GB966331A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for arranging articles into spaced batches - Google Patents

Abstract

966,331. Bakery apparatus; batching conveyers. BAKER PERKINS Ltd. Aug. 21, 1962 [Aug. 24, 1961], No. 30595/61. Heading A2A. [Also in Division B8] In a machine for spacing equidistant conveyer borne articles, e.g. biscuits, into batches, the biscuits are received on to a first endless belt 2 at 12 and are transferred over a reciprocated gap or zone 4 on to a second, faster-moving, endless belt 3. The transfer zone is moved forward, i.e. from position 10 to position 11, at a speed intermediate the speeds of the conveyers 2, 3 and then back again at a substantially slower speed. During this backward motion biscuits are transferred from conveyer 2 to the faster conveyer 3 and these become spaced ahead of biscuits left behind on the conveyer 2 when the zone 4 moves forward again. Reciprocation of the zone 4 is effected by varying the lengths of bights C, D in the conveyer bands 2, 3 and for this purpose turning point rolls 5, 7 at the zone 4 and bight rolls 6, 8 of the conveyers are mounted on a reciprocated carriage 9 driven by a pair of oscillating levers 22 mounted on a shaft 22b, which in turn is oscillated by a rotary cam 24 and follower 25 connected by an adjustable length link 26 and stub lever 22a to shaft 22b externally of the machine framework 32. The cam 24 is chain driven from a motor 31 and chains from the shaft of the cam 24 operate the drive rolls 15, 18 of the conveyers 2, 3. The device is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with a batch gap maintaining device as described in Specification 966,332 to supply batches of biscuits to the plaques of a tier type cooling device.