US2313451A - Mechanism for extracting defective - Google Patents

Description

. March 9, 1943. J R NOLAN MECHANISM FOR EXTRACTING DEFECTIVE BOOK ASSEMBLIES FROM MATCH BOOKING MACHINES Filed Aug 2, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l JO w m March 9, 1943.-

. MECHANISM FOR EXTRACTING DEFECTIVE BOOK 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ASSEMBLIES FROM MATCH BOOKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 2, 1941 March 9, 1943.

J. R. NOLAN 2,313,451 MECHANISM FOR EXTRACTING'DEFECTIVE BOOK ASSEMBLIES FROM MATCH BOOKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 2, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 9, 1943. J R NOLAN 2,3135'451 MECHANISM FOR EXTRACTING DEFECTIVE BOOK ASSEMBLIES FROM MATCH BOOKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 2, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 9, 1943. J. R. NOLAN 2,313,451

MECHANISM FOR EXTRACTING DEFECTIVE BOOK ASSEMBLIES FROM MATCH BOOKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 2, 1941 5' Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 9, 1943 MECHANISM FOR EXTRACTING DEFECTIVE BOOK ASSEMBLIES FROM MATCH BOOK- ING MACHINES John R.Nolan, Larchmont, N. Y., assignor to The I Diamond Match Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application August 2, 1941, Serial No. 405,170

6 Claims. (Cl. 209-88) This invention relates to mechanism for extracting incomplete or defective match book assemblies from a machine for booking matches, and more particularly from a machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,042,472, dated October 29, 1912. The machine forming the subject of the patent mentioned comprises a carrier consisting of an endless chain of pocketed links (each embodying a resilient clamping member) constructed and arranged for intermittent movement along an extended path in which are included in succeeding order mechanism whereby fiat covers for match books are folded at one end and inserted in the adjacent links of the'carrier in such manner that the folds project rearwardly of, and the bodies of the covers are clamped in, the links; mechanism whereby conventional match cards are pushed flatwise into the respective links with the bases of the cards within the end folds of the covers, the match cards thus being yieldingly clamped against the bodies of the respective covers; mechanism whereby the associated cards and covers are stitched or otherwise fastened} together while they are borne by the carrier, and mechanism whereby friction paint material is applied to the exterior of the respective covers during their travel, all as will more fully appear by reference to said patent.

In the absence of a cover from a carrier link when'the link passes from the cover-inserting station, or in the absence from the link of a match card, or cards, when the link leaves the card-inserting station, or in the event of the failure of the stitcher properly to fasten the assembled book'elements presented thereto by the link, then in any such case the link progresses to the friction-material applying mechanism, thence to other mechanisms included in the match making'cycle; thus requiring removal of the defective contents of the link, and sometimes the temporary stopping of the machine. Since the booking machine operates at high speed its repeated stopping materially reduces the out-put of the machine in anextended run.

The object of my invention, generally stated, is the provision of a detector station comprising mechanism of simple and eflicient construction and operation whereby match assemblies having varying imperfections are rapidly extracted from the carrier during the operation of the booking machine, and this without interference with the properly assembled and fastened covers and cards borne by the carrier, which mechanism is conveniently located between the stitching and painting mechanisms. I i' With this object in view,.and others that willbe apparent or will be presently indicated, my invention comprisesnovel' features of construction and combinations of parts which in exemplifying forms of embodiment of my inventionwill be hereinafter described; the scope of the invention being expressed in" the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a transverse vertical section through the trough extension and the carrier therein of a booking machine, showing inside elevation mechanism embodying my invention,

stroke immediately following thedetection ofan incomplete assembly, and being indicated in dotted lines at the end of its preceding forward stroke when the switch was closed.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism.-

shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the trough ex-L tension and the carrier therein, showing a complete book assembly in'the carrier and therelation of the detector member to the assembly.

Fig. 4A shows an assembly in which the end fold of the cover has not been fastened to the accompanying match cards; Fig.4]; shows a cover from which a card has been omitted. Fig.

4C shows a folded and fastened cover from which both cards have been omitted. Fig. 4D shows both cards from which a cover has been omitted.

'Fig. 5 is a plan of the mechanism shown. in.

Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a transverse horizontal section, as on the line 5-6 of Fig. 1, the discharge chute being omitted for clearness.

Fig. '7 is a transverse vertical section of cam shaft hearings on thecarriage for the gripper, showing the shaft, a cam thereon for closing the gripper, and an actuating arm for the shaft, as on the line l-'l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a vertical'section as on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, showing the hub of said actuating arm and a limiting stop therefor.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the trough extension in a plane in front of the detector mechanism, as on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1, but showing the detector in partially raised position and restrained by its contact with the opposing end fold of a complete book assembly and with the normally-open switch unaffected.

