GB849125A - Means for feeding shoe stiffener blanks into machines for moulding the same - Google Patents

Abstract

849,125. Feeding stiffeners to moulding machines. PEMBERTON & CO. Ltd., A. Feb. 27, 1959 [March 3, 1958], No. 6726/58. Class 17(1) A device for feeding heel stiffener blanks into a moulding machine, comprises a carriage 6 carrying clamps C whose jaws 8, 9 engage the blanks. Before the cycle begins vacuum tube 27 rests on the topmost blank of a stack of blanks in a magazine 4 (Fig. 2), and carriage 6 is in its rearmost position nearest the magazine; transverse body 7, mounted rotatably about its axis on the carriage and carrying the clamps, is in such a position that the clamps face towards the magazine; the clamps C which can rotate about spindles in a bearing 13a, are both in a vertical position (Fig. 5), their jaws 8, 9 engaged about a blank inserted in positioning elements 11, 11a at the end of the previous cycle. At the beginning of the cycle, vacuum is applied at the top end of the tube 27, solenoids are energised to close the clamp jaws to grip the blank, and the carriage 6 is moved forward. (A fluid pressure operated piston-and-cylinder preferably effects the movement of carriage 6, though electrical or mechanical means may be used). Vacuum tube 27, attached to the carriage .by chain 34, is pulled upwards through sleeve 28 as the carriage moves forward, bringing with it blank B. A friction disc 19 mounted on the body 7 engages a fixed bar 20 and causes body 7. to rotate as the carriage moves, so that when the carriage reaches its forward position, the body 7 has rotated through 180 degrees and the clamps' are facing the moulding machine. The clamps C are connected by gearing to the shaft 26 of body 7 so that as the body rotates through 180 degrees, the clamps rotate through 90 degrees in opposite directions, so as to bend the blank B into a U-shape (Fig. 6). At the final stage of the carriage advance, pressure plate 17 pushes the blank into the moulding machine and the clamps C are opened. When the vacuum tube reaches its uppermost position, it is swung inwards about pivot pin 15 (see Fig. 7 (not shown)), and against spring 29 by chain 34, thus placing the next blank between positioning elements 11, 11a. Finally the carriage 6 is returned to its initial position, the tube 22 drops down to engage the stack of blanks and the clamps C engage about the newly positioned blank. At each end of its travel the transverse body 7 is prevented from rotating freely by a member 21 having parallel locating flats 21a adapted for engagement with straight portions 22a of fixed bar 22.