GB598619A - New or improved feeding mechanism for cylindrical articles - Google Patents

Abstract

598,619. Metal heating furnaces. BEESTON, W. G. Sept. 5, 1945, No. 22911. [Class 51 (ii)] [Also in Group XXX] A conveyer for feeding cylindrical articles such as billets down an inclined track in a heattreatment furnace comprises a plurality of spaced pivoted levers each having two arms of which the upper edges are at an obtuse angle to each other, each lever being so arranged that the arm directed towards the upper end of the track is held raised to arrest an article so long as the next article bears on the other arm but drops under gravity into alignment with the track when the lever is free, and the free end of the first arm then engages the free end of the other arm of the next lever above to hold that arm in alignment with the track until the arm of the first lever which is directed towards the lower end of the track is positively depressed by an article moving down the track. Figs. 1, 3, 4 show an embodiment wherein billets f, f<1>.....f<6> are supported within the furnace on stop levers e, e<1>..e<6> pivotally mounted at d on inclined track members, the billet f being held by two manually or automatically controlled star wheels g. When these wheels are released for rotation through 90 degrees the billet f passes off the track thereby freeing the lever e which is weighted so that its rear arm moves down to hold the forward arm of the lever e<1> in alignment with the track, Fig. 3, whereby the billet f<1> is released and rolls down to abut the wheel g, Fig. 4. The lever e<1> is now freed and its rear arm moves down to hold the forward arm of the lever e<2> in alignment with the track and release the billet f<2> which rolls down until stopped by the rear arm of lever e. This is repeated with the other billets in succession to the rear end of the track where another billet is fed on to the track to be stopped by the rear arm of the lever e‹. A positive rocking movement of each stop lever to release the next billet above as a billet passes off it, is obtained by mounting a trip member h, Fig. 5, on the pivot of each stop lever. A projection k on this member is engaged by an article passing over the stop lever to rock the trip member so that its projecting finger j engages and positively raises the front arm of the next lever above. The hinged doors m may be controlled by the movement of the stop levers.