US1409187A - Counter - Google Patents

Description

L. E. LA BOMBAHD AND M. H. SIDEBOTHAM.

COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. e, 1920.

1 ,409, 1 8'7, Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET h L. E. LA BOMBARD AND M. H. SIDEBOTHAM.

COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. s. 1920.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEON E. LA IBOMBARD, OF CHELSEA, AND MELVIN H. SIDEBO'IHAM, OF CLIFTONDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB-S TO SPECIALTY AUTOMATIC MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHELSEA, IVIASSACHUSETTS. A CORPQRATION F MASSACHUSETTS.

COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented l'ilflil. 1-1, 1922.

Application filed February 6, 1920. Serial No. 356,700.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that we, linen E. LA Borrninu), of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, and Mrmvin H. Smnnorrmrr, of'Cliftondale, in the count) of Essex and State of lv lassarhusetts, both of whom are citizensof the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCou'nters, of which the following is a specification.

L This invention relates to mechanical counters and has part-icular reference to that type of devices which are attached to machines for making articles such as flat paper boxes or cartons and effect counting of such articles by indicating to an attendant that a predetermined number (such as fifty) are ready to be picked for boxing or laying aside in piles or groups. Usually the articles issue from the making machine either to mechanism which assembles them in a vertical pile, or onto a beltwvliiirli moves so slowly that the articles rest thereon in inclined overlapping condition, such belt forming a travelling platform from which the attendant removes the articles in. groups for packing. The machine produces the articles too rapidly foranyone to count them individually and therefore several devices have been proposed to so chance the position of some of the articles arri mg in the pile or row, relatively to the intervening ones, as to indicate to the attendant where to effect a separation of the pile or row in order to remove a predetermined number, such as .lifty. if the device changes the pc-sitionof more than. one article at each displacing operation, the attendant can not determine accurately where to effect the separation, and is liable to pick up 51 or 55 or 49 or 48 articles. The smaller the articles, the iireater is the liability of displacing" two or more articles instead of one.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide mechanism of the character described which. even when the smallest sizes of flat folded boxes are to be counted will. when operating to desigrate the last of a group. act upon but one box.

With this object in view the invention consists in a counter having a movable mem her which is moved by every passing article and which itself acts to displace some of them at intervals, and means connected with said member to determine the periods when that member shall act. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the displacing means comprises a pair of rolls between which the articles pass, said rolls being shifted aside to displace one article passing Jetvveen them at a time which is determined by the number of preceding articles which passed between said rolls. 7

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained hereinafter, and further features of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Of the accompanying drawings l igure l is a perspective view of the invention in one of its embodiments, the laterally movable rolls between which the articles pass being shown in their normal positions.

Figure 2 is a perspective *iew taken from a different point, the rolls being in their laterally shifted positions. In each of Figures 1 and 2. a portion of a disk 4-9 is broken out.

Figure 3 is a perspective view from below, corresponding with Figure 2 as to the positions of the parts.

Figure 4.- is a view similar to a portion of Figure 3 but corresponding with Figure 1 as to the positions of the parts. 7'

Figures 5 and 6 are similar transverse sectional views corresponding respectively with Figures 2 and 1 as to the positions of the parts.

Figure 7 represents a section through the ratchet coimtina portion of the mechanism, on a larger scale than the other figures.

Figure 8 is a. detail side elevation of a modification hereinafter described.

Figure 9 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 9 adjacent Figure 8.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated the mechanism is carried by a ramc consisting of a casting: comprising horizontal portion or base 12. an upright The portions l3. have threaded aperr s to receive screws or bolts by means of which ihe counter is secured to suitable parts Job 13. and depending lugs or ears 1%. 15,

of a machine such as a box folding machine not necessary to illustrate. The articles to be counted, such as flat-folded boxes orcartons that are being made by such folding machine, are fed through a throat or passageway 17 (Figs. 3 and 6) formed as a recess in the horizontal portion 12 of the casting, one end 18 being flared. Said articles are fed through said throat in rapid succession by suitable means such as the usual belts (not shown) employed for delivering boxes from the folding devices. One shaft of such a machine is indicated at 19 in Fi ure 1 because, as hereinafter explained, a driving shaft of some kind is employed to operate certain parts of the present counter. Said shaft 19 might be any constantly running shaft, not necessarily a part of the machine to which the counter is attached. For present purposes it will be sufficient to explain that the articles to be counted are passed through the throat 17 by any suitable if means and that certain parts of the counter to be described are actuated by suitable means such as a shaft 19.

