GB2132151A

GB2132151A - Apparatus for re-arranging discoidal objects

Info

Publication number: GB2132151A
Application number: GB08330983A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Theo Walz
Original assignee: Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
Current assignee: Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
Priority date: 1982-12-17
Filing date: 1983-11-21
Publication date: 1984-07-04
Also published as: GB2132151B; CH657829A5; FR2537946A1; JPS59114213A; BR8306423A; NL8303759A; IT1159996B; DE3338068A1; GB8330983D0; IT8368274A0; FR2537946B3; CA1227165A

Abstract

A first conveyor 17 passes the discoidal objects 1 to a second conveyor 10, which moves them in conveying channels 21 to one or more packaging machines. The transfer edge 3 of the first conveyor can be displaced transversely of the direction in which the conveying channels 21 extend so that the conveying channels 21 are loaded in turn with objects 1. The belt slide 9 of the conveyor 17 is displaced by means of a toggle lever 12, 13, a cam disc 15 and a drive the speed of which is controlled. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for re-arranging discoidal objects The invention concerns apparatus for re-arranging discoidal objects, for example in different order.

Biscuits, for example, are commoniy passed from an oven or cooling zone to one or more packaging stations or long-time storage units.

Most of the biscuits carried on a conveyor belt in transverse rows are brought together in prescribed quantities and are packed or stored. However, differences in the biscuits often occur. Thus, for example, the biscuits along the edges of the conveyor belt are often more throroughly baked than those in other ares. If the biscuits are than packaged in small quantities, one package may contain only thoroughly baked biscuits while another will contain only slightly baked biscuits.

One object of the invention is, therefore, to provide apparatus which enables discoidal objects such as biscuits to be mixed in a simple and economical manner by re-arranging or reordering them. A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this kind that is also suitable for handling very sensitive and frangible objects.

According to the invention, these objects are achieved by apparatus for re-arranging discoidal objects comprising a first conveyor for conveying the objects and transferring them to a second conveyor at a transfer edge, wherein the second conveyor comprises a plurality of conveying channels arranged substantially transversely in the direction in which the first conveyor belt moves the objects and the conveying channels can be transversed by the transfer edge, so that they can be loaded in turn with the objects.

Embodiments of an apparatus according to the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and will now be described in detail. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus, Figure 3 is a side view of a first conveyor, Figure 4 is a front view of a first conveyor, Figure 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a second embodiment of an apparatus of the invention, Figure 6 is a plan view of the second form of the apparatus, Figure 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of a drive means for the first conveyor, Figure 8 is a further diagrammatic illustration of a drive means for the first conveyor, Figure 9 is a side view of the forward zone of a first conveyor as well as of a second conveyor, Figure 10 is a side view of the forward zone of a first conveyor as well as of a second conveyor of the second form of the apparatus, Figure Ii is a plan view of the forward zone of a first conveyor and of a second conveyor, and Figure 12 shows an example of a distancetime plot relating to the movement of the first conveyor relative to the second conveyor.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, discoidal objects 1, for example biscuits, lying flat on a conveyor belt 2 of a first conveyor 1 7 moving at constant speed, are passed from an oven or cooling zone to a second conveyor 20. The objects 1 fall over a transfer edge 3 into conveying channels 21 which move the objects 1 substantially transversely of the direction 4 in which the first conveyor 1 7 moves.

The transfer edge 3 is displaceable, so that each of the channels 21 can be loaded with objects. In this arrangement, the second conveyor 20 is a vibrating conveyor which, in known manner, moves the objects 1 and brings them into an upright position and also carries them to one or more packaging machines. The conveyor belt 2 runs on four rollers 5, 6, 7 and 8, two rollers 5 and 8 being of fixed location and two rollers 6 and 7 being displaceble on a belt slide 9. The belt slide 9 is displaced by means of two toggle levers 10 and 11 interconnected by way of a shaft.

The longer arm 1 2 of the toggle lever 10 is pivotally connected at its free end to the belt slide 9, whereas the other arm 1 3 is slidably guided at its free end in an eccentric annular groove 14 formed in a cam disc 1 5. When the cam disc 1 5 is rotated by means of a motor 41 and a gear 42, the toggle levers 10 and 11 swing about a shaft 1 6 and move the belt slide 9 and the front roller 6 forwards or backwards depending upon the direction of rotation of the cam disc 1 5. In technical parlance, this method of displacement is called "pull-nose".

Figs. 3 and 4 show the first conveyor 17, which is mounted on a machine frame 43, and the belt slide 9 which has, at each side, a rail 44 slidably displaceable in the guide 45.

The machine frame 43 is not illustrated in Fig. 3, and the conveyor belt 2 is not shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a second form of equipment which comprises a first conveyor, designed as a vibrator table 50, and a second conveyor which is a belt conveyor 51. The vibrator table 50 is mounted by guide means 52 on a base 53 and is periodically moved by means of a drive 54 in such a manner that the objects 1, lying on top of the table, are carried in the direction indicated by the arrows 4 and 55.

Above the conveyor belt 58, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow 59, is located a grating 57 which consists of a plurality of longitudinal elements 60 which comprise kinks 61 or hinges. In the zone of the transfer edge 3 of the vibrator table 50, the grating 57 is movable transversely of the conveying direction 59 by a displacement means 62.

