GB2193477A

GB2193477A - Apparatus for turning articles over

Info

Publication number: GB2193477A
Application number: GB08713451A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Anthony Coombs
Original assignee: MCG TECHNO PACK Ltd
Current assignee: MCG TECHNO PACK Ltd
Priority date: 1986-06-09
Filing date: 1987-06-09
Publication date: 1988-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 2007-06-09
Also published as: GB2193477B; GB8713451D0; GB8613963D0

Abstract

Apparatus for turning articles such as barrels 13 through an angle, e.g. 90 DEG , comprises in-feed and turning sections 10, 11 in the former of which the driving run of a chain 14 drives the articles up slipways 12 to the turning section 11. Section 11 incorporates spirally extending guides 18, 19, 20 which press resiliently on the barrel to confine the barrel closely. The lower and upper ends of the chain extend about vertical and horizontal chain wheels 15 and 22 respectively and the guides are arranged to turn the barrels about the driving run of the chain, so that the chain remains in driving contact with the barrels throughout. Chain wheel 22 is driven by a motor 24 through a gearbox 25. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for turning articles over This invention relates to apparatus for turning articles over in succession as they are carried along a path.

According to this invention there is provided apparatus for turning articles over comprising a supporting structure extending about a path of movement of the articles, means for driving the articles in succession along said path, a plurality of fixed elongate guides mounted on the supporting structure and respectively extending generally spirally about said path, which guides are adapted jointly to maintain contact with the articles and are arranged to rotate the articles into a predetermined attitude in which the article is discharged from the apparatus, the driving means being adapted to provide positive mechanical driving engagement with the articles over at least part of the length of said path.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, said guides are arranged for resilient contact with the article. Preferably the guides comprise pads of elastomeric material providing said resilient contact.

According to another preferred feature of the invention said means for driving the articles comprises an endless chain capable of flexing in all directions, the links of the chain constituting driving elements providing said positive mechanical driving engagement with the articles.

According to another preferred feature of the invention, the working run of the chain extends substantially rectilinearly through the support structure for the guides and the guides are arranged to turn the article about the axis of the working run where said run extends through the support structure. In one advantageous construction in which the guides are arranged to rotate each article through 90 , the working run of the chain extends between and round two wheels which rotate about mutually perpendicular axes.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus according to the invention, and Figure 2 is an end view at a location slightly short of the discharge end of the apparatus of Figure 1.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is adapted to turn kegs, barrels or like generally cylindrical articles over from an upright attitude through 90" on to their sides.

The apparatus comprises a support structure the left hand end portion 10 of which constitutes the in-feed part and the right hand end portion 11 of which is the turning section and carries guide means for carrying out the turning operation.

The in-feed part 10 has on its upper surface parallel upwardly-inclined slipways 12 along which successive barrels 13 are driven by an endless chain 14 of the simple link type comprising a series of interlinked elongate loops, each loop being disposed in a plane at right angles to each of the two adjacent loops. At the lower end of the slipways 12 the chain extends about a chain-wheel 15 mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, and the working run of the chain projects upward beyond the plane of the slipways so that the chimes or end flanges of each barrel 13 are engaged at diametrically opposite locations by the links and the barrels are thus driven up the slipways. Side rails 16 prevent the barrels from slipping laterally off the siipways.

The slipways 12 end at the commencement of the turning section 11, where each barrel is carried by the driving run of the chain into engagement with two pairs of generally spirally extending guides 18,19 and a spirally extending guide 20 which confine the path and attitude of the barrel closely. A first pair of guides 18 engage one side of the barrel at axially spaced locations which are symmectrically disposed lengthwise of the barrel. A second pair of guides 19 engage the barrel at diametrically opposite locations to the guides 18, and the guide 20 engages the end of the barrel remote from the chain.

