US2296802A - Machine for loading and discharging containers - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 22, 1942. H. B. THOMPSON 296,302y MACHINE FOR LOADING AND DISCHARGING CONTAINERS Orgil'lal Filed June 18, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept.v 22, 1942- H. B. THOMPSON MACHINE FOR LOADING AND DISCHARGING CONTAIERS Criginal Filed June 18, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR /ff/v/Pr MOM/@50N ATTORN YS Hllll Patented Sept. 22, 1942 MACHINE FOR LOADING AND DISCHARG- ING CONTAINERS Henry B. Thompson, Jenkintown, Pa., assignor to Peter Paul, Inc., Naugatuck, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Original application June 18, 1938, Serial No.

214,470. Divided and this application December 6, 1940, Serial No. 368,961

1 Claim.

This invention relates to machines for loading and discharging containers.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 214,470, filed June 18, 1938, now Patent No. 2,228,932, issued January 14, 1941, which discloses means for making open boxes for receiving articles, such as caramels. The present application covers the loading mechanism for loading the boxes. The invention has for its salient object to provide simple, practical and efficient mechanism for feeding articles, such as caramels, into open boxes and for preventing rebound of the articles as the feeding mechanism is retracted.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple, practical and efficient means for discharging the loaded boxes from the machine.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of s this application, and in which Fig. l is a top plan view of a portion of the Vreceptacle feeding conveyor and parts associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the filled or loaded boxes;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1 showing the receptacle feeding chain and plungers which push the blank through the folding mechanism, fill the receptacles and discharge the receptacles from the machine;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated there is shown in Fig. 1 receptacle feeding mechanism comprising a pair of feed chains 42 and 43. The chains 42 and 43 are driven in any suitable manner and are maintained in parallel relation by means of idler sprockets |56` and |58 which guide the'chain 42 and |55 and |58 which guide the chain 43. The sprocket wheels are adjustably mounted in slots |51 and |59 so that the distance between the parallel lengths of chains can be adjusted.

Each of the chains 42, 43 has secured to its links a plurality of blocks |63 and each block has a plate or web |64 formed thereon. The blocks and webs are so relatively located on the two chains that a web |64 on one chain will be disposed opposite a web |64 on the other chain and the two adjacent webs on one chain will form with the two adjacent webs on the other chain a rectangular enclosure or pocket for receiving the folded receptacles, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a forming block |26 which receives a blank and through which the blank is forced downwardly into one of the receptacles formed in the receptacle feeding mechanism by means of a plunger |30 carried by a rod or post |3| slidably mounted in the guide or frame |32. The frame |32 is carried by a vertical frame |33.

The upper end of the rod |3| is connected by a link |34 to an arm |35 which is carried by a shaft |36 mounted to oscillate in the frame |33. Shaft |36 also has mounted thereon a gear |31 which meshes with a gear |38 carried by a shaft |39 also rotatably mounted in the frame |33. The shaft |36 may be oscillated in any suitable manner, the driving connections being vfully illustrated in the parent application hereinbefore referred to.

As the gear |31 is oscillated the shaft |36 will also be oscillated, thus actuating the arm |35 to raise and lower the plunger |30.

Shaft |39 has secured thereto an arm which is connected by a link |46 to a cross head or bar |41. This bar has secured thereto and extending downwardly therefrom three vertical posts |46, |49 and |50, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

It will be understood that` the chains 42 and 43 as they move around their paths are disposed with the webs |64 adjacent the upper surface of the bed plate of the machine `so that the receptacles will be pressed downwardly into the feeding chains and will be supported by the bed plate during the feeding movement thereof.

As the blanks are pushed into the feeding chain the end flaps G having ared ends 93 will be disposed in the position shown at the right in Fig. 3 or extending upwardly from the open upper ends of the receptacle. These end flaps are folded downwardly by engagement with inclined edges |61of plates |65 and |66 which are mounted above the parallel flaps of the chains 42 and 43. When the feeding chains have advanced the receptacles to the position shown at R in Figs. 1 and 3, the flaps G will be engaged by bifurcated ends |10 of a yoke mounted at the lower end of the post |50 and will be folded downwardly into the receptacle.

After the completion of the folding of the end aps of the receptacles the receptacles move successively to the position indicated on Figs. 1 and 3 at S in which the receptacles are loaded.

l l l The articles to be loaded are fed along a chute |15 (see Fig. 5) having an end Wall |16 at the discharge end thereof. The chute has an opening |11 in the bottom thereof at the discharge end of the chute and has hinged plates |18 and |19 which are pivoted at |88 and partially bridge the opening |11. These plates are spring pressed in an upward direction by springs ISI and are limited in their upward movement by the engagement of their upper surfaces with the lower edges of the side walls of the chute.

Thus, the articles, which in this embodiment of the invention are illustrated as caramels, disposed above the opening |11 will be supported by the hinged plates |18 and |19 until they are forced downwardly and discharged into the receptacle disposed therebelow. The chute has secured to the bottom surface thereof and extending below the under surface rollers |82 and |83 which engage the outer surface of the end caramels of the load after the caramels are fed downwardly and guide them into the receptacle during the downward feeding movement.

Each load of caramels is discharged into a receptacle by means of a plunger |85 having an upwardly extending flange |85 at one end thereof, the outer surface of which engages the advano@ end of the caramel disposed in the rear of the last caramel fed downwardly.

The plunger |85 is carried by a rod |81 which is slidably mounted in the post or sleeve |48 carried by the cross hea-d or bar |411. The upper end of the rod |81 is engaged by a spring |90 disposed in the yoke |89 and held under the desired compression by a threaded sleeve |9| which is threaded into the top |92 of the yoke and is locked in adjusted position by a lock nut |93, The spring surrounds a rod |85 which is threaded into the sleeve I9 I.

The relative movement between the rod I 81 and the post or sleeve |48 is limited by a pin and slot connection consisting of a pin |98 which extends through the rod and into the slot |91 in the sleeve.

The object of the resilient connection between the rod |81 and sleeve |48 is to provide a resilient pressure downwardly on the caramels being discharged from the chute into the receptacle and to prevent a rebound as the plunger |85 leaves the upper surface of the loaded caramels on the return movement. By means of this resilient connection a slight dwell is provided on the return movement of the post or rod |81.

After the caramels or other articles have been loaded into the receptacle at the position S, the feeding chains move to the next position of movement indicated at T in which position the loaded receptacle is disposed beneath the lower end of a plunger |98 carried by the lower end of the rod or post |49. The loaded receptacle is then discharged downwardly into the discharge chute |99.

In order to provide a slight friction on the loaded receptacle after it reaches the position 'I' and to prevent its dropping by gravity into the discharge chute, a spring pressed plunger 280 is slidably mounted in a guideway 28| and is resiliently actuated by a spring 282 to engage the front wall of the loaded receptacle disposed by the position T. The spring 282 can be adjusted to any desired tension by an adjustment shown at 203.

From the foregoing specification it will be seen that simple, practical and efficient mechanism has been provided for loading and discharging receptacles.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have 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 of the invention, as expressed in the following claim,

What I claim is:

In combination, a support for receptacles to be loaded, means for intermittently feeding the receptacles along said support, means disposed above one position of feeding movement of said receptacles for feeding articles into the receptacle sopositioned, means disposeda'bove the next suc- Cessive position of feeding movement for discharging the loaded receptacle from said receptacle support and feeding means, said support having an opening through which the loaded receptacle is discharged, and means for releasably holding the loaded receptacle above said opening prior to the discharging operation.

HENRY B. THOMPSON.

Images