GB2071038A - Rotary pocket wheel for small- sized articles - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a pocket wheel device for feeding small-sized articles, such as sweets, to the radial holding elements of a wrapping machine, the device consisting of a central rotating distributor disc 1 with an external ring part which rotates in the same sense of rotation and on which there are provided receiving pockets 3 which are evenly distributed on the circumference thereof. It is the object of the invention to effect the removal of the sweets from the plate in such a way that the holding elements take hold of the sweets tangentially to the plate. According to the invention, this is brought about in that the external ring part has inside, on the circumference, a raised edge 4 which is interrupted by inlet channels 5 which are adjoined by radially outwardly extending side walls 6 of equal height which, projecting through openings in the ring part 2, are mounted in the circular ring 2 so as to be lowerable in pairs at the point of transfer to the holding elements. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mechanical handling device for small-sized articles The invention relates to a feeding device for smallsized articles, mainly sweets, to the radial holding elements of a wrapping machine, the device consisting of a central rotating distributor disc with an external ring part which rotates in the same sense of rotation and on which there are provided receiving pockets which are evenly distributed on the circumference thereof.

There is already known a plurality of feeding means on sweet packing machines which are constructed on the basis of a rotating distributor disc.

These feeding means differ in constructional details which are meant to lead to a higher singling performance. However, the construction of these known devices also has to be considered in conjunction with the further treatment of the sweets which are singled with the aid of these devices. For example, on most sweet packing machines, the sweets are lifted from pockets in the plate from the bottom and are transferred, together with the wrapper, to the holding elements (GB PS 829 758). On the other hand, there is already known the removal of the sweets from the plate without using lifting elements discharging the sweets, the wrapper being fed to the holding elements at a later point in time.

However, this presupposes that the holding elements come into action radially to the plate since, because of the upwardly projecting side walls of the pockets, the sweets cannot be grasped laterally by the holding elements (DD PS 202 884). However, for constructional reasons, the radial removal of the sweets is not always possible since, being arranged at right angles to the wrapping wheel, the gripper wheel with the holding elements requires much space.

Furthermore known is a distributing device ofthe kind described in the beginning in which there are provided, on an intermediate ring driven in the same direction, grooves in the width of the sweets to be received. The receiving pockets proper are provided on an external circular ring, which rotates in the same sense of rotation, in such a way that during each rotation of the external circular ring, at a specific point on the circumference thereof, each of the receiving pockets is in coincidence with a groove in the intermediate ring (DD PS 125 742). This device serves for increasing the output during the singling operation and also has the already mentioned disadvantage to the effect that the sweets can be grasped by the holding elements only radially to the plate.

The invention aims at lowering the constructional expenditure for a high-capacity sweet wrapping machine.

It is therefore the object of the invention to effect the removal of the sweets from the plate in such a way that the holding elements take hold of the sweets tangentially to the plate.

According to the invention, this is brought about in that the external ring part has inside, on the circumference, a raised edge which is interrupted by inlet channels which are adjoined by side walls of identical height which extend radially to the outside and which, projecting through openings in the ring part, are mounted in the circular ring so as to be lowerable in pairs at the point of transfer to the holding elements. The lowering of the side walls advantageously allows the sweets to be grasped by the holding elements in a more reliable manner since there does not occur any obstruction by lateral elevations. The lowering of the side walls is brought about in that these walls are arranged on an angle lever which is pivotally mounted in the ring part and to the end of which there is secured a cam roller which is supported on an annular stationary cam track.

According to another feature of the invention, there is concentrically mounted above the stationary cam track a horizontal locking disc which is profiled in a cam-shaped manner on its circumference and has its own drive and which, in dependence on its position, selectively comes into abutting contact, with its radial projections, with another cam roller provided on the swung-out adjustable lever. This allows the side walls of every second receiving pocket to be alternately left in the receiving position during each rotation. This advantageously leads to an increase in the degree of filling of the receiving pockets since with an alternate removal of the sweets by the holding elements double the time is available for the assorting operation into the receiving pockets.In orderto prevent the sweets from emerging before they are picked up from the receiving pockets by the holding elements, the invention provides for respectively two upwardly projecting limiting webs to be fastened on the ring part radially outside in front of the receiving pockets.

These limiting webs make it furthermore possible for sweet fragments and similar debris to be discharged to the outside so that any clogging of the receiving pockets is largely avoided. The invention-is finally characterised in that, in order to prevent the sweets from jumping out in the upward direction, a station arycovering ring is provided at the level of the extended side walls.

The invention will be explained in an exemplified embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the distributing device in a sectional drawing, Figure 2 shows a detail of the device in a top view, Figure 3 shows the same as above with the side walls modified in shape.

The device substantially consists of a central rotating distributor disc 1 with an external ring part 2 which rotates in the same sense of rotation. In this external ring part 2, there are provided receiving pockets 3 which are evenly distributed on the circumference thereof. These receiving pockets 3 are formed in that the external ring part 2 has on the inside of its circumference a raised edge 4 which is interrupted by inlet channels 5. Radially outwardly extending side walls 6 of identical height adjoin these inlet channels 5. These side walls 6 project into the ring part 2 through openings 7 and are arranged, respectively in pairs, on an angle lever 8. The angle lever 8 is pivotally mounted in the ring part 2 and is biassed by a spring 9. The angle lever 8 has at its end a cam roller 10 which is supported on an annular cam track 11.This cam track 11 is stationarily mounted in a housing 12. The distributor disc 1 and the external ring part 2 are arranged in the housing 12 so as to be rotatable independently of each other.

