US1801822A - Sheet-transfer mechanism - Google Patents

Description

April 1931. D. M: SUTHERLAND. JR 1,801,322

SHEET- TRANSFER MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l NEYS D. M. SUTHERLAND. JR 1,801,822

SHEET TRANSFER MECHANISM April 21, 1931.

Filed Sept. 24', 19 28 5 sheets-sheet 2 NQ Mw INVENTOR Jamel flfmwaafiuiizerimmgaz' A NEYS April 21, 3 D. M. SUTHERLAND. JR

SHEET TRANSFER MECHANISM File d Sept. 24, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 21, 1931.

D. M. SUTHERLAND. JR

SHEET TRANSFER MECHANI SM Filed Sept. 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 m w n R 8 om mm M E V. 0 m m D V- April 21, 1931.

M. SUTHERLAND. JR

SHEET TRANSFER MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheec 5 77 W A RNEYS Patented A r. 21, I931 OFFICE DANIFJL MANSON S'U'IHERLAND, JR., OF MORRISVILLE, TI'ENNSYLVANIA- snnEr-rmsrmt MECHANISM Application filed September 24, 1928. Serial Ito. 307,839.

My invention relates to sheet transfer mechanism, and is especially adaptable and advantageous in connection with the manufacture of fibre board. I

In the manufacture of fibre board, fibre pulp is brought into sheet form in an apparatus generally known as a wet machine, wherein a large. part of thewater of the pulp is drained away. The resulting sheet of wet, loosely coherent pulp is transferred to an apparatus generally referred to as a drier, where it is compacted'into a strong, coherent board by heat and pressure, and dried out by the heat. The wet machine and the drier may be located on different floors or levels in the manufacturing plant, or at the same level.

In this mode of manufacture, the wet fragile sheet of slightly cohesive particles has to be received from the wet machine and transferred and introduced into the drier,

and it is to this operation that my present invention is particularly applicable.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of a plant for the manufacture of fibre board, with means em bodying my present invention for transferring the board from the wet machine to the drier.

Fig. II is a diagrammatic plan view of the same plant.-

Fig. III is a side elevation of one of the transfer devices or conveyors shown in Fig. I, on a larger scale.

Fig. IV is a plan view of the device shown in Figs. II and III.

Fig. V is a fragmentary view of the left hand end of the device shown in Figs. III and IV, on a larger scale, with various parts in vertical section as indicated by the line -v--v in Fig. iv.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary plan view corresponding to Fig. V.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary elevation of the right hand end of the carriage shown in Fig. III, on a larger scale.

Fig. VIII is an end view of the carriage 'from the right of Fig. III, with the ways on which it runs in vertical section.

The elevator 26 serves to .However, I will first describe and construction of the carriage 22.

Fig. IX is a fragmentary plan view of the right-hand portion of the carriage.

Fig. X is a diagrammatic elevation of one end of the'carriage illustrating the connections that are active in driving the belt while the carriage is stationary.

Fig. XI is a partly corresponding plan view.

Figs. XII and XIII are to Figs. X and XI, illustrating the connections that are active in driving the belt and the carriage concurrently.

Figs. XIV and XV are diagrams similar to Figs. X and XI, illustrating the connections that are active in driving the carriage %l one}i{n the opposite direction from that in Fig. XVI is a view similar to Fig. III, but less complete and on a larger scale, illustrating a device somewhat difierent from those shown in Figs. II-IX.

ig. XVII is a fragmentary plan view of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. XVI.