Fig. 10 is a similar view, but showing the detector farther raised and in contact with the opposing base of a match card of a defective book assembly in which the cover fold is pendant and unfastened, the switch being in closed position.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, but showing the detector still farther raised and in contact with the opposing base of a match card of an incomplete book assembly in which the cover is absent, the switch being closed.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal vertical section, as on the line i2l2 of Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, I designates a part of the'trough extension of a typical match booking machine; IS a portion of the intermittently actuated carrier which is mounted to travel in said extension. The carrier comprises an endless chain of pocketed links each including a base H with parallel side walls I8 having inwardly overhanging flanges l9, and embodying also a spring clamping leaf 20 which is secured at one end to the base and inclined upwardly and rearwardly so that the free upper end of the leaf coacts with the under surfaces of the flanges.

During each dwell of the carrier in its intermittent travel a cover E, folded at one end, is inserted in a carrier link, with the folded end I projecting rearwardly beyond the link while the body of the cover is yieldingly clamped against the flanges 19 by the spring leaf 20. The protruding hinged fold, which is relatively stiff, bears yieldingly upon and is supported by the rearward wall of the trough. In the continued travel of the carrier the thus end-folded cover is presented to mechanism whereby match cards M are inserted in the link which was previously located at the cover-inserting mechanism. The cards are pushed between the spring leaf and the under surface of the cover so that the uncut bases of the cards are within the confines of thefolded end of the cover. Usually two counterpart cards of matches, one card superposed on the other, are inserted in each link. In the continued progress of the carrier 16 the assembled book elements clamped therein are transported to stitching'mechanism; thence (if not pre-frictioned) to friction paint-applying mechanism; thence to the succeeding stations in the book making cycle, as usual.

Mechanism located at the detector station embodying the principle of my invention for selecting and bodily extracting from the carrier links book assemblies having variable imperfections, is

mounted laterally adjacent a determined portion of the path of the carrier, preferably immediately following the stitching station, an eflicient form of which niechanisrnwill now be described Bolted to the underside of the trough i5 is a frame forming bracket 2| having spaced rearwardly projecting supporting members 22 provided with guide bars 23 in and between which a head 24, constituting a carriage, is mounted for horizontal movement toward and from the adjacent side of the carrier. This head is equipped with a suitable gripper, which, in the present instance, comprises a lever pivoted, as at 25, in and between lugs26 of a base plate 2! attached to the upper surface of the head. The

lever. The latter arm underlies and abuts a cam or wiper 3| fast on a cross-shaft 32 having its bearings in spaced upstanding lugs 33 on the base plate. Fast also on one end of the shaft 32 is a depending arm 34 by the forcible swinging of which in a clockwise, or counter-clockwise, direction the cam is actuated either to depress the opposing lever arm 30, and thus open the gripper jaw, or to release the arm to permit the jaw to resume its closed or gripping condition.

The nose of the cam is rounded so that slight movement of the arm 34 in one direction, when the head is near the limit of its forward stroke, effects the release of the opposinglever arm 30, and so that when the head is near the limit of its back stroke sufiicient movement of the arm 30 in the opposite direction causes the cam to pass slightly beyond a substantially vertical line extending through the axis of the shaft 32, thus opening and temporarily locking the gripper lever against the force of the spring.

To swing the actuating arm 34 as the head approaches the respective limits of its stroke, suitably spaced abutments 35 and 36 for said arm are conveniently fixed to the adjacent guide bar 23 for the head 24. The abutment 35 is positioned to intercept the lower portion of the arm 34 when the head with the open gripper is at the limit of'its forward stroke, and the abutment 36 is located to intercept the arm when the head with the closed gripper approaches the limit of its back stroke. The abutment 35 trips the actuating arm 3 1, and therewith the cam, preparatory to the gripping of the basal end of the contents of a link, and the abutment 36 swings the arm downwardly and forwardly a sufiicient distance in respect to the moving head to force the nose of the cam against andin locking relation to the lever arm 34, as previously mentioned. To limit the throw of the actuating arm the bearing in the base lug 33 for the end of the shaft 32 to which the hub of the arm is secured, has thereon an extension having a stud 340 that freely enters a suitably-disposed arcuate recess 34| in the hub. (Figs. 7 and 8.)

