GB2193283A

GB2193283A - De-and re-crating machines

Info

Publication number: GB2193283A
Application number: GB08608350A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Mcmillan; Jones John Rees
Original assignee: BARRY WEHMILLER INT
Current assignee: BARRY WEHMILLER INT
Priority date: 1986-04-04
Filing date: 1986-04-04
Publication date: 1988-02-03
Also published as: GB2193283B; EP0240117B1; DE3770969D1; EP0240117A2; GB8608350D0; EP0240117A3

Abstract

A de- and re-crating machine is disclosed which includes a drive arrangement comprising a crank plate 16 including a crank arm 17 and which in use is mounted in the frame of said machine for rotation about a fixed axis 15; a coupler arm 21 pivotally connected at a point intermediate its ends to said crank arm; a rocker arm 26 one end of which is pivotally connected to one end of said coupler arm and the other end of which in use is mounted for pivotal movement to a fixed point on the frame of said machine; a link arm 19 one end of which is pivotally mounted at the end of said crank arm; and a translating bar 23 the outboard end of which is adapted to carry means for supporting a plurality of containers and the inboard end of which is pivotally connected to that end of said coupler arm remote from the pivotal connection between the coupler arm and the rocker arm, and the translating bar also being pivotally connected at a point intermediate its ends to one end of said link arm 19, the arrangement being such that rotation of said crank plate causes the crank arm, rocker arm, coupler arm and link arm to cooperate to cause the translating bar to move in a predetermined path while maintaining the translating bar in a fixed orientation. <IMAGE>

Description

GB2193283A 1 SPECIFICATION merit. Throughout this sequence of move ments,

the translating bar remains in a fixed, De- and re-crating machines substantially horizontal orientation. Continued movement of the connecting rod reverses this This invention relates to de- and re-crating 70 sequence of. movements of the translating bar.

machines and, more particularly, is concerned Preferably, the drive arrangement is mounted with a drive mechanism in such a machine for in a machine frame which also includes a actuating a translating bar whose function is source of motive power and a mechanism for to translate a plurality of containers, e.g. coupling the power source to the crank plate.

bottles, into or out of a crate. 75 Advantageously, such a mechanism includes a Conventional de- and re-crating machines quadrant gear coupled to said crank plate by, employ drive mechanisms which generally use for example, a spur gear: and a connecting chains and which require the use of a panta- rod driven by a crank on the output shaft of graph in order to maintain the translating bars the motor and connected so as to cause arcu in a horizontal condition at all points of its arc 80 ate reciprocation of the quadrant gear.

of movement. This fixed horizontal orientation According to another aspect of the present is required in order to ensure that bottles be- invention, there is provided a de- and re-crat ing transported by the translating bars are ing machine, which comprises a machine themselves maintained in a vertical orientation frame;. a motor mounted in said machine regardless of their location at any given in- 85 frame and having an output shaft on which stant. there is mounted a crank; a quadrant gear According to one aspect of the present in- mounted for rotation about a fixed axis in said vention, there is provided a drive arrangement machine frame and connected to said crank for a de- and re-crating machine, which corn- by a connecting rod; a crank plate mounted prises a crank plate including a crank arm and 90 for rotation about a fixed axis in said machine which in use is mounted in the frame of said frame and including a crank arm, driven by machine for rotation about a fixed axis: a cou- said quadrant gear: a coupler arm pivotally pier arm pivotally connected at a point inter- connected at a point intermediate its ends to mediate its ends to said crank arm: a rocker said crank arm: a rocker arm one end of arm one end of which is pivotally connected 95 which is pivotally connected to one end of to one end of said coupler arm and the other said coupler arm and the other end of which end of which in use is mounted for pivotal is mounted for pivotal movement about a movement to a fixed point on the frame of fixed point on said machine frame: a link arm said machine: a link arm one end of which is one end of which is pivotally mounted at the pivotally mounted at the end of said crank 100 end of said crank arm; and a translating bar arm: and a translating bar the outboard end of the outboard end of which is adapted to carry which is adapted to carry means for support- means for supporting a plurality of containers ing a plurality of containers and the inboard and the inboard end of which is pivotally con end of which is pivotally connected to that nected to that end of said coupler arm remote end of said coupler arm remote from the pivo- 105 from the pivotal connection between the cou tal connection between the coupler arm and pler arm and the rocker arm, and the translat the rocker arm, and the translating bar also ing bar also being pivotally connected at a being pivotally connected at a point intermedi- point intermediate its ends to one end of said ate its ends to one end of said link arm, link arm, whereby rotation of said motor whereby rotation of said crank plate causes 110 causes reciprocation of said connecting rod the crank arm, rocker arm, coupler arm and which in turn causes arcuate movement of link arm to co-operate to cause the translating said quadrant gear, thereby driving said crank bar to move in a predetermined path while plate so that the crank arm, rocker arm, cou maintaining the translating bar in a fixed orien- pier arm and link arm Co-operate to cause the tation. 115 translating bar to move in a predetermined The linkage between the crank plate and the path while maintaining the translating bar in a translating bar is a four bar mechanism which fixed orientation.

