GB2242186A - Separating and turning sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

Plastics cards or metal plates 14 to be fed to a punching machine, are separated from a pile in a container 13 by a tooth 62 on a first conveyor belt 60 which inserts the card or plate into a positioning seat of a filter element 39. A second toothed conveyor belt 28 picks up the card or plate and removes it from the positioning seat after said filter has rotated from a first position in which it receives said card or plate, to a second position in which said card or plate is ready to be discharged. A spring 18 closes the container outlet. An elastic element 68 retains the cards or plates in the seat during notation of the filter element. <IMAGE>

Description

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"FEEDING APPARATUS PERFORMING THE TASK OF FEEDING A PLASTICS CARD, OR A METAL PLATE TO A PUNCHING MACHINE" The present invention relates to a feeding apparatus performing the task of feeding a plastics card or a metal plate to a punching machine.

In the following, generally understood personalize plastics personalizing process data to the support in either plastics materi characters or charac writing technology, electrical information.

Punching machines card or the metal plate is carC a card is under another material, and a number of different "credit card" and so from a container in plates are stored pi perfectly aligned wi container.

A so structured equivalent to a simp causing the card or t f ro up on each other, to of individual plasti p 1 a c e.

the term "punching machines" is to mean the machines used to cards or metal plates. The consists in writing alphanumerical question, which may be made from 1 or metal material, as punched ers written by a whatever else r coded as a recorded magnetic or are known i -- wherein, tood which m which must be applications, forth -- is fe which said pla ed up h the which the plastics by the term "plastics y also be made from punched to be used in such as a "card". a by being picked up tics cards or metal d e v i c e 5 U p p 1 Y on each other. to a outlet opening of the feeding apparatus is usually e pusher device which is capable of e p 1 a t e to be advanced in a selective way a Position in which they are piled a position in which the processing s cards or metal plates must take c u 1 a r 1 y d a n individual plastics card or metal plate, arranged inside a container inside which said cards or plates are piled on each other to form a stack and are individually picked up from said stack., to a downstream device, to which said card or plate should anyway be received according to a direction which is either turned at an angle, or even lays on a plane different from, or perpendicular to the plane on which said angle is contained.

The purpose of the present invention is of providing a feeding apparatus which makes it possible the direction of advancement of the card or plate picked up from the either turning it at an nt plane, such that it is in any punching machines, with re strictly bound to the to the compactness of the in some novel punching machines with a the need arose now, to fe supply container to be changed, is angle, or moving it to a difflere capable of being used changes in direction which a modularity of the machine and groups which constitute it.

This purpose according to the present invention -is by providing a feeding apparatus performing the feeding a plastics card or a metal plate to a achieved t a s k c f punching machine, which feeding apparatus is essentially constituted by a bearing base structure above which a container means is installed, inside which plastics cards or metal plates are contained piled up on each other in stack form, a first conveyor means which picks up a first plastics card or metal plate from said stack and transports it, inserting it into a positioning. seat provided in a tilter means. a second conveyor unit which picks up said card or plate and takes it out from the 3.

se'at inside which said processed card or plate is positioned, after said tilter means being revolved from a first position thereof in which it receives said card or plate, to a second position thereof, in which said card or plate is ready to be discharged, with at least one motor means being provided to drive the above said means which are parts of said apparatus.

The structural and functional characteristics and the advantages of an invention will be bett exemplifying, non-Lim invention. made by referring schematic drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a front eLev sectional in its front portion, o for feeding a plastic the present invention, sectional in its front po Figure 1, and Figure 3 shows a sectional view a path line III-III of Figure 1.

Referring to the figures, a feeding a plastics card or meta present i base structure 11 above which an apparatus according to the present er understood from the following itative disclosure of the same to the accompanying a t i o n s card or meta view. partially f a feeding apparatus 1 plate according to levation view, also partialL tion., of the apparatus ccordina to t h e feeding apparatus for L plate according to the ituted by a bearing elongated, box-like housing element 12 extends. which is positioned in a central region of a side of the upper surface of the bearing base structure 11. At the free portion of its upper surface. the apparatus is able to receive a container means, generally indicated with the reference 4.

