GB2211477A

GB2211477A - Transfer device for articles, such as sweets

Info

Publication number: GB2211477A
Application number: GB8824576A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Juergen Koerner
Original assignee: Nagema VEB
Current assignee: Nagema VEB
Priority date: 1987-10-29
Filing date: 1988-10-20
Publication date: 1989-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2008-10-20
Also published as: JPH01139307A; BR8805484A; DE3829713A1; GB2211477B; GB8824576D0; IT1224284B; IT8848493A0; DD264660A1

Description

2211477 Transfer device for articles, such as sweets The present invention

relates to a transfer device for transferring articles, such as sweets. More particularly, the invention relates to a transfer device for use with intermittently-operating sweet wrapping machines, by means of which sweets are removed from pockets of a delivery device and are transferred to jaws of a wrapping arrangement of the sweet wrapping machine.

In inter m i ttently-operat ing sweet wrapping machines, the sweets are removed from pockets in a delivery wheel or plate by means of a transfer device consisting of a lower lever and an upper lever and are clamped between the levers and transferred to the jaws of a wrapping arrangement. The 1.evers of the transfer device move in relation to the delivery plate within close limits (DD-WP 125 399). This arrangement has the disadvantage that the delivery or separating plate has to stop for most of the duration of the forward and return stoke of the lower lever, because this lower lever must travel through the holding pockets of the separating plate.

A sweet wrapping machine has been disclosed in DE-AS 15 86 268, in which the delivery plate is open on its front face in the region of the sweet holding pockets. The lower lever is designed and driven such that it can travel through the openings. This lower lever is pivoted out to the side during the return stroke so that it moves downward outside the delivery plate and is then returned 2 to its starting position. Although the obstruction of the separating plate is eliminated in this arrangement, the wrapping arrangement is still obstructed by the upper lever, as the upper lever is located in the region of the gripping jaws of the wrapping arrangement until the return stroke.

It has also been proposed that the upper lever be pivoted out to the side after transferring the sweets by means of the gripping jaws of the wrapping arrangement, in order to free the wrapping arrangement earlier (DE-PS 951 137). Such movements can be produced only by complicated link mechanisms, which have a high mass of inertia and, owing to the frequent accelerations/decelerations, are susceptible to wear and limit output.

The invention aims to reduce the mechanical complexity of the transfer device and the phenomena of wear and to increase the output.

According to the invention the upper and lower levers are constructed to pivot separately round a common axis of rotation, and the lever located at the top passes into the position of a lower lever and the lever located at the bottom passes into the position of an upper lever in the course of an operating cycle.

The invention provides a device for use in transferring individual articles, such as sweets, between pockets in delivery means and take-up means in the form of a wheel equipped with sets of jaws; said transfer device comprising first and second levers mounted for angular 3 displacement about a common axis between the delivery means and the take-up means, co-operative clamping means carried by the levers for trapping an article in one of the pockets and transferring the article to one of the sets of jaws the levers being then returned to take-up the next article and a mechanism for driving and displacing the levers so that they exchange their relative positions in the course of one operating cycle.

The levers can be mounted on coaxial shafts rotated by the drive mechanism.

The levers can be equipped with clamping blocks which are f ixed on bent ends of the levers. The blocks are provided with opposing clamping faces which may be curvilinear. Then, the articles are clamped between one pair of faces and then by the other pair of faces in successive operating cycles. At least one of the clamping faces of each block is preferably provided on a springloaded plate supported by to the block.

The complicated linkage movement required in known arrangements is converted into a simple circular movement which produces hardly any forces due to mass. The two link mechanisms for the upper and the lower levers are also replaced by a simple mechanism, thus reducing the mechanical complexity. The delivery means and the take up means of the wrapping arrangement can be moved on immediately after one lever has passed through a pocket thus permitting a considerable increase in output.

The invention may be understood more readily and 4 various other features of the invention may become apparent from consideration of the following description.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a schematic front view representation of a transfer device constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view representation of the transfer device; and Figure 3 is a graphical representation of the working movements of components of the transfer device.

Figure 1 and 2 depict a transfer device 1 in cooperative associates with a delivery plate or wheel 2 and a pick-up wheel 5 of a wrapping arrangement. The wheel 2 which is only shown partially, and in section in Figure 1, has a number of separate pockets 3 containing articles, such as sweets, which are to be packaged. The pockets 3 have narrow access slots (Figure 2). The wheel 5 employs pairs of jaws 4 projecting radially outwards from the wheel 5. The jaws 4 serve to grip the individual articles as they are moved for further processing. The transfer device 1 serves to transfer the articles individually in succession from the pockets 3 in the wheel 2 to the sets of jaws 4.

