GB2106481A - Apparatus for feeding generally planar articles - Google Patents
Apparatus for feeding generally planar articles Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2106481A GB2106481A GB08127551A GB8127551A GB2106481A GB 2106481 A GB2106481 A GB 2106481A GB 08127551 A GB08127551 A GB 08127551A GB 8127551 A GB8127551 A GB 8127551A GB 2106481 A GB2106481 A GB 2106481A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- articles
- article
- stack
- transfer device
- main feeder
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G59/00—De-stacking of articles
- B65G59/02—De-stacking from the top of the stack
- B65G59/04—De-stacking from the top of the stack by suction or magnetic devices
- B65G59/045—De-stacking from the top of the stack by suction or magnetic devices with a stepwise upward movement of the stack
Landscapes
- Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
Abstract
Apparatus for feeding generally planar articles, comprising: (a) a main feeder for moving successive, generally planar articles (103) to a processing machine; (b) a transfer device (2) arranged to move successive articles individually from the top of a stack (102) of the articles (103) to the main feeder; and (c) an article supply (1) arranged to store a plurality of the articles (103) in a stack (102) and to move the stack (102) upwardly as successive articles (103) are removed individually from the top thereof by the transfer device (2) and are transferred to the main feeder. The apparatus is particularly useful for feeding tin plate discs to a processing machine for making lever rings for paint cans. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Apparatus for feeding generally planar articles
This invention relates to apparatus for feeding generally planar articles, such as, discs, to a processing machine and is especially, but not exclusively, related to feeding to a ring making machine discs which have been treated in accordance with a method described in out copending Patent Application No 8114765, entitled"Treatment of Planar Articles".
In accordance with the invention, there is provided apparatus for feeding generally planar articles, which apparatus comprises:
(a) a main feeder for moving successive, generally planar articles to a processing machine;
(b) a transfer device arranged to remove successive articles individually from the top of a stack of the articles to the main feeder; and
(c) an article supply arranged to store a plurality of the articles in a stack and to move the stack
upwardly as successive articles are removed individually from the top thereof by the transfer device and transferred to the main feeder.
Preferably, the article supply is capable of
providing two article stacks, whereby one of the
stacks can be recharged with articles, whilst the other is being moved upwardly as succesive articles are removed individually from the top thereof by the transfer device. Also, the supply
may have magnetic means for separating the
uppermost articles in the stack being moved
upwardly, if the articles are made of a ferro
magnetic material, such as, tin plate discs. Such
magnetic means causes the articles to be
magnetized in one direction, such that the consequential repulsive forces tend to separate them. In this manner, the removal of the top
particle from the stack is enhanced and the
removal of the two uppermost articles, that is to say, the top article and the one below it, is
substantially prevented.Additionally, the article
supply may also be provided with mechanical
means, such as, a friction surface in the form of serrations, for enhancing the separation of the
upper stacked articles.
The transfer device, which is located generally
above the article supply, may comprise suction
means for engaging and removing the top article
from the stack into a transfer position, wherein the
so-removed article is subesquently engaged by
one of a plurality of pawls moving on a continuous
belt system moving in a direction which is
transverse to that in which the article has been
removed from the stack. The pawl engages the
article and, at substantially the same instant, the
suction means is rendered inoperable, such that
the article can be transfered on to the main feeder.
The various elements of the transfer device and
article supply are operated in timed sequence and
inter-relationship, such that the upward feed of
the article supply and the suction means and pawl
transfer mechanism of the transfer device are
operating in unison and the proper sequence.
The main feeder preferably feeds each individual article, which has been transferred by the transfer device, in a two-stage operation of which the first stage consists of moving the transferred article to a detection station, wherein means are provided for detecting the presence at that station of one or more articles. If only one article is present at the detection station, then it is subsequently transferred to a final processing machine, such as a ring-making machine, in the case of tin plate discs. However, if two planar articles present themselves at the detection station simultaneously, then the detector detects such a situation and causes the two, or possibly more, articles to be rejected and, preferably, recycled back for further stacking.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred embodiment of apparatus in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a partial cross-sectional, side view of an article supply and transfer device of the apparatus;
Fig. 2 is a front diagrammatic view of the article supply shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the transfer device;
Fig. 4 is a side view of the transfer device;
Fig. 5 is a view along the line V-V of Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is a view on the line VI--VI of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is a plan view on the main feeder portion of the apparatus;
Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional, side view of the feeder shown in Fig. 7;;
Fig. 9 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a detection station incorporated in the feeder of
Figs. 7 and 8;
Fig. 10 is a view along the line X-X of Fig. 9; and
Fig. 11 is a view of a further portion of the main feeder.