The head 24 has a depending lug 31 which is pivotally connected by means, for example, of a link 33 with the upstanding longer arm 39 of a bell-crank which is loosely mounted on a shaft 40 supported by and between a pair of suitablydisposed brackets 4| on the floor 42 of a substantial frame structure depending from the stationary guide bracket 2|. The shorter arm 43 of the bell-crank is pivotally connected by means of a link 44 with the core 45 of a solenoid 46 included in an electric circuit 41, which solenoid is conveniently mounted on the floor 42 of the structure. Included also in the electric circuit is a suitably-disposed switch 48, preferably of the mercury type.

When the switch is in its downwardly inclined position, with the circuit completed, the solenoid is energized, thus projecting the core 45 and swinging the bell crank in a manner to move the head 24 toward the carrier of the booking machine, and when the switch is oppositely inclined to break the circuit the head is returned to its normal or outward position by the retractive force of a torsion spring 49 encircling the shaft and having its respective ends secured to the arm 39 and one of the stationary brackets 4|. (See Figs. 1 and 6.)

' In the present instance the switch 48 is supported by the longer arm 50 of a lever which is fulcrumed, as at 5!, on a face plate 52 secured to the frame structure. The shorter arm 54 of the lever is loosely pivoted to the longer arm 55 of a lever which is fulcrumed at 56 on the face plate, a weight 51 on the latter arm maintaining it normally in an angular position effective to insure the inclined circuit-breaking position of the switch bearing lever 59, as seen in Figs. 2 and 9. Also pivoted to the face plate, as at 58, is a rock lever 59 which is located above and longitudinally of the lever 55. The longer arm of the rock lever overhangs a laterally projecting stud 69 on the shorter arm 6| of the lever 55, and the shorter arm of the rock lever is provided with a lateral stud 62 which overhangs a tappet 63 on a vertically reciprocating rod 64 constituting a detector member. Hence, by slightly raising the rod a determined distance, the shorter arm of the rock lever 59 is correspondingly raised, and as a result the motion is amplified and transmitted through the levers 55 and 50 to the switch may be nicely adjusted vertically thereon by proper manipulation of a nut 65 threaded on the lower end of the rod. To fix the collar in its position of adjustment it is provided with a setscrew 66. As illustrated the body of the rod 64 is slidable in forward guide brackets 61 fixed to I the face of a slide plate 68 which is fitted for short vertical motion in parallel guideways 69 provided by the Wall 53 of the depending frame structure, the rod 64 being resiliently supported by a spring 19 which, encircling the rod, bears against the upper guide bracket 61 and a spaced collar H fast on the rod. An additional guide bracket 12 for the lower end of the rod is secured to the face plate 52. The upper end of this rod extends adjacent the rear of the carrier and directly under the path of the projecting ends of the contents of the carrier links.

The slide 68 together with the associated resiliently supported rod 64, is vertically reciprocated during each dwell of the carrier, the upper end of the rod in its upward stroke abutting an opposing sur-face of the book element in the adjacent link and being thereby restrained against the compression of the spring 19 during the continued movement of the slide. Thus the extent of upward movement of the rod depends upon the nature or condition of the book element opposed thereto, as will presently appear. A stationary angle piece 13 conveniently bolted on the inner ends of the guide bars 23 for the gripper carriage 24 overlies the projecting end of each book assembly in the detector zone, thus serving as a backer and guide to prevent displacement of the assembly. A flaring extension 14 at the entry end of the vertical member of the angle piece contributes to the proper location of the assembly.

The means herein shown for reciprocating the detector rod 64 in timed relation to the carrier elements.

comprises a face cam 15 fast on a transverse shaft 16 which is journaled in suitably disposed bearings 11 supported on the floor 42 of the depending frame structure, and which shaft is operatively connected by sprocket or other gearing to an adjacent driven shaft of the booking machine. Fixed to the slide plate 66 is a depending bar 18 having at its lower end a lateral roll 19 which is operatively fitted in the race of the cam 15. The contour of the race is such as to effect a short rising and falling motion of the bar and the slide during each interval of rest of the carrier, the throw of the cam being such that when the slide is in its extreme down position the upper end of the detector rod is slightly below the horizontal plane of the protruding .portions of the properly assembled and fastened book elements in the carrier, thus allowing the free passage of the assembly to its position above the rod. At the same time the collar 63 at the foot of the rod is slightly below the stud 62 on the adjacent end of the rock lever 59. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) Hence the rod 64 in the initial upward movement of the slide abuts the opposing cover fold of the book assembly as seen in Fig. 3, and is thereby restrained, and with the collar 63 in ineffective contact with the stud 62 of the overlying rock lever 59, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, while the slide continues its upward movement in opposition to the spring 19, as seen in Fig. 9.' Consequently the switch remains open and as a result the retracted gripper is idle during the continuance of the reciprocating movement of the slide. If, however, a card has been omitted from a cover contained in the link, as seen in Fig. 4B, or if the two cards have been inserted and the cover omitted, then in each case the rod 64 moves slightly higher before it is interrupted by the opposing card, thus causing the collar 63 in its increased ascent to press upwardly the opposing stud 62 on the shorter arm of the lever 59 and thereby actuate the transmitting levers 54 and 56 in a manner to tip the switch to its circuit closing position, as seen in Fig. 10. coincidentally, the solenoid is energized and the gripper carriage by virtue of its bell-crank connection with the solenoid core, is projected toward'the carrier. As the carriage reaches the limit of its forward stroke the gripper thereon, being open as previously described, embraces the projecting margin of the faulty book assembly held in its path by the carrier link; the gripper lever, being released, clamps the assembly along the margin, and, the electric circuit being broken and the solenoid deenergized, the spring 49, assisted by the weight of the solenoid core, sharply retracts the incomplete or defective book assembly from the carrier. Since the gripper is opened by the contact of its actuating arm 34 with the abutment 36 as the carriage approaches the limit of its rearward stroke, the faulty assembly is released.

and thus permitted at once to gravitate through the space between the supporting members 22 of the bracket 2|, thence into a suitably-dis osed discharge chute 86. The open gripper remains n retracted or idle position until the reciprocatng detector rod 64 again. encounters the opposing card of a faulty assembly contained in the carrier link at the backer 13, whereupon the effective action of the gripper in respect to such assembly is repeated, and so on during the continued operation of the booking machine, without interfering with the properly assembled and bound covers and cards constituting the book In case a single card without a cover,"

or a cover without a card or cards is presented to the detector rod the full upward movement of such rod by and with the slide 68 is not affected, and therefore the collar 63 in its ascent presses the opposing stud 62 of the lever and thereby actuates the transmitting levers to tip the switch to circuit closing position to effect the exraction of such card or cover from the link.

It sometimes happens that a carrier link is empty when it is advanced to the detector zone, in which case the resilient detector rod being unobstructed in its upward stroke, effects the operation of the switch, the gripper thus idly reciprocating toward and from the carrier.

I have herein described a detecting and extracting unit embodying my invention as applied to a booking machine wherein the carrier is moved step-by-step a sufi'icient distance to position each succeeding link at the cover, card and staple stations of the machine, but in the case of a machine in which each movement of the carrer advances two adjoining links to each of the stations, as described in Patent No. 1,042,472 aforesaid, an additional similar detecting and extracting unit can be readily arranged in proper spaced relation to the other unit, say, a distance of two links or a multiple thereof, so as to act in a like manner upon those book assemblies that escape the first unit.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular exemplifying form thereof herein disclosed, as the mechanisms may be modified within the principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a match-booking machine having a carrier for assembled match cards and covers, the latter folded at one side of the carrier about the bases of the complementary cards forming a basal extremity extending beyond the carrier, a detector station for detecting incomplete book assemblies, comprising a backer member having a face adapted to be engaged by successive basal extremities of the book assemblies as they are fed through the station, said member mounted laterally of the carrier, a gripper for engaging the basal extremity of an incomplete or defective book assembly and bodily extracting such assembly lengthwise from the carrier, means for reciprocating said gripper toward and from the carrier, means for closing and opening said gripper at the ends of its forward and rearward strokes, respectively, and means including a resilient detector member movable toward and from the backer member to detect incomplete assemblies, for effecting the operation of said reciprocating means when the basal end of an incomplete or defective book assembly is positioned by the carrier at said detector station.

2. In a Watch-booking machine having a carrier for assembled match cards and covers, the latter folded at one side of the carrier about the bases of the complementary cards forming a basal extremity extending beyond the carrier, a detector station for detecting incomplete book assemblies, comprising a backer member having a face adapted to be engaged by successive basal extremities of the book assemblies as they are fed through the station, said member mounted laterally of the carrier, a gripper for engaging the basal extremity of an incomplete or defective book assembly and bodily extracting such assembly lengthwise from the carrier, means including an electro-magnet for moving said gripper toward and from the carrier, means for closing and opening said gripper at the ends of its forward and rearward movements, respectively, an electric circuit in which said magnet is included, a normally-open switch for said circuit, motion transmitting devices for closing said switch, a detector arranged in proximity to the path of the gripper and movable in a plane intersecting the path of travel of the end folds of the book assemblies, a support on which said detector is resiliently mounted, and means for reciprocating said support and therewith the detector toward and from the backer member in timed relation to the carrier, said detector including a member for actuating said transmitting devices when the basal portion of an incomplete or defective book assembly is positioned by the carrier at said detector station.

3. In a match-booking machine having a carrier for assembled match cards and covers, the latter folded at one side of the carrier about the bases of the complementary cards forming a basal extremity extending beyond the carrier, a detector station for detecting incomplete book assemblies, comprising a backer member having a face adapted to be engaged by successive basal extremities of the book assemblies as they are fed through the station, said member mounted laterally of the carrier, means including a gripper for engaging the basal extremity of an incomplete or defective book assembly and bodily extracting such assembly from the carrier, means including an electro-magnet for moving said gripper means toward and from the carrier, means for closing and opening said gripper at the ends of its forward and rearward movements, respectively, an electric circuit in which said magnet is included, a normally-open switch for said circuit, motion transmitting devices for closing said switch, a detector comprising a longitudinally reciprocative rod arranged in proximity to the path of the gripper and movable in a plane intersecting a portion of the path of travel of the end folds of the book assemblies, a support on which said rod is slidably mounted, a spring normally urging said rod toward the path of the end folds, and means for reciprocating said support and therewith the rod toward and from the backer member in timed relation to the carrier, said rod having a tappet member for actuating said transmitting devices when the basal portion ofan incomplete or defective book assembly is positioned by the carrier at said detector station.

4. In a match-booking machine having a carrier for assembled match cards and covers, the latter folded at one side of the carrier about the bases of the complementary cards forming a basal extremity extending beyond the carrier, a detector station for detecting incomplete book assemblies, comprising a backer member having a face adapted to be engaged by successive basal extremities of the book assemblies as they are fed through the station, said member mounted laterally of the carrier, means for engaging the basal extremity of an incomplete or defective book assembly and bodily extracting such assembly from the carrier, means including an electromagnet for actuating said extracting means, an electric circuit in which said magnet is included, a normally-open switch for said circuit, motion transmitting devices for closing said switch a detector arranged in proximity to the path of the extracting means and movable in a plane intersecting the path of travel of the end folds of thebook assemblies, a support on which said detector is resiliently mounted, and means for reciprocating said support and therewith the detector toward and from the backer member in timed relation to the carrier, said extracting means comprising a carriage movable toward and from the path of the assembly, a clamping lever on said carriage, a spring normally closing said lever, a cam for temporarily opening the lever against the force of the spring, an actuating member for said cam, which cam and member are mounted with the lever, and abutments for said member near the ends of its forward and rearward strokes, respectively, the rear abutment efiecting the movement of said member and cam to open the lever against the action of the spring, and the forward abutment effecting the movement of said member and cam to release the lever.

5. In a match-booking machine having a carrier for assembled match cards and covers, the latter folded at one side of the carrier about the bases of the complementary cards forming a basal extremity extending beyond the carrier, a detector station for detecting incomplete book assemblies, comprising a backer member having a face adapted to be engaged by successive basal extremities of the book assemblies as they are fed through the station, said member mounted laterally of the carrier, a gripper for engaging the basal extremity of an incomplete or defective book assembly and bodily extracting such assembly from the carrier, means including an electro-magnet for moving said gripper toward and from the carrier, means for closing and opening said gripper at the ends of the forward and rearward movements, respectively, an electric circuit in which said magnet is included, a normallyopen switch for said circuit, motion transmitting devices for closing said switch, a detector arranged in proximity to the path of the gripper and movable in a plane intersecting the .path of travel of the end folds of the book assemblies, a support on which said detector is resiliently mounted, and means for reciprocating said support and therewith the detector toward and from the backer member in timed relation to the carrier, said detector including a member for actuating said transmitting devices when the basal portion of an incomplete or defective book assembly is positioned by the carrier in the path of said detector member, said transmitting means comprising a plurality of motion amplifying levers including a rocker lever in the path of the actuating member of thedetector, a lever by which the switch is supported, and means for maintaining said levers normally with the switch in open position.

6. In a match-booking machine wherein the ends of the book elements of each assembly project outwardly at one side of the carrier, a detector station for detecting incomplete book assemblies, comprising a stationary guide and backer overhanging the projecting ends of the assemblies at a portion of their path of travel, a detector member movable toward and from the backer member, a support on which said member is resiliently mounted, means for reciprocating said support and therewith the detector member in timed relation to the carrier, gripper means for engaging the basal extremity of an incomplete or defective book assembly positioned at the backer and bodily extracting such assembly from the carrier, and means under the control of the detector member for actuating said gripper means.

JOHN R. NOLAN.

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