The so-called counting is effected by laterally displacing articles from the row at certain regular intervals. In such machines as those for which the present counter is designed as an attachment, it is customary to embody a slow-travelling belt onto which the articles are delivered by the folding machine in the form of a row of overlapping folded boxes or cartons. By laterally displacing certain articles, such as every fiftieth one, the attendant is able to grasp a group (such as fifty of them). and place them in 2 boxes or other receptacles without having to do any personal counting excepting of the number of groups. This type of counter is particularly useful in connection with ma chines which fold boxes at the rate of 50,000 or more an hour, too fast for any other than group-counting to be effected.

The mechanism for effecting periodic lateral displacement of the passing articles, at fixed intervals, will now be described. Said articles, as they leave the throat 17, pass between upper and lower rolls 20, 21, respectively, the lower one being preferably knurled. The lower roll 21 is carried by a shaft 22 having a pulley 23 which is continuously rotated by a belt 24- driven by a pulley 25 carried by shaft 19. The shaft 22 is mounted in a bearing 26 rigidly connected to one end of an arm 27 (Fig. 3) below the portion 12 of the frame casting and pivotally supported at its other end by means of trunnions 28 one of which is supported by the frame lug 15. The upper roll 20 is idly mounted on a pin (Fig. 1) carried by a short arm 29 of a rock shaft 30 mounted in a bearing 31 connected by a web 32 with the bearing 26 so that when the arm 27 swings laterally it carries both of the rolls 20, 21, with it as indicated by comparing Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 4 represents the normal position of the arm 27, hearing bracket 32 and rolls 20, 21, when articles are being run through the throat with no displacement, and Fig. 3 represents the positions of said parts at the instant when the passage of an article (such as the fiftieth one) releases the mechanism which is yet to be described and which causes the momentary lateral movement of said parts to effect displacement of that article out of alinement with the other articles in the row.

To cause these swinging parts to shift quickly to the Figure 3 position when released, a spring is connected at one end to the pivoted arm 27 and at the other end to a block 84 adjustably secured to a fixed rod or arm 35 projecting from the base part 12 of the frame casting. And to limit the position to which the parts can be swung by the spring, a rod 36 is fixed in block 34 so that its inner end may serve as a stop for the arm 27.

For purposes of description, it will be assumed that the counter is constructed to deflect each fiftieth article passing between rolls 20, 21. During the passage of fortynine the parts are locked in the position shown in Figures 1 and 4 by a lever 37 mounted on a horizontal pivot 38. The long end of said lever has an upturned tooth 39 (Fig. 1.) to engage a notch in a countercontrolled disk hereinafter described, and the short end has a lateral tooth 40 overlapping the tooth of a latch 41 pivoted at 42 (Fig. 2)to the side of swinging arm 27 and normall held against a stop 43 by a spring 44. he rear faces of the cooperating teeth of the members 37, 41, are bevelled to permit them to readily pass from the unlocked position of Figure 2 to the locked position of Figure 1, latch 41 automatically yielding when so passing.

The relative positions of the rolls 20, 21 are such that their peripheries are almost, if not quite, in contact, so that every passin article will lift the roll 20, and act throng arm 29 to rock the shaft 30. Rigidly connected to said shaft is an arm which actuates' a ratchet to effect the release of lever 37 when the fiftieth article is passing. Said arm comprises a comparatively rigid member 45 to which is secured an overlying stri 46 of spring metal. A spring 47 connected at one end to the end of swinging arm 27 and at the other end to the projecting end of strip 46 has a tendency to hold the rock shaft with the roll 20 lowered, and to hold the other end or tip of the strip up. Said tip actuates the pawl and ratchet mechanism presently described, to effect release of lever 37.