Apparatus in accordance with the invention, and for feeding tin plate discs to a machine for stamping-out lever rings from the fed discs, comprises three basic units, namely, a disc supply,
a transfer device and main feeder.
In Fig. 1 , there are shown the first two units, that is, a disc supply 1 and a disc transfer device 2, whilst Fig. 2 generally shows the disc supply 1
only and Figs. 3 to 7 show various views of the transfer device 2.
Referring then to Figs. 1 and 2 firstly, the disc
supply 1 comprises a magazine 101 for receiving
two stacks 102 of tin plate discs 103. A base
plate 104 of the magazine 101 has two circular
apertures 105 registering with the respective disc
stacks 102. The apertures 105 have a diameter
which is less than that of the discs 103, such that
the latter can be supported on the base plate 104
but still in register with the respective apertures 1 05. However, the diameter of the apertures 105
sufficiently large to permit the head 106 of a
piston of a piston/cylinder arrangement 107 to
pass therethrough.
Whilst the piston/cylinder arrangement 107 is
fixed transversely with respect to the frame 108 of
the disc supply 1, the magazine 101 can move
transversely with respect thereto upon rollers 111
riding upon respective cross members 11 2. Thus,
each stack 102 can be located in turn in a supply
position above the piston head 1 06. The
arrangement of Figure 2 has the right hand disc
stack 102 located in the supply position with the
magazine 101 shown in full lines, whilst the
supply position for the left hand stack is shown
with the magazine 101 in dashed outline. In this
manner, the magazine 101 can be moved
reciprocally from left to right, as shown in Fig. 2, in
order to locate a full disc stack 102 in the supply
position.
An upper plate 109 of the magazine 101 is
provided also with apertures 110 which are in
register with respective stack 102 but through
which the discs 103 can be passed upwardly.
A sensor 1 3 is secured to an inclined frame
member 114 adjacent but below the upper plate
109 of the magazine 101, for sensing either the
presence of absence of a disc 103 in the supply
position.
Associated with the upper part of the disc
supply 1 is a pair of bar or flat magnets 115 which
are of the permanent ceramic type, as shown
more clearly in Fig. 4. These magnets 11 5 are
arranged to magnetise the discs 103 in one
direction only as they are fed upwardly towards
the transfer device 2, such that the consequential,
repulsive magnetic forces separate adjacent discs
from one another. This separation of the
magnitized discs 103 is most important, in that it
eliminates or at least substantially reduces the
possibility of two discs 1 03 being supplied to the
transfer device 2 from the disc stack 1 02.
In addition to the annular, permanent ceramic
magnet 1 15 for separating the discs 103 at the
upper region of the stack 102, there is provided
also at least one serrated surface (not shown)
which engages the edges of a number of discs to
aid the separation thereof.
When the bottom disc of the stack passes the
sensor 1 13, with a predetermined number of discs
still located in the region of the magnet 11 5 for
supply to the transfer device 2, a signal from the
sensor is transmitted to a control system (not
shown) which causes retaining means (not shown)
to engage beneath the bottom disc of the
remainder of the stack in the supply position, in
order to prevent the remaining discs from falling from within the magnet 11 5 under gravity. After
this retaining means has been actuated, the-piston
head 106 is retracted, as a result of a signal from
the control system, to its lowermost position
below the base plate 104 of the magazine 101.
The magazine 101 is then moved either manually
or automatically in a transverse direction with respect to the frame 1 08, such that the full stack of discs 103 is located in the supply position above the piston head 1 06. The piston is then moved upwardly to cause this new stack of discs to be located beneath the remaining discs of the previous stack within the magnet 11 5, such that the supply operation is continuous. In the meantime, the space vacated by the previous stack can be replenished with a further stack of discs for subsequent transverse movement into the supply position.
