US2318444A - Can stacker - Google Patents

Description

y 1943. H. w. WI LSON 2,318,444

CAN STACKER Filed May 31, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 4, 1943.

w. WILSON CAN STACKER Filed May 31, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmN Jay:

ZZZ 20/7/07.

y 1943- H. w. WILSON 2,318,444

cAN STACKER A Filed May 51, 1940 s sheets-s eet s May 4, 1943. H. w. WILSON CAN STACKER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

6 Filed May 31, 1940- -1 May 4, 1943. H. w. WILSON CAN STACKER Filed May 31, 1940 5 She ets-Sheet 5 [ZUeW g ad/and WWZsv/z/ d e ,4

1 Iii/ w \P/ PIL Patented May 4, 1943 UNl'iE sir can STACKER Application May. 31. 1940, Serial o. 333.252, 12 Claims. (01. 214-6) The invention relates to improvements in can stackers and has for its primary object'the 'provision of an improi ed can stacker so constructed and. arranged as to place cans in a stack for stor age or other purposes automatically, which is of simple constructi'on'and highly eificient' in use.

Other' objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter. described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reierence to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which Fig. l is a top'plan view'oi a can stacker ernbodying the invention;

Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section thereot;

Fig. 2a. an enlarged detail view talgen substantially on line 2a2a of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a front end View of the machine;

Fig. 4 an enlarged detail partial elevation of the upper portion of a can conveyor employed in the stacker;

Fig. 5 a horizontal section oi the. stacking end of the machine;

Fig. 6 a. section taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 5 j

Fig. 7 an enlarged plan. View of a portion of a can clamping arrangement employed in the stacker and showing the same in position to clamp the cans;

Fig. 8 a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the clamping arrangement in position to release the cans;

Fig. .9 a top plan view illustrating the mechanism: for actuating the can clamps for clamping and releasing the cans and associated parts; and

Fig. 10 a partial section illustrating mechanism employed for elevating and lowering the can clamps.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings comprises an inclined can chute 20, best shown Fig. 3, adapted and arranged to contain a plurality of cans 2i on their sides so that they will automatically roll into the machine. A can guide in the form of vertical rods 23 is arranged in the frame of the machine at the bottom oi the chute 29 and in a position to constitute a stop for the cans rolling down said chute, said guide rods 23 being positioned centrally with reference to the vertical frame bars 24 of this portion of the machine. A can conveyor is arranged within theframe bars 24 in the form of two sprocket chains 25 operating over sprockets Z5 and?! positioned, respectively, at the top and bottom of the'fraine' bars 24, as

shown. The chains 25 carry inwardly projecting pins 25', best shown in Figs. 1 and ejanjangeu at intervalson said chains in transverseregistration with each other and so thata' regist ng pair of'said 'p'i'ns, will contactwith'bppos'ite sides of the lowermost can 21 in elevator at slow speed, as will be', readily'nnder stood. A'curved can guidetfi. is arranged as in} dicated over and 'betvle'erifthe tops of t he sprockets 2B, and whereby the cans 21337111 be carried' around the topof the can guide 23'; best indicated" in' Fig. Land whereby the "cans will be correspondingly lowered on the other side of the can conveyor. l

As. best shown in Figs. 1 and 3;, another can chute31 is arranged to project into the between the pins 25" 'so that as the cansare lowered they will contact with the upper end i e fe .1m h W l s 'seesae d ai the pins 25 and'guide was 23 rglling down the chute 3i which is inclined as shown for this urpose. Suitable guide rods 33 are arranged above and at the sides of the chute 31 to maintai cans thereon as they roll to the lower endthere- A e a u e 1 s a n d shown around the lower end of the chute 3" to deflect the can-S wh n h r0 t of Said chute dorma d an inw n a ho i n a tab leaf 48, which is carried by a rocker shait 41, as best shown in g- 2, swing v t el and. has i O e edge e i p 2 an le. ba 92 extending along that side of the machine, as shvwnl AS be eh n n 2, h able. lea in constitutes an extension of an arranging table 43 arranged in horizontalfregistration with said table leaf 4i as shown. The shaft 4i carries a gear ,4 sh n with a air 9 a s which in turn mesh with a gear 41? carrying a rocker m. {11 e e ed. by a 1 '38, wit n" O erat gear .1 which in u n meshes W a e on a ha t 2- As best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the shaft 52 carries a clutch mechanism 53 s pliT and cooperating with'a beverages the shaft 52 and meshing'with" abe'vel the ent re 2t and as vate said can 'in contact withthe' correspondhe a on an inclined shaft 58 carrying a bevel gear 57 meshing with a bevel gear 58 on the main drive shaft 58 of the machine. The drive shaft 59 is constantly driven at slow speed by means of a motor M operatively connected therewith through gearing enclosed in a gear housing 88'. The clutch 58 is engaged by a clutch fork 88 on a control rod 8! arranged along the side of the chute 37 and extending to the lower end thereof. At its lower end the control rod 6| is provided with an upwardly extending arm having a projection 82 at its end set in the path of an arm.

