GB2187697A - Feed apparatus - Google Patents

Description

GB 2 187 697 A SPECIFICATION means controlling the operation of said drive

means so that when the article is received onto the transfer Feed apparatus beitthe speed of the transfer belt corresponds to the speed of the feed conveyor and when the article is This invention relatesto an apparatus forfeeding 70 suppliedtothe beltconveyorthe speed of thetrans articles to a processing machine. fer belt corresponds to that of the belt conveyor, said In the confectionery industry elongated articles transfer belt while the article is locatedthereon un such aschocolate bars arewrapped in awrapping dergoing a speed change sothatwhen the article is machine using awrapperwhich isformed as a con- deposited onthe beltconveyor itwill be deposited at tinuous strip and is supplied in roll form with the pro- 75 a predetermined position.

duct identification printed at predetermined intervals According to a furtherfeature of the invention along the length of the strip. In the wrapping clamping means is provided to clamp the articleto machinethe strip is guided aboutthe article, sealed thetransfer beItto minimisethe riskof slippage of along the length of the article and then crimped acthe article relativeto thetransfer belt.

rossthe ends during which processthe strip is sev- 80 According to a still furtherfeature of the invention ered so asto produce a separate wrapped article. It is the bet conveyor runs at a higher speed than thefeed necessaryto ensurethe that article is positioned cor- conveyorand the rate of acceleration and/orthe in rectly relativeto the strip so thatthe productidenti- stantatwhich the transfer belt is accelerated while fication appears in the correct position relativeto the the article is carried bythetransfer belt, is controlled article and thatthe crimping devices operate atthe 85 to ensure thatthe article is deposited on the beltcon correct position. Forthis to take placethe articles veyor atthe predetermined position.

must be spaced from each other by a predetermined An example of an apparatus in accordancewith distancewhich allows forthe sealed ends of the the invention will now be described with referenceto packaged article. A conveyor is provided totransport the accompanying drawing which shows a part of the articlesthrough the wrapping machine and in 90 the apparatus in diagrammatic form.

orderto provide the positive location required, loca- The apparatus is forfeeding elongated con ting devices may be provided on the conveyorwhich fectionery articles to a processing orwrapping must however be moved out of the position priorto machine on a belt conveyor indicated at 10.

sealing the strip. Another problem with this method Wrapping paper is delivered in strip form, a portion of location is that the articles have to be positioned 95 of which is seen at 11, to the wrapping zone in which on the conveyor and such a system is only suitable the paper is guided aboutthe article and sealed for low rates of feed. using seam rolls, along its length and isthen sealed It has also been proposed to conveythe articles adjacentthe opposite ends of the article by a cross through the wrapping machine on a belt conveyor seal crimp and cutterwhich seversthe stripto pro and to use a transfer beltwhich receives the articles 100 duce a wrapped article. The wrapping paper is prov from a feed conveyor on which the articles are posi- ided with product identification markings 12 atspa tioned in generally end to end relationship and trans- ced intervalsthe interval taking into accountthe fersthem to the belt conveyor. Because of the spac- length of the article togetherwith the length of paper ing required between the articles on the belt required to providethe sealled ends of thewrapping.

conveyor,the latter runs at a higher speed thanthe 105 The speed of the belt conveyor and that of the feed conveyor and the transfer belt which runs at a wrapping paper are substantially equal and are syn constant speed receives the articles f rom the feed chronized.

conveyor and accelerates them to the speed of the Articles are delivered f rom a production machine belt conveyor before feeding them onto the belt con- onto a feed conveyor 13 which again is of the endless veyor. This will ensure thatthe articles on the belt 110 beittype. The articles during their passage from the conveyor are spaced but since the articles will slip on production machine are moved into close end to end the transfer beitthe spacing will not be precise. How- relationship on the conveyor 13.

ever, acceptable wrapping standards have been ftwill be obvious thatthe linear speeds of the belt achieved using this method. If the rate of feed of arti- conveyor 10 and the conveyor 13 must be different cles is increased the wrapping standard declies and 115 and for a nominal length of article and a pred the object of the present invention is to provide an etermined spacing between the articles on the belt apparatus forthe purpose specified in a simple and conveyor 10, the speed of the latterwill be pred convenientform. etermined ratio higherthan that of the conveyor 13.

