US1649563A - Machine for stacking biscuits and the like - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 15, 1927. Y

J. H.'L. BOETTCHER momma FOR smcxme BISCUITS AND THE LIKE Filed June 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I 95% 04.2 M

ATTORNEYS Ndv. 15, 1927.

1,649,563 J. H. L. BOETTCHER MACHINE FOR STACKING BISCUITS AND THE LIKE Filed June 23, 1925 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CL-MM ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,649,563 PATENT OFFICE.

W-MMW JAGOB HEINRICH LUD'WlllG BOIQTLLCHER. O1? ORANGE, HEW

anti-ear, nssicnon ro nn- VICES GQRPORATION OF NEW/V JERSEY, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORFORATION 0F NEXV JERSEY.

MAUI-11111313011 sraoirine niscuirs Ann 'rnn LIKE.

Application filed June 23, 1925. I Serial No. 39,054. j

This invention relates to a machine for feeding and stacking articles such, for in scending support for receiving the biscuits as they are stacked. q

Another object consists in providing such a machine which includes successively operating members for receiving the biscuits as they are stacked, each of said members serving as a means for ejecting the formed stack from the other member, during the course of the operation.

Another object consists in providing such a machinethat includes means for automatically interrupting the feed of the biscuits during the said ejecting period.

Another object consists in. providing such a machine in which the members for receiving the biscuits as they are stacked are given movement in open endless angular paths, in performing the functions of receiving and ejectingthe biscuits. i

A further object consists in providing certain improvements in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts whereby the above named and other objects may effectively be obtained.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 represents a detail top plan View, partly broken away;

Fig. 2 represents a partly broken away;

Fig. 3 represents a detail section showing the clutch mechanism whichis broken away from Fig. I; v p n Fig. 4 represents a detail side view. partly broken away, showing the biscuit feeding, stacking and ejecting mechanism, and the actuating-means therefor; n

Fig. 5 represents a detail section; partly broken away, taken inthe plane ofthe line V-V of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 represents a detail end elevation,

detail side view, partly broken away, showing the biscuit feeding,

stacking and ejecting mechanism, with parts a or the actuating means removed;

Fig. 7 represents a detail side view, partly broken away, with the stacking and ejecting mechanism in a different position from that shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 represents a detail side view, partly broken away, with the stacking and ejecting mechanism shown in still another position;

Fig. .9 represents a detailsection, partly broken away. taken in the plane of the line IX-IX of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The machine includes has a base 1 of skeleton formation, together with. two pairs of uprights marked 2 and 3.

A main drive shaft 4; isjournaled in bear ings 5-5 fast to a vertical member "6 com posing part of the skeleton base 1. The

said shaft projects laterally beyond the frame of t-he machine, and one end finds support in a standard 7. The said end has a pulley 8 fixed thereto in order to receive power from asuitable source, not shown.

The uprights 8 are adapted to support a plurality of chutes 9., which are arranged side by side. nine being shown in the present instance. These chutes are calculated to receive the biscuits 10 from a conveyorbelt or other suitable feeding apparatus.

It will be observedthat the chutes 9 are slanted downwardly andthe biscuits are intended to be fed from them into receiving troughs 11, one trough being arranged'in line wlth, and intended to cooperate with, each chute; j

The biscuits are held in their chutes and properly fed therefrom by a series of wheels 12 which are mounted on a shaft 13 that is journaled in bearings i k-14: formed in brackets15-15 that project upwardly from the uprights 3.

One of said whcelsl2 is mounted above each chute 9 and is arranged to project into the chute far enough to engage the biscuits therein, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. These wheels are preferably composed of some yielding material, such as relatively soft rubber, and their peripheries are also preferably serrated so as to provide a circum ferential set ofyielding fingers calculated to i a framework that by restrain their movement or feed them according to the designed operation ofthe machine, without injury.

The shaft 13 that carries these feeding wheels is actuatedb3 means of a sprocket 16 carried on the end thereof and connected by means of a chain 17 with another sprocket 18 that is fast to the end of the shafts opposite to that which carries the-pulley 8.