13. inside whose numeral interior a stack is stored of piled up plastics cards or metal plates, each of which is indicated with the reference numeral 14.-Said cards or plates are shown in vertical position.

The plastics cards or metaL pLat plate-shaped element 15 acting as in the direction indi the presence of an e keeping said stack of metal plates 14 standing in front opening 17 provided in the container be furthermore observed that at said bent-end spring of flat type 18 is resting position', said flat spring is piled up card or plate 14 inside suitably urged A thanks to suitable for r means 13. feeding apparatus according to the is provided with an outside the bearing base structure 11. Said motor means is partially shown in 19 and is, e.g., a stepper motor. its driving shaft 20 extends inside the interior of the structure 11 and bears., keyed onto it, a es 14 are pushed by a pusher means and cated with the arrow lastic element 16, plastics cards of a lower outlet means 13. it should opening at least one provided. in its 18 keeps the first the interior of said present first toothed pulley 21. The toothed Dulley 21 drives the a first toothed belt 22 to revolve.!FI its turn. said toothed belt 22 causes a second toothed pulley 23 keyed or pin-locked onto a second shaft 24 rotatabLy supported inside the inter-tor of the bearing base structure 11, to rotate.

The second shaft 24 third toothed pulley 25, a also bears it 1 1-ey-d onto a pinion gear, viz., gear wheel 26 and. at its other end. a first bevel gear wheel 27.

5.

The third toothed pulley 25 transmits the revolutionary movement to a second toothed belt 28, which is of a special type, and is equipped with a tooth/pusher element 29 extending from its external surface. Then, the second toothed belt 28 runs around a plurality of return rollers consisting of two rollers 30 and a further roller 31. Said return rollers determine the suitable trajectory and its toot as it wi L L b portion pick 14 out from and convey means. a very 73.

T h e p i n i o n positioned stabl hence driven to Said shaft element 34 which which is disclosed The shaft pinion gear 35, gear wheel 36, d gear wheel 37 i which is rotatab The third s a pair of plate f the toothed belt 28. The toothed belt 28 29 constitute a first conveyor means which, seen from the following, in its horizontal up and takes a plastics card or metal plate a tiLter means installed side-by-side to it said card or plate to a collecting conveyor minimal portion of which is illustrated in 26 inmeshes with a y constrained onto a revolve by it. 33 is rotatabLy s is also used to s in detail in the following.

33 also bears, keyed onto it, which, through an intermediate rives a gear wheel 37 to revolve idling on a further., third sha Ly supported by the support element 34.

haft 33 bears in its turn, keyed onto it, elements, generally indicated with the reference numeral 3';, which constitute a titter means with a revolution axis essentially oriented parallel to said second belt 28. Such titter elements 39 are t a t i L t e r contrate gear 32 shaft 33 which is rted on a support a second i d 1 i n 9 S a i d f t 38, i n s end other end of s p r i no, 4 6 bore 47 T h e opposite second w h i c h oneratino 6.

provided i thi rd end portion tilter element enables it to di rection o f t h.

positioned parallel to each other, spaced apart other. and are provided with a series of four essentially arranged along chords of the pLate. element, which is of circular shape. The seats 71 are preferably provided with a widened inlet portion 72 suitable for facilitating the receiving of the plastic card or metal p Late 14.

Between the gear wheel 37 and the first one of said tilter elements 39.a first free-wheeL or intermittent-motion unidirectional mechanism from each s e a t s 71 t h e means i S n s t a 11 e d.

Such a free-wheel means is respectively constituted by a first cam 40, integral with the gear wheel 37, and a first bell crank 41 oscillating around a pivot 42 constrained to the first one of said tilter elements 39.