The transfer device 1 is composed of a first hollow shaft 7 containing a second shaft 8. The shafts 7, 8 are supported by a mechanism casing 6 for rotary and 9 longitudinal movements. The shafts 7. 8 have gear wheels 12, 13 within the casing 6 driven by a mechanism such as a cam mechanism. Levers 9, 10 are fixed to the ends of the shafts 7, 8 remote from the casing 6 and are offset from one another as shown in Figure 2. The levers 9, 10 have cranked end portions which carry clamping blocks 11. The clamping blocks 11 have curved faces 11.1, 11.2 which cooperate to clamp an article to be transferred. At least one of the faces denoted 11.1 is formed on a spring- loaded member or plate supported by the block 11.

The general arrangement is such that the lever 10 (the lower lever in Figure 1) is positioned at an initial stage to pass through a slot in the plate 2 as the shaft 8 turns to cause the clamping member 11 to enter and pass through the associated pocket 3. The other lever 9 (the upper lever in Figure 1) is angularly positioned outside the pocket 3 and co-operates with the lever 10 to trap and grip the article in the pocket between the faces 11.1, 11.2. The lever 9 moves with the shaft 7. Bolt the levers 10, 9 swing and move towards the wheel 5 to pass either side of one of the sets of jaws 4 to deliver the article thereto. Thus the levers 10, 9 swing up and down as the shafts 8, 7 turn and move back and forth as the shafts 8,7 are displaced longitudinally in working and return strokes. Hitherto, in a known design the wheel 2 had to be halted to permit the lever 10 to pass through the slot and then return back through this slot ready for the next article to be indexed and taken up. In 6 accordance with the invention the mot.ion of the levers 10, 9 is such that the levers change places as they perform a cycle with working and return strokes. The upper lever 9 in Figure 1 thus becomes the lower lever and the lower lever to the upper lever. This is depicted in Figure 3 for two working strokes and revolutions of the shafts 7, 8. In Figure 3 the vertical axis represents the angular movement of the levers 9, 10 and the horizontal axis represents the rotary movements of the associated shafts 7, 8. Initially the levers 9, 10 are offset by a certain angle and move together to take up an article in one of the pockets and transfer it to a set of jaws 4 for take up thereby. This occurs over the phase indicated by numeral 1 and the transfer takes place over the phase II. The lower lever 10 which lies between the wheel 2 and the jaws 4 is then returned to take up the position originally occupied by the upper lever 11 as indicated at phase III. The lever 9 meanwhile continues to pivot in the same direction through another set of jaws 4, where at it can serve to eject an article therein which may have been packaged, to return to the position originally occupied by the lever 10 as indicated at phase IV. The cycle then continues as shown so that the levers 10, 9 changes places with respect to the entry slots of the pockets 3.

7

Claims

1. A device for use in transferring individual articles, such as sweets, between pockets in delivery means and take-up means in the form of a wheel engaged with sets of jaws; said transfer device comprising first and second levers mounted for angular displacement about a common axis between the delivery means and the take-up means, cooperative clamping means carried by the levers for trapping an article in one of the pockets and transferring the article to one of the sets of jaws the levers being then returned to take-up the next article and a mechanism for driving and displacing the levers so that they exchange their relative positions in the course of one operating cycle.

2. A delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping means takes the form of blocks with co-operative shaped faces at opposite positions disposed so the articles are clamped between one pair of faces and then by the other pair of faces in successive operating cycles.

3. A delivery device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the faces of each block is provided on a spring-loaded plate supported on the block.

4. A delivery device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein one lever is fixed to a hollow shaft and the other lever is fixed to a further shaft contained within the hollow shaft.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 8 wherein the drive mechanism is a cam mechanism.

6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein one of the levers swings back and forth during an operation cycle and the other lever swings through an angle interegion of 3600 to adopt a starting position formerly occupied by said one lever.

7. A delivery device substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in Figure 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings and operating in accordance with Figures 3 of the accompanying drawings.

Published 1989 atThe Patent Office, StateRouse, 86171 High Holburn, Londor. WC1R 4TP. Further copies maybe obtainedfromThe PatentOffice. Sales Branch. St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BW 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques lt(J St Maxy Cray, Kent. Con. 1187