GB2189453A

GB2189453A - Transfer arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2189453A
Application number: GB08705313A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas William Greeves
Original assignee: Cadbury Ltd
Current assignee: Cadbury UK Ltd
Priority date: 1986-03-12
Filing date: 1987-03-06
Publication date: 1987-10-28
Also published as: JPS62244814A; EP0237298B1; GB2189453B; US4773524A; EP0237298A1; DE3761899D1; GB8606022D0; GB8705313D0

Description

GB 2 189 453 A SPECIFICATION described with reference to the accompanying

drawings in which Transfer arrangement Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of one

example,

This invention relates to a transfer arrangement for 70 Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig u re 1 showing the transferring articles moving in a single line on one formation of another article grouping, conveyor beitto another conveyor belt or belts so Figure3shows anotherform of arrangement, and thatthe articles move in a plurality of lines. Figure4shows in blockform the construction of a Forthe above purpose it has been proposed to part of the arrangments of Figures 1, 2 and 3.

utilize a binary division arrangement in which a first 75 The articles in the particular example arewrapped hinged deflector plate divides the single line intotwo confectionery items such as chocolate bars. The lines which are then subdivided by a furthertwo wrapping machine delivers the articles 10 to a first deflector plates respectively and so on until the conveyor belt 11 and it is required to feed the articles required number of lines is obtained. The problem to the inlet chutes 12 of a packaging or cartoning with this arrangement is thatthe first def lector plate 80 machine whereby a number of the articles will be has to worktwice as quickly as the furthertwo plates packed into boxes or some other container such as a and as a resuItthere is a limit to the rate atwhich transparent wrapper.

articles can be supplied bythe transfer arrangement The articles are deposited in a line by the wrapping since after deflection of one article in one direction machine onto the first conveyor belt and this the plate mustthen be moved to deflectthe next 85 conveyor extends over a second conveyor belt 13the article in another direction before the arrival of the direction of movement of which is at an angle Awith next article. The articles musttherefore be spaced to that of the conveyor belt 11. In the example the angle allowfor movement of the plate. In addition in the A is approximately 20'although it isthought thatthe event of malfunction of one of the deflector plates angle may be as much as 45'. The conveyor belt 13 is and its associated drive mechanism there is liableto 90 appreciably wider than the conveyor belt 11 so asto be a build up of articles requiring rapid action to enable eight lines of articlesto be produced, the lines prevent damageto the articles, such action possibly of articles on the belt 13 being positioned so thatthe requiring the stopping of the machine producing the articles are fed into the respective chutes and then articles. intothe inlet guides 14 of the cartoning machine.

It is known to displace articles by means of a jet of 95 MoreoverAhe linearspeeds of thetwo conveyors are compressed air. In fact it is quite common when substantially equal.

transporting articles on a conveyorto remove a Thetransfer of the articlesfrom the conveyor belt defective articlefrom the conveyor by means of an 11 is achieved by controlled jets of airwhich are air blast. The air blast is obtained from a suitably directed againstthe sides of the articles. Thejets of positioned nozzle theflow of airthrough which may 100 airare provided bytransfer units 15which are be controlled by a solenoid valve in turn controlled mounted on a support 16 disposed just clear of the bysome sensing arrangement upstream of the uppersurface of the conveyor belt 11. The units 15 nozzle. Since it is hoped thatthe number of defective are mounted in spaced relationship in the direction articles moving on the conveyorwill be low little of movement of the conveyor belt and havefor attention has been paid to the design of the nozzle 105 convenience been numbered 1-8, the actual spacing and the amou nt of airflowing therethrough with the depends upon the angle A and also the required result thatthe defective article has been blown off spacing between the rows on the belt 13.

the conveyor in a largely uncontrolled manner into a Conveniently the support 16 carries orforms a guide scrap bin orthe like. which servesto position the articles adjacentthe side It has now been realisedthat by careful control of 110 edge of the conveyor belt 11.

the jet and its duration an article may be displaced Each transfer unit includes a solenoid operable from the conveyor in a controlled manner and the valve 15A which controls the f low of airto one or object of the present invention is to provide a more nozzles 15B which are disposed to direct a jet transfer arrangement of the kind specified in a orjets of air, spaced in the direction of travel of the simple and convenientform. 115 articles on the conveyor belt 11, ontothe side of an According to the invention a transfer arrangement article on the conveyor belt. The duration of the air of the kind specified comprises a plurality of transfer jet isvery short and is sufficientto provide a units equal in numberto the desired number of lines controlled lateral displacement of the articlesfrom of articles, said transfer units being disposed in the conveyor belt 11 to the conveyor belt 13 atthe spaced side byside relationship alongside the first 120 sametime imparting angular movementtothe conveyorbelt, each transfer unitcomprising means article so that it is correctly orientated on the belt 13.