The displacement means 62 consists of a motor 63, a gear 72, a camshaft 69 and two cam discs 65 which move two rods 66 which are secured at their free ends to the grating 57. In this second arrangement, the transfer edge 3 is of fixed location and the conveying channels 67 are displaceable in the direction indicated by the double-headed arrow 68.

A drive, illustrated diagrammatically in Fig.

7, is provided for the purpose of briefly and precisely altering the speed of movement of the belt slide 9 or of the grating 57. The twoshaft gear 72 consists of pair of gears 73 for low speeds and a pair of gears 74 for high speeds which, by way of reversing clutch 75, selectively connect the drive motor 70 with the camshaft 69 (15). Other preciseiy controllable change speed gears can also be used.

An alternative drive, illustrated in Fig. 8, consists of a main motor 80 having a constant speed and a control motor 81 having a controllable speed, which motors drive the camshaft 69 through a compound gear 82, which may be a planetary gear (epicyclic gear).

Speed is controlled by means of sensors, not illustrated, which determine the states of fill of the conveying channels 21 and 67. The sensors may provide signals to control means which,by way of amplifiers controls the relative speeds of the transfer edge 3 and the second conveyor. However, other or further factors relating to the items of equipment involved in producing, conveying and packaging can be used for the purpose of control.

The procedure for re-arranging objects 1 by means of the first and second forms of apparatus will now be described in greater detail by reference to Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 1 2. The first conveyor 1 7 carries the objects, arranged in rows on the surface of the conveyor, to the transfer edge 3, the surface of the conveyor being inclined. The objects fall over the transfer edge 3 into that of the conveying channels 21, 67 located immediately in front of the transfer edge 3. The difference in the levels of the transfer edge 3 and the surface of the second conveyor 20 is kept small so that even delicate objects 1 are not broken. When a row of objects 1 is deposited in one of the conveying channels 21, 67 the transfer edge 3 is displaced.

The controllable drive enable the speed at which the transfer edge 3 is advanced and retracted as well as the selection of the conveying channels 21, 67 to be adapted in the best possible manner to suit external circumstances. If, for example, one of the packaging machines breaks down or if trouble occurs in the conveyor system, the conveying channel concerned is not supplied with objects. For the purpose of achieving better mixture, the objects 1 may also be deposited in such a way that at least some of them fall between objects that have already been deposited. In Fig. 11, thoroughly baked biscuits 76, positioned in the edge zones of the first conveyor 17, can be distinguished from slightly baked biscuits 77 lying between them. If the biscuits were brought together in stacks to form packaging units, then only objects of one kind would be contained in each package.If, as provided for in the invention, the rows in the conveying channels 21, 67 of the second conveyor 20 are brought together to form packaging units, roughly the same number of each type is incorporated in each package.

By way of example and by means of a distance-time plot, Fig. 1 2 shows the change in the movement of the transfer edge 3.

Distance is indicated along the axis a, the line R corresponding approximately to the width of a conveying channel, and the co-ordinate origin having been set on the edge of the first conveying channel. During a "lead" time A and then during a "return" time B, the transfer edge 3 traverses four conveying channels at constant speed in one forward movement and one rearward movement respectively. The speeds of movement of the conveyor belt 2 and of the transfer edge 3 are adjusted relatively to each other in such a way that each conveying channel R,-R4 is loaded with the required number of objects 1 during the return movement.

The forward and return movements are periodically repeated. However, if the sensors detect in, say, the third conveying channel R3, deviations from the required range that call for correction of the allotted quantity, then the control means appropriately changes the speed in the zone R3. Thus, the portion C of the curve indicates a change in movement through which the transfer edge 3 dwells for a longer time than usual above the conveying channel R3, whereas the portion d of the curve indicates a change with a shorter period of dwell. The portion e of the curve indicates the change without corrections.

Claims

1. Apparatus for re-arranging discoidal objects comprising a first conveyor for conveying the objects and transferring them to a second conveyor at a transfer edge, wherein the second conveyor comprises a plurality of conveying channels arranged substantially transversely of the direction in which the first conveyor belt moves the objects and the conveying channels can be traversed by the transfer edge, so that they can be loaded in turn with the objects.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the first conveyor comprises at least one endless conveyor belt passing around a direction-changing roller in the zone of the transfer edge, said roller being displaceable in the conveying direction.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the first conveyor is constituted at least in part by a vibrating conveyor.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the second conveyor is constituted at least in part by a vibrating conveyor.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the second conveyor comprises at least one endless conveyor belt and the conveying channels are delimited by a grating.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, comprising means for varying the speed of movement of the transfer edge so that for each given distribution of the objects on the first conveyor the conveying channels of the second conveyor can be uniformly loaded.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 1, including sensors for determining the quantities of objects in the conveying channels of the second conveyor.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, comprising means for controlling the distribution of the objects in the various channels by controlling the relative speeds of the transfer edge and the second conveyor in response to at least those quantities of objects on the second conveyor that are determined by the sensors.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 1, comprising means for controlling the relative speeds of the transfer edge and the second conveyor in such manner that undesirable differences in the quantities of objects in the various conveying channels are eliminated.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein at least part of the grating is displaceable transversely of the direction in which the second conveyor belt moves, in such manner that undesirable differences in quantities of objects in the various channels are eliminated.

11. Apparatus for rearranging discoidal objects, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.