GB362905A - Improvements in or relating to mechanism for charging and symmetrically positioning unequal length billets and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

362,905. Feeding and centring billets &c. of unequal length. WHITE, A. E., 5, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London.- (Morgan Construction Co. ; 15, Belmont Street, Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) Sept. 6, 1930, No. 26697. [Class 117.] In order to deliver symmetrically positioned articles of unequal length a charging pusher always starting from the same point is given a stroke which for a piece of given length always exceeds that for a longer piece by one-half the difference between the lengths of the two pieces. Fig. 1 shows an apparatus for successively delivering billets t of unequal lengths by a pusher 6 through an opening 2 to the floor of a furnace 1 in which they are moved laterally by broadside pushers 3 and discharged through an opening 5 by a pusher 4. The pusher 6 is carried by a chain 9 passing around pulleys 10, 10<1> driven by a reversible electric motor 12. The motor 12 drives through gearing 13 a shaft 14, Figs. 2 and 3, having oppositely threaded portions 16, 17 fitted with nuts 18, 21. The nut 18 is prevented from rotating by engagement with a guide 19. The nut 21 is formed with ratchet teeth 23 which may be engaged by a pawl 24 to prevent its rotation when the shaft is rotating in one direction. The nut 21 then moves along the shaft into engagement with a projection 27 which prevents its rotation after it is disengaged from the pawl 24. The apparatus is controlled by a switch lever 33 which in Fig. 6 is shown moved to the "off" position where a bar 37 carried by the lever completes the circuit to a solenoid 50 to raise a double pole reversing switch 34 to the position shown. In the raised position of the switch 34 a second circuit to the solenoid 50 is completed by a plate 54 on the upper of the two members 44, 45 of the switch 34.. This second circuit causes the switch 34 to be maintained in the raised position when the lever 34 is moved to the " on " position where it bridges by attached plates 37, 38, 39 pairs of spaced contacts 40, 41, 42. The motor circuit is thereby completed at the contacts 42 and the motor turns in such a direction as to cause the pusher 6 to move the billet in its path towards the furnace opening. A circuit is also completed at the contacts 40, 41 to a solenoid 30 to move the pawl 24 out of the path of the ratchet teeth 23, so that the nut 18 only is moved inwards initially. When the billet engages a trigger 31 the circuit of the solenoid 30 is broken and the nut 21 then moves towards the nut 18. When the billet has reached such a position that its longitudinal centre is on the centre line b-b of the furnace the nut 21 engages a movable member 20<1> of a switch 20 on the nut 18 and breaks the circuit of the solenoid 50 thereby allowing the switch 34 to fall into its lower position in which the direction of the current to the motor is reversed. On the pusher reaching its initial position it operates a switch 62 to break the motor circuit. The switch 62 is re-set by the pusher when the next billet is delivered. The charging movement of the pusher may be reversed at any stage by opening a switch 63.