US1341278A - Apparatus for sorting machine elements, &c. - Google Patents

Description

C. T. MOR'EY.

APPARATUS FOR sormm; MACHINE ELEMENTS, &c.

A APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1919. 1,341,278. A

Patented May 25,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEETI T217 MAW c. T. MOREY.

APPARATUS FOR SORTING MACHINE ELEMENTS, &c.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l7, I919. I 1,341,278, Patented May 25, 1920.

4 SHtE1SSHEET 2.

By 2%; .qwwgw d'ttya.

C. T. MOREY. APPARATUS FOR SORTING MACHINE ELEMENTS, m.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. I919.

Patented May 25, 1920.

4 SHtE'lS-ShEET 3.

C. T. MOREY.

APPARATUS FOR SORTING MACHINE ELEMENTS, 8L0. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1919.

1,341,278. A i Patented May 25, 1920.

4 SHEEJ S---SHEE T 4.

A A jvezzi07f, 67668667 Z' 11 1737 6 CHESTER T. MOREY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SORTING MACHINE ELEMENTS, 8w.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed November 17, 1919. Serial No. 338,618.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER T. MoRnY, a citizen of the United. States, and resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sorting Machine Elements, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device whereby machine elements or the like are mechanically selected and, as selected delivered in a predetermined manner.

In the process of machining various machine elements, and in the assembly of such elements after completion, it is often necessary'that the elements be delivered in a certain predetermined position either for further machining or for assembly, and that imperfect elements be eliminated. When such elements are delivered in bulk the process heretofore used of correctly placing them manually or of eliminating imperfect elements by hand picking is slow, expensive and often inaccurate.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide efiicient mechanical means whereby machine elements or the like when v received in bulk, as for instance, by being simply shoveled into a hopper, may be selected according to the characteristics of the elements, and elements presenting similar characteristics delivered together, but separate fromelements presenting other characteristics.

Such a machine is obviously capable of many varied uses, certain of which may be enumerated. It may be used to separate elements with convex surfaces from those having flat surfaces, or to separate larger elements from smaller elements. It is thus capable of use to separate elements correctly shaped or sized, or both, from those imperfect either in size or shape.

The machine is further designed, when used in connection with machine elements having different faces, to deliver those elements presenting one face separately from those presenting another face. The separate delivery devices may be so joined that all elements are finally delivered together, but all faced in the same manner.

The particular embodiment which has been specifically shown herein for the purpose of illustrating the invention, has been desigirged to receive in bulk, nuts or nut blan or the like and to deliver them for further machining or for use, all in a predetermined and uniform position.

As has been brought about above, it is ob vious that the invention is much broader in scope than the particular embodiment illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more specifically described;

Referring now to the drawings, which illustrate this one embodiment of my invention:-

Figure l is a vertical sectional end view partly in elevation Fig. 2 is a similar view from the side Fig. 3 is a plan view from above, the hop per being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line H of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan -view of the selecting device with the shutter open;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with the shutter closed;

Fig. 7 is a detail view partly in section showing the selector cavity and plungers with a nut presented with its convex surface toward the cavity; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 7, but with a nut presented with its flat surface toward the selector cavity.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the selecting device is suitably mounted on a table having the legs 9, 10, the cross brace 11 and top 12.. Power is received by the pulley 13, keyed to the shaft 14, which shaft has the cam wheel 15 secured thereto by the set screw 16, and has upon its end the bevel gear 17. I The shaft is secured below the table by the shaft hangers 18 and 19. The bevel gear 17 is in mesh with the bevel gear 20, which latter gear is keyed to the vertical shaft 21. This shaft carries at its upper end a bearing collar 22 held thereto by the set screw 28. This collarrests upon a bearing plate 24. Below this bearing plate the shaft 21 carries a cam disk 25, fastened. thereto by the set screw 26 as is most clearly shown in Fig. 3. This cam disk is provided upon its upper surface with a circular raceway concentric with shaft 21, the raceway being surrounded for approximately 270 of its circumference by the crescent shaped raised cam guide 27. Secured to the lower surface of the cam disk is a conveyer lug 28.