The feed of the hiscuilisis intended to be intermittent so that there may be a pausein the feed during the period of time occupied in meeting each complete stack, and thisi-ntermitteney in the feed is accomplished by providing a slip clutch for securing the sprocket 16 in rotatable engagementwith the shaft 113. This clutch. is well shown in Fig. 3, and it will be seen that the sprocket 16 base sleeve 19 which carries a plurality of springeetuated shoesQO intended to frictionally engage the inner circumference of the drum 21that "isfast 'on'the shaft 13.

This clutch willcause the rotation of the sprocket 16 by the ohain 17 to normally rotate the shaft 13 and thereby actuate the feed wheels 1-2, but meansis providedtlor interrupting this operation. which means 24*24 onone of the uprights 3.

consists of a brake which has a shoe 22 adapted toenp'agre theonter circumference of theidrum 21. This shoe is carried on the upper end of a rod 23 that slides in guides An expansion coil spring 25 is compressed between the lower guide fl land a shoulder 26 formed onthe rod 2330 as to normally-urge the rod downwardly andhold the shoe 22 away from the drumBl. The lowerend of the rod 23 carries a roller 27 that rides on a cant-28 fixed on the shaft l. The said cam has two high spots so than twice during each revolution, the rod 23 is forced upwardly against the power oftbe spring 25 so as to positively engagetheshoeQB Wllll l'llfi drum 2]; This prevents the drum from rotating and thus causes the clutch shoesQO to slipalong the inner circumference of the drum 21 so-that the continued rotation oftbe sprocket 16, (at this juncture, fails to transmit rotary mo tion to the shaft 13. i a it One of the important features of the invention relates to the means for receiving:

and ejecting the biscuits, which means ineludes a pairof members adapted .toeliave motion in endless angular paths, each one traversing a course so as to make it, in effect, revolve about the other; each in turn receiving the biscuits as they are stacked:

and each in turn ejecting the stacked biscuits from the other. i

These members are shown in front view in Fig. 2 and consist of a pair of rightanguler arms 29, '30. The arm 29cm'ries a series.

in the present instance nine, of beads 81;.

each head-beihg-of such size, shape and location as to cooperate with one o 'the chutes Q and one of the receiving troughs-ll.

pressed, thereby raising same number of similar heads 352 for a similar purpose.

Selecting armBO for this purpose. it will he observeddhat its lower end is pivoted at 335 between the ends of a bifurcated rod Ii -l that is hinged at 35 in the skeleton frame I. The said and fi l carries a roller 3i) that travels upon othercircumference of a camv 37 fixed upon and rotating with the shaft if The configuration of the cam 37 is sucbas to cause the roller 36 to be elevated and do and lowering the arm 30 with heads 32. i a -The movementof the said arm fall with beads 32 is further controlled. It is mor molly urged in awforward direction by a retractile coil spring 38 that is fixed to the bearing:

upon the front of the arm 30. The lower; end of the lever has a rollere l that rides in engagement with the edge of a cameo that rotates with the shaft l, The configuration of the cam 45 is suchas to intermittently retract the arm 30 and also permit the arm 30 to be movedforwardly by the spring 38, according to the design of thc apparatus.

The combined effect ofvthe cams, rollers, lever and spring operating upon the arm fill is" such as to cause the heads 32 cali riml thereby to move both upwardly and down wardly and to the right andqlcft in such manner as to traverse an open. an rular curb less path. In other words. the said beads move upwardly, "then l'otlie li then dowuwe rdly. then to the right. at the end of which last movement the cj 'cle is coni 'ileled. This cycleis continuouslyrepeated during the operation of the machine. a