The first cam 40 is essentially configured as a plate with escapement recesses 43 provided on its surface., ide which recesses 43 a follower 44 supp-orted at an of the bell crank 41 can be positioned. The the bell crank 41 is constrained in 45 to a in its turn linked at its other end inside a n the first tiLter element 39.

shaft 38 bears, constrained to its extending-from the support 34. the 39 and a second free-wheel means revolve in the exactly reversed compared to the direction of revolution f i r s t free-wheel m e a n s disclosed hereinabove.

Said second free-wheel means comprises at aLL similar to the first cam 40. but a second cam provided with 7.

escapement recesses 49 arranged in the exactly reversed direction relatively to the above mentioned escapement recesses 43, as seen from the same side of the apparatus. Into the escapement,recesses 49 a further foLLower 50 enters., which is rotatabLy supported at the free end of a second. oscillating bell crank 51 centrally hinged around a pivot 52 integrally supported by a support element 53 constrained to the bearing base struct ure 11. The other end of the bell crank 55, constrained in extending from the s In its turn, mentione with a second bevel gear 57 which is rotatably on a shaft 58 integral with the bearing base 11. CoaxiaLLY with it., said shaft 58 bears, k it, a toothed pulley 59 which drives a third too 60 to move. Also said third toothed belt 60 is special type and is equipped with a tooth, or element. 61. e 611 which may be further S a i d 1 a more ri 9 i d to reaLiz T h e toothed i n t e r i o r ho 1 low, base stru according 51 is constrained in 54 to a spring its turn to a further pivot 56 also pport element 53.

he first bevel gear 27, previously and integral with the second shaft 24, inmeshes upported tructure yed onto hed be It o f a pusher xtending from its outer surface.On said tooth , e.g., of isosceles trapeziform shape, a tooth of larger size 62 is slid and fastened. ger tooth 62 is made, e.g., from a harder and material. and is provided with a seat.63 suitable the coupling with the tooth 61.

third toothed belt 60 also runs around a tu re 1 t o a further pulley 64, rotatably supported inside the of the box-like housing element 12, which is and at its bottom is connected with the bearino 1. Said third toothed belt 60 is arranged vertical direction and constitutes a 8.

conveyor means which picks up the plastics card or metal plate 14 anid conveys it downwards, inserting it into one of the seats 71 provided in the tilter elements 39 of the tiLter means.

The box-Like housing element 12 L opposite to the container means ticaL opening 65 through which t w a 1 ver additional tooth 62 extends, with s 1 i d i n 9.

In the nearby of the lower e elongated opening 65, constrained in 66 provided in the upper wall 67 structure 11, a shaped elasti indicated with 68.. is installed.

keeps w a L 1 67 used to enable the plastics ca throuah said wall. The pres 68, realized in the herein illus practical embodiment by an elas free end 70 bent and arranged i elements 39, prevents the plastic contained inside the seats 71 escape from said seats during t said tilter means.

The operating way of a feedin closed an opening 69 provi of the base structure 11 nce h, has/ on its side 13, an elongated, he free end of the possibility of free nd of the vertical, side a suitable seat of the bearing base c element. generally Said elastic element 68 ded through the upper -- which opening 69 is or metal plate 14 to run of said elastic element trated exemplary form of tic metal blade with n front of the tilter s card or metal plate 14 of the tilter means to revolution movement of a apparatus to the invention is now illustrated in brief.

The actuation of the motor means 19 in such a to cause the drivinQ shaft 20 to revolve in the dire y as c t i o n indicated by the arrow B of Figure -3 causes the first toothed belt 22 to revolve cLockwise. Said belt 22 j 9.

consequently causes the second toothed belt 28 to revolve clockwise too. Thanks to this revolution of the belt 28, the tooth 29 causes the card or plate 14 inserted inside the seats 71 positioned on the top side and horizontally in the tilter means constituted by the two tilter elements 39, to leave said seats. During this movement, said tilter means does not revolve, because the kinematic transmission chain constituted by the gear wheels 35, 36 and 37 causes the cam 40 to revolve counterclockwisel A.e., according to the arrow C of Figure 1, so that the follower 44 may freely get disengaged from the escapement recesses 43. Since the follower engaged inside the recesses 49, the second integral with the shaft 38 blocks the rev61utio is same shaft 38.