Figs. I and II show a Wet machine 20 for forming sheets from fibre pulp, a drier 21 for compressing and consolidatin the wet sheets and freeing them of superfluous moisture, and the mechanism for transferring the Wet pulp sheets from the wet ma chine to the drier. As shown in Fig. I, the transfer mechanism comprises a loader conveyor or carriage 22, running on stationary rails 23, for receiving the sheets from the wet machine and'placing them in a pile diagrams similar on a truck 24E,shown as running on rails"- 25 that extend onto an elevator 26,-,and also another loader 27, running on stationary rails 28, for taking the sheets from the pile and introducing them between the plates 29 of the drier 21. adjust the top of the pile of sheets to theproper height for the conveyor 27, as well as to take care of any difference in level as .between the wet machine 20 and the drier 21. Each of the carriages22 and 27 has an apron 30 for supporting the fibre sheet, and each apron is movable longitudinally of its carriage.

the operation conveyor or carriage the ri ht, to the dot-and-dash position of Figs. and III; while at the same time the apron 30 travels to the left, at a rate corresponding to the bodily movement of the carriage to the right, so that the sheet is not 1 shifted in either direction, but is let down or deposited in situ on the pile on the truck 24,the carriage and apron simply moving out from under it.

As shown in Figs. I and II to VI, the con-' veyor 22 comprises a horizontal frame struc ture consisting of longitudinal side members or sills 31 and one or more transverse members 32 interconnecting them. At either side of this. frame are a couple of wheels or rollers 33, mounted on stub shafts 34 attached to the side members 31, and adapted to run on the rails 23. The apron for supporting the wet fibre sheets is shown as the top run of an endless belt extending around transverse rolls 36 at or adjacent either end of the carriage, with their shafts or trunnions 37 mounted in hearings in the side members 31. Preferably, this apron or belt 30 is of pervious or foraminous. character: e. g., it may consist of bronze or brass wire gauze of some 30 meshes per inch, or ofcanvas treated to be unshrinkable. As indicated in Fig. IV, the texture of the wire gauze extends diagonally of the belt 30, so as to give the latter a de ree of elasticity. As shown in Figs. II and-IV, the upper run of the belt 30, on which the fibre sheet rests, is supported at suitable intervals by intermediate transverse rolls 38 whose shafts or trunnions 39 are mounted'in bearings in the frame members 31. The rolls 36 and 38 may be spaced'as much as a foot or more on centers, smce they are not required to afford anything like continuous support for the fibre sheet, but'merely to sustain the upper run of the belt 30 against stretching or sagging. The belt 30 may be driven primarily by either of the rolls 36, and secondarily by the other rolls 36 and the intermediate rolls 38. Accordingly, sprocket chains 40 run around sprockets 41 at the ends of the rolls 36 and 38 (Figs. IV, V, and VI), just outside the edges of the belt 30, with their upper runs engaging sprockets 42 on the ends of the rolls 38. As shown in Figs. III

and IV, there may be idle transverse rolls 43 beneath the lower run of the belt 30, to

,riage-shiftin help keep the latter taut and prevent it from sagging. As shown in Fig. VII, the right-hand shaft 37 has eccentrically mounted bearings 44 which may be ad usted to keep the belt 30 properly taut, and may be secured in adjusted position by a pin inserted through a hole in each bearing ear 45 into any one of a number of holes 46 in the member 31. As shown in Figs. II and III, spring buffer stops 47, 48 may be provided to limit the movement of the carriage 22 both ways.

To assist in receiving the fibre sheet from the wet machine 20 and feeding it on the belt 30, auxiliary conveyor means may be provided at the 1810 hand end of the conveyor 22, shown in Figs. III to VI as consisting of a belt 50 extending around small transverse rolls 51, 51 whose shafts or trunnions 52 are mounted in hearings in the frame members 31. Owing to its small size, the left-hand roll 51 can come close enough to the delivery roll and belt 53 ofthe wet machine 20 to engage the leading edge of a fibre sheet before it will sag down and break. One or both of the rolls 51 can be driven from the left-hand roll 36 by gears 54 on the shafts 52 and one or more idle gears 55 mounted at theinner side of the member 31.

In the present instance, the carriage 22 is not moved along the rails 23 by its wheels or rollers 33, but by gears 56 on a transverse shaft 57 mounted in bearings in the frame members 31, and engaging stationary racks 58 attached to the rails 23.