for directing a controlled jet of air at an article on the Asingle nozzle or a pair of closely spaced nozzles are first conveyor beitto cause displacement of the used and the timing of operation of the valve is such article so that it is deposited on said another thatthejets of air strike the side of the articleto conveyor belt, an article sensing means disposed 125 produce a force which is suff icientto overcome the upstream of said transfer units for sensing the friction between the article and the belt and the passage of articles on the first conveyor belt and inertia of the article and to impart to the article a control means responsiveto signals provided by lateral velocity component. The movement of said sensing means for activating said transfer units. articles onto the conveyor belt 13 can be assisted by Examples of transfer arrangements will now be 130 means of a declining plate positioned alongsidethe 2 GB 2 189 453 A 2 conveyor belt 'I l. In this ease the conveyor belt 'I 'I is or stack 18 comprises in the particular example, spaced above the conveyor belt 13. seven rows of articles with the articles being The duration and strength of the jet orjets of air disposed in close side by side relationship. Such a and the position at which they strikethe article has a group or stack of articles can be lifted by means of a bearing upon the final position of the article on the 70 hinged arm (not shown) having a suitable gripping conveyor belt 13. In the example described the arrangement and deposited directly into a carton. In articles are intended to be aligned in the direction of orderto form the articles into the groups or stacks 18 movement of the conveyor belt so as to be aligned the conveyor belt 13 has to operate at about half the with the chutes 12 and case it is found that it is better speed of the belt 10. This does require thatthe to turn the leading end of the article first and then to 75 operation of thejets of air be very carefully urge thetrailing end of the article clear of the controlled otherwise the articles maytend to slew so conveyor belt 10. thatthe articles when on the conveyor belt 13 are not It has also proved to be possible to displace aligned in the direction of travel. On the other hand articles from the conveyor 11 onto the conveyor 13 the trailing end portion of the article may tend to so that they form a single row on the conveyor 13 80 remain on the belt 10 thereby causing the article to with the articles arranged transversely of the slew in the opposite direction.

conveyor. Another application forthe use of jets of airto The nozzle or nozzles which produce the jets of air displace articles in a controlled manner on a are designed to be as economical as possible in the conveyor belt is illustrated in Figure 3. A single consumption of airand in an example itwasfound 85 conveyor belt 20 receives articles 21 from one or that a 1.0 mm diameter nozzle would operate both production machines 22, 23, the articles being satisfactorily with pressures in the range 3.0-7.5 Bar. placed on the conveyor in respective rows 22A, 23A.

The construction of the nozzle should be such as to The conveyor belt 20 conveysthe rows of articlesto minimise the break up of the jet of air over its further machines 24,25.

working distance that is to saythe distance between 90 On opposite sides of the conveyor are located the nozzle and the article. The nozzles may be transfer units 26,27 each including a nozzle or constructed as a sharp edged orifice, as a convergent nozzles for directing a jet orjets of airacrossthe nozzle or as a convergent-divergent nozzle. conveyor belt. As shown in Figure 3 the machine 23 Upstream of the line of transfer units 15 is an is not in operation and therefore the articles article sensing means 17 which may comprise one or 95 produced bythe machine 22 are divided between the more photo electric sensors which are arranged to machines 24,25 by operation of the transfer unit26 provide a signal each time an article 10 passes. The to displace alternate ones of the articles in the row series of signals provided bythe sensing means is 22A intothe row 23A. In this mannerthe machines 24 supplied to control meanswhich controlsthe and 25 are maintained in operation. In similar solenoid operated valves of thetransfer units in 100 fashion if the machine 22 is out of action the machine sequence and in such mannerthatthe articles on the 23 can be used to supply both machines 24 and 25 conveyor belt 11 are displaced onto the conveyor using thetransfer unit 27. In the application above it belt 13 to form rows of articles thereon aligned with is assumed thatwhen all the machines are in use the chutes 12 respectively. they are operated at half their speed or capacity. In The aforesaid control means which conveniently is 105 the eventtherefore that one of the machines of a pair micro-processor based, in response to the signals is stopped, the other machine of the pair can be provided bythe sensing means and an encoder speeded up so thatthe rate atwhich articles pass which is responsivetothe movement of the along the conveyor remainsthe same.

conveyor belt, is ableto determinethe position of

Claims

each article in thetransferzone so thatoperation of 110 CLAIMS thetransfer

unitstakes placeto achievethe desired transferof an article tothe belt 13. The control means 1. Atransfer arrangement for transferring is therefore able to cope with unequal spacing of the articles moving in a single line on one conveyor belt articles on the conveyor belt 11 and varying belt to anotherconveyor belt or belts so that the articles speed. It can also be arranged to respond to signals 115 move in a plurality of lines comprising a plurality of from for example the cartoning machine indicative transfer units equal in numberto the desired number of a shortage of articles in one or more of the guides of lines of articles, said transfer units being disposed 14 orto an excess of articles. In the former case more in spaced side by side relationship alongside the first articles can be directed to the particular guide or conveyor belt, each transfer unit comprising means guides and in the latter casethe articles can be 120 for directing a controlled jet of air at an article on the allowed to remain on the conveyor belt 11 and be first conveyor beitto cause displacement of the deposited in a suitable bin atthe end of the conveyor article so that it is deposited on said another belt. Moreover, the control means can be made conveyor belt, an article sensing means disposed responsive to signals provided bythe wrapping upstream of said transfer units for sensing the machine indicative of faulty articles. In this case the 125 passage of articles on thefirst conveyor belt and faulty articles can be allowed to remain on the control means responsive to signals provided by conveyor belt and be deposited in a bin. said sensing means for activating said transfer units.

