GB714714A - Improvements in carton feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

714,714. Feeding sheets &c. ARNOLD, J. C. (Delamere & Williams Co., Ltd.). Dec. 11, 1951, No. 29034/51. Class 100 (1). [Also in Group XVII] Pile tables.-Collapsed cartons 12 are removed from a stack by means such as an oscillating sucker 40, and the stack is moved forward in accordance with, and directly proportional to, the thickness of each carton removed. Each removed carton is "set-up" into box form (see Group XVII). As shown, the carton blanks are supported vertically by guides on endless chains 24, 26 which are adapted to be driven by sprockets 136, 138 secured to a shaft 140. The front blank 12 is retained in the magazine 10 by side strips 34 and depending bars 36. The rear of the stack is engaged by a member 166 provided with a pivoted lever 170 carrying pins 168 which engage openings in the conveyer chains 24, 26. The shaft 140 is provided with a roller clutch mechanism comprising a disc 174, secured to the shaft, a rock lever 173 comprising spaced arms 175 pivoted on ball bearings on the hub of the disc, an upper friction plate 178 carried by the arms 175, and a roller 180 mounted between the disc and the plate 178. The roller 180 is urged by a spring to wedge between the plate 178 and disc 174 to form a one-way driving connection between them. The rock lever 173 is connected by links 186, 194 to an eccentric on a drive shaft 68, such that the lever is oscillated to cause the chains 24, 26 to advance the stack. The feed of the stack is controlled by a pivoted feeler 206, Fig. 3, engaging the 'front end of the stack, connected by a link 210, Fig. 2, to one end of a two-armed pivoted lever 212, 216. The arm 216 is connected by a link 222 to a member 224 slidable between the disc 174 and plate 178 and arranged to engage and control the position of the spring-urged roller 180 whereby the rock lever 173 may not drive the disc 174 at all, or for only part of its counter-clockwise stroke. Thus the stack is moved forward in strict accordance with the thickness of the carton which has been removed. During the actual removal of the foremost blank 12, clamps 226, 228 are operated by a linkage 236, 240, 244, 124, 126 from an eccentric on the drive shaft 68 to clamp the link 222 so that the feeler mechanism is not disturbed. Separators.-The carton blanks. 12 are separated from the magazine 10, against the retaining action of the side and top retainers 34, 36, by a number of sucker arms 40 secured on a vertical shaft 42 adapted to be rocked through rack and pinion means by a strap 64 on an eccentric 66 secured to the drive shaft 68. The suckers engage a narrow end wall 45 of the carton and remove the latter to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon a slide 46 then pushes the carton towards a conveyer chain 20. Suction is applied to the arms 40 through a bore 72 in the rocker shaft 42. The bore 72 can' communicate with the source of suction or with the atmosphere through a slide valve arrangement, Fig. 10, wherein a slide valve 88 is adapted to be moved to one position or another by fingers 100, 102 adjustably secured to a bar 96 which is reciprocated by a rack bar 56 which also oscillates the shaft 42.