As previously mentioned the arm thus the same construction, operation mecliauisriu movement. and function as the arm ill), so that it will not be described nor will its connected parts be identified by different muncrals. f i In the operation of the machine, the heads 32 are moved into the posit shown in dotted lines in Fig. The hi its [0 are being fed down through'the chute 9 by the wheelslil and the first biscuits fall upon lbo tops of the heads 32. During the continued feed of succeeding biscuit" :be heads E353 are gradually moving downwardly under the id fluence of their actuating mechanism above described so that, as each set of su ceedin r biscuits-is fed to thesaid heads 32 the lal lcr are moved downwardly about the thickness Thearm 30 is likewise provided with the a IOU of a biscuit until, at the time the said heads reach the lowermost point of their downward movement, the stacks of biscuits have been completely formed thereupon. It will be s en that, owing to. this arrangement, each biscuit only falls a slight distance in passing from its chute 9 on to its head 32, thereby obviating the danger of breaking the hiscuits. The heads 32 are shown in their partly lowered position in Fig. 7, and in their fully lowered position in Fig. 5. Just as the said heads reach their lowest position, the heads 31 on the arm 29 reach their highest position on their upward stroke and move forwardly over the tops of the heads 32, thereby moving the stacks of crackers off the heads 32 and ejecting the same into the troughs 1].. As the heads 31 move forward in this operation the heads 32 begin moving backwardly. This condition of affairs is well shown in Fig. 8. Thecompletion of the ejecting movement by the heads 3 brings them into the same position as is shown for the heads 32. in dotted lines, in Fig. 6, and the operation is now repeated, just before, except that, in this instance the biscuits are stacked upon the heads 31 during their downward movement and, after the stacks have been completed and the heads 81 have reached the limit of their downward movement, the heads 32, which have now reached the limit of their upward movement, advance I over the heads 31 and eject the stacks of biscuits as previously described.

The timing of the operation is such that, during the period that either set of heads is .cting the stack of biscuits from the other set of heads, the brake shoe 22 is clamped against the clutch drum 21, thereby preventing the rotation of the feed wheels 12-, and thus causing an interruption in the feed of the biscuits. Immediately the ejection of the stacked biscuits has been accomplished from one set of the heads 31 or 32. the said brake is released and the biscuit feed proceeds.

In order to prevent the biscuits from sliding beyond the heads intended to receive them, as they pass from the chutes 9, I provide a guard 46 which is arranged transversely of the troughs 11.

The feed wheels 12 not only serve to feed the biscuits as above described; they also, by their yielding engagement, restrain the feed of the biscuits when the feeding movement is interrupted by the brake, mentioned.

It will be understood that various clmngcs may be resorted to in the form. construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; and henceI do not intend to be limited to the details herein shown and de scribed, except as they may be included in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A machine of the character described comprising, a. plurality of biscuit-carrying elements, means for depositing biscuits in stacked relationship upon such elements, and means for moving each element so as to be loaded in turn with a stack of biscuits and, in turn, to eject the stacked biscuits from a loaded element.

2. A machine of the character described comprising, a plurality of biscuit-carrying elements, means for depositing biscuits in stacked relationship upon such elements, and means for moving each said element in an endless path about the other element for the purpose set forth.

3. A machine of the character described comprising, a biscuit feed, biscuit-carrying elements, means for moving the elements in sequence in an endless path partly in adjacency to the feed, the movement of the elements being so timed that after one has re ceived a load of biscuits from the feed, the succeeding element, in approachingits receiving position, ejects said load.

l. A machine of the character described comprising, a plurality of biscuit-carrying elements, means for depositing biscuits in stacked relationship upon such elements, and cam actuated mechanism for moving each element so as to be loaded in turn with a stack f biscuits and, in turn, to eject the stacked biscuits from a loaded element.

5. A machine of the character described comprising, a plurality of biscuit-carrying elements, means for depositing biscuits in stacked relationship upon such elements,

and cam actuated mechanism for moving each said element in an endless path about the other element for the purpose set forth.

6. In a machine of the character described, a rotary biscuit feeding device, said device having a yielding serrated periphery.

7. A machine of the character described comprising, biscuit feeding means, means for receiving the biscuits to be stacked, means for ejecting the stacked biscuits, means for interrupting the feed during the period of ejection, and a main drive shaft and cams on said shaft for actuating the receiving, ejecting and interrupting means.

8. In a machine of the character described, rotary biscuit feeding means, mechanism for actuating said means, and a brake for restraining said mechanism to interrupt the feeding, said brake including a push rod, :1. shoev at the upper end of said rod, and rod actuating means adjacent its lower end.

9. In amachine of the character described, rotary biscuit feeding means, mechanism for actuating said means, a slip clutch in said mechanism, a brake for causing said clutch to slip to interrupt the feed, a main drive shaft, and means on said shaft for operating said mechanism and said brake,

10. A machine 9f the charaeter described comprlslng, biscuit igeedlng means, means for receiving the biscuits to be stacked,

means, and a driving connection between said. rotary shafts, said driving connection including a slip clutch.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 22nd day of June, 1925. a

JACOB HEINRICH LUDWIG BQETTCHER.

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