As shown in Figs. III to VI, VIII and IX, provision is made for driving the carshaft 57 and the right-hand belt-roll shaft 37 by a prime mover 60 in the form of a reversible electric motor mounted on the carriage frame over one end of the belt 30. This motor 60 may be supported by a'horizontal plate 61 spanned between upward extensions of the side members 31. Motion is transmitted from the motor shaft 62 to the shaft 57 and the righthand roll-shaft 37 through intermediate transverse shafts 63, 64 mounted in bearings in the frame members 31, at either side of the motor 60. For this purpose,.there shafts 63and 57 and 64 and 37 (see also Figs. VIII and IX). These latter may be kept taut by rollers 67 on, segment plates pivoted on the frame members 31, which may be clamped in any desired position by clamp nuts 68..

To provide for the various motions of the carriage 22 and its belt 30, the pulleys of the connections 65, 66 may be made loose on the motor shaft 62, and a clutch mechanismv provided for connecting them to the shaft 62 alternatively: i. e., when the clutch 70 is engaged with the clutch element 71 of the connection 65 in Figs. VIII and IX, this connection is driven and the other connection 66 is idle; and vice-versa as to the other clutch element 72. The clutch 70 may be shifted by any suitable means, such as a collar 73 and a yoke 74 connected to the movable core of a solenoid 75. As shown, the clutch 70 is biased to engage the connection 66 and drive the shaft 64 by a spring 76 acting on a rocker 77, whose forked upper arm has a pin and slot connection 78 with the clutch collar 73. When the solenoid is energized, however, it overcomes the spring 76 and throws the clutch 70 into engagement with'the connection 72 to drive the shaft 64.

The mechanism and connections thus far described 'provide for driving the conveyor 22 and the belt 30 alternatively. To drive the belt 30 concurrently with the conveyor 22 but in the opposite direction and at corresponding speed, "as is required to deposit the sheets on the truck 24, provision may be made for driving the shaft 64 from the shaft 63, while the latter is being driven through engagement of the clutch 70 with the connection 71. As shown in Figs. VIII and IX, this may be accomplished by a chain and sprocket connection 79 between the shafts 63,64 and a crown-ratchet vconnection 80 to the shaft 64, operative only for clockwise rotation of shaft 63.

Figs. X and XI are diagrams of the connections that are active in driving the belt 30 to take a fibre sheet from the wet- 7 machine 20 while the carriage 22 is at rest in its left-hand, full-line position,-the arrows indicating the directions of movement of the parts.

Figs. XII and XIII similarly show the active connections for driving the carriage 22 to the right and the belt 30 to the left to lay a sheet onvthe truck 24, the motor 60 being, of course, reversed as compared with Figs. VIII and IX.

Figs. XIV and XV. show the active connections for returning the carriage 22 to the left toward the wet-machine,the motor'60 revolving in the same direction as in'Figs. X and XI. Here the belt 30 is driven to the right; but this is of no consequence, as there is no fibre sheet on it.

Thus, it will be seen, the entire operation of receiving a sheet, depositing it, and returning the carriage 22 for the next sheet can be fully controlled by merely starting, stoping, and reversing the motor 60, and energizing and de-energizing the solenoid 75. This, of course, can be done by the man in charge of themachine at the proper times, by means of an ordinary manually operated remote control push button.

The conveyor device or carriage 27 is more particularly illustrated in Figs. XVI and XVII. Except as hereinafter indicated, it is the same as the carriage 22 in both construction and operation: accordingly like parts are marked with the same reference characters in each case, as a means of dispensing with repetitive dscription. It differs from the carriage. mechanism 22 in being adapted to overhang cantilever-wise beyond the support of itsways, 28. Accordingly, its supportingrolls or wheels 3341!. areall located near its left-hand end, as shown in Fig. I, and a couple of underrunning rolls 83 are provided at its rear end, mounted on brackets 84 to engage underneath the top flanges of the channel rails 28 and prevent the free end of the carriage from tipping down. The forward ends of the frame sides 31a are tapered, to facilitate their entry between the drier plates 29. Also, the carriage 27 is provided with a pushing device 85 to push the previous sheet out of the drier 21 as the carriage enters it with each new fresh sheet. As shown in Figs. XVI and XVII,

