GB707876A - Improvements in bottle crating machines - Google Patents

Abstract

707,876. Endless conveyers; load-engaging devices. ENOCK, A. G. Oct 12, 1951 [July 12, 1950], No. 17415/50. Classes 78 (1) and 78 (4) fAlso in Group XVII] In a bottle-crating machine (see Group XVII), bottles are fed into the machine in single file by a conveyer 31 and are transferred to a table 26 in groups of five by a pusher bar 32 carried by pivoted arms 33 operated by an air cylinder 34 which may be controlled by a valve actuated by the bottles on the conveyer. Each group of bottles engages a row of lugs 28 which are carried by an endless band 29 and pass through slots 27 in the table, the lugs acting in conjunction with guide rails on the table to space the bottles correctly. A plate 1, carrying an appropriate number of gripping devices 11, is supported on rollers carried by angle irons 4 which are connected at their ends by channels 5, 5a to form a frame which is guided for vertical movement on columns 6, 6a and coupled to a pair of air cylinders 7. The plate is movable horizontally by an air cylinder 9 connected between the channel 5 and a bracket 10 thereon. Each gripping device comprises a pair of arms shaped to engage the neck of a bottle and pivoted on a common axis. The arms are urged to a closed position by leaf springs 17 and may be opened by rotation of a cam 18 mounted on a shaft 20 supported from the plate 1, each shaft carrying .at one end an arm 22 coupled to a bar 23 which is actuated through a lever 24 by an air cylinder 25 carried by the plate 1. The crates are fed into the machine by a continuously-moving conveyer comprising spaced endless chains having supporting rollers 70 running in tracks 71, 72. Such crate is arrested by a stop roller 75 and located laterally by a pusher 77 which is operated through linkage by an air cylinder 38 and co-operates with a fence 35. The operation of a valve by the attendant or by a lever 76 engaged by a crate as it moves into abutment with the stop 75, causes the cylinder 9 to move the plate 1 from the dotted to the full-line position, Fig. 1, with the gripping devices open. The plate operates further valves which cause the cylinders 7 to lower the frame to a position defined by a displaceable stop and the cylinder 25 to rotate the cams to allow closure of the grippers on to the necks of the bottles on the table 26. The frame then rises, the plate moves back to the dotted -line position, the frame is lowered to introduce the bottles into the crate, the cylinder 25 operates the cams to open the grippers, thereby releasing the bottles, and the frame rises to its original position. The filled crate is then raised by bars 39 operated through linkage by an air cylinder 41 so that it is pushed over the roller 75 by the next empty crate, and the cycle of operations recommences when the latter actuates the lever 76. The cylinders 38 and 41 are controlled by valves actuated by means associated with the crate conveyer. In a modification, Fig. 7, the groups of bottles are moved laterally from the conveyer 31 on to a marshalling table 62, fitted with guide rails 66, by bars 63 detachably connected to an endless band 67 or spaced endless chain driven intermittently by an oscillating lever actuated by an air cylinder. The bars may be adjusted to suit bottles of ddfferent sizes.