One object of the strip 46 is to make the counter actuating arm as a whole resilient so that if anything unduly thick is passing between the rolls 20, 21, no damage to the passing article or any parts of the counter will result. This feature is effective in box folding machines of a type which, owing to high speed or other causes, sometimes send through a plurality of accidentally interfolded boxes. Another object of this resilient feature will be explained hereinafter.

The ratchet mechanism that is operated by the arm 45, 46 is contained in a housing secured to one side of the member 13 of the frame casting, said housing comprising inner and outer disks 48, 49 (Figs 1, 2 and 7) connected by a plurality of spacing pins. dounted in said disks is a shaft 50 having fixed thereto a ratchet 51 of (in this instance) fifty teeth, and also a disk 52 having a notch 53. The upturned tooth 39 of lever 37 coacts with the disk 52 and its notch as presently described.

Mounted on shaft 50 is an oscillating member or rocker 54 having at one end a recess or mouth 55 which receives the tip of the actuator or oscillator 46 and having at its other end a pawl 56 the ratchet 51. A shouldered stop 5'? accurately prescribes or limitsthe movement of pawl 56, and a detent 58 prevents back motion of the ratchet.

The fixed disk-.8 has a recess 59 into Which one side of the tip of the actuator strip 16 enters, so that the upper and lower sides of said recess limit the extent to which said tip can vibrate. This mechanism positively prevents any actuation of the pawlcarrying rocker 54 beyond what is necessary to advance the ratchet the space of one tooth. For instance, if a plurality of interfolded boxes should pass between the rolls 20, 21, the roll 20 can yield sufficiently to let them pass without damage because of the yielding arm 45, 46, but the effect will be to only count the passage of one box because of the recess 59 limiting the vibration of the tip of said arm. V7 hen this occurs the attendant who is picking up the groups readily notices the interfolded boxes and removes them and in place thereof inserts in that group of fifty one good box so as not to interfere with boxing or pacl-:- aging the correct number.

To prevent excessive movement or overthrow of theratchet and its shaft and the notched disk 52. due to momentum a brake head or pad 60 carried by a spri plunger mounted in the outer disk d9 of the housing bears against the side of the disk 52 (Fig. 2).

During the rotation of the ratchet the periphery of disk 52- presents a surface against which the tooth 39 of lever 3? bears until the notch 53 in said disk arrives above said tooth and permits said lever to oscillate on its pivot. The structure is such that while the lever is in locking position there is a constant tendency of its long arm to rise. This is effected by so bevelling the coasting faces of the latch l1 and tooth 40 of the lever that the pull of spring 33, transmitted to the latch which is carried by swinging arm 27, tends to make the side face of latch a1 act a cam on the side face of tooth 0 to depress the short arm of the locking lever and raise its long arm. Therefore, when notch 53 of counter disk 52 arrives in position to permit it, lever 37 yields and arm 2? and all parts carried by it, including the rolls 20, 21, shift suddenly to the position indicated in Figure 3. The box which at the moment is between said rolls is shifted out of alinement with the preceding ones, this shifting being in adirection toward the left in Figure 6 and therefore away from the vertical Web which connects the upper and lower horizontal portions of the chute or throat 17. The next following boxes are not directed out of alinement because the rolls, which have not moved far aside (say or 1% inch) are still in position to receive between them the boxes which are fed along the throat 17. As soon as the latch 41 has passed aside it can no longer exert any cam action on lever 3'7 and therefore the weight of the longer arm of said lever causes its tooth 39 to retreat instantly from notch 53, therefore leaving the disk 52 and ratchet 5i free to be actuated to effect the counting of the next series of fifty boxes.

To return the swingingarm 27 and rolls 20, 21 to the positions shown in Figures 1 and at before enough boxes have passed to effect the next complete rotation of ratchet 51 and disk 52, the following mechanism is provided.