Simultaneously, during the actuation of means 19 such that the driving shaft 20 revolves in the direction shown by the arrow B of Figure 3, the pair of bevel gears 27 and 57 cause the belt 60 to revolve in such a way that the tooth 62, which is in its uppermost position, by getting engaged onto the first plastics card or metal plate 14 contained in the stack contained inside the container means 13, drags said plastics card or metal plate downwards until it enters the seats 71 of tilter means. During such movement, the card or p relevant 50 9 e t s cam 48 n of t h e the motor the revolutio must overcome the action performed by the spring 18, by the elastic element 68 respectively provided in nearby of the opening 17 and of the opening 69.

t h e 1 a t e and t h e When this operating step Is completedi, by reversing direction of the motor means 19, the belts 22 and 28 start to revolve in the reversed direction, so 10.

that the tooth 29 -- which during the preceding step had moved the card or plate 14 from its flat, horizontal region above the coLlectiong conveyor 73, returns back to its initial position shown in Figure 3.

In the meantime, also the tooth 62 returns back to its initial position shown in Figure 1, and the kinematic transmission chain constituted by the gear wheels 35, 36 and 37 -- by rotating in the reversed direction to as indicated by the arrow C -- causes the follower 44 to react inside the recesses 43, and the tiLter means to be consequently start to move.

As a consequence of the above, the card or plate previously contained inside the seat 71 in vertical position is moved to a horizontal position with an end p o r t i o n belt 28 The or p 1 a t e e x i t i n g T h e relevant recesses The feedinci invention makes metal plate to be take be positioned inside plastics card or metal p the tilter means to b t h e he better.

d i r e c t i o n thereof coming to lay above the portion of the which is comprised between both rollers 30.

elastic element 68 and its end 70 guide the card 14 during its tilting, preventing it from through the opening 69. presence of the s follower 50 acting in escapement way inside the 49, allows the shaft 38 to rotate freely. apparatus accordinQ to the t hence possible cond cam 48 and of the present c a r d or n out from a supply container, to a seat in a tilter means, the late contained inside the seat of e tilted by a certain anale - - in -- and to be fed, or, discharged from the machine according to a essentially parallel to the revolution axis of a plastics rein shown example. qco w h i c h i s the tilter means.

it is furthermore easy to understand that having provided a series of four seats 71 offset at mutual angles of 900C on the tiLter means allows, during the step of taking a plastics card or metal plate out from the container means 13 and of inserting said card or plate into the tiLter means, with an action of removal of the plastics card or metal pLate which was previously introduced into the immediately adjacent seat -- and now discharged towards a further device, or a conveyor means which deliver it to the punching machine -- to be simultaneously carried out.

The advantage, in terms of operating speed of the apparatus according to the present invention, due to the fact that it simultaneously handles two plastics cards or metal plates, is evident.

12.

1. Feeding apparatus performing the task of feeding a plastics card or a metal plate to a punching machine, which feeding apparatus is essentially constituted by a bearing base structure above which a container means is installed., inside which plastics cards or metal plates are contained piled up on each other in stack form. a first conveyor means which picks up a first plastics card metal plate from said stack and transports it ing it into a positioning seat provided in a tiLter a second conveyor unit which picks up said card or and takes it out from the seat inside which said sed card or plate is positioned, after said tilter being revolved from a first position thereof in pLate, to a second r plate is ready to motor means being which are parts of is means which it receives said card or position thereof, in which said card o be discharged, with at least one provided to drive the above said means said apparatus. 20 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, cha that said tilter means is constituted by a pair of plateshaped elements parallel to, and spaced apart from, each other, integral support element structure, each seats capable of p 1 a t e. 3. Apparatus according to that said seats are four, are offset a each other and have a widened inlet por 4. Apparatus according to claim 22, with a shaft supported on a relevant inside the interior of said bearing base plate being provided with at least two receiving a plastics card or a metal claim 2. characterized in t angles of PDO to t i on. characterized in 13.