According to the invention an apparatus forthe The adjacent ends of the belt conveyor and feed purpose specified comprises a belt conveyorfor 120 conveyor are spaced from each other and the gap is feeding articles into the working zone of the pro- occupied by a transfer belt 14. The transfer belt is cessing machine, a feed conveyor for delivering arti- driven by a variable speed electric drive motor 15 cles, a transfer belt which receives articles from the which has the ability to accelerate the transfer belt feed conveyor and suppies them to the belt con- from a lowspeed corresponding substantially to the veyor,variable speed driVe means for the transfer 125 speed of the conveyor 13 to a high speed cor belt, control means for said drive means, first means responding to that of the belt conveyor 10 and to dec responsive to the position of said belt conveyor, elerate back down to the low speed. The drive motor second means responsive to the delivery of an article is controlled by a control means which is micro pro onto the transfer belt, and first and second means cessor based and which can control the speed and supplying signals to said control means, said control 130 acceleration or deceleration of the motor in response 2 GB 2 187 697 A 2 tovarious inputsignals. stage upstream ofthefeed conveyorto ensurethat Acceleration of the transfer belt 14isarrangedto no articiewhich is outsidethe production tolerances take placewhen an article is onthe beitandthein- isallowedto reachthefeed conveyor 13. Forthispur stantof acceleration and/orthe rateof acceleration is pose a queue conveyor not shown may be provided very carefully determined so as to ensure thatthe art- 70 upstream of the feed conveyor and from which the icle is delivered to the belt conveyor 10 at a precise faulty articles are removed. This may result in gaps location. Since articles may be of slightly different between adjacent articles on the feed conveyor 13 lengths it isthe leading edge of the article which is with which gapsthe action of the transfer belt precisely positioned. In practice the so-called precise cannot, atthe high feed rates involved, cope. It is location is determined by sensing identification 75 therefore proposed to sense the gaps and either in marks 16 on the strip of wrapping paper using a crease the speed of thefeed conveyorasthe article sensor 16A. In this mannerthe leading edge of the preceding the gap arrives atthetransfer belt 14 or if article will be precisely located relative to the the gap is too large,to slowthefeed beltso thatthe wrapping paper. In orderto ensure thatthe article is gap is approximately the length of an article. In the located with the required degree of precision it is 80 formercasethe transfer belt operates as described necessaryto ensure thatthe article does not slip on and in the latter case a piece of wrapping will be pro the transfer beltwhile acceleration istaking place. duced which is rejected downstream of the cross This is achieved by means of a suction unit 17 posi- seal crimps. The speed of the feed conveyor atthe tioned belowthe upper run of thetransfer belt. Fol- instant of artice transfer to the transfer belt isthe iowing the delivery of an articleto the belt conveyor 85 same as thatof the transfer belt.

10the transfer belt is decelerated tothe lowspeed Thewrapping paper orfilm is supplied in rolls and readyto receivethe next article. The transfer belt to ensure continuity of production a festoon orstore may be a perforated belt but it is preferred thatthe of unwound paperorfilm is provided between the belt beformed astwo narrow belts withe a space roll from which the paper orfilm is being drawn and therebetween. 90 thewrapping machine. This is to allowtime forthe The arrival of an article on thetransfer belt is detec- splicing of the end of one roll to the start of the new ted by means of a photo electric sensor 18 positioned roll. Care is taen to try to ensure that the spacing of downstream of the upstream end of the transfer belt the identification markings 12 is maintained across bya distance sufficientto allowthe suction unitto the splice. However, it is possibleforan errorto drawthe article into firm engagementwith thetrans- 95 occurwhich could result in adjacent markings on op fer belt. Atthis pointthe drive means 15 can ac- posite sides of the splice being spaced by more or celerate thetransfer belt and the article thereon to lessthan the required distance. The spacing of the the speed of the belt conveyor 10. However, im- markings is sensed and in the eventthat the spacing mediate accleration might cause the transfer beitto is more than it should be, one article will be wrapped deposit the article on the belt conveyor early or in 100 in a wrapping of increased lengths and it will be nec advance of the desired location. It is therefore pos- essary to resynchronise the wrapping and the con sible to delaythe start of acceleration which in this veyor 10. In the event that the spacing is less than the case is a constant acceleration, so as to ensurethat length of an article then action must be taken, this the article is delivered at the precise location. The action being to decelerate the conveyor 13 so thatthe delay is of cou rse limited and in a typical case assumarticle is again wrapped in a wrapping of increased ing an article length of 100 mm, 10 mm of the article length followed by resynchronization of the length is required to aliowthe suction unit 17 to op- wrapping and the conveyor 10.

erate, a further 10 mm of the article length is lost The apparatus as described besides providing pre when the suction unit is ineffective as the article cise positioning of articles at high rates of feed has a moves onto the belt conveyor, 45 mm of the article 110 further advantage over known forms of apparatus in length is required for the acceleration leaving 35 mm thatthe overall feed rate of the apparatus can be of the article length avallablefor adjustment. Once varied more quicky. When using the known forms of the article has been deposited on the belt conveyor apparatus it is necessary to ensure an adequate and this being checked by the passage of the end of the regular supply of articles since the rate of feed of the article pastthe sensor 18, there is sufficienttime 115 known forms of apparatus cannot be adjusted available forthe transfer beitto decelerate backto quickly in accordance with the supply of articles.