Turning now to Figs. 3 to 6, the transfer device 2 is pivotally secured to the frame 108 so that it can be pivoted upwardly about a generally horizontal axis, with respect to the frame and disc supply 1 , for maintenance and servicing purposes.
A suction head 201 is reciprocably operable by means of a lever arrangement, to be described below, between an inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 4, and an operative position wherein it engages and adheres, under vacuum, to the top disc 103 of the stack 102, as shown in Fig. 5. As the suction head 201 moves from the operative to inoperative position with the top disc 103 adhered thereto, it is received in a recess 202 in a permanent magnet 203 of the transfer device 2.
The vacuum to the head 201 is then released and the top disc 103 now removed from the stack
102, is magnetically secured to the underside of the magnet 203.
Associated with the suction head 201 and magnet 202 is an endless chain 204 which is driven around two pairs of chain wheels 205, 206 and which has a series of spaced pairs of pawls 207 for engaging consecutive discs 103 magnetically secured to the magnet 203, with the suction head 201 in its inoperative position within the recess 202.
The chain 204 is driven in an anticlockwise direction and the drive shaft 208 of the chain wheels 206 is provided with an eccentricallymounted circular cam 209 for operating a first lever 210 which is connected to the operating arm 211 of the suction head 201 by a second lever 212, the latter being partially controlled under the bias of a spring 213.
In the inoperative position of the suction head 201, as shown in Fig. 4, the cam 209 is in engagement with the end 214 of the lever 210, such that the lever 212 and the operating arm 211 are in their respective raised position. With the suction head 201 in its operative position, as shown in Fig. 5, the cam 209 is disengaged from the lever end 214, such that the lever 212 and arm 211 are in respective lowered positions.
Between the movement of adjacent pairs of pawls 207 past the permanent magnet 203, the suction head 201 is moved from its inoperative position in the magnet recess 202 to its operative position, at which it picks up the top disc 1 03 of the stack 102, and is moved back again to its inoperative position, by means of the lever arrangement 210, 212 and operating arm 211, as described above.
Thus, the pawls 207, in turn, push consecutive discs 103, in a sliding action, from the underside of the magnet 203 and onto a feeder device 3, as shown in Figs. 7 to 11.
The sequential operations of the components ol the transfer device 2 are coordinated by any suitable means known per se.
With particular reference to Figs. 7 to 11, the main feeder device 3, for moving discs 103 delivered consecutively thereto onwardly to a machine 4 for stamping-out lever rings for cans, receives each disc from a transfer device 2 in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 7.
The feeder device 3 comprises a carriage 301 mounted for reciprocable motion upon a base 302 by means of V-section rollers 303 which ride upor and are located alternately on opposite sides of a corresondingly-shaped horizontal guide 304 which is also mounted upon the base 302. The carriage 301 is reciprocably driven along the longitudinal axis of the base 302, by a cylinderoperated piston 305 via drive linkage 306, and has two pairs of depending pusher lugs 307, 308 for engaging the transferred discs consecutively, as will be described below.
Each disc 103 is transferred to the left-hand end of the base 302 from the transfer device 2, in the direction of the arrow A, and in Fig. 7 is represented by the reference numeral 103'. This left-hand position of the disc 103' is assumed when the carriage 301 is in its left-hand position, as shown in dashed line in Figs. 7 and 8. The pair of pusher lugs 307 engage the edge of the disc 103' and, upon a right-hand movement of the piston 305, push the disc 103' into a detecting position, represented by the reference numeral 103", as a consequence of the right-hand motion of the carriage 301.
At this detecting position of the disc 103", there is located a detector 308 for determining whether there is more than one disc at that position. If the detector 308 senses the presence of two or more discs 103" at that position, then a reject mechanism displaces the discs transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the base 302, so that the discs can be re-stacked in the supply 1. Any suitable form of detector, such as, a thickness detector, may be used for the component 308. However, if, as in the normal operation of the apparatus, only one disc 103" is sensed at the detecting position, then no rejection is effected and the carriage is moved in the left hand direction by a reverse movement of the piston 305.At this stage, the other pair of pusher lugs 308 engage the edge of the disc 103" and a further right-hand movement of the carriage 301 then causes the disc 103" to be pushed on to the working station of the ring-making machine 4, as indicated by the reference numeral 103".
