GB2094277A

GB2094277A - Dispensing flat articles

Info

Publication number: GB2094277A
Application number: GB8203115A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: CMS COSTR MECC SPECIALI Srl
Current assignee: CMS COSTR MECC SPECIALI Srl
Priority date: 1981-02-04
Filing date: 1982-02-03
Publication date: 1982-09-15
Also published as: IT1145017B; IT8103326A0; FR2499036A1; JPS57145726A; DE3124450A1

Abstract

An apparatus for removing and counting flat articles (4) such as small plates, stampings and the like from the bottom end of a stack, in particular for stacking a specific number of blister packs to be packed, in which the articles to be removed and counted are received in a feed hopper 5 or a feed duct. At the bottom end and on two opposing sides of the feed hopper there is provided at least one respective group of discs (18), (18a) consisting of at least two superimposed rotatable discs (19), (20); (19a), (20a). These discs are at a distance from each other coinciding approximately with the thickness of the articles 4 or a multiple of the thickness of the articles 4 or smaller. The discs have cut outs which are spaced from each other, and during rotation release the flat articles are at a time or in groups. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dispensing flat articles The invention relates to an apparatus for removing and counting flat articles such as small plates, stampings and the like from the bottom end of a stack, in particular for removing and counting a specific number of blister packs which are to be packed in boxes or other containers.

In order to separate such articles from the underside of a stack supported at its periphery, it is known to insert between the bottom article and the preceding article tongueshaped members which move to and fro. In many cases the stack is already divided at the point of entry of these tongue-shaped members.

When removing a specific number of articles from a production unit stack to provide discrete stacks which can be packed in boxes, the individual articles have not only to be separated from the production unit stack but also counted. The articles removed successively from the stack are generally detected and counted by means of photocells or electromagnetic transducers.

In practice, however, the known apparatus equipped with tongues for penetrating the stack and with counters operated by photocells or electromagnetic transducers, have frequently proved ineffective or unreliable at the high operating speeds attained by modern packing machines. The problems lies in the structure of the articles to be counted and stacked.

For a number of reasons the articles may not always be perfectly flat and may in particular take up a convex, dish-like shape, particularly at the edges.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided apparatus for dispensing flat articles from the bottom of a stack, the apparatus comprising first support means for supporting the bottom article of the stack, means for simultaneously introducing second support means beneath a further predetermined article at a higher level in the stack while removing the first support means from beneath the said bottom article, and means for simultaneously reintroducing the first support means while removing the second support means such that the said further article drops into engagement with the first support means.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first and second suppoert means each comprise a pair of rotatable discs disposed on opposing sides of the stack, the discs being partially cut-away or recessed such that the non-recessed and recessed portions of each disc alternately move into and out of alignment with a central region of respective opposed edges of the articles as the discs are rotated. The non-recessed portions of the upper discs are aligned with the recessed portions of the lower discs, and each pair of upper and lower discs is mounted on a common drive shaft. Accordingly the number of articles dispensed can be drived from a measurement of the rotation of the shaft.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 2 shows a front view of the bottom part of the apparatus, Figure 3 shows a plan view in the sectional plane Ill-Ill from Fig. 2.

The apparatus embodying the invention, designated generally by 1, is shown in Fig. 1 together with a conveyor belt 2 which may be driven continuously or intermittently and which has compartments 3 for conveying individual stacks of blister packs 4 to a packing machine. When forming the individual stacks, a compartment 3 is located beneath the apparatus 1.

The blister packs 4 are first introduced into a feed hopper 5. The hopper 5 is partially formed by the opposing faces of two opposed projecting parts 6a of two columns 6 supported on a frame 7. In addition, four strips 8 are fixed in pairs to the projecting parts 6a by means of brackets 9 to form an entry duct.

Two shafts 10 and 1 Ova are rotatably mounted in the respective projecting parts 6a of the columns 6. The ends of each shaft extend beyond the top and bottom faces of projecting parts 6a and the top ends are driven continuously or intermittently in a clockwise direction from a drive shaft 11 via cog wheel 12, toothed belt 13, cog wheel 14, cog wheel 15, toothed belt 1 6 and cog wheel 17.

A pair of disc assemblies 1 8 and 1 8a are secured to the bottom ends of the respective shafts 10 and 1 ova. Each disc assembly consists of two superimposed axially spaced discs 1 9 and 20. The distance between the two discs corresponds approximately to the thickness of one or more blister packs 4 or is somewhat smaller. Only one blister pack, or a specific number of superimposed blister packs, can be removed one at a time.

Each disc 1 9 and 20 is partially cut-away or recessed, the recessed and non-recessed portions being symmetrically arranged with respect to one another and also with respect to the plane of symmetry of the feed hopper 5 between the two disc assemblies 1 8 and 1 8a.

In addition, the non-recessed portion 19' of each upper disc lies above the recessed portion 20" of the corresponding lower disc, and the recessed portion 19" of each upper disc lies above non-recessed portion 20' of the corresponding lower disc.

The leading edge 1 9"' of the non-recessed portion 19' of each upper disc 1 9 is designed as a ramp.

The apparatus operates in the following manner. The blister packs 4 are initally supported in the feed hopper 5 with the bottom pack having its respective opposing edges resting on the non-recessed portions of either the top discs 19 and 1 9a (see Fig. 3) or the bottom discs 20 and 20a (see Figs 1 and 2).

if we consider the second case in which the bottom blister pack 4 in the stack rests on the non-recessed portions 20' and 20a' of the two bottom discs 20 and 20a, then it can be seen that the entire stack is supported by these bottom discs as they are rotated by shafts 10 and 1 0a in a clockwise direction, while the non-recessed portions 19' and 19a' of the two superimposed discs 19 and 1 9a rotate in the space between the bottom blister pack and the blister pack above it (broken lines in Fig. 2).

However, as the rotation continues, the non-recessed portions 20' and 20a' of the bottom two discs 20 and 20a release the formerly supported edges of the bottom blister pack 4 (see Fig. 3) so that this pack drops into a compartment 3 of conveyor 2. At the same time, the opposing edges of the next succeeding pack 4 come to rest on the nonrecessed portions 19' and 19a' of the two top discs 19 and 19a.

During further rotation of the discs, the non-recessed portions 20' and 20a' of the two bottom discs 20 and 20a rotate back into the starting position described and illustrated in Figs 1 and 2, while the non-recessed portions 19' and 19a' of the two top discs 1 9 and 1 9a release the bottom pack 4 so that the stack again rests on the non-recessed portions 20' and 20a' of the two bottom discs 20 and 20a. The cycle then repeats itself until the hopper 5 is emptied.

The insertion of the non-recessed portions of the discs to provide alternating support for the stack of blister packs takes place stepwise and is restricted to the central region of the two lateral edges of each individual blister packs. This avoids the problems explained earlier which otherwise arise if the edges become convex or curved in some other manner. Moreover, the disadvantages arising with known counters when counting articles having deformed edges are also avoided because the counting operation can be derived from the rotation, for example, of one of the two shafts 10, 10a.

It has been found practice that an apparatus designed according to the invention can be operated satisfactorily at high speeds compatible with modern packing machines.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dispensing flat articles from the bottom of a stack, the apparatus comprising first support means for supporting the bottom article of the stack, means for simultaneously introducing second support means beneath a further predetermined article at a higher level in the stack while removing the first support means from beneath the said bottom article, and means for simultaneously reintroducing the first support means while removing the second support means such that the said further article drops into engagement with the first support means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the first support means comprises a pair of rotatable support members disposed on two opposing sides of the stack, a portion of each member protruding into the stack beneath a central region of respective opposing edges of the bottom article when supporting the article in the stack and being removed from beneath the said edges when the respective members are rotated to release the article from the stack.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the second support means also comprises a pair of rotatable support members disposed on opposig sides of the stack, the second support members being superimposed above the first support members and being spaced from the first support members by a distance not exceeding the height of the said further article above the bottom article, the arrangement being such that rotation of the second support members to a position in which respective portions of the second support members protrude into the stack beneath a central region of respective opposing edges of the said further article is accompanied by rotation of the first support members to a position in which the bottom article is released from the stack.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the support members each comprise a recessed disc, the recessed and non-recessed portions of each disc being symmetrically disposed about the centre of the disc, and the recessed portions of the upper discs being aligned with the non-recessed portions of the lower discs.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the upper and lower discs on both sides of the stack are each mounted on a common drive shaft.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5 in which the leading edge of the non-recessed portion of each disc in the direction of rotation is inclined downwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface of the disc in the direction of rotation.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which both shafts rotate in the same direction.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.