At its downstream end the driving chain extends about a drive chain-pulley 22 which is mounted for rotation about a vertical shaft 23 driven by an electric motor 24 through a gearbox 25. The driving run of the chain extends from the top of the chain-wheel 15 at the lower end of the slipways 12 to the left hand side of the chain pulley 22 as viewed in Figure 2. This figure shows two barrels 13a, 13b in their initial and (substantially) final attitudes respectively and it will be seen that a 90" rotation has taken place between the points of contact of the driving run of the chain with the chain wheel 15 and pulley 22 and in the same direction as the rotation of the barrel between its initial and final positions.The arrangement of the guides is such that the barrels remain in engagement with the driving run of the chain throughout the turning operation, so that in effect the barrel turns about the driving run of the chain, and since the barrels are closely confined by the low-friction guides, the chain drives the barrels through the turning section. In order to minimise the power requirement for turning over barrels, which may be full and therefore heavy, the guides are so arranged that the centre of gravity of the barrel preferably either remains at a generally constant level or falls slightly during the turning operation, but a slight upward movement of the centre of gravity may be acceptable in some cases.

If desired, means may be provided for- en abling the gradient of the chain and slipways to be adjusted.

It will be clear that the apparatus can be adapted to turn over any series of similar articles but, dependent on the shape of the articles, chains, belts or cables having drive elements secured to them, or friction belts may be used to transmit a drive to the articles.

The illustrated apparatus is advantageous in several respects. Firstly, since the articles are closely confined throughout the turning operation they are not toppled, and relatively fragile articles can therefore be accommodated.

For the same reason the guides need not be designed to withstand impacts which would occur if the articles toppled. Secondly, the low power requirement enables low power motors, gearboxes, shafts, pulleys and other drive elements to be employed. Thirdly, the articles can be delivered to the discharge point with any required spacing between them.

The chain wheels and/or pulleys for the drive chain may be mounted for rotation about parallel axes if desired or convenient. Twin drive chains may be provided, if desired, to share the driving load.

The guides are described above as fitting closely against the barrels, for the purpose of maintaining the barrels in driving contact with the drive chain, but drive chains or cables may be provided which have projections evenly spaced along their length and large enough to engage the articles even if they are not in permanent contact with all of the guides, i.e.

if they are smaller than the spacing of the guides from each other would indicate. Furthermore, the drive runs of the guide chain or chains may themselves extend in a spiral path along the whole or part of the length of the spiral guides, and may for this purpose for example extend through respective spiralling guide tubes with a lengthwise extending slot through which drive elements of the chain project to engage the article. Additionally or alternatively, the guides may be so arranged that the locus of the geometric centre of the guides at successive sections along the length of the guided path is inclined downward substantially continuously towards the exit end of the apparatus so that the driving force of the chain is supplemented or replaced by gravity over part or all of the length of the guide path. Thus, the chains may not be required to extend along the full length of the guided path, and low friction surfaces provided on the guides may be sufficient to cause the articles to slide under gravity along the guides. In such constructions, two or more drive chains or sets of twin drive chains may be arranged to drive the articles along different portions of the length of the drive path.

It will be understood that the arrangements can be adapted to turn articles between any two attitudes about an axis extending generally lengthwise of the spiral path.

Arrangements according to the invention may be employed in spray tunnels or other "wet" areas to rotate articles into suitable attitudes for spraying or for emptying off surplus spray liquor.

Claims

1. Apparatus for turning articles over comprising a supporting structure extending about a path of movement of the articles, means for driving the articles in succession along said path, a plurality of fixed elongate guides mounted on the supporting structure and respectively extending generally spirally about said path, which guides are adapted jointly to maintain contact with the articles and are arranged to rotate the articles into a predetermined attitude in which the article is discharged from the apparatus, the driving means being adapted to provide positive mechanical driving engagement with the articles over at least part of the length of said path.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guides are arranged so that the centre of gravity of each article passing along the guides moves in a direction which is substantially horizontal, or is inclined only slightly upward, or is inclined downward in the direction of travel of the articles.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said guides are arranged for resilient contact with the articles.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the guides comprise pads of elastomeric material providing said resilient contact.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said means for driving the articles comprises an endless chain capable of flexing in ail directions, the links of the chain constituting driving elements providing said positive mechanical driving engagement with the articles.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the working run of the chain extends substantially rectilinearly through the support structure for the guides and the guides are arranged to turn the article about the axis of the working run where said run extends through the support structure.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the guides are adapted to rotate each article through 90" and wherein the working run of the chain extends between and round two wheels which rotate about mutually perpendicular axes.

8. Apparatus for turning articles over, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.