Above the cam dish: is the cam operated lug 29, carried by the arm 30. which arm is secured to the shaft 31 by the set screw 82.

Referring now particularly to 5+ and It d U? lock nut 61 6, the shaft 31 has attached to its lower end the bell-crank lever 33. The arm 33 of this bell-crank lever has a slot 34 through it. Working in this slot is the shutter operating lug 35, which lug is fastened to the selector shutter 36. Attached to the shutter operating lug 35 is the tension coil spring 37, the other end of which is fastened under the table top by a staple 38.

The opposite arm 33 of, the bell-crank lever 33 carries an adjustable contact screw 39 held in place by the lock nut 40. This contact screw bears upon "the lever 41. The lever 41 is free to turn upon the stud bolt 42 whichis secured to the under side of the table. The thrust. stud 43 bears against the lever 41, and is carried by the driven thrust plunger 44. The driven thrust plunger is most clearly shown in Fig. 7 and comprises cylindrical end portions 44* and- 44 and a -flat rectangular center portion 44 which is pierced at 44 to allow the shaft 21 to pass up through it without interfering with the limited longitudinal motion of the driven thrust plunger. The cylindrical portion 44 has in its end a cup-shaped recess 45 in which recess is carried a compression spring 46. The opposite end of the spring abuts a ainst the base of arecess 49 in the half 4 of the interior circular guide 4748. The elements 47-48 are cut away at 47 and 48 to form a rectangular opening of sufficient size to permit longitudinal play of the rectangular portion 44 of the driven thrust plunger. The portion 44 of the driven thrust plunger passes through a cylindrical passage 50 in the element 48, the cylindrical passage terminating in the center of the cup-shaped selector cavity 51.

Located concentrically with the interior guide 47-48 is theiexternal guide ring 52 spaced therefrom to form the selector channel 53. .The external guide ring is broken opposite the selector cavity. Placed above this break is a feed chute 54 leading from a feed hopper 55. Operating-through this break in the external guide ringv is the spring pressed head 56 of the driving thrust plunger 57. Connected to the spring pressed head 56 is the retaining rod 58 about which is-placedthe compression spring 59. The

end of the retaining rod 58 extends through the rear of the main portion of the plunger and has thereon the adjusting nut 60 and Extending from the lower surface of the driving thrust plunger 57 is the 'actuatorlug 62 which rides in the cam groove 63 on the cam wheel 15.

Located in the bottom of the selector channel 53 is the selector opening '64 leading'to the selector chute 65. Spaced approximately 180 from the selector opening 64 isthe secondary opening 66 leading to the chute 67. The selector chute and the chute 67 join to form the delivery chute 68.

mamas 'head 56 clears the receiving chute 54 as shown in Fig. 6. The feed column of nuts 69-69, shown in Fig. 4, drops down until the lowermost nut is in front of the head 56. Further rotation of the cam wheel 15 serves to press forward the, driving thrust plun er 57 by means of the actuator lug 62. The head 56 moves the nut forward into the selector channel and presses it against the selector cavity 51, andthe conformation of the cam groove 63 is such as to maintain itpressed forward during a portion of the rotation of the cam wheel 15.

The continuation of the rotation of the cam wheel 15 serves to again retract the driving selector shaft. Simultaneously the cam disk 25 is rotated by the shaft 21 which is connected to the shaft 14 by the gear wheels 17 and 20. The conveyer lug 28 is in Fig. 8, the contour of the cavity is such as to prevent contact between the nut and cylindrical end 44 of the driven thrust plunger 44. The selector opening 64 is normally uncovered since the spring 37 holds the selector shutter 36 retracted. This spring also, through the bell-crank lever 33, shaft 31, and lever 30,-normally holds the lug 29 in the position shown'in Fig. 3 and it is not acted upon by the cam guide 27. Therefore, if'the nut is advanced with its flatface forward it falls through the selector opening 64 into the selector chute 65.

If, however, the nutf is advanced with its convex surface forward as shown in Fig. 7, it'bears against the end 44 of the driven thrust plunger 44, and the spring 59 in the driving thrust plunger. having a greater resistance to compression than'the spring 46 in the driven thrust plunger, the latter spring is compressed and the driven, thrust plunger is moved inwardly.

In moving inwardly the driven thrust plunger carries with it the-thrust stud 43 which rotates the lever 41, the lever 41 in turn moves outwardly the adjacent arm 33 of bell-crank lever 33, which through the shaft 31, moves outwardly the lever 30 carrying with it the'stud 29. The cam disk 25 is at this moment in the position shown in Fig. .3. The movement outward of the lug 29 is sufficient and the conformation of the cam groove 63 maintains it moved outward long enough so that when the rotation of the disk continues in: a counter-clockwise direction, the lug passes outside the point 27 of the cam ide 27 and the outward movement of the ever 30 is continued by the thrust of the cam guide against the lug. This movement of the lever 30 is communicated to the bell-crank by the shaft 31 and moves inwardl the arm 33 thereby closing the selector s utter 36 by means of the shutter operating lug 35, as shown in Fig. 6.

Thus when the nut is presented with its convex face forward it cannot drop into the selector opening 64, since that opening will be closed, and the cam guide 27 is of sufficient length to maintain it closed until the nut has been moved over the shutter by the conveyer lu flhe V, nut will be carried around by t e conveyer lug until it falls through the secondary opening 66 into the chute 67;

When the stud 29 passes beyond the end 27 of the cam guide 27, it is returned to'its normal position by the spring 37 which also retracts the shutter 36 to again uncover the selector opening 64. The operation continues as before, one nut being de-, livered'at each rotation of the shaft 14.

It will be noted that although the nuts delivered through the selector opening were presented with the opposite face forward from those delivered through the secondary opening, nevertheless, since these two openings are spaced 180 apart the two lines of nuts when they join in the delivery chute 68 will be faced the same way, all with the flat side up.

I claim:

*1. Apparatus of the class described including a selector mechanism comprising a drivihg plunger, a selector cavity associated therewith, said cavity being of such contour as to permit stock of predetermined conformation to enter therein, a selector channel having a plurality of delivery openings therein and'means to deliver through one opening the stock which enters the cavity and to deliver the remainder of the stock throu h another opening.

2. gpparatusof the class described compr'isinga member having a selector cavity adapted to receive stock of certain characteristics, means for presenting stock to said cavity and means for sorting the stock according to said characteristics, said sorting means having a part extending into said cavity so as to be actuated by the stock entering the cavity.

3. Apparatus of the class described including therein a selector device comprising a driving member and a selector cavity, a driven member associated with said cavity so as to be actuated by stock entering the cavity, and means controlled by said device in responseto stock entering said cavity for effecting separate delivery of stock of diffcrent characteristics.

4. Apparatus of the class described 111- cluding therein a feed device, a selector de vice comprising a driving member and-a selector cavity, a driven member associated with said cavity so as to be actuated by stock entering the cavity and means for effecting separate delivery of stock of different characteristics controlled by the stock entering said cavity, said means comprising a plurality of chutes, and a shutter for one of said chutes actuated by said selector device. a

5. Apparatus of the class described including therein a feed device, a selector device comprising a driving member, a selector cavity and a driven member extending into said selector cavity and means for effecting separate delivery of stock of dilferent characteristics, said means comprising a plurality of chutes, and a shutter for one of said chutes actuated by said driven member.

6. Apparatusof the class described comprising a feed chute, a driving member operating at the end of said feed chute to press stock against a selector cavity adapted to admit stock of predetermined characteris tics, a plurality of delivery openings and a driven member in said selector cavity adapted to be operated by the pressure transmitted by selected stock to actuate a shutter over one of said openings.

7. Apparatus of the class described comprising a feed chute, a driving member at the end of said feed chute adapted to carry stock from said chute into a selector oh'annel, a conveyer traveling in said selector channel adapted to convey said stock past a plurality of openings, and means whereby the stool: passes into one or another of said openings depending upon the characteristics of the stock.