this pusher 85 consists of a bevel edged bar 86 mounted on crank arms 87 fast to' a rockshaft 88 mounted in bearings in the frame sides 3M. As the carriage 27 enters the drier 21, the edge of this bar 86 rests on the drier plate 29 and pushes out the-pressed and dried fibre board, as shown in Fig. XVI. Pivoted on the carriage frame member 31a is a rocker 90 with one arm connected by a link 91 to a similar arm 92 on the rock-shaft 88, and a roller 93 on its other arm. As the carriage 27 moves back out of the drier 21, the roller 93 engages an incline 94 at the end of the ways 29, and thus the push-bar 86 is lifted clearof the ways before it has a chance to strike them.

As shown in Figs. XVI and XVII, a couple of rollers 95 may be mounted on the inner sides of the frame members 31a, to engage the drier plate 29 in case the carriage 27 should tip down, or the drier plate be a little high.

The cycle of operation for the carrier 27 is somewhat different from that for the carrier 22. After introducing a sheet into the drier 21, the carriage 27 recedes to the left' (Figs. I and XVI), over the pile of sheets on the truck 24, to the full line position of Fig. I. The carriage 27 then returns forward toward the pile of sheets on the truck 24 and enters beneath the front edge or margin of the top sheetwhich has meanmad the belt 30 travels in the opposite direction (toward the left) relative to the carriage 27 at a. linear speed equal to the rate of travel of the carriage; and thus the sheet is progressively elevated and picked up on the carriage in situ,-without being moved horizontally relative to the pile of sheets, and'without riskof breakage. The rearward movement of the belt 30 relative tothe carriage 27 now ceases, and the carriage moves on forward into the drier 21, carrying the sheet with it between the plates 29 of the drier. During this movement, the pushing device 85 pushes out the stiff dry sheet last treated in the drier, as already described. The carriage 27 now recedes again (toward the left), while the belt 30 travels in the opposite direction (toward the right), at a rate of speed equal to the rate of travel of the carriage, and thus the sheet is dropped in situ by a simple reversal of the operation of picking it up,or just as it was laid down on the pile on the truck 24 by the other carriage 22, as already described.

The conclusion of this receding movement brings the carriage 27 back to its full line position of- Fig. I, ready to take the next sheet off the pile. I

The operation of the apparatus or plant as a whole is, briefly, as follows:

A sheet of fibre pulp having been formed in the wet machine 20, it is delivered therefrom and received by the loader 22, which deposits the sheet on a truck 24 on the elevator 26, in the manner already described. This isrepeated until the truck 24 is fully loaded, whereupon the truck moves forward (Fig. II) on the track 25 to a position between the drier 21 and the loader 27. There-- upon the loader 27 picks up the sheets and introduces them into the drier 21, one by one, as already described. Meantime, .the truck 24 now being unloaded into the drier 21 has been replaced by another similar truck in front of the wet machine 20; so that while thefirst truck 24 is being unloaded, this second truck 24 is being loaded with other sheets as they are successively formed in the wet machine 20. The interval required for the formation of a. sheet in the wet machine 20 aflords ample time for one truck 24 to replace another in front of the wet machine 20; and in any case, a formed sheet may be held in the wet machine 20 as long as necessary for one truck to move away and another to take its place. As trucks 24 are successively unloaded into the drier 21, they may, of course, be returned back to the wet machine 20 in any suitable. manner, for reloading.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a fibre board plant, the combination with a wet machine for forming fibre pulp into sheets and a plate presser and drier for converting the wet slfeets intoboard, of a reciprocatory loader for taking sheets one by one from the wet machine and piling them, a reciprocatory loader for taking the sheets from a pile and carrying them between the drier plates, and means or receiving the sheets in a pile from the first loader and transferring and presenting the pile to the second loader.