that said plate-shaped elements have a circular shape, and said seats are provided oriented according to chords of said plate-shaped elements.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said first conveyor means which picks up said first card or plate taking it out from said stack of plastics cards and metal plates is a toothed belt rotatably supported inside the interior of said bearing base structure and inside the interior of a box-like container element vertically extending from it, with said toothed belt being provided with a tooth protruding from its external surface, which is translatable inside an elongated vertical opening provided in said container box-like eLement... on a wall thereof which is in front of said container means.

o f f a m a 6. Apparatus according to that to said tooth protruding said toothed belt a furthe stened, which is made fro t e r i a 1.

7. Apparatus according to claim t h a t s a i d processed second conveyor means w card or plate and take positioning seat in said tilter mean provided with a tooth protruding from with said toothed belt having a parallel to the axis of said tilter means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said first conveyor means and said second conveyor means are constituted by toothed belts equipped with a tooth respectively protruding from their surfaces, with a claim 5... characterized in from said external surface r tooth-shaped element is a harder and more rigid 1, characterized in hich picks up said S it out from said is a toothed belt its outer surface, horizontal portion t one of said toothed belts being arranged essentially vertical structure of said apparatus in front of said container means, and at one of said toothed parallel to the axis of said titter means and essent on the opposite side to the side of said first too belt relatively to said titter means and along direction perpendicular to the direction of said toothed belt., p a i r o f p L spaced apart from e supported on a interior of said bea said titter means be each of said seats be card or metal plate, being operatively driven by a motor means and transmission transmits the said titter means bear arranged wit to each oth enabling sai toothed belt p L a t e, and preventing respectivel metal plate means, 1 east position inside the bearing that said titter means is constituted by a te-shaped elements parallel to each other, ach other and integral with a shaft relevant support element inside ring base structure each plate the operative portion of the second belts being arranged horizontal and a 11 y hed f i rst t h e of ing provided with foir seats, with ing capable of receiving a plastics said first belt and said second belt a kinematic chain being furthermore provided, which revolutionary motion to said shaft on which means is installed... said shaft of said titter ng at its opposite ends two free-wheeL means their operating directions being opposite F... the first one of said free-wheel means titter means to revolve when said first m e t a L means does not feed the plastics card or the second one of said titter means from r said first belt feeds a pla f rom s a i d said free-wheel evolving when sties card or t i Ite r and takes a said container means to said second belt picks up is.

1 5 t h a t one and i t S p 0 5 i leve t h e p 1 a t e plastics card or metal plate out from one of said seats of said tilter means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in said two free-wheel means respectively comprise on side a cam plate provided with escapement recesses, on the other side a hinged lever provided at one of ends with an engagement follower suitable for being r is connected with an elastic element which secures mutual contact between said follower and 10. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said container means containing said stack of plastics cards or metal plates is provided inside its own interior with a pLate-shaped element acting a pusher means to push said stack of plastics cards or metal plates towards a lower outlet opening, at said opening at least one spring of flat type being cooperates to keep said plastics cards inside the interior of said container.

ccording to claim 5, characterized in t between said bearing base structure and said box shaped housing element an opening is provided to enable cards or plates to pass, with an elastic element provided in front of said opening, to prevent said cards or plates contained inside sa means from exiting said seat.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that said elastic element capable of preventing said cards or plates from exiting said seat of said tilter means. has a bent free end in front of said tiLter means., and above it.

provided, whic or metal plat id seat of said tilter 1 v . 1 1 16.

13. Apparatus substantially according to as disclosed hereinabove and according to as iAlustrated in the accompanying drawings Published 1991 at The PaientOffi,e. Concept House. Cardiff Road- Newport. Gwent NP9 I RHFurther copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point. Cwmfelinfach. Cross Keys. Nex,..poil. NPI 7HZ. Printed by. Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Crav. Kent.