the speed of the feed conveyor. With articles of the With the apparatus as described it is possible to aforesaid length a rate of feed of at least 800 articles adjust the rate of feed more quickly so thatthe per minute is possible. Itwiii be appreciated thatthe supply of articles to be wrapped is less critical.

rate of acceleration will vary depending on the speed 120 It will be understood that some articles may be of the belt conveyor 10. wrapped in a wrapping paperwhich does not have The aforesaid adjustment can be used to cope with the spaced article identification markings 12. For ex the normal production tolerance in the length of the ample, the wrapping paper may have continuous article but it cannot cope with extra long articles or general pattern so that so far as the wrapped article extra short articles orthe lack of an article such as 125 is concerned there is not need for precise location of might occur due to a fault in the production machine. the article and the wrapping paper. However, it is still In this case it is arranged that the cross seal crimps necessaryto provide precise location of the article on are not operated and the faulty unit enclosed in a the belt conveyor 10 because the operation of the wrapping, is rejected downstream of the crimps. cross seal crimping devices is determined bythe It is preferable howeverto provide an inspection 130 movement of the belt. In this case an indication of the 3 GB 2 187 697 A 3 position of the belt can be provided by a sensor such article is positioned on the belt conveyor at a pred as an encoder. It will also be understood thatthe etermined location.

Claims (1)

1. apparatus as described may be appliedto other 5. A method according to

   Claim 4 including clam forms of processing machine. ping the article to the transfer belt to minimise the The general concept of the apparatus as described 70 risk of slippage of the article while it is carried by the can be used to take articles from the feed conveyor transferbelt.

   13 and to deposit them at precise positions on the 6. A method according to Claim 5 in which the belt conveyor 10 even when the two conveyors are feed conveyor runs at a lower speed than the belt running at substantaillythe same speed. In this case conveyor and the rate of acceleration and/orthe in- the artices must be spaced on the feed conveyor by a 75 stant atwhich the transfer belt is accelerated is con distance which is approximately equal to the require trolled to ensure that the article is deposited on the spacing on the belt conveyortaking into account any belt conveyor at the predetermined position.

   speed difference between the two conveyors. The 7. An apparatus according to Claim 2 in which transfer belt must undergo acceleration and declerasaid clamping means comprises a suction unit dis tion at different rates orvice versa while the article is 80 posed belowthe transfer belt.

   on thetransfer beitto allowthe article to be placed 8. An apparaatus according to Claim 1 in which on the belt conveyor atthe desired position. said second means comprises a sensor positioned downstream of the upstream end of thetransfer belt.

   CLAIMS 9. An apparatus according to Claim 1 in which 85 said first means comprises a sensor responsive to 1. An apparatus for feeding workpieces to a pro- spaced markings on a strip of material which is fed to cessing machine corn prising a belt conveyor for the processing machine and which has a running re feeding articles into the working zone of the prolationship with the belt conveyor.

   cessing machine, a feed conveyorfor delivering arti cles, a transfer belt which receives articles from the feed conveyor and supplies them to the belt con veyor, variable speed drive means for the transfer Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Croydon Printing Company (UK) Ltd,7187, D8991685.

   belt, control means for said drive means, first means Published by The Patent Office, 25Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A l AY, responsive to the position of said belt conveyor, from which copies maybe obtained.

   second means responsive to the delivery of an article onto the transfer belt, said first and second means supplying signals to said control means, said control means controlling the operation of said drive means so thatwhen the article is received onto thetransfer beitthe speed of thetransfer belt corresponds to the speed of thefeed conveyor and when the article is supplied to the belt conveyorthe speed of thetrans fer belt correspondsto that of the belt conveyor, said transfer beltwhilethe article is located thereon un dergoing a speed change so thatwhen the article is deposited on the belt conveyor it sill be deposited at a predetermined position.

   2. An apparatus according to Claim 1 including clamping means for clamping the article to thetrans fer beitto minimise the risk of slippage of the article relative to the transfer belt.

   3. An apparatus according to Claim 2 in which the belt conveyor runs at a higher speed than the feed conveyor and the rate of accleration and/or the in stant atwhich the transfer belt is acclerated while the article is carried by the transfer belt, is controlled to ensure that the article is deposited on the belt con veyor atthe predetermined position.

   4. A method of feeding workpiecesto a pro cessing machine which has a belt conveyor forfeed ing workpieces into the working zone of the machine, from a feed conveyor comprises providing a transfer belt positioned intermediate the con veyors, operating the transfer belt at a speed cor responding to that of the feed conveyorto allow an article to be transferred to the transfer belt, altering the speed of the transfer beitto correspond with that of the belt conveyorto allowthe article to be transfer red to the belt conveyorwithout slippage, the altera tion of speed of the transfer belt being such that the