US1752890A - Plastic material measuring and filling machine - Google Patents

Description

April 1, 1930. w. A. COYTE 1,752,890

PLASTIC MATERIAL MEASURING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed April 8, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l ff m I, I WQIJ MW WI M ii i 'I s: I

April 1, 1930. w. A. COYTE PLASTIC MATERIAL MEASURING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed April 8. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE WILLIAM ARTHUR COYTE; OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB TO J. LYONS .AND COM- PANY, LIMITED, "OF LONDON, ENGLAND PLASTIC MATERIAL MEASURING 'A'ND FILLING MACHINE.

Application filed April 8, 1926, Serial No. 100,759, and in Great Britain. May 14, 1925.

This invention relates :to machines or apparatus for dividing ofiand packing predetermined quantities of ice-creamer similar filling'position, andsuch devices have been plastic material, and is concerned particularly with the production of what-are known :as ice-cream bricks.

The object of the invent-ionis to .provide an expeditious and hygienic means whereby portions of ice-cream are divided OE and delivered into a lined box or case ready for subsequent freezing into ice-cream bricks.

Heretofore in carton and like filling machines in which the carton or containersare moved intermittently into filling position by endless chain orother mechanism, it hasbeen proposed to provide the material feeding devices with stopping'mechanism having a releasing member extending into the path of the carton or container so as to :be operated only when a carton or container-is moved into arranged to operate on the lever mechanism of pivoted or sliding covers of measuring devices through which the material is 'fed tothe containers. It has also been proposedto use similar'mechanism for stopping the machine when no containers are fed to filling position and also :to provide 'on similar machines a device of the kindhaving a'measuring champ ber provided with oppositely sliding shutters at its ends so that when the upper one is open the lower one is closed and vice versa when the material is fed into the container.

The present invention comprises apparatus for dividing off and feeding predetermined quantities of plastic material and having material feeding apparatus heldout of operation by controlling mechanism adapted tov be operated by the passing of container into feeding position, characterized bythe material being fedby a cylinder of which the reciprocating plunger has continuously operated reciprocating mechanism'adapted to be brought into operation .by such controlling mechanism. I

A machine according to my invention comprises essentially a hopper containing the ice-cream in bulk, an outlet from the hopper controlled by a valveland having means for feeding into delivery position a measured quantity of ice-cream, a travelling belt or chain upon which the boxes or cases adapted to recelve the ice-cream are placed and which positively preventing the delivery'of the icecream unless a box is in position to receive it and ensuring delivery when thebox is in pos1t1on.:

"In order that the details of construction and action of the invention may be more clearly understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 1s a partly sectional side elevation and Figure 2 a partlyv sectional endelevation of the essential portions of the machine.

In the machine illustrated the mechanism is duplicated on its opposite sides so that the operations may be carried on simultaneously at both sides of the machine.

In these drawings 2 isa hopper containing a plastic substance, in the present example say ice-cream mlxture required to be formed into ice-cream'bricks or blocks; The hopper 2 is provided with an outlet '3 controlled by a rotary cylindrical valve 4. Theice-cream 'mounted on a rocking shaft 6, the rocking shaft 6 being operated by a lever-8 and rod 9 from any convenient crank eccentric or rocking lever on the machine. Thepaddle v Sbeinghinged to the lever? in such amanner that it is held vertically and rigidly in the ice-cream mixture during movement towards the outlet 3 and is free to move about its pivot during the reverse movement. The boxes or cases which are indicated by the numeral 10 aresmoved into and past the feeding position under'the valve 4 by an endless chain 11 which passes over a chain pulley 12 at each endof the machine. pulley 12 is given an intermittent feedmovement by means of a ratchet wheel 13 keyed to the shaft 14 carrying the chain pulley 12 and operatedby a pawl 14: carried by a rockxing lever 15 of which the end 16 is connected by a link-17, lever 18 and a rod 19 to an eccentric 20 driven from a power driven shaft The chain 21, the lever 18 being rockingly mounted on a shaft 73. The shaft 21 is provided with a chain wheel 22 by which it may be driven from any suitable source of power such as an electric motor.

