the second return control valve 32-causing the air motor 14 to return the transfer bar 9 to its cap pick-up position above the straight line conveyor 5.

The above circuit and its operation will now be described in greater detail with reference to the schematic diagram Fig. 5 and the related logic diagram Fig. 6.

Referring to the upper left hand corner of Fig. 6 and to the identified components of Fig. 5, the sequence is initiated with the transfer bar 9 at its pick-up position above the straight line conveyor 5. At this point, the limit switch LS1 is closed through contact with the transfer bar 9. Limit switches LS2, LS3 and LS4 have normally closed contacts which remain closed for this position of the transfer bar 9. This position of these limit switches energises the first amplifier 25 and the associated sensor 1 2 so that it is in a position to detect the first closure cap 2 to arrive on the straight line conveyor 5.Upon the detection of the first closure cap 2 the contacts 27 in the first amplifier 25 are closed causing the next amplifier 25 to be activated and causing the first pick-up magnet 10 to be energised by being coupled to the output of the rectifier 26. A similar amplifier activation and pick-up magnet energising now occurs successively for the number of amplifiers used which corresponds to the number of pick-up magnets illustrated as eleven in Fig. 1. When the sensor 1 2 for the last amplifier 25 detects a cap 2, it energises the last pick-up magnet 10 and, since limit switches LS3 and LS4 are closed, its contact 29 activates both the air motor advance valve 31 and relay CR1.The transfer bar 9 is now moved by the air motor 14 to its cap release position over the row conveyor 7 at which position limit switch LS1 reopens and limit switches LS2, LS3 and LS4 are opened. This opens the relay CR2 to turn off the amplifiers 25 to release the closure caps 2 from the transfer bar 9, and closes the valve 32 for again returning the transfer bar 9 to its position above the straight line conveyor 5 for the next transfer cycle.

The magnets may have a small reverse current bias effective when the plus 24 volts is removed to ensure a quick cap release or a small negative voltage may be applied at the release time by the rectifier 26.

It will be seen that an improved cap transfer device has been described as advantageous for use with caps arriving on one conveyor with random spacing, such as a straight line conveyor, and for transferring them to a second conveyor, where the caps are aligned in regular rows. The improved transfer device, including its control circuit, is relatively simple yet reliable and effective for continually performing such a cap transfer.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A transfer apparatus for transferring magnetically engageable articles from one conveyor to another comprising: means for movably supporting a plurality of electro-magnets; means for driving said supporting means for movement on a path from one conveyor to the other and back; circuit means for sequentially energising said electro-magnets for the portion of the path of the supporting means from said one conveyor to said other conveyor.

2. The transfer apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which said driving means comprises a drive motor operatively coupled to said electro-magnet support means for moving it from said one to said other conveyor.

3. The transfer apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 which is adapted for a transfer of articles from a straight line conveyor to a row conveyor and in which said electro-magnet support means is an elongated member with said electro-magnets being mounted in spaced relation to a straight line thereon, and said circuit means being controlled for energising a first electro-magnet for said first arriving article and sequentially energising said additional electro-magnets in series for engaging said later arriving articles sequentially.

4. The transfer apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which said circuit means includes a time operatively coupled to said driving means.

5. The transfer means as claimed in Claim 1 which said circuit means comprises means for periodically reversing the current flow through said electro-magnets.

6. The transfer means as claimed in Claim 5 in which the current flow in a demagnetising direction is a fraction of the magnetising current flow.

7. A transfer apparatus for transferring magnetically engageable articles from a straight line conveyor to a row conveyor comprising the combination of: elongated means for movably supporting a plurality of electromagnets; means for mounting said supporting means for movement from one conveyor to the other; means for driving said supporting means along said path; and circuit means including metal proximity sensors for sequentially energising said electro-magnets for carrying the articles from the straight line conveyor to said row conveyor.

8. The transfer apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 in which said driving means comprises a drive motor operatively coupled to said electro-magnet support means, and means for operating said drive motor when the last of said plurality of electro-magnets is energised.

9. The transfer apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 in which said circuit means comprises a time operatively coupled to said driving means.

1 0. The transfer means as claimed in Claim 7 in which said current means comprises means for periodically reversing the current flow through said electro-magnets.

11. The transfer means as claimed in Claim 10 in which the current flow in a demagnetising direction is a fraction of the magnetising current flow.

1 2. The transfer means as claimed in Claim 9 in which said circuit means comprises proximity detector means for detecting articles at said electro-magnets, and means for activating said proximity detector means in sequence.

1 3. A transfer apparatus for transferring magnetically engageable articles from one conveyor to another substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.