2. A loader of the character described comprising a reciprocating carriage, and a flexible belt for supporting a wet fibre pulp sheet running lengthwise of said carriage and covering substantially its full width, with means for driving said belt relative to the carriage, to load and unload the fibre sheets on to and off of the carriage.

3. A loader of the character described comprising a reciprocating carriage, transverse rolls on said carriage and a flexible belt running around said rolls for supporting a fibre pulp sheet, means for driving said belt through one of said rolls and transverse rolls on said carriage at intervals between those aforementioned for sustaining the top run of the belt under the weight of the sheet.

4. A loader of the character described comprising a reciprocating carriage, transverse rolls on said carriage and a flexible 'belt running around said rolls for supporting a fibre pulp sheet, means for driving said belt through one of said rolls, transverse rolls on said carriage at intervals between those aforementioned for sustaining the top run of the belt under the weight of the sheet, and means for connecting said latter rolls to those first mentioned to be driven by them.

5. loader of the character described comprising a carriage frame with longitudmal side members, transverse rolls therein having sprockets inside said side members, a flexible belt running around said rolls for supporting a fibre pulp sheet, transverse rolls at intervals between those aforementioned for sustaining the top run of the belt, with sprockets thereon inside the side members, and sprocket chains running around the sprockets of said first-mentioned rolls and engaging the sprockets of the intermediate rolls.

6. leader of the character described comprising ways, a reciprocating carriage with a belt for supporting a fibre pulp sheet running lengthwise thereof, and wheels on said carriage for supporting its weight and for coacting with the ways to sustain it cantilever wise when projecting beyond the ways.

7. A loader of the character described comprismga reciprocating carriage, a belt for supporting a fibre pulp sheet running lengthwise of said carriage, and a common motor for said belt and carriage mounted on the latter, with driving connections for driving each of them. I

8. A loader of .the character described comprising a reciprocating carriage with transverse rolls, a belt running around said .rolls for supporting a fibre pulp sheet, and a common motor with alternative driving connections for said belt and carriage, mounted on the carriage above. the belt.

. 9. A loader of the character described comprising a reciprocating; carriage with ways therefor, transverse rolls on said carriage and a belt running around said rollsfor supporting a fibre pulp sheet, driving means for said carriage including a. gear thereon and a stationaryrack in mesh therewith, and a common motor for said belt and carriage mounted on the latter, with driving connections to one of said rolls and to' said gear.

10. A loader of the character described comprising a reciprocating carriage, a belt for supporting a fibre pulp sheet running 7 lengthwise of said carriage, and akcommon g5 reversible motor for said belt and carriage mounted on the latter, 'with'driving connections including a transverse shaft for driving the carriage, a transverse shaft for driving the belt, means for operatively .con-

necting said motor to said shafts alternatively, and an interconnection between the shafts that is effective for rotation in on direction only.

11. A loaderof the character described comprising a carriage frame with longitudinal side members and transverse rolls mounted therein, a belt running around said rolls, longitudinal ways for said carriage, stationary racks on said wa s and gears mounted on said frame coactmg with said racks to reciprocate the carriage, a common motor for said belt and carriage mounted on the frame, transverse shaftsm'ounted in said side members above the belt and driven I 40 by said motor and driving connections from said shafts to said gears and one of said rolls outside of said side members.

12. In a fibre board plant, the combination with a wet machine forforming fibre pulp into sheets and a plate drier for con-,

verting the wet sheets into board, of a reciprocatory loader for taking sheets one by one from the wet machine and piling them, a reciprocatory loader for taking the sheets from a pile and carrying them between the drier plates, and means for receivingthe sheets m a pile from the first loader and transferring and presenting the pile to the second loader and adjusting the top of the pile to the proper level for the second loader.

In testimonywhereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Trenton, New Jersey, this 10th day of September, 1928. v

. DANIEL MANSON SU'I'HERLARD, Jr.

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