Mounted in bearings provided in the frame lugs 14, 16, is a shaft 62, best illustr ted in Figs 5 and 6. Secured to the shaft intermediate its ends is a side-faced cam 63 the high and low ends of which are joined by a steeply inclined portion 64:. The swinging arm 2? has an opening large enough to surround the cam without touching it and said arm carries a finger 65 (Fig. 3) so that when the shaft 62 is rotated as presently described the cam 63 acts on the 65 to shift the arm 2. from the position shown in Figures a, 3 and 5 tothe posi tion shown in Figures 1, +2 and 6.

Secured to shaft 62 is a ratchet 66 having one flat tooth with a small notch or recess 6? formed in it (Figs. 1 and 2). Mounted to oscillate on the outer end of shaft 62 is a two-armed rocker, one arm 68 of which carries a pawl 69 held in yielding engagement with the ratchet 66 by a suitable spri 79. A suitable detent '71 is provided for the ratchet. The other arm 72 of the rocker has a pin '73 on which is mounted a sleeve 7 4 connected by a link 75 with an eccentric strap 7 6 mounted on an eccentric 77 se cured to the shaft 19 of the machine to which the counter is attached.

As the shaft 19, in practice, rotates rapidly, it actuates the rocker with sufficient speed to intermittently rotate the ratchet 66, and the shaft 62 in ample time to cause the cam 68 to return the swinging arm 27 to normal position long before fifty boxes have passed between the rolls 20, 21.

The shaft 62 also has secured to it an arm 78 having a pin 79 projecting laterally from it to serve as a stop to prevent the cam 63 from rotating too far. It serves to arrest the shaft and cam at the point indicated in Figure 6 by contacting with the finger 65.

Secured to one end of shaft- 62 is an arm 80, a spring 81 (Fig. being connected to said arm and to the base member 12. The purpose of these features will be presently explained.

In operation the front end of each article passing through the throat 17 and entering between rolls 20, 21, effects sufficient lifting of the roll 20 and consequent rocking of shaft 30 to cause the arm 4L5, f6, of the latter to oscillate the rocker 54 and actuate the ratchet 51 the distance of one tooth. When said ratchet and its shaft and the disk 52 have rotated to a point Where the notch 53 of said disk arrives opposite the tooth 39 of lever 37 said lever is released and the tooth 40 at the other end thereof releases the latch 41 and the spring 33 instantly pulls the pivoted arm 27 aside from the position indicated in Figures 1, 4 and 6 to the position indicated in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the limit of such movement being determined by the end of stop rod 36. The bracket 32 and the shafts therein and the rolls 20, 21, being carried bythe arm 27, such lateral movement of said arm causes the article then between said rolls to be dis placed from the line of the articles which preceded it. Since it is the front edge or end of each article that effects lifting of roll 20 and consequent actuation of the mechanism just described, the same article which brings the notch 53 to position to effect release of arm 27 will be the one to be laterally displaced, because the spring acts to swing said arm with its rolls 20, 21, before that same article can pass entirely between said rolls. Preferably the ratchet 51 has fifty teeth and therefore each fiftieth article will be displaced.

The arm 27 and the rolls 20, 21. do not at once return to normal position but this does not cause any lateral displacement of the articles following the single one which. has been displaced. This is because the articles continue to be fed along through the throat 17 and the rolls 20, 21, do not shift so-far aside as to materially divert the succeeding' articles. The rolls engage portions of the articles nearer the edge thereof, but each article lifts roll 20 just the same while the rolls are shifted (Fi 3), as when they are in normal position ig. 4).