The cylindrical delivery valve 4 is rotatively mounted in a casing 23 fixed under the hopper 2 to a bracket 24 secured to the standard 25 of themaehine. The valve 4 is providedwith a spur wheel 26 of which the teeth mesh with those of a quadrant 27 provided with a lever extension 28 and pivoted on a shaft 29. The endof the lever 28 is connected by arod 30 and link 31 to a lever 32 mounted at the other end on a rock shaft 33 mounted in a bearing bracket 34 secured to thestandard of the machine. a The lever 32 is provided with a roller 35 running on a cam 36 secured tothe shaft 21, and also with a rod 70 to the end of which is fixed one end of a spring 71 the other end of the spring being fixed to a bracket 72 on the shaft 73, the spring 71 tending to hold the roller 35 on the cam 36.

he cylindrical valve 4 is in the form of a hollow sleeve having a port 37 adapted to register with the outlet opening 3 of the hopper 2 when in receiving position and is also provided with a port38 adapted to register with a valve delivery outlet 39 when rotated by the spur wheel 26 and quadrant 27 to discharging position. I Vithin the cylindrical valve 4 is a plunger 40 of which the rod 41 is adapted-to be operated by trip pawls or pushers 43and944 pivotally connected to a rocking lever 42 whereby it is reciprocated in such a manner that the charge of ice-cream drawn into the valve 4 when the ports 37 and 3 are inregister will on the return stroke of the plunger be forced thereby through the ports 38 and 39 when in register and so be delivered into the box 10 moved into feeding position immediately below the port 39.

. The plunger operating lever 42 rocks on a shaft 45 fixed inbosses 46 on the main frame of the machine and the lower end of the lever spectively, these abutments being fixed on the rod 41 of the plunger 40.

The pawl 743is held normally above the abutment 50 by trip mechanism releasable when a box 10 is "in position immediately under the feed valve 4 sothat should nobox be in the feeding position the ice-cream feedingumechanism'is inoperative. This mechanism consists of a feeler 51, movable laterally in and out of the path of the boxes 10 by -'a rod 52 pivoted to a lever 53rocking on a .p1vot54, the feeler 51 being held normally in the path ofthe receptacles by the weight of the lever 53, the distributionof the material of this lever being slightly unbalanced for this purpose so that when the feeler has moved out of such path and released it will return automatically to its normal position, this movement may be assisted by a spring. The lower end of the lever 53 is provided with a hook or catch portion adapted to hold up the end 56 of the lever 32 so that the roller 35 can be out of operative engagement with the cam 36 when there is no box in the feeding position, when, however, a box 10 is moved into feeding position its side engages the feeler 51 and pushes the rod 52 outwards sufliciently to tilt the lever-53 about its pivot 54 to such an extent as to draw the hook 55 from under the end 56 of the lever 32 and so release the roller 35 and enable it to be operated by thecam 36. The lever 32 is provided with a portion 57 extending beyond its rock shaft 33 and linked by a rod 58 to one end of a bell-crank lever 59 pivoted at 60 to the rocking lever 42, the other end of the bell-crank plunger operating abutment 50 and so allows the feeding plunger 40 to be operated by the rocking lever 42. r

a A lining is preferably placed in the box on its way to the feeding position, and in the operation of the machine an operator places a box betweentwo angle members 62 forming between them a guide way having a central space in which projections fixed at intervals on the chain 11 extend to engage a side of the box and carry it along the guide way. The main flaps forming the cover of the box are bent outwards to the open position and held there while passing under guide rods 64 and 65 which extend a sufiicient distance along the guide way to ensure them being held out of thewayand keep the box fully open duringthe feeding operation.

The lined box is held by the intermittent mechanismiuntil it reaches filling position,

and while passing into such position engages thefeeder 51'tooperate the trip mechanism setting into operation the valve rotating and plunger mechanism as described above.

During such operation a charge of icecreamis drawn from the hopper 2 by the plunger 40 through the ports 3 and 37 into the cylindrical valve 4, the valve is then rotated by the quadrant 27 to shut ofi the port 3.and open the port 39, whereupon the plunger 4() is moved inwards and forces out the ice-cream composition through the ports 38 and 39 into the box 10.

. Theubox is thenconveyed by the chain 11 to the delivery end of the machine where it is removed and closed by another operator and then conveyed to a freezing room where it is converted into a hard ice-cream brick.

By means of the foregoing, ice-cream bricks of given size can be expeditiously ma do and packed without the hands of the operator ever coming in contact with them.

