GB781509A - Improvements in or relating to a dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

781,509. Rotary moulding-machines. ARMSTRONG CORK CO. Feb. 18,1955 [March 19, 1954], No. 4903/55. Class 87(2). [Also in Group XVIII] A device for supplying a measured quantity of powder to mould cavities 4 moving in a circular path comprises one or more cavities 6 mounted on a plate 5 for rotation therewith to supply the material to the cavities 4, means 24 for supplying material to the cavities 6 and means for causing the cavities 6 to move synchronously with the cavities 4. The latter are carried by plungers 3 which engage a star wheel 2 adjustably connected to a shaft 16 having a slidably keyed pulley 17 with teeth 18 in engagement with teeth 19 on a sleeve 20. A plate 12 is attached to the sleeve 20 and imparts rotation to the plate 5 through bushings 13. Springs 23 tend to lift the latter plate and its height is determined by the setting of a ring nut 22 in accordance with the desired capacity of the cavities 6 which are filled with powder from a hopper 24 connected by a telescoping tube 28 to a shoe 29 loaded by a spring 30 to produce a wiping action between the shoe 29 and the plate 5. The powder is retained in the cavity 6 by a plate 14 having an opening 15 which allows the powder to flow into the cavity 4 when the latter is in alignment with the cavity 6. A screw 47 enables the dispensing device to be vertically adjusted with respect to the star wheel 2 while a threaded coupling 26 enables the tube 28 to be disconnected from the hopper 24 so that it may be moved out of position by swinging a bracket 8 around a column 9. The moulded articles, which may be bottle caps, buttons or bases for vacuum tubes, are removed from a force plug 33 by an unscrewing device. A detector 32 is engaged by the article if the latter sticks to the force plug so that a micro-switch energizes a solenoid 39 to raise the pulley 17 and disengage the star wheel 2 from the plate 5. The moulded article is thus brought into alignment with a cavity 6 from which the powder has already been discharged. A contact switch in parallel with the micro-switch may be used to halt the plate 5 when the machine is provided with more moulding stations than tools, the plunger on the station for which tools are not provided having a projection to actuate the switch. In a modification, each station on the moulding machine and the plate 5 contains two cavities. The plate 5 operates faster when it is not discharging powder and the contour of the star wheel 2 is changed to ensure correct registration of the cavities 4 and 6.