GB2256844A

GB2256844A - Conveying articles in sequence.

Info

Publication number: GB2256844A
Application number: GB9211181A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Den Bergh John Van
Original assignee: Autocast Inventions Ltd
Current assignee: Autocast Inventions Ltd
Priority date: 1991-05-28
Filing date: 1992-05-27
Publication date: 1992-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2012-05-27
Also published as: IE911826A1; GB2256844B; GB9211181D0

Abstract

An apparatus for placing articles in sequence is provided. The apparatus comprises a plurality of conveyor slats mounted in substantially co-planar parallel closely spaced apart relationship. A means is provided for feeding articles onto a first of the slats which moves at a slower velocity relative to all the other slats. Each of the remaining slats moves at a velocity which is greater than an adjacent up stream slat. A substantially S-shaped guide means is located above and out of contact with the conveyor slats. The guide means serves to move the articles transversely across the slats thereby enabling a bunched set of articles to be delivered sequentially. <IMAGE>

Description

UNIVERSAL SINGLE LINER This invention relates to a universal single liner. In particular it relates to an apparatus for placing articles in sequence.

The invention, therefore, provides an apparatus for placing articles in sequence which apparatus comprises an article conveyor means comprising a plurality of conveyor slat means mounted in substantially co-planar parallel closely spaced apart relationship; means for feeding articles onto a first conveyor slat means; and wherein each of the remaining conveyor slat means is adapted for moving at a velocity which is greater than an adjacent up-stream conveyor slat means; the guide means comprises an S-shaped member having a concave curved portion and a substantially convex curved portion relative to the direction of travel of the conveyor slat means; and wherein the concave curved portion extends from the up-stream end in the direction of the down-stream end to a point approximately mid-way the length of the guide means and the convex portion extends from said point in the direction of the down-stream end.

Preferably, the convex portion comprises a plurality of surfaces angled obtusely relative to each other forming a plurality of arrises and wherein each of said arrises is located above a respective opening between two adjacent conveyor slat means.

Preferably, each of said surfaces is formed by a respective portion which portions are contiguous with each other.

Preferably, each of said surfaces is formed by respective discrete portions which portions are noncontiguous with each other but are separated from each other by respective openings each of which is substantially smaller than the size of each of the articles.

The invention will be understood in greater detail from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus according to the invention; and Figures 2-3 are enlarged views of part of the apparatus of Figure 1 of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an apparatus 10 according to the invention which comprises a conveyor system 11 consisting of a plurality of conveyor slat members 12-22 mounted in parallel closely spaced apart relationship and adapted for movement in the direction of the arrows 100. The conveyor slat member 12 is set to run of a velocity X1cm/s. Each of the conveyor slat members 13-22 is set to run at a respective velocity of X2cm/s-X11cm/s where X11 > X10...

> X2 > X1. As an example, X1 is about 55 and X11 is about 125. Generally speaking, regardless of the actual velocity of the slat members 12-22, the velocity difference between adjacent slat members is about 10%. A substantially S-shaped guide member 30 is located transversely relative to; above; and out of contact with the slat members 11-22. The guide member 30 has an up-stream end 31 and a down-stream 32. As will be observed in the drawings, the guide member 30 traverses the slat members 12-22 and the relatively small openings 12a-21a between each slat member 12-22.

Where the guide member 30 traverses each of the openings 12a-21a, an imaginary point referred to as a node is created. Accordingly, there are ten such nodes 41-50.

Between the up-stream end 31 and the node 45, the guide member 30 is a smooth curved concave member 33 the concave aspect of the curve being relative to the direction of travel of the slat members 12-17. Between the node 45 and the down-stream end 32, the guide member 30 is essentially a smooth curved convex member 34. However, in the present embodiment, the convex member 34 is formed from a series of substantially linear sections 51-55 angled obtusely relative to each other so as to form respective arrises corresponding to each node 45-50.

The size of the obtuse angle is not critical, being in the range from 1890 to 1750, but it is important that respective arrises be present corresponding to each node 45-49.

The sections 51-55 may be formed by suitably bending the convex member 34. Alternatively, the sections 51-55 may be formed from separate pieces joined together to form a contiguous member 34. As a further alternative, the sections 51-55 may be formed of discrete portions hinged or joined together having a gap (not shown) between each portion. Clearly, the size of the gap should be substantially less than the size of the articles.

In use, articles are fed from an accumulation table (not shown) of a conveyor apparatus (not shown) to the first slat member 12. When fed, the articles, which are usually bottles of the same shape are in non-sequential willy-nilly disorder. The movement of the slat member 12 brings the articles into contact with the up-stream end 31 of the guide member 30 thereby causing the articles to be guided to the next immediate slat member 13 which is moving at a velocity greater than the slat member 12. By virtue of the concave member 33 and the difference in velocity between the slat members 12-16, some sequential ordering of the articles takes place. However, an article which is not in sequence at the node 45 will be placed in sequence by virtue of the convex member 34 the effect of which is enhanced by the presence of the arrises.

In Figure 2 of the drawings, there is shown part of the slat members 17, 18 and 19 and three articles 50, 51 and 52. The articles 50 and 52 are in sequence but the article 51 is not as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. As the article 50 moves from the slat member 18 to the slat member 19, due to the difference in velocity between the members, the velocity of the article 50 will increase relative to the articles 51 and 52. This increase in velocity is enhanced by the arris 60 above the node which enables the article 50 to accelerate away from the articles 51 and 52. This acceleration causes a gap to be generated between the articles 50 and 52 thereby enabling the article 51 to slot into the gap as it crosses to the slat member 19.

The articles 50-52 will now be in sequence.

The presence of the guide means 30 enables the articles to be placed in sequence by the time they reach the down-stream end 32 of the guide member 30.

The presence of the arrises reduces considerably the distance required between the input end of the conveyor apparatus and that part of the apparatus having the articles in sequential relationship. The distance x is about 1700 mm. The distance y is about 1780 mm.

The invention is not limited by or to the specific embodiments described which can undergo considerable variation without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An apparatus for placing articles in sequence which apparatus comprises an article conveyor means comprising a plurality of conveyor slat means mounted in substantially co-planar parallel closely spaced apart relationship; means for feeding articles onto a first conveyor slat means; and wherein each of the remaining conveyor slat means is adapted for moving at a velocity which is greater than an adjacent up-stream conveyor slat means; the guide means comprises an S-shaped member having a concave curved portion and a substantially convex curved portion relative to the direction of travel of the conveyor slat means; and wherein the concave curved portion extends from the up-stream end in the direction of the down-stream end to a point approximately mid-way the length of the guide means and the convex portion extends from said point in the direction of the down-stream end.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the convex portion comprises a plurality of surfaces angled obtusely relative to each other forming a plurality of arrises and wherein each of said arrises is located above a respective opening between two adjacent conveyor slat means.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein each of said surfaces surfaces is formed by a respective portion which portions are contiguous with each other.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1-3 wherein each of said surfaces are contiguous with each other but are separated from each other by respective openings each of which is substantially smaller than the size of each of the articles.

6. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.