8. Apparatus of the class described comprising a feed chute, a driving member at being adapted to carry stock into said se-e "lector channel and against said selector cavity, a plurality of openings in said selector channel, a shutter over one of said openings operated by said driven member, and means for conveying said stock along said channel past said openings.

9. Apparatus of the class described comprising a feed chute, a driving plunger at the end of said feed chute, said plunger having a head held normally extended by a spring, a selector cavity opposite the end of said plunger, a driven plunger normally urged inwardly through the base of said selector cavity by a spring of less strength than the spring extending the head of said driving plunger, a selector channel one portion of which lies in front of'the selector cavity, a conveyer for passing stock along said selector channel, a plurality of openings in said selector channel, and means actuated by said driven plunger for closing one end of said openings.

10. Apparatus of the class described, a selector mechanism'comprising a driving plunger, a selector cavity opposite the driving plunger of such' contour as to permit stock of predetermined conformation to enter the cavity, a selector channel having a plurality of openings therein and means to deliver through one opening the stock which enters the cavity and to deliver'the remainder of the stock through another opening. I

1].. pparatus of the class 'descrlbed 1ncluding therein a selector mechanism comprising a driving plunger, a selector cavity opposite the driving plunger of such 0011- tour as to permit stock of predetermined conformation to enter the cavity, a selector channel having a plurality of openings therein, and means to deliver through one opening the stock which enters the cavity and to deliver the remainder of the stock through another opening, said means comprising a shutter over one of said openings lector cavity.

actuated by a driven plunger in the se- 12. Apparatus of the class described including therein a selector mechanism comprising a cup shaped selector cavity of such contour as to permit stock of predetermined conformation to enter the cavity, means for presenting stock to said cavity, and means for delivering the stock which enters the cavity separately from the stock which does not enter the cavit 13. Apparatus fbr sorting machine elenients comprising a feed chute, a driving plunger at the end of said feed chute, a

'. selector cavity opposite the end of said drivsaid exit chutes, and meansto ing plunger of such. contour'as. to admit one side of a machine element and to exclude the opposite side, means for deliverdriven plunger in said cavity adapted .to

receive pressure transmitted fromthe driving plunger throughwthe stock which enters the cavity, and when movedby'said pressure to actuate a shutter to cover one of present the stock first to said shutter controlled chute and then to the other chute chute is closed. 15. Apparatus of the class described comprising a feed chute, two exit chutes, a driving plunger at the end of said feed chute, a selector cavit opposite said driving plunger, said cavity adapted to admit stock of predetermined conformation, a driven plunger in said cavity adapted to receive pressure transmitted from the driving plunger through the stock which enters the cavity, and when moved by said pressure to actuate a shutter to cover one of said exit chutes, and a conveyer lug adapted to move the. stock past the opemngs of both said chutes.

16. Apparatus of the class described comprising a feed chute, two exit chutes, a driving plunger at the end of said feed chute, a selector cavity opposite said driving plunger, said cavity adapted to admit stock of predetermined conformation, a driven plunger in said cavity adapted to if the first -receive pressure transmitted from the driving plunger through the stock which enters the cavity, and when moved 'by said pressure to actuate a shutter to cover one of said exit chutes, and a conveyer lug.

adapted to move the stock through a conveyer channel past the openings of both said chutes, said conveyer channed turning the stock through 180 between the passage over the openings to the first and second chutes.

17. Apparatus of the class described com prising a feed chute, a cam operated driving plunger at the end of said feed chute, said plunger having a head held normally extended by a spring, a selector cavity opposite the head of said plunger, a driven plunger extending through the base of said selector: cavity and normally held pressed inwardly through the base of said cavity by a spring of less strength than the spring extending the head of the driving plunger, a circular selector channel one portion whereof lies in front of the said selector cavity, a conveyer lug adapted to move around said selector channel, a plurality of openings in the selector channel, a shutter for one of said openings, the shutter normally held in open position by a spring, and means for closing said shutter, said means comprising a bell crank lever connected to the shutter, the bell crank being operated by means of a rotating cam thrown into operation by movement of the driven plunger.

Signed -by me at Boston, Massachusetts,

this 10th day of November, 1919.

CHESTER T. MOREY.

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