GB843780A - Improvements in or relating to an article conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

843,780. Conveyer transfer apparatus. FISCHER A.G., G. Aug. 2, 1956 [Aug. 2, 1955], No. 23929/56. Class 78 (1). A conveyer apparatus comprises a first horizontal conveyer 1 for transporting objects in one direction, a second horizontal conveyer 2 for transporting said objects in the opposite direction, rotatable transfer means 5 or 6 arranged at one or other end of said conveyers for removing said objects from one conveyer and raising or lowering said objects and depositing them on the other conveyer, and a drive means 10 or 10a operatively connected to said transfer means for imparting thereto non-uniform rotational speed during a cycle of operation to effect transfer of said object from one conveyer to the other in a shock-free manner. As shown, objects 4 supported on carriages 3 are pushed from the left along conveyer 1 by endless sprocket chain 58. At the right end of driven roller conveyer 1 the object 4 on its carriage 3 is received by carrying elements 43 of transfer device 6. The latter device, Fig. 11, receives its drive from spur wheel 26 and rotates about stub shaft 27, the opposed stub shaft 33 being maintained fixed. Thus the object is lowered on its carrying element 43. Said elements perform two movements as follows. The carrying elements 43 are mounted upon shafts 40a and 41a, the shafts being rotated by the system of gears shown so that the object is maintained horizontal as it is lowered. Additionally the shafts are horizontally displaceable by lugs 42 engaging cams 40, 41 on said shafts, so that the carrying elements 43 are displaced inwardly to receive the platform 3 from conveyer 1 and displaced outwardly to discharge the carriage 3 upon driven roller conveyer 2. Each transfer device is given a variable rotatable speed so that when it receives the carriage from conveyer 1 it is travelling at the same speed. It then acceler-. ates and later decelerates so that by the time that it discharges the object on to conveyer 2 it is travelling with the speed of conveyer 2. To obtain this variable motion the gearing of Fig. 10 is used, the drive passing from shaft 9 through coupling 11 to shaft 12, bevel gearing 13, shaft 15, gear 14 and being thence received by planetary gear 16 freely mounted on shaft 17. The gear 16 carries shaft 19 bearing spur wheel 18, engaging with fixed wheel 20 so that the gear system 16-18 performs a planetary motion which is transferred to shaft 17 through crank 22, sliding block 23 and slide 24, the latter being fixed to shaft 17. Varying position of block 23 in slide 24 causes a variable motion to be passed through wheels 25 and 26 to the shaft 27 of the transfer apparatus. All the movements are derived from a common motor 7. Alternatively, the transfer device may have four arms and be driven intermittently, the intermittent movement of the transfer device actuating electric switches so that the objects move step by step throughout the apparatus. The chain 60 propels the objects leftwards along conveyer 2. Rails 1, 2 may be replaced by driven rollers 81 driven by chain 82, Fig. 17, two braking chains 86 being included. Rollers 81 are driven at a speed greater than that of the chains 86. Consequently the platform 65, carrying object 66, is pressed against the stops 89 on chains 86 and thereby delivered at properly spaced intervals to be transferred by a transfer device.