The distributor disc 1, which is secured on a vertical shaft 13, is mounted in a central stationary bearing sleeve 12a by means of ball bearings 14 and the external ring part 2 is coaxially mounted on this sleeve by means of ball bearings 15 inside the housing 12. To the ring part 2 there is secured a bevel gear 16 which is in engagement with a bevel gear 17 provided on a horizontal driving shaft 18 which is mounted in the housing 12. Beneath the bevel gear 17, there is secured to the ring part 2 a toothed gear 19 which is in communication with a toothed gear 20 of an auxiliary shaft 21 mounted adjacent thereto. On the auxiliary shaft 21, there is secured, at the bottom thereof, another toothed gear 22 which meshes with a corresponding toothed gear 23 on the shaft 13. These are the components for driving the distributor disc 1 and the ring part 2.The components described hereinafter serve for alternately locking the angle levers 8 at the point of transfer to the radial holding elements 24 of the gripper wheel 32. Above the stationary cam track 11, there is concentrically mounted on ball bearings 26 a horizzontal locking disc 25 which is profiled on its circumference in a cam-shaped manner. The radial projections are dimensioned, in dependence on its position, in such a way that these come into abutting contact with another cam roller 27 provided on the swung-out angle lever 8. Secured to the locking disc 25 is, at the bottom thereof, a toothed gear 28 which engages in a toothed gear 29 at the top of the auxiliary shaft 21.

In order to prevent the sweets from emerging radially from the receiving pockets 3, there are secured on the outside in front of these pockets on the ring part 2 respe-tively upwardly projecting limiting webs 30. In order to prevent sweets which are not true to size and broken pieces from becoming jammed between the two limiting webs, as shown in Figure 2, the side walls 6 extend inwardly at their external end, as shown in Figure 3. The device is completed by a covering ring 31, which is provided at the level of the extended side walls, for an improved assortment of the sweets as well as for preventing them from jumping out in the upward direction.

The mode of operation of this device will be described hereinafter.

The drive is initiated through the horizontal driving shaft 18. The ring part 2 is set in motion through the bevel gears 17 and 16. The driving movement is transmitted to the auxiliary shaft 21 by the toothed gear 19, which is arranged on the ring part, through the toothed gear 20. The shaft 13 with the distributor disc 1 is driven from the auxiliary shaft 21 by means of the gears 22 and 23. This causes the distributor disc 1 and the ring part 2 to rotate at different speeds so that the sweets lying on the distributor disc 1 are urged outwardly to the receiving pockets by the centrifugal force. The side walls 6 of the receiving pockets 3 are initially in their extended position since, due to the course of the cam track 11, the biassed angle lever8 is pressed upwardly through the cam roller 10.At the point of transfer to the holding elements 24, the cam track 11 has a depression so that the side walls 6 are lowered to beneath the bottom surface of the inlet channel 5.

This allows the tangentially engaging holding elements 24 to grasp the sweets without any hindrance.

This sequence of operations comes about without the action of the locking disc 25, whose mode of operation will be described hereinafter. The locking disc 25 serves for alternately locking the side walls 6 of a receiving pocket 3 at the point of transfer to the holding elements 24 so as to increase the degree of filling. The drive of the locking disc 25 is initiated by the auxiliary shaft 21 by means of the gear 29. This gear 29 meshes with the gear 28 provided on the locking disc 25. The rotational speed of the locking disc 25 is designed to be such that, at the transfer point, the cam roller 27 of the angle lever 8 of every second receiving pocket 3 comes into abutting contact with a projection of the locking disc 25. By this means, the side walls 6, which are destined for being lowered by the course of the cam track 11, are retained in their extended position. This alternate removal, which thus comes about, presupposes that the receiving pockets 3 are provided on the ring part 2 in an uneven number. The advantage of this measure lies in the fact that the time for assorting the sweets is increased since the removal thereof does not occur until after the second rotation of the ring part 2. While the sweets are assorted into the receiving pockets 3, the entry thereof in a vertical position is prevented by the covering ring 31. The covering ring 31 is interrupted at the point of transfer to the gripper wheel 32. The emergence of the sweets radially to the outside from the receiving pockets 3 is prevented by the limited webs, scrap pieces being nevertheless able to pass therebetween

Claims (6)

1. A feeding device for small-sized articles, mainly sweets, to the radial holding elements of a wrapping machine, the device consisting of a central rotating distributor disc with an external ring part which rotates in the same sense of rotation and on which there are provided receiving pockets which are evenly distributed on the circumference, characterised in that the external ring part (2) has inside, on the circumference, a raised edge (4) which is interrupted by inlet channels (5) which are adjoined by radially outwardly extending side walls (6) of equal height which, projecting through openings (7) in the ring part (2), are mounted in the ring part (2) so as to be lowerable in pairs at the point of transfer to the holding elements (24).

2. Afeeding device as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the side walls (6) are provided on an angle lever (8) which is pivotally mounted in the ring part (2) and to the end of which there is secured a cam roller (10) which is supported on an annular stationary cam track (11).

3. A feeding device as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, characterised in that above the stationary cam track (11) there is concentrically mounted a horizontal locking disc (25) which is profiled in a cam-shaped manner on the circumference and which has its own drive and which, with its radial projections, alternately comes into abutting contact, in dependence on its position, with another cam roller (27 provided on the swung-out angle lever (8).

4. A feeding device as claimed in Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that upwardly projecting limiting webs (30) are secured on the ring part (2) radially outside in front of the receiving pockets (3).

5. A feeding device as claimed in Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a stationary covering ring (31) is provided at the level of the extended side walls (6).

6. A feeding device for small-sized articles substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.