As can be seen from Figs. 8 and 11, each lug 307, 308 is pivotably mounted upon the carriage 301, such that when the latter is moving in the left-hand direction, the lugs do not interfere with the positioning of the discs 1 03', 1 03". Also, each lug 307, 308 is biassed by a respective spring 309,310.
Thus, it can be seen that each disc 103 is fed along the length of the base 302 in two stages, the first being from position 103' to the detecting position 103" and the second from the detecting position to the working station 103"' of the machine 4.
The apparatus of the present invention can deal with any type of generally planar article, such as, a disc, although it is preferred to use ring-making machine discs which have been treated in accordance with a method described in out Copending Application No. 8114765, entitles "Treatment of Planar Articles".
Claims (15)
1. Apparatus for feeding generally planar articles, comprising:
(a) a main feeder for moving successive, generally planar articles to a processing machine;
(b) a transfer device arranged to remove successive articles individually from the top of a stack of articles to the main feeder; and
(c) an article supply arranged to store a plurality of articles in a stack and to move the stack upwardly as successive articles are removed individually from the top thereof by the transfer device and are transferred to the main feeder.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article supply is arranged to provide two stacks of articles, such that one of the stacks can be recharged with articles, whilst the other of the stacks it being moved upwardly as successive articles are removed individually from the top thereof by the transfer device.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the article supply includes means for separating the upper most articles in the stack being moved upwardly.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said separating means comprises magnetic means.
5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said separating means includes mechanical means in the form of a friction surface arranged to engage the side edges of the uppermost articles in the stack being moved upwardly.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said mechanical means comprises a serrated friction surface.
7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the transfer device comprises suction
means arranged to engage and remove the top article from the stack and locate the so-removed article in a transfer position.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the transfer device further comprises a plurality of pawls which are movable continuously, in a direction transverse to that in which the top article has been removed from the stack, and of which at
least one is arranged to engage each removed top
article, as it is located in the transfer position, and to transfer the so-engaged article to the main feeder.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said suction means is rendered inoperable at substantially the same instant at which each
removed top article is engaged by the at least one
pawl.
1 0. Apparatus according to any preceding
claim, wherein the transfer device and article
supply are operated in timed sequence and
interrelationship.
1 Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the main feeder is arranged to feed each successive article, transferred thereto by the transfer device, to a processing machine in a twostage operation.
12. Apparatus according to clalim 11, wherein, in the first stage operation, the main feeder is arranged to move each transferred article to a detecting station which includes means for detecting the presence of one or more articles thereat.
13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the detecting station includes means for rejecting two or more articles whose simultaneous presence at the station is detected by said detecting means.
14. Apparatus according to claim 13, including means for recycling two or more rejected articles to the article supply.
1 5. Apparatus according to claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein said detecting means includes a thickness detector.
1 6. Apparatus according to any of claims 11 to
1 5. wherein, the second stage operation, the main feeder is arranged to move each article to a processing machine.
1 7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim in the form of a disc feeder apparatus.
1 8. Disc feeding apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB08127551A GB2106481A (en) | 1981-09-11 | 1981-09-11 | Apparatus for feeding generally planar articles |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB08127551A GB2106481A (en) | 1981-09-11 | 1981-09-11 | Apparatus for feeding generally planar articles |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB2106481A true GB2106481A (en) | 1983-04-13 |
Family
ID=10524462
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB08127551A Withdrawn GB2106481A (en) | 1981-09-11 | 1981-09-11 | Apparatus for feeding generally planar articles |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2106481A (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2609458A1 (en) * | 1987-01-13 | 1988-07-15 | Peugeot | Machine for automatic de-stacking and conveying of components, such as, for example, sheet-metal blanks |
-
1981
- 1981-09-11 GB GB08127551A patent/GB2106481A/en not_active Withdrawn
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2609458A1 (en) * | 1987-01-13 | 1988-07-15 | Peugeot | Machine for automatic de-stacking and conveying of components, such as, for example, sheet-metal blanks |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |