US2119767A - Crating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 7, 1938. E. ANDERSON 2,119,767

CRATING `APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNE Junev 7, 1938.

E. ANDERSON CRATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. l, 1934 mm m m l vm ww fl/ .fm mx June 7, 1938.- ANDERSON 2,119,767

CRATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1, 1934 3 vsheets-sheet s INVENTOR 25 Z0 rm/Y H/efso/l ATTO R N EYS Patented `June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES re OFFICE' CRATING APPARATUS 15.Claims.

This invention relates-to crating apparatusv and particularly to a machine for automatically asbe manually lifted and deposited in crates. Two men are usually required to perform this work` and to handle the output of the bottles from the lling and sealing apparatus.

This invention has for its salient object toprovide apparatus for automatically crating lled and sealed containers and for accurately depositing the containers in the crate.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in mechanism of the class described for preventing the crating mechanism from operating in case no crate is disposed in a position to receive the containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple, practical and efficient mechanism for crating containers so constructed and arranged that the mechanism can be attached to the standard bottle handling apparatus between the conveyor which discharges the filled containers from the filling and sealing mechanism and the crate feeding means.

Another object of the invention is to provide in mechanism of the character described means whereby the bottles can be inspected for foreign or-extraneous matter.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the 'drawings which form a part of this application, and in which Fig. l is an elevational view of mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mcchanis shownin Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly in section, of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view on a smaller scale showing the crate feeding and positioning mechanism, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation showing one of the clutches and the control means therefor; A

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 5*; and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional elevation'showing further clutch control means.

The invention briey described consists of crate support.

Emil Anderson, Briarclifl Manor, N. Y. Application November l, 1934, Serial No. 751,004

(Ci. 22S-id) mechanism adapted forattachment to standard bottle handling apparatus and arranged to receive a plurality of bottles on a platform and to transfer these bottles in groups to crates positioned to receive them. The bottles or containers are fed to the support by the usual conveyor which discharges the lled and 'sealed bottles and transfer means is mounted on a movable carrier and is arranged to move periodically into engagement with the bottles on the support and to transfer the bottles to a position above a crate section andthereupon to lower the bottles and to deposit. them in the section. After one set ot bottles has been deposited the crate is permitted to move forwardly to a position in which the next section or division of the crate is so disposed as to receive the next group of containers or bottles. This operation is repeated until all of the compartments or sections of the crate are filled whereupon the next succeeding crate on the crate conveyor will move forward to position its forward compartment in the proper location to receive the next load.

Means is provided in connection with the ap- 4 paratus to prevent the transfer means from operating in caseV no crate is in position to receive the load.

Further details-of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the mechanism is supported on the side rails Ill and yH of the Between these rails runs a chain or belt i2 which,operates continuously and feeds the crates periodically when they are not held against movement by one of a plurality of stop members A, B, C or D. y

The mechanism was designed particularly for transferring milk bottles from a support I3 to `the crate'. The support I3 receives the bottles from and is disposed in alinement with an endless conveyor IH which cqnveys the bottles to the mechanism from the illling and sealingapparatus. The milk crates or containers are usually provided with four compartments, each compartment having three divisions. For this reason the bottles are fed three at a time and are deposited in successive compartments in the crate which is fed forwardly a distance equal to the width of one compartment after each operation of the transfer mechanism.

The transfer mechanism ismounted on uprights or pedestals 20 and 2l which are clamped to the side rails I0 and Il and may if desired be made vertically adjustable in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. As there shown, the uprights 26 are adjustably mounted inv vertical guideways 22 which are secured to the rails and each-post or upright 26, 2I has formed at one edge thereof a rack 23 which is engaged by a pinion 24. By rotating the pinion shaft 25 the uprights 26 and 2I will be raised or lowered. This adjustment-is provided for the purpose of` accommodating the machine for use with containers of different heights, such for instance, pint bottles'andquart bottles.

The transfer means consists ,of a plurality of transfer members 36 which are pivotally mounted on trunnions 3I carried by lugs 32 secured to a pair of endless carrier` members or chains 33. 'I'he chains are mounted on sprockets 34 and, 35 carried by spindles 36 vand 31. The spindlev 31' is mounted at the free ends of armsl or beams 36 which are pivoted on the spindle 36. g

' Each of the transfer members 3'6 is 'provided with a plurality of yokes or forks adapted to em space the bottles for'discharge into thecrate sections.

' members In Fig. 1 the chains or carriers 33 have 'mounted 'thereon two. transfer members.l When three` ing Fig. land the carriers continue to move the transfer members 36' during the downward mtion so that the bottles will move downwardly in a vertical plane into the crate or box positionedto receive them.- Thus, during one operation of the carriers or chains l33thel transfer member in operation will move from the positionv E to the position H. However, during the movement from the position G-to theposition H the arms 38 will swing downwardly to discharge the bottles into the crates. y 4

In order to guide and steady the bottles during their downward movement resilient blades or strips 45 and 46 are disposed in the path of movement of the bottles and converge downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. The blades 45 and 46 are carried by cross members 41 and 48 which Aextend over the path of movement of the crates and are carried by members 49 securedt upwardly extending pedestals 56 connected to the side frame I6 and II. movement .of the transfer member the tail 36' will en gage.thecross member 41 and swing the transfer member in a clockwise direction viewing Fig. 1, thus withdrawing the forks of the transfer 'member from engagement with the bottle and Transfer. operating and control mechanism Y wise' direction viewing Fig.v 1.

pin 66 carried by the lever to raise the-link66,-

During the downward l invention shown,a motor Mfis mounted on a i 34 is mounted has also mounted thereon a sprocket which is connected by a chain 66 to a sprocket 61 secured 'to a hollow shaft 66 concentric with the shaft 62. A clutch member 16 Ils fixed to the hollow shaft 66 and is provided with laterally movable spring actuated fdogs 1I which are normally. held in retracted position by a lug 12 formed on a lever 13 which is mounted on a fixed pivot 14. When the lug 12 engages one of the dogs 1I the dog will beheld in retracted posicontinuously when the motor is running andwhen the lever 1a is raised the rotation of the worm wheel will be communicated to the clutch member 16 and to the hollow shaft 66.` This Will cause the sprocket 61, chain 66 and sprocket 65 to rotate the carriershaft 36 andmove one of the transfer membersxfrom the position E into engagement with the bottles on the platform I3- and to the! position G whereupon the arms 36 will swing downwardly at the same time that the transfer. member moves from the-position G to H.

The vlever 13 is operated by ailink 66 which is connected at 6I to the lever and is normally held in its'lower position by means of a spring 82 which enoircles the link and engages a fixed abutment 63 at one end and a collar 64 on the link at the other end. The lowerend of the link 66 is provided with a slot 85 in whichis positioned a pin 66` carried by a lever 61 which .is pivoted."

The conveyor I4 which conductsy the bottl from the filling and sealing apparatus to the transfer. mechanism is disposed in substantial alinement with the platform I3. However, between the conveyor'and the platform there is mounted a star ywheel-96 having six concaved portions 9I adapted to receive the bottles. star wheel 96 is mounted on a vertical spindle 92 and will be rotated one-half of one revolution.

The

when three bottles or one load of bottles has'been y have been 'deposited on the platform onev of thev lugs-will engage and tilt the lever 61 in a clock- This will cause the thus lifting the lever 13 and permitting the clutch 16 to connect the hollow shaft 68 to the worm wheel 6I. Y

The'framc on which'the carrier and transfer members are mounted Ais pivoted on the shaft 36 and comprises' the arrns36 and rearwardly extending portibns 56 which are connected by a cross member 166; This frame is tiltable on the axis of -.the shaft 36 in the following manner: The shaft 62 on which the worm wheel 6I is loosely mounted has connected thereto a clutch mem- A ber ml having dogs m2 simnar to the dogs 1| The transfer mechanism may be driven in any suitable manner and in the embodiment of theA on'the clutch member 16. Thedo'gs I62 are normally heldin retracted position by a lever |63 which is actuated in a clockwise direction viewing Fig. 7 by a spring |04. The lever |03 has formed thereon or secured thereto an arm |05 which extends into the path of movement of a lug |05 carried by the clutch member 10.- When this member 'I0 has rotated a predetermined extent it will engage the arm |05 of the lever |03 and swing the lever in an anticlockwise direction viewing Fig. 'l releasing the dogs |02 of the clutch member When these dogs are released they extend into the path of movement of one of the pins 64 carried by the worm wheel 6|. Thus, the rotation of the worm wheel will cause the clutch member I0| to rotate which in turn will rotate the shaft 62 on which it is mounted. The shaft 62 has also mounted thereon an eccentric disk or cam IIO. The eccentric disk or cam I|0 engages a roller III carried by an arm |I2 which is mounted on a fixed pivot |I3 on a bracket or lug I|4 carried by one of the posts 20. The arm |I2 has a bifurcated or forked upper end I I5 which straddles the shaft 62. The rotation of the shaft 62 and the cam or eccentric ||0 carried thereby will cause the carrier frame to be tilted downwardly about the shaft 36 since the roller carried by the arm |I2 is relatively xed. The shaft 62 during this tilting movement will move upwardly in the bifurcated end ||5 of the arm |I2. Thus, as the clutch member IUI is actuated to drive the shaft 62 the disk ||0 'on Crate positioning means As hereinbefore stated, the crates are supported on thelguide rails I0 and II and are frictionally engaged by a continuously operating conveyor belt or chain I2. In order to properly position the crate to receive the loads from the transfer members a pluralitv ofstop members or lugs A, B, C and D are carried by a shaft |20. The lugs are connected to the shaft by a pin and slot connection |2I, as indicated in Fig. 4. Means is provided for tilting the shaft |20 after the compartment disposed in receiving position has been lled. This is accomplished by a link |22 which lis pivoted at |23 to the carrier frame or extension 56 of the arm 38. The link |22 is connected at its lower end to an arm |24 fixed. to the shaft |20. When the carrier frame is tilted the link |22 will be raised and through the arm |24 will tilt the shaft |20 in a clockwise direction viewing Fig- 3, thus raising all of the stop lugs A, B, C and D. The return of the carrier frame to its initial position will oscillate the shaft |20 in the opposite direction permitting the lugs to return to operative position, but since the crate has been permitted to be fed by the conveyor I2 the lug which formerly positioned the crate in receiving position will be disposed against the side wall ofthe crate and the cratev lug A will rest against the side Wall of the crate and the crate will be stopped in 'position by the lug B which will dispose the second compartment in receiving position. This operation willbe repeated after each compartment has been filled.

It will be evident that some means mustbe provided for positioning the front crate out of align'- ment with the second crate since after the four compartments of the first crate have been lled all four of the stop lugs will rest against the wall of the crate and these lugs would also rest against the wall of the second crate. In order to prevent this means is provided for shifting the front crate laterally on the supporting rails so that the wall of the crate at the side on which the stop lugs are located will be spaced inwardly from the corresponding wall of the next succeeding crate. This is accomplished by means of a lever |25 mounted on a fixed pivot |26 and having a lug |21 adapted to engage the side wall of the crate disposed at the side of the track at which the stop fingers or lug are located. The lever |25 is normally actuated away from the track or guide rails by a spring |28. Timed means is provided, however, for periodically actuating the lever |25 tor push the crate laterally on the guide rails. This means consists of a cam |29 mounted on a shaft |30 to which is secured a gear |3| which meshes with a gear |32 mounted on the spindle 92 of the star wheel 00. The gears are so proportioned that after the star wheel 90 has been rotated two times or, in other words, has deposited four loads of three bottles each in'the crate the cam |29 will engage and actuate the lever |25 and push the crate laterally on the The other rail I0' carries springs |31 and |38v which act to position the crate on the rails.

Means is provided for preventing the operation 'of the transfer mechanism unless a crate is vin position to receive the bottles or containers.

This is accomplished as follows: The shaft |20 is slidabiy mounted in brackets |40 and |4| by which it is carried anda spring |42 presses against the front end of the shaft. When a crate is positioned in engagement with one of thel fingers or stop lugs A, B, C or D the pressure will cause the shaft |20 to be pressed forwardly to the position'shown in full lines in Fig. 1. However, should no crate be engaged by any of the lugs the pressure of the spring |42 is silicient to lshift the shaft |20 longitudinally-or to the left y be operated the driving mechanism for the transfer means will not function. Thus, no load will be engaged b y a transfer member and be fed to discharging position. It is obvious that such a 'safety provision is very important since unless a crate is in position to receive a load the operation of the transfer mechanism would` cause thebottles or containers to be discharged and they would probably-be broken and the contents be spilled7 In order to insure the proper engagement of the threebottles on the platform I3 by the transin theV path of movement ofthe bottles. The rod is carried by a Vvertical-spindle ISI and is pressed by a spring I-62 against the bottles positioned on the platform I3. After the bottles have been engaged by the transfer. member and the transfer member moves forwardly the rod will be swung.

out of the way about the axis of the spindle I 6 I.

I Operation Although in the above description bottles have been mentioned as the articles handled, -it will be 93 or 6l. carried by the star wheel with the lever Il. If a crate is in position to receive a load the lever 31 will be tilted causing the link 80 to be pushed upwardly, lifting the lever I3 from its operative position and permitting the. dogs 1I to move ,into the path of rotation of the pin 63 carried'by the worm wheel 6I. This will cause the hollow'shaft 68 to rotate, whereupon. the sprocket and chain connection 61. 66, 65 will rotate the shaft 36 causing the chains or carrier members 33 and'transfer members 30 to start in operation. One of the transfer members 30 will thereupon move-from the position E i'nto engagement with a load of containers or bottles on the platform I3 and will carry these bottles to the position G above the compartment to receive them. When the transfer member has reached the position G the lug |06 on the clutch member 10 will swing the lever I 03 (Fig. '7) to the right releasing the dog I02 of the clutch member IIIy and permitting the dog'- to move outwardly into the path of movement of the pin 64 carried by the worm wheel 6I. This will clutch the shaft l2 to the worm wheel causing the shaft to be rotated. As this shaft is rotated the veccentric disk or camIIII by. reason of its engagement with the roller II'I willswing the carrier frame downwardly about the axis of the shaft 36. During .this downward movement the transfer member will move'from the position G tothe position H, thus maintaining the bottles or articles supported thereby in a vertical plan'e during their downward movement. When the transfer member reaches the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 the tail 39 of the transfer member'will engage the cross rod 61 and tilt, thus releasing the bottles. During the downward movement of the bottles they will be steadied and guided by the spring plates 45, 46. f The carrier frame and transfer members will move downwardly to dis" charge position and back to their initial position upon one complete rotation of the shaft 62 and upon the completion of this rotation the lever III will cause the dog |02 to be retracted out of the path of movement of the pin 64.

After one load has been deposited in the crate compartment and upon the tilting of the carrier frame the shaft I2I| will be oscillated freeing the crate 4from the stop fingers or lugs. The shaft, however, is immediately returned to its initial position andthe crate will be stopped in its feeding movement by the next succeding lug. For instance, in Fig. 4 after the front compartment has been filled the crate will be released and will be next engaged by the stop lug or finger B.

y l 2,119,767 fer member 30 a rod |56 -is ,normally positioned As hereinbefore described, in order to insure the stopping of the next succeeding crate by the lug A after one crate has been fed the forward crate is shifted laterally after four loads have been deposited therein by the operation of the lever in the manner above explained. In addition to the bottle transferring mechanism above described the device is provided with means by which the bottles can be inspected. Sometimes during the lling and sealing of the bottles one of the bottles will4 be cracked and the broken pieces will naturally fall to the bottom. Also extraneous or foreign matter may enter the bottle and this matter usually settles to the bottom. In order to enable the operator to detect such foreign matter as rests on the bottom oi' the bottle a mirror Ris supported beneath the path of movement of the bottles from the support. I3 to the discharge position 'above the crate. Since the bottles are suspended from above the bottoms of the bottles can be observed in the mirror and any g foreign matter in the bottle can be easily detected. A second mirror R may be located at the side, as shown in Fig. 3. Y

Although one specific embodiment -of the invention -has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim gis:

l. Apparatus for depositing containers in a crate lcomprising a support, means for feeding containers to saidv support, .means for feeding crates,. said support being disposed above the level of the upper ends o f the crates, an endless carrier, transfer means thereon for successively engaging the containers on said support and movable in'a single planel to feed them to a position above the crate into which they are to be deposited, means controlled by the containers fed to said support for moving'said endless carrier and transfer means, and means operable on said endless carrler for lowering the transfer means and depositing the containers in the crate.y

2. Apparatus for depositing containers in a cratevcomprising a support, means for feeding containers to said support, means for feeding crates, a movable carrier,A a' plurality ofsuccessively acting transfer meansthereon for successively engaging and successively transferring the -rows of containers on said .support and feeding them to a position above the crate into which they are to be deposited, means controlled by the containers fed to said support for moving said movable carrier and transfer means', said transfer means being movable in a single plane from receiving position to a position above the crate, means operable on said movable carrier for lowering the transfer means and Vdepositing the rows of containers successively in the crate and means for operating the crate feeding'means to feed the crate after each row of containers has been deposited therein to a position to receive the next row of containers.

3. Apparatus for depositingl containers in a crate. comprising a support, means for feeding containers to said support, means for feeding crates, means .engageable with a crate on said crate feeding means for positioning the crate in predetermined positions to receive containers,

in a crate to release the crate and position the crate in its next receiving position, a movable carrier, a plurality of successively acting transfer y means thereon for engaging loads' of containers on said support and feeding them successively to a position above'the crate into which they are to be deposited, means controlled by the containers fed to said support for moving said movable carcontainers to said support, means for feedingV crates, means engageable with a crate on the crate feeding means for positioning the crate in predetermined .positions to receive containers, means for operating said positioning means subsequent to the depositof each load of containers in a crate to release the crate and position the crate in its next receiving position, and a plurality of successively acting, positively driven means operable to engage and transport the containers fromv the support to the crate.

5. Apparatus for depositing containers in a crate comprising a support, means for feeding containers to said support, means for feeding crates, means engageable with a crate on the .crate feeding means for positioning the crate in predetermined positions to receive containers, means operable to transfer the containers from the support to the crate, and 'means including the crate positioning means and operableV when a crate is not positioned in any one of said predetermined positions for preventing the operation of saidtransfer Ameans to deposit containers when no crate is positioned to receive the containers.

6. Apparatus for depositing containers in a crate comprising a support, means for feeding containers to said support, means for feeding crates, means engageable with a crate on the crate feeding means for positioning the crate in predetermined positions to receive containers. means for operating said positioning means subsequent to the deposit of leach load of containers -in a crate to release the crate and position the crate in its next receiving position, means operable to transfer the containers from the support to the crate, and means including the crate positioning means and operable when a crate is not positioned in any one of said predetermined positions for preventing the operation ofv said transfer means tol deposit containers when no crate is positioned to receive the containers.

'7. Apparatus for depositing containers in a crate comprising a support, means for feeding containers to said support, means for feeding crates, a movable carrier, transfer means thereon for successively engaging rows of containers on said support and successively feeding them in a single plane to a position above the crate into which they are to be deposited, means controlled by the containers fed to said support for moving said movable carrier and transfer means, means operable on said movable carrier for lowering the transfer means and depositing the rows of containers, one row at a time in the crate, means for preventing the operation of said transfer means to deposit containers when no crate is positioned to receive the containers and meansv for operating the crate feeding means to feed the crate after each row of containers has been deposited therein to aposition to receive the next row of containers.

8. Apparatus for depositing containers in a crate comprising a supportfor containers, a crate support, a hinged frame above the container support, a movable carrier on said frame, a plurality of transfer means on said carrier, engageable successively with containerson said container support, means for moving said carrier and successively moving said transfer means from a position 1 above the container support to a position above a crate, and means for swinging said frame, carrier t and transfer means downwardly, after each row of containershas been engaged and moved thereby, to dischargethe row of `containers in the transfer means into the crate.

9. Apparatus for depositing containers in a -crate comprising a support, means for feeding containers to said support, means for feeding crates, a movable carrier, a plurality of successively acting transfer means thereon for engaging the containers on said support, one row at a time, and movable in a single plane to feed them successively to a position above the crate into which they are to be deposited, meansv controlled by the containers fe'd to said support for moving said movable carrier and transfer means,

means operable on said movable carrier for lowering the transfer means and depositing the containers, one row at a time, in the crate, means .engageable by the containers as they are being deposited in the crate for guiding and steadying the containers and means for operating the crate feeding means to feed the crate after each row of containers has been deposited therein to receive the next row of containers.

10. Apparatus for depositing containers in a crate comprising a support for containers, a crate support, a hinged frame above the container support, a movable carrier on said frame, a plurality of transfer means Aori said carrier, engageable successively with containers on said container support, means for moving said carrier and transfer `means from a position above the container support to a position above a crate, means for 4cause the transfer means to engage and hold the bottles on the bottle support, and means operable when the transfer means reaches a position above the crate for swinging the hinged carrier support downwardly to release the bottles and deposit the bottles in the crate.

12. Apparatus for depositing bottles in a crate comprising a support for the bottles, means for supporting a crate, a movable carrier, a hinged support for said carrier,y transfer means pivoted on the carrier, means for moving the carrier to cause the transfer means to engage and hold the bottles on the bottle support, and means operablewhen the i transfer meansreaches a position above the crate for Aswinging the hinged carrier support downwardly to release the bottles and p deposit the bottles in`the crate, and means for tilting the transfer means to release the bottles therefrom. y

13. Apparatus for depositing bottles in a crate comprising av support for the bottles, means for *supporting a crate, a movable carrier, a hinged `support for said carrier, transfer means pivoted on the carrier, means for moving the carrier to cause the transfer means to engage and hold the bottles on the bottle support, means operable when the transfer means reaches a position above theY crate for swinging the hinged carrier support downwardly to release the. bottles and deposit the bottlesin the crate, and means engageable by the containers as they are being deposited in the crate for guiding and steadying the containers.

14. Apparatus for depositing containers in a crate comprising a support, means for feeding containers to said support, means for feeding crates, means engageable with a crate on the crate feeding means for positioning the crate in predetermined positions to receive containers,

means operable to transfer the containers from4 by the number of containers f i 2,119,767 the support to the crate, and means for shifting a crate laterally on the feeding means, relative to the path of feeding; movement thereof, when ed to the crate-for y

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