In some applications it is required to assemble on
2. A transfer arrangement according to Claim 1 in the conveyor belt 13 what can be termed groups or which each transfer unit includes a nozzle and a stacks of articles as seen at 18 in Figure 2. Each group 130solenoid operated valve for controlling the airflow
3 GB 2 189 453 A 3 through the nozzle. conveyor belt atthe required position and 3. A transfer arrangement according to Claim 1 orientation, an article sensing means disposed or Claim 2 in which said one conveyor belt and said upstream of said transfer units for sensing the another conveyor belt diverge in the direction of passage of articles on the one conveyor belt and travel of the articles. 70 control means responsive to signals provided by
4. A transfer arrangement according to Claim 3 in said sensing means for activating said transfer units.

which the linear speeds of the conveyors are 2. A transfer arrangement according to Claim 1 in substantially equal. which each transfer unit includes a nozzle and a
5. Atransfer arrangement according to Claim 4 in solenoid operated valve for controlling the airflow which the divergence angle between the conveyors 75 through the nozzle.

lies in the range 20'45'. 3. A transfer arrangement according to Claim 1
6. A transfer arrangement according to anyone or Claim 2 in which the linear speeds of the conveyor of the preceding claims including a declining plate belts are substantially equal.

located alongside said one conveyor beitto guide 4. Atransfer arrangement according to Claim 3 in the movement of the articles to said another 80 which the minimum divergence angle between the conveyor belt or belts. conveyor belts is 20%
7. Atransfer arrangement according to Claim 3 in 5. Atransfer arrangement according to Claim 1 in which said one conveyor belt has a linear speed which said control means is responsive to further which is substantially twice the speed of said another signals to alterthe rate at which articles are conveyor belt or belts, said transfer units being 85 transferred to one or more of said plurality of lines operative to displace articles so as to produce an and/orto prevent transfer of an article from the one aligned group of articles on said another conveyor conveyor belt.

belt. 6. Atransfer arrangement according to Claim 1
8. A transfer arrangement for displacing articles or Claim 2 in which the linear speed of said another on a conveyor belt comprising a transfer unit 90 conveyor belt or belts is substantially half the linear disposed on one side of the conveyor belt, said speed of said one conveyor belt, said control means transfer unit including a nozzle or nozzles disposed controlling the transfer unit so as to build up a group to direct a jet orjets of airtransversely of the beitto of articles on said another conveyor belt, each group displace an article on the beitfrom one position to of articles comprising a plurality of lines of articles another position thereon and valve means operable 95 with the articles being disposed in close side by side to control the airflow through said nozzle or nozzles. relationship.
9. Atransfer arrangement according to Claim 8 7. Atransfer arrangement for displacing articles including a further transfer unit disposed on the on a conveyor belt comprising a transfer unit other side of the belt. disposed on one side of the conveyor belt, said
10. Atransfer arrangement according to Claim 9 100 transfer unit including a nozzle or nozzles disposed in which the articles are normally disposed in two to direct a jet or jets of air transversely of the belt to rows on the belt, said transfer units being utilized to displace an article on the belt from one position to transfer articles for the nearer row of articles to the another position thereon and valve means operable further row of articles in the event of a deficiency of to control the airflowthrough said nozzle or nozzles.

articles in the further row. 105 8. A transfer arrangement according to Claim 7 in which said one conveyor belt has a linear speed Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have which is substantially twice the speed of said another the following effect:- conveyor belt or belts, said transfer units being (a) Claims 13 5 6 & 9 above have been deleted or operative to displace articles so as to produce an textually amended. 110 aligned group of articles on said another conveyor (b) New ortextually amended claims have been belt.

filed asfollows:- 9. Atransfer arrangement according to Claim 8 in which the articles are normally disposed in two rows 1. A transfer arrangement for transferring on the belt, said transfer units being utilized to articles supported in a single line on one moving 115 transfer articles for the nearer row of articles to the conveyor belt to another moving conveyor belt or further row of articles in the event of a deficiency of belts so thatthe articles move in a plurality of lines 'articles in the further row.

thereon, said another conveyor belt being disposed 10. A transfer arrangement for transferring immediately below said one conveyor belt and the articles supported in a single line on one moving two belts diverging in the direction of travel atan 120 conveyor beitto another moving conveyor belt angle of up to 45', the transfer arrangement comprising the combination and arrangement of comprising a plurality of transfer units equal in parts substantially as hereinbefore described with number to the desired number of lines of articles, reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the accompanying said transfer units being disposed in spaced side by drawings.

side relationship alongside the one conveyor belt, each transfer unit comprising means for directing a controlled jet of air at an article on the one conveyor beitto cause a controlled lateral displacement of the Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Croydon Printing Company (U K) Ltd,9187, D8991685.

article and a controlled angular movement of the Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 'I AY, article so that it is deposited on said another from which copies maybe obtained.