What I clalm and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus for dividing OE and feeding measured quantities of plastic material into receptacles, comprising means for feeding the receptacles mto filling position intermittently and dellvering them therefrom after filling, a measuring cylinder having a reciprocating feeding plunger, a continuously oscillating member, means for placing the oscillating member into the path of the feeding plunger to drive the same and means for holding the latter means out of operation until a receptacle has been fed into filling position. I v

2; Apparatus for dividing 01f and'feeding measured quantities of plastic material into rece tacles com risin means for feedin 7 b the receptaclesinto filling position intermittently and delivering them therefrom after filling, a measuring cylinder having a recip rocating feeding plunger, a continuously oscillating member, a pivoted pawl, lever mechanism for moving the pawl into the path of the feeding plunger to drive the same, means for returning the feeding plunger,

' mechanism for transmitting movement from a receptacle to the pawl, the pawl being pivoted on the oscillating member and the pawl intermittently into filling position and delivering them therefrom after filling, a measuring cylinder having a reciprocating feeding plunger, a continuously oscillating lever, carrying a pivoted pawl movable into the path of the feeding plunger, lever mechanism for moving the pawl into the path of the feeding plunger, means for returning the feeding plunger, a reciprocating feeler normally extending transversely into the guide way into the path of the receptacles at filling position and movable therefrom by a receptacle, the mechanism for moving the pawl into the path of the feeding plunger being operated by the feeler when moved out of the path of the receptacles by one of the receptacles as it is fed into filling position, and

- the means for returning the feeding plunger being operated '%by the continuously oscillating'lever.

4:. Apparatus for dividing off and feeding measuredquantities of plasticmaterial into "receptacles, comprlsmg a guide-way and unllQlIIlliI-tlltlff operated mechanism for feeding the receptacles into filling position and delivering them therefrom after filling, a measuring cylinder having a reciprocating plunger, a continuously oscillating member, a reciprocating feeler normally extendmg transversely intothe guide-way at filling ;position, a cam, a lever operated thereby, acatch lever linked at one end to-the reciprocating feeler and provided at its other-end with a catch normally holding the saidcam operated lever away from the;c'a-m but removable therefrom by the feeler whenengaged by a receptacle, and means actuated by the said cam operated lever to place the oscillating member in the path of the feeding drive the same. I

5. Apparatus for dividing off and feeding measured quantities of plastic material into receptacles, comprising a guide-way and a means for feeding the receptacles'into, filling position and delivering them therefrom after fill1ng,a measuring cyl nder having areciprocating feeding plunger, a continuously oscillating lever carrying a1 bell-crank lever and a pawl movablethereby into the path of the feeding plunger to drive the same, means for returning the feeding plunger, a cam, an

oscillating lever actuated thereby, a catchy lever and a feeler held thereby normally'into the path of the receptacles, the catch of the lever being arranged to hold the said cam operated oscillating lever normally out of contact with the cam, and connected by link plunger to mechanism to the bell crank lever on the con- Y tinuously oscillating lever so as to hold the pawl out of engagement with the feeding plunger when the cam operated lever is held by the catch lever and allow the pawl to engage the feeding plunger when the catch 7- receptacles, comprising means for feeding the V receptacles into filling position intermittently and delivering them therefrom after fill ing, a measuring cylinder having a reciprocating feeding plunger, a continuously oscillating lever, two oppositely disposed pivoted pawls carried by the continuously oscillating lever one for efiecting the feed and the other the return movement of the plunger, and lever and link mechanism for moving the feeding pawl into feeding position, the lever and link mechanism for moving the feeding pawl into feeding position being operated by a receptacle moving into filling position. I

7. Apparatus for dividing off and feeding measured quantities of plastic material into receptacles, comprising a guide-Way and intermittently operated mechanism for feeding the receptacles into filling position and delivering them therefrom after filling, a

measuring cylinder having a reciprocating plunger, a continuously oscillating lever, two oppositely disposed pivoted pawls carried by the continuously oscillating lever one for effecting the feed and the other the return the guide-way at filling position, a cam, a

movement of the plunger, a reciprocating feeler normally extending transversely lnto lever operated thereby, a catch lever, the catch lever being linked at one end to the reciprocating feeler and provided at its other end with a catch normally holding the cam operated lever away from the cam but removable therefrom by the feeler when enaged by areceptacle, and means actuated by the cam operated lever for causing the oscillating lever to engage the pawls with the feeding plunger.

In witness whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM ARTHUR COYTE.

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