GB2151160A - Clamping and alignment mechanism for a powder reinforcing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An arrangement of articulated grippers (252, 254) and an adjustable guide arrangement (260) for holding and aligning a substrate, such as a shoe upper (S) to be treated with a reinforcing substance, onto a rotatable cube (140) for pressing against a carrier belt of a reinforcing machine. The grippers (252, 254) comprise arms (270) arranged on two sides of a biased plate (187), each arm (270) being pivotable about a pintle (274), the arms each having an end which has a wheel (286) in rolling contact with an extension of the biased plate, the other end of each arm (270) having a pivotable flange (278) which is contactable with the outer surface of a substrate loaded onto the biased plate, so as to hold that substrate thereon as the cube rotates during subsequent machine operation. The guide arrangement (260) comprises a housing (300) adjustably supported on a frame portion of the machine, the housing holding a piston and cylinder unit (320) having a piston rod (324) therefrom which secures a guide bracket (326). The bracket has several slots (332) therein which each adjustably support a guide pin (334). The guide pins (334) are registerable with the biased plate (187), and act as an adjustable backstop for the substrate as they are being loaded onto the rotatable cube. The piston rod (324) is retractable into the cylinder (320), to pull the guide pins (334) out of the way of the cube (140) as it is caused to rotate. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clamping and alignment mechanism for a powder reinforcing machine This invention relates to deposition machinery useful for applying reinforcing/stiffening powder to a substrate, and more particularly to gripping and aligning means on a shoe machine for gripping and aligning a shoe upper prior to its being worked.

The shoe and apparel industry have for many years been applying stiffening and reinforcing means to their shoe uppers, blue jeans, pyjamas, sports clothing, and visors of caps and the like.

There is disclosed in GB-A 2 136 324 a machine for applying powdered material to a substrate, wherein a powder deposition station having a stencil assembly appiies powder onto an annular receiving belt, the powder being applied in a threedimensional configuration because of peripheral spacer means arranged on the cut-out between the stencil and the receiving belt. The annular receiving belt surface is empowered to rotate to an arcuate heating station where the powder is fused by heating elements arranged thereabove and therebelow.The fused powder is then moved to a join and cool station where a substrate such as a shoe upper or a portion of a garment is first received in a fixed bracket on a transfer means at the join and cool station, and thereafter rotated and pressed against the fused powder by the transfer means causing it to press against a chill plate therebeneath.

The substrate is then lifted by the transfer means from the receiving surface after it has been cooled, the transfer means with the fixed holding bracket holding the now reinforced substrate, rotating so as to remove the substrate from the above receiving surface, to enable the transfer means to present the substrate at its initial location for unloading from the fixed holding bracket on the transfer means, to permit a subsequent substrate to be manipulated therewith.

It is an object of the present invention, to provide an improved gripping mechanism on the transfer means which facilitates loading and unloading of a substrate in the machine, and an alignment mechanism above the transfer means, said alignment mechanism being adjustable with the gripping mechanism to accommodate changes in subsequent substrate contours.

The present invention comprises an articulated gripping mechanism arranged on the transfer means, and an alignment mechanism arranged above the transfer means of a powder deposition machine, wherein the gripping and alignment means facilitate easy substrate loading, alignment, guiding and unloading of variously contoured substrates from the transfer means.

The transfer means comprises a rotatable transfer cube, as recited in the aforementioned British patent application 8 334 330 (GB 2 136 324) and hereby incorporated herein by reference, which cube has four planar faces which are parallel to its axis of rotation. Each face has a pair of articulated grippers which replace the partitions and holding bracket of the aforementioned patent application. A biased plate having a foam pad thereon is held against each planar face, closer to the axis of rotation of the transfer cube than the grippers, which are disposed one on each edge of the biased plate, parallel to the axis of rotation. The biased plates are movable toward and away from their respective planarfaces, by biased camming means, articulated through each face, as described in the aforementioned patent application.

The articulated grippers each comprise a lever arm journalled on a pintle on two sides of the biased plate. Each lever arm has a flanged shoulder portion on its outwardmost end, which extends over its respective side of the biased plate. The inner end of each lever arm, that end pointing generally towards the center of the deposition machine, has a pin extending from the "plate" side thereof, on which a roller wheel is journalled.