As soon as the arm 27 and the rolls 20, 21 have been shifted, the mechanism for 1e turning them to normal position begins to operate. Before describing this operation it is desirable to explain that when said arm 27 is in normal position the finger 65 carried by it is in position to hold the shaft stationary (see Fig. 6) because it serves as a stop for pin 79 carried by said shaft. Although the pawl 69 is continuously aetuated by the eccentric 77, through its connections therewith, the shaft 62 is not rotated because at this time enough of the surface of the flat-topped tooth of the ratchet 66 is undersaid mud to prevent actuation of the ratchet. hen, when the arm 27 shifts to displace an article as already described, the finger 65 rides over the inclined edge portion 64 of cam 63 and there by gives a slight impulse of rotation to the cam as shown by comparing Figures 6 and 5. As said cam and the ratchet 66 are both fixed to the shaft 62, the action just de' scribed moves the ratchet far enough so that the actuating pawl 69 will either engage the tooth next beyond the fiat-topped tooth or a corner of the pawl will engage the notch 67 in that tooth, in either event effecting actuation of the ratchet and its shaft and the cam 63, which actuation will continue until 100 the flat-faced tooth is again under pawl 69 and the parts are again in the position shown in Figure 6 where finger 65 arrests the shaft and cam. As the cam rotates toward the last mentioned position, its side 105 face acts on the side of finger 65 and so swings the arm 27 and its finger 65 to the position just mentioned. And of course the rolls 20, 21, return to normal position.

The return of arm 27 and the rolls to nor- 1 mal position is effected long before enough articles (such as fifty) have passed between the rolls so as to cause another displacing action. This is due to the fact that the ratchet 66 has so few teeth that the rapidly- 11 acting pawl 69 completely rotates said ratchet in a fraction of the time required for fifty passing articles to effect complete rotation of the counting ratchet 51. As will now be understood, the mechanism comprises one ratchet the movement of which is due to the passage of articles and the rotation of which results in the displacement of individual articles at predetermined intervals, and means including another ratchet (66) which effects the return of its displacing means to normal position. We do not limit ourselves to the specific ratchet counting mechanism including the arm 45, 46, and rocker 54 hereinbefore described. For instance, Figures 8 and 9 illustrate rolls 85, 86 for the passage of articles between them, each of said rolls being peripherally grooved. The upper roll 85 is mounted in an arm 87 which is mounted to be swung or shifted aside in the manner of the arm 27 of the other figures. Said arm has a'bearing 88 for a short stud shaft 89 having an arm 90 carrying the lower roll. 86. A pin 91 projecting from the stud shaft has a spring 92 connected toit to serve to yieldingly raise the roll 86 into contact with roll 85.

A ratchet 93 is mounted in the a m 87 and by any suitable means, such as a spring, not necessary to illustrate, has imparted thereto a tendency to rotate in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 8, which tendency is resisted, but intermittently permitted, by the escapement arms 94, 95, having teeth alternately engaging the ratchet. Said arms are integral with or rigidly connected to an arm 96, all three arms being pivotally connected at 97 to the arm 87. The arm 96 extends through the peripheral groove or roll 85 and into that of roll 86 so as to lie in the path of the articles being fed between the rolls whereby each passing article acts upon arm 96 to slightly actuate the escapement arms 94, 95, to intermittently permit rotation of ratchet 93. A machine embodying the structure illustrated in said Figures 8 and 9 may, in all other respects. be substantially the same as in the other Figures; that is, the ratchet 93 may act through the same mechanism as that shown in Figures 1 to effect lateral movement of the arm 87 and the rolls 85, 86, and said arm may be returned to normal position by the same means as hereinbefore described in connection with Figures 1 to 6 inclusive.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a member mounted to be moved by each of a series of passing articles, means for actuating said member to cause it to displace some of the articles at intervals. and means connected with said member to determine the periods when said member shall act.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of members, means for directing articles successively between said members, means for shifting said members aside periodically at predetermined times to displace articles at spaced points, and means controlled by the passage of the articles to effect said shifting.

3. A device of the character described comprising a member mounted to be moved by each of a series of passing articles, means for actuating said member to cause it to displace some or" the articles at intervals, and

means connected with said member to determine the periods when said member shall act, said means including devices for determining the displacing operation of the members according to the number of preceding articles which passed said members.

l. A device of the character described comprising a pair of rolls for engaging opposite surfaces of passing articles, said rolls being relatively movable to be parted by each passing article. means for moving said rolls laterally periodically to displace individual articles, and means controlled by the parting movement oi the rolls to effect their lateral movement.