83 on a shaft 84 carrying a ratchet 65, the ar A 83 being arranged to engage the projection atone point in its revolution on the shaft 64 and force the control rod BI to the left, as shown in Fig. 3, as will be readily understood.

As best shown in Figs. 1, 2a and 3, a squirrel cage gear 88 is arranged on a shaft 81 extending transversely at the lower end of the chute 31 and whereby the bars of said squirrel cage gear 88 will engage the teethof the ratchet 85 to rotate the shaft 84. The shaft 67 is provided with three operating arms 68 projecting upwardly into the path of the cans rolling off of the lower end of the chute 31 so that as each can passes the ratchet 65 will he stepped up the space of one tooth. There are twelve teeth in the ratchet 85 so that when twelve cans have thus passed off of the chute 31, the ratchet 85 and shaft 64 will have been caused to make one complete revolution. The arrangement is such that at the completion of such a revolution the arm 88 engages the projection 82 to push the control rod 6| to engage the shaft 52 with the gear 54 and thus rock the shaft M to swing the table leaf 48 upwardly through an angle of 160, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. This upward swinging of the table leaf 48 will, of course, carry the twelve cans thereon upwardly and to the right to place the same in a row in an upright position on the edge of the table 43, as will be readily understood, and also pushing said cans, and any cans already positioned on said table, back from said edge the widths of the newly positioned cans. Continued rotation of gear 58 returns the table leaf 48 to its original position.

The control rod GI also carries a lower extension 89 having an upward projection I8 at its end which will be carried into engagement with the bars of the squirrel cage gear 86 when the control rod 8! is thus shifted by the arm 83 and whereby the shaft 61 and its arm 88 will be temporarily locked to prevent the further passage of cans during this upward swinging of the table leaf 48. The gear 58 carries a cam projection II, best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which is arranged to contact with the end of the control rod BI as soon as the table leaf 48 has returned to its original position and thus return said rod BI to initialposition, thereby releasing the arms 88 for the further passage of cans.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a reciprocating pawl arm I2 is pivotally connected with the joint between the arm 41 and the link 48 and carries a pawl I3 cooperating with a ratchet wheel I4 on a shaft I5 which carries an arm I6 cooperating with a stop I! on the side of a clutch fork I8 engaging a clutch 18 on the shaft 59. The clutch I9 cooperates with clutch members 88 on a bevel gear 81 which is loose on the shaft 59 and whereby when the clutch I8 is operated to the right, in the position indicated in Fig. 2, the gear BI will be operatively connected to be driven by the shaft 58, as will be readily understood. The

ratchet wheel I4 contains eight teeth, so that it requires eight operations of the arm I2 to cause one complete revolution of the shaft I5 and the arm I8. Obviously. as each row of twelve cans is thus placed on the edge of the table 43, the ratchet wheel I4 will be stepped up the space of one of its teeth, and thereby a complete revolution of the arm I6 will be caused every time eight rows of cans are thus placed on the edge of table 43. The arrangement is such that when the last row of cans is thus placed on the edge of said table the arm I6 contacts with the stop 11 operating the clutch fork I8 to shift the clutch "19 to cause operation of the bevel gear 8| as explained above.

As indicated by the dotted lines at the central left portion of Fig. 2, a bevel gear 82 is arranged as indicated to mesh temporarily with the gear 8I during its rotation, as explained above. The gear 82, illustrated in full lines at the right of Fig. 2, is carried by a vertical shaft 83, best shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 9. The shaft 83 leads vertically into gear box 84 mounted upon a carriage 85 which in turn is arranged to reciprocate on wheels 85' operating in a frame 86, as indicated. A shaft 84' projects laterally from the gear box 84 and is connected by bevel gearing 8I,with two shafts 88 mounted as indicated on the frame 85. The shafts 88 carry four cranks 89 connected by links 88 with arms 8I rigidly secured at their upper ends to hangers 92 having operating levers 93 pivotally mounted thereon by means of stud shafts 84 projecting upwardly through said hangers and rotatably mounted therein by means of nuts 94' at their tops, as best shown in Fig. 10, and whereby the levers 83 are given a floating bearing on the cranks of the crank shafts 88, as will be readily understood. The levers 93 carry the clamping bars 95 and 98. pivotally suspended therefrom by means of the swivel pins 91 and '98 which are welded to the outer sides of the bars 95 and 98 and serve to hang said bars from said levers. One set of clamping members 99 is secured to the under sides of the clamping bars 95 by means of bolts I08 and clamping members I8! are secured to the under sides of the clamping bars 96 by