The roller wheel contacts and rolls on a tip portion which extends off of each rear corner of the biased plate as the biased plate moves inwardly and outwardly from its respective face of the transfer cube.

The flanged shoulder portion on the outer end of the lever arm is in pivotable contact with the end of the arm to permit articulation of the flanged shoulder with respect to the biased plate as the biased plate is moved toward and away from its cube face. The lever arm has a spring arrangement to bias the roller wheel portion thereof downwardly against the tab extending off the rearwardmost corners of the biased plate.

An adjustable alignment or gaging mechanism is disposed on the frame of the deposition machine, above and adjacent the cube, between a pair of articulated grippers. The gaging mechanism comprises a pressurizable cylinder having a downwardly extending piston rod. An arcuately shaped plate is attached to the lower end of the piston rod. A slot is cut diagonally across each end of the plate, a pin being adjustably disposed through each slot in the plate. The pins are arranged so as to just contact the upper surface of the foam pad on the biased plate when the biased plate is in its lowermost (receiving) position.The pneumatic cylinder is empowered to properly retract the piston rod so to withdraw the alignment pins from the way of the biased plate once the biased plate is raised to its outermost position (clamping an item to be reinforced between it and the shoulder portions of the articulated levers), and when the transfer cube is rotated to present a successive surface for unloading of a reinforced article therefrom, and the subsequent loading of an unreinforced article thereon. The gaging mechanism itself is adjustably movable towards and away from the frame of the machine, by a threaded shaft rotatably arranged therebetween.The gaging mechanism is also adjustably movable from side to side with respect to the frame of the machine and the axis of rotation of the transfer cube by rotatably adjusting a pair of threaded shafts arranged through stanchions on the frame of the machine on each side of the support arrangement for the gaging mechanism.

Thus an article or substrate such as a lined or unlined shoe upper to be reinforced is placed by a machine operator onto the top surface of the uppermost biased plate on the cube. The article is arranged thereon, so as to come into alignment contact with the pre-set alignment pins disposed in the arcuate plate secured to the lower end of the piston rod on the gaging mechanism. When the article to be reinforced is properly oriented, the machine operator actuates the proper circuitry to raise the biased plate. As the biased plate is being raised with the article to be treated thereon, the plate is also lifting the rollers on the inwardmost end of its gripping levers.This causes the outwardmost ends, as well as the flanged shoulder portions thereon, to pivot downwardly to meet and come into pressing contact with the substrate placed on the upwardly advanced biased plate, the substrate or article to be treated is thereby gripped thereto.

Subsequent rotation of the transfer cube and simultaneous retractive displacement of the adjustment mechanism advances the treated substrate or article of manufacture to its uppermost location, where the biased plate is withdrawn towards its respective face on the transfer cube, releasing the spring biased inner ends of the levers to lift the flanged shoulders, thereby pivoting the grippers away from the surface of the biased plate, permitting the article of manufacture to be removed therefrom, and the loading of a subsequent article aligned and gripped thereby for successive working.

The object and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gripper arrangement on the uppermost face of a rotatable transfer cube, with an adjustable gaging mechanism disposed therewith; Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the gripper mechanism in its gripping position; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the alignment mechanism; and Figure 4 is a view taken along the lines IV--IV of figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to figure 1, there is shown a transfer means on a powder deposition machine as shown in British Patent application 8 334 330 (GB 2 136 324) incorporated herein by reference, the transfer means comprising a rotatable transfer cube 140 having four planar faces 250 parallel to the axis of rotation "R" of the cube 140. Each face 250 has a pair of articulated grippers 252 and 254 disposed on opposite sides of a biased plate 187, as shown in figure 1.

Located above the transfer means, is an articulatable alignment or guide means 260, attached to the front side of an upwardly and downwardly movable horizontal beam 150, more fully described, below.

Each biased plate 187 is caused by linkage means, shown in the aforementioned application, to be moved toward and away from its respective planar face 250, as shown by the arrow "A". A hold-down means was described in that aforementioned application, which was stationary and unsatisfactory for a wide variety of substrates being reinforced.

Each articulated gripper means 252 and 254, comprises a lever arm 270 which is pivotable about a pin 272 (Fig. 2) as shown by the arrow "P" and journalled in a pintle 274, each pintle 274 being secured to its respective planar face 250, as shown in figures 1 and 2. The lever arm 270 has an outwardly directed end 276 which has an articulated shoulder flange 278 thereon. The flange 278 is freely pivotable on the outer end 276 of the lever arm 270 on a pin 280 journalled on an end tab 281 therebetween. The flange 278 includes a flat portion 282 which is contactable with the outer surface of a substrate "S" placed on the biased plate 187. The end 276 of the lever 270 may have additional end tabs 283 only one shown in phantom lines in figure 2, to permit the flange 278 to be moved further outwardly thereon.

Each biased plate 187 has a tabe 284 extending off each inwardmost corner, as shown in figures 1 and 2, which tab 284 is parallel to its biased plate 187. Each lever arm 270 has an inwardly directed end 289 which has a rollable wheel 286 journalled on an axis 288 disposed on the "plate" side of the inner end 289 of the lever arm 270, as shown in the drawings. Each wheel 286, rotatably disposed on the "plate" side of the inner end 289 of each lever arm 270, is in rolling contact with the "upper" surface of its respective tab 284. A torsion spring 290 is disposed about the pin 272 on which the lever arm 270 is journalled.One end of the spring 290 is engaged with the lever arm 270 and the other end is engaged with the pintle 274, so as to provide a biasing means, counterclockwise as seen in figure 2, to keep the wheel 286 pressed against the upper surface of the tabs 284 on each biased plate 187, which in figure 2, is shown raised away from its respective planar face 250. The lever arm distance between the wheel 286 and the pin 272 and the distance between the pin 272 and the flange 278 permits maximum loading clearance while preventing the wheel 286 from being pressed into the receiving belt 22 when the cube 140 is lowered thereagainst, as described in the aforementioned application.

Atoe or innermost edge guide 292 is arranged along the inner edge of each planar face 250, as shown in figure 1 to secure the innermost peripheral edge of a substrate such as a shoe upper inserted therewith. The toe guide 292 comprises an "L" shaped member 294 which is inverted and disposed on a stud 293 attached to the planar face 250. A spring 295 is arranged about the stud to bias the "L"-shaped member 294 away from its respective planar face 250. A mark may be arranged on the outer surface of the member 294 to show the machine operator the position from which material is deposited on a substrate, may be measured. The material deposition operation is described in the aforementioned patent application.

A substrate "S" to be reinforced or stiffened, as recited in the aforementioned application, is held securely to the outer surface of the biased plate 187 by the articulated gripper means 252 and 254, as the machine operator has placed the substrates, such as a shoe upper, a visor, an article of clothing or the like, on the biased plate 187, as it is in its retractedmost position closest to its respective planar face 250 as shown in figure 1. The machine operator then actuates the proper mechanism, shown in the aforementioned application, to move the biased plate 187 away from its planar face 250.

In so moving, the biased plate 187 also moves the tabs 284 which are attached thereto. As the tabs 284 are lifted, the inner end 289 of the lever arm 270 is caused to be raised, due to the rolling contact of the wheel 286 attached thereon. The outer end 276 of the lever arm 270 is thus caused to pivot about its pivot pin 272, bringing the flange 278 toward and against the biased plate 187, thus securing any substrate "S" between the flat portion 282 of the flange 278 and the outer surface of the biased plate 187, which is limited in its outwardly directed movement from its respective planar face 250.

The articulatable guide means 260, is arranged on the front side of the horizontal beam 150, which is a portion of the deposition machine, the beam 150 being shown in figures 1,3 and 4, is reciprocably movable upwardly and downwardly by properly actuatable means, described in the aforementioned patent application. The guide means 260 comprises a housing 300 which is secured to the beam 150 by a "T"-shaped connector 302 which is slidably disposed in a slot 304 in the beam 150, the connector 302 being attached by its base, to the housing 300, as shown in figures 3 and 4. The housing 300 encloses an "L"-shaped block 306 which is slidable forwardly and rearwardly as shown by an arrow "H" in figure 4, on a pair of rods 308 within the housing 300. Athreaded shaft 310 is rotatively secured to the "L"-shaped block 306 between the two rods 308.The threaded shaft 310 is threadably received through the front portion of the housing 300, having a control knob 312 on the distal end thereof, as shown in figures 1,3 and 4. A pair of stanchions 314 are attached to the horizontal bar 150 spaced from each side of the housing 300, as shown in figure 4. An adjustable bolt 316 is threaded through each stanchion 314 into abutting contact with a sidewall of the housing 300, to facilitate side to side adjustment of the housing 300, as shown by the arrow "B" in figure 4.

The upper portion of the double acting pressurizable cylinder 320 is attached to the lower portion of the "L"-shaped block 306, the lower portion of the cylinder 320 having a bracket 322 secured thereto. A piston-rod 324 extends downwardly from the cylinder 320, the lower end of the rod 324 being attached to an arcuately shaped support plate 326. The support plate 326 has an upstanding rod 328 at the rear side of its midsection, which rod 328 is in slidable engagement with an opening 330 in the bracket 322.A pair of slots, 332 are obliquely arranged, one at each end of the support plate 326, at about 45" with respect to the axis of rotation "R" of the rotatable transfer cube 140 as may be seen in figure 1.A A guide pin 334 is disposed in each slot 332, so as to be movable therein and securable at a particular location in their slot 332, by locking means such as wing nuts 340 or the like, as shown in figures 1 and 3. The lower ends of the guide pins 334 are in abuttable contact with the upper surface of the uppermost biased plate 187 on the transfer cube 140.

The guide pins 334 act as backstops for the substrate "S", such as a shoe upper, when it is placed on the transfer cube 140 for subsequent coating with a substance as described in the aforementioned application.

In operation of the guide means 260 and the grippers 252 and 254 on the machine, the "L"shaped block 306 may be set in its proper forwardbackward location by adjustment of the control knob 312 on the end of the threaded shaft 310, rotation of which brings the block 306 and hence the cylinder 320 and guide pins 334 forwardly or rearwardly, depending on the direction of rotation of the knob 312. The adjustable bolts 316 in the stanchions 314 may be turned accordingly, to move the housing 300, together with the "L"-shaped block 306 and hence the guide pins 334 to the left or to the right with respect to the transfer cube 140 and its axis of rotation "R".The machine operator may thereby preset the location of the guide pins 334 at their proper location in their respective slots 332, their positions not necessarily matching one another -- depending upon the substrate configuration being loaded into the machine. The operator then tightens the tightening means 340 to lock the pins 334 in place. The slots 332, as well as the beam 150 and housing 300, may have marks along their periphery, as shown in figures 1 and 4, to enable the operator to duplicate settings of the guide pins 334 therein at a subsequent time.

Thus, when the guide pins 334 are properly located onto the biased plate 187 which is in its lowermost position closest to its planar face 250, the grippers 252 and 254 are poised at an angle, with their flanges 278 lifted away from the biased plate 187.

The operator then loads a substrate "S" onto the biased plate 187, aligning its perimeter with the points defined by the pre-adjusted guide pins 334 and the toe guide 292. By actuation of proper means, the biased plate 187 may be raised away from the surface of its respective planar face 250.

The tabs 284 are thus similarly raised so as to roll the wheels 286 on the inner end 289 of each lever arm 270 of the grippers 252 and 254. The substrate "S" is thus held securely to the outer surface of the biased plate 187 by the downwardly directed force of the pivotable flange 278 on the ends of the lever arms 270.

As the transfer cube 140 is caused to rotate about its axis "R" by proper means described in the aforementioned patent application, a subsequent biased plate 187 is presented facing upwardly, to the operator, ready for off-loading of a coated substrate, and for loading of a substrate "S" to be treated.

Coincident with the rotation of the transfer cube 140, is actuation, by proper pressurizable means, not shown, of the pressurizable cylinder 320, sufficient to withdraw the piston-rod 324 therein, to effectuate lifting the support plate 326 and the guide pins 334 thereattached, to provide clearance for the edges of the transfer cube 140, as it rotates. The pressu rizable cylinder 320 is properly actuated to return the guide pins 334 to their lowermost position upon the cessation of rotation of the transfer cube 140, to permit subsequent substrates "S" to be loaded thereon in a consistently accurate manner.

Thus there has been shown an arrangement of unique mechanisms to permit a substrate such as a shoe upperorthe like to be properly and consistently aligned onto a transfer mechanism and securely held thereon, and being capable of subsequent adjustment for various peripheral configurations.

Claims (21)

1. A deposition machine comprising a transport mechanism including an adjustable guide arrangement for aligning a substrate on a movable base and an articulated gripper mechanism for holding said substrate on said movable base, characterised in that said guide arrangement comprises an adjustable housing arranged on a frame portion member of the machine, a reciprocably actuatable means for moving guide means from and toward the rotatable transport mechanism and guide means for aligning a substrate on the movable base of the transport mechanism and said gripper mechanism comprises a pair of lever arms arranged on the opposed sides of the movable base, said lever arms pivotable on supports mounted on each planar face of the rotatable transport mechanism, engagement means on said movable base to cause said lever arms to pivot and securement means on said lever arms to hold said substrate against the base.

2. A machine recited in claim 1, wherein said reciprocably actuated means is movable toward and away from the frame member of the machine by actuation of adjustment means in said housing.

3. A machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing is movable from side to side with respect to the frame member of the machine, by actuation of adjustment means arranged between said housing and the frame of said machine.

4. A machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said adjustment means comprises a threaded shaft adapted to move said reciprocably actuatable means with respect to said housing, when said threaded shaft is rotated therebetween.

5. A machine as recited in claim 3, wherein said adjustment means comprises at least one threaded shaft adapted to move said housing with respect to a stanchion attached to said frame, so as to permit adjustment of the reciprocably actuatable means from side to side with respect to the rotatable transport mechanism.

6. A machine as recited in claim 4, wherein said reciprocably actuatable means is a double acting piston and cylinder arrangement.

7. A machine as recited in claim 6, wherein a piston rod extends downwardly from said piston and cylinder arrangement, and said guide means comprises guide bracket disposed on the lower end of said piston rod.

8. A machine as recited in claim 7, wherein said guide bracket has an array of slots therein, said slots each adapted to receive a guide pin which extends therethrough.

9. A machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said guide pins are movable within said slots, the lower ends of said pins being abuttably contactable with the movable base.

10. A machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said guide pins are securable to said guide bracket.

11. A machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said guide bracket has markings alongside said slots to permit resetting of said pins to the same position in said slot.

12. A machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said guide bracket has pins which extend fixedly through holes therein, said guide bracket being attachable and detachable onto the lower end of said piston rod.

13. A machine as recited in claim 9, wherein said piston and cylinder arrangement is actuatable to withdraw said guide pins from said movable base when said transport mechanism is rotated.

14. A machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said movable base moves away from said rotatable transport mechanism, said base having tab extensions on the periphery to engage an end portion of each of said levers to effectuate pivoting of said levers about said supports.

15. A machine as recited in claim 14, wherein said lever arms have a rotatable wheel at one end thereof, in contact with said tab extension, to permit rolling contact therebetween as said lever arm pivots about its support.

16. A machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said securement means comprises a flange pivotably disposed on each of said lever arms, which flange is contactable with the outer surface of said movable base, to secure any substrate therebetween.

17. A machine as recited in claim 15, wherein each of said lever arms and said support have a spring biasing means arranged therebetween to bias the lever arm against said tab extension.

18. A machine as recited in claim 16, wherein said flange is maintained parallel to the movable base to avoid irregularly pressing a substrate against the base.

19. A machine as recited in claim 16, wherein said flange is adjustable with respect to its location on each of said lever arms.

20. A machine as recited in claim 19, including a guide arranged on the innermost edge of said movable base, to secure the innermost edge of any substrate inserted therewith.

21. A machine as recited in claim 20, wherein said guide comprises an "L"-shaped member, biased outwardly by a spring, from said movable base, to hold said substrate thereat when said movable base is displaced from said planar face.