A counter mechanism of the character described, comprising means for engaging passing articles, means for holding said engaging means in position to permit a predetermined number of the articles to pass in the same direction, and means controlled by the passage of an article following said predetermined number for laterally shifting said engaging means to divert said following article out of the path of those which preceded it.

6. A counter mechanism of the character described, comprising a pair of rolls for engaging articles passing between them, means for holding said rolls against lateral movement during the passage of a predetermined number of articles, and means controlled by the passage of an article following said predetermined number tor laterally shifting said rolls to displace said controlling article relatively to those which preceded it.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a ratchet, means for effecting operation of said ratchet by the passage of a succession of articles, means controlled by said ratchet for effecting displacement of some of the articles at regular intervals, and means including another ratchet for effecting the return of the displacing means to normal position.

8. A counter mechanism of the character described having, in combination, a pair of laterally movable rolls for the passage of articles between them, and means controlled by the passage of a predetermined plurality of articles to effect lateral movement of said rolls.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a member mounted to be moved by the front portion of each of a series of passing articles, and means controlled by the number of times that said member is moved for effecting an article-displacing movement of that member in another direction.

10. A counter mechanism of the character described, comprising a pair of rolls for engaging articles passing between them, means for holding said rolls against lateral movement during the passage of a predotermined number oi? articles, means controlled by the passage of an article followingsaid predetermined number for laterally shitting said rolls, means for returning said rolls to normal position, a shaft having connections for rotating one of the rolls, and means actuated by said shaft for operating said roll-returning means.

11. A counter mechanism of the character described having, in combination, a laterally movable arm, rolls carried by said arm, a ratchet mechanism operated by the passage of articles between the rolls, and means controlled by said ratchet for effecting lateral movement of the arm and its rolls.

12. it counter mechanism of the character described having, in combination, a laterally movable arm, rolls carried by said arm, a ratchet mechanism operated by the passage of articles between the rolls, means controlled by said ratchet for effecting lateral movement of the arm and its rolls, and means for automatically returning the arm and its rolls to normal position.

13. A counter mechanism of the character described having, in combination. a laterally movable arm having a pair of bearings, a shaft in one of said bearings having a roll and a pulley, a rock shaft in the other bearing having an arm carrying a roll to cooperate with the first mentioned roll. a ratchet, means for actuating said ratchet from the rock shaft, and means controlled by said ratchet for effecting lateral movement of the arm and rolls.

14. A counter mechanism of the character described having, in combination, a laterally movable arm having a pair of bearings, a shaft in one of said bearings having a roll and a pulley, a rock shaft in the other bearing. having an arm carrying a roll to cooperate with the first mentioned roll, a ratchet, a resilient actuator for the ratchet carried by said rock shaft, and means controlled by said ratchet for effecting lateral movement of the arm and rolls.

15. In a counter mechanism, a, member mounted to be moved by each of a series of passing articles, a ratchet, a carrier having a pawl engaging the ratchet, an actuator for said pawl carrier connected with said movable member, and means for restricting the extent of movement of said pawl carrier to prevent excessive actuation of the ratchet.

16. A counter mechanism of the character described having, in combination. a laterally movable arm, rolls carried by said arm, a ratchet mechanism operated by the passage of articles between the rolls, a notched disk connected to rotate with the ratchet, a spring for shifting said arm and rolls aside, and latch mechanism for holding said arm in normal position, said latch mechanism being constructed and arranged to be released by the notch in said disk.

17. A counter mechanism of the character described having, in combination. a laterally movable arm, rolls carried by said arm, a ratchet mecln-niism operated by the passage of articles between the rolls, means controlled by said ratchet for effecting lateral movement of the arm and its rolls, and means including a cam for returning said arm and rolls to normal position.

18. A counter mechanism of the character described having, in combination, a laterally movable arm. rolls carried by said arm, a ratchet mechanism operated by the passage of articles between the rolls, means controlled by said ratchet for effecting lateral movementof the arm and its rolls, a shaft having a cam for returning said arm and rolls to normal position, and power mechanism for actuating said shaft.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

LEON E. LA BOMBARD. MELVIN H. SIDEBOTHAM.

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