is able to articulate freely. The fixed pivot For a better understanding of the invention, points are represented by the centre of the and to show how the same may be carried crank plate and by one end of the rocker arm. 120 into effect, reference will now be made, by The crank plate is preferably arranged to be way of example, to the accompanying draw driven through a maximum rotation of 2200. ings, which show schematic sectional views With such an arrangement, arcuate reciproca- of a machine in accordance with this invention tion of the crank plate results in a movement in the plane of movement of the translating of the translating bar which has three compo- 125 bar.

nents, the first component being a relatively Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 long vertical upward movement; the second shows the drive mechanism holding the tran component being an arcuate movement in a slating bar in a first position at which it is vertical plane; and the third component being about to deliver a plurality of bottles to a a relatively short vertical downward move- 130 crate, and Figure 2 shows the drive mecha- 2 GB2193283A 2 nism in a second position in which the trantween crate conveyor 30 and translating bar slating bar is about to collect a plurality of 23 is arranged so that, in the configuration bottles from a marshalling table. shown in Figure 1, bottles held in the grab As shown in the drawings, the apparatus heads are substantially within the confines of comprises a frame 1 which supports a mar- 70 crate 29. Thus release of the bottles from the shalling table 2 over which is positioned an grab heads serves to position the bottles endless conveyor 3, 4 the upper belt run 3 of within crate. 29.

which is shown carrying a plurality of bottles As crank arrangement 8 rotates to push 5. Also mounted on frame 1 is an electric connecting rod 9 upwardly, quadrant gear 11 motor and gear box 6 the output shaft of 75 is caused to rotate counter- clockwise which in which includes an eccentric drive pin 7 which turn drives crank plate 16 in a clockwise di forms part of a crank arrangement 8. A con- rection. This in turn causes translating bar 23 necting rod 9 is pivotally mounted at one end to move vertically upwardly from the position of crank 8. The remote end of connecting rod shown in Figure 1 and then to follow an arcu- 9 is pivotally mounted at 10 to a quadrant 80 ate movement as crank arm 17 moves to gear 11 which rotates about a fixed pivot 12 wards a vertical orientation and continues its in the frame 1. In the illustrated embodiment, clockwise movement. After performing an arc quadrant wheel 11 moves through an arc of of 180', further rotation of crank plate 16 81' 44 minutes. An arcuate portion 13 of results in translating bar 23 moving down- quadrant gear 11 is provided with gear teeth 85 wardly and vertically by a small distance until and contacts a spur gear 14 which is pivotally connecting rod 9 reaches its maximum upward mounted about an axis 15 which is fixed with position which is illustrated in Figure 2. In this respect to frame 1. In front of spur wheel 14, configuration, translating bar 23 is positioned and mounted about the same axis, is a crank so that its grab heads (not shown) are able to plate 16 which is arranged to rotate with spur 90 cooperate with bottles 5 positioned on the gear 14. Crank plate 16 includes a crank arm marshalling table 2. In this position, the grab 17 which is pivotally connected at 18 to a heads are able to clamp about the necks of link arm 19 and is also pivotally connected at bottles 5, whereupon further rotation of crank to a coupler arm 2 1. That end of link arm arrangement 8 causes connecting rod 9 to 19 opposite to pivotal connection 18 is pivo95 move downwardly, thus lifting translating bar tally connected at 22 to a translating bar 23. 23 upwardly for a short distance and then in The inboard end of translating bar 23 is pivo- an arc of 180' and thereafter vertically down tally connected at 24 to one end of coupler wardly, until it again reaches the configuration arm 21. The other end of coupler arm 21 is shown in Figure 1.

pivotally connected at 25 to a rocker arm 26; 100 In practice, the motor 6 will be driven so that end of rocker arm 26 opposite pivot 25 that eccentric drive pin 7 rotates at a speed is pi votaily mounted at 27 on a pivot axis of about 12 revolutions per minute. This al which is fixed with respect to frame 1. Tran- lows sufficient time for actuation of the grab slating bar 23 is thus held by a four bar link- heads supported by translating bar 23 thus age made up of crank arm 17, link arm 19, 105 enabling proper transport and transfer of coupler arm 21 and rocker arm 26. These bottles such as 5 to occur.

four arms are linked to articulate freely with

Claims

one another through pivotal connections 18, CLAIMS

20, 22, 24, 25 and 27. Pivot points 12, 15 1. A drive arrangement for a de- and re and 27 are fixed with respect to frame 1. The 110 crating machine, which comprises a crank outboard end 28 of translating bar 23 carries plate including a crank arm and which in use a beam (not shown) which in turn supports is mounted in the frame of said machine for the grab heads (not shown) which serve either rotation about a fixed axis; a coupler arm to take bottles out of, or place-bottles into, pivotally connected at a point intermediate its crates such as that shown at 29. These 115 ends to said crank arm; a rocker arm one end crates are supported on a crate conveyor 30. of which is pivotally connected to one end of The gear ratio between rim portion 13 of said coupler arm and the other end of which quadrant gear 11 and spur gear 14 (which is in use is mounted for pivotal movement to a fixed with respect to crank plate 16) is ap- fixed point on the frame of said machine; a proximately 13:35, so that the maximum arcu- 120 link arm one end of which is pivotally ate movement of quadrant gear 11 is able to mounted at the end of said crank arm; and a effect a maximum arcuate movement in crank translating bar the outboard end of which is plate 16 of 220'. When the ' drive system is adapted to carry means for supporting a plu at one extreme of its motion (as shown in rality of containers and the inboard end of Figure 1, wi th connecting rod 9 and crank 8 125 which is pivotally connected to that end of at their lowermost position), translating bar 23 said coupler arm remote from the pivotal con is positioned so that the grab heads (not nection between the coupler arm and the shown) supported by outboard end 28 are lo- rocker arm, and the translating bar also being cated directly above the longitudinal axis of pivotally connected at a point intermediate its crate conveyor 30. The vertical spacing be- 130 ends to one end of said link arm, the arrange- 3 GB2193283A 3 ment being such that rotation of said crank Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, plate causes the crank arm, rocker arm, cou- London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from pler arm and link arm to co-operate to cause The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3 RD.

the translating bar to move in a predetermined Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con. 1187.

path while maintaining the translating bar in a fixed orientation.
2. A drive arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crank plate is arranged to be driven through a maximum rotation of 22T.
3. A drive arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive arrangement is mounted in a machine frame which also includes a source of motive power and a mechanism for coupling the power source to the crank plate.
4. A drive arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mechanism includes a quadrant gear coupled to said crank plate, and a connecting rod driven by a crank on the out- put shaft of the motor and connected so as to cause an arcuate reciprocation of the quadrant gear.
5. A de- and re-cratin g machine, which comprises a machine frame; a motor mounted in said machine frame and having an output shaft on which there is mounted a crank; a quadrant gear mounted for rotation about a fixed axis in said machine frame and connected to said crank by a connecting rod; a crank plate mounted for rotation about a fixed axis in said machine frame and including a crank arm, driven by said quadrant gear; a coupler arm pivotally connected at a point intermediate its ends to said crank arm; a rocker arm one end of which is pivotally connected to one end of said coupler arm and the other end of which is mounted for pivotal movement about a fixed point on said machine frame; a link arm one end of which is pivotally mounted at the end of said crank arm; and a translating bar the outboard end of which is adapted to carry means for supporting a plurality of containers and the inboard end of which is pivotally connected to that end of said coupler arm remote from the pivotal connection between the coupler arm and the rocker arm, and the translating bar also being pivotally connected at a point intermediate its ends to one end of said link arm, whereby rotation of said motor causes reciprocation of said connecting rod which in turn causes arcuate movement of said quadrant gear, thereby driving said crank plate so that the crank arm, rocker arm, coupler arm and link arm co-operate to cause the translating bar to move in a predetermined path while maintaining the translating bar in a fixed orientation.
6. A drive -arrangement for a de- and re- crating machine, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7 ' A de- and re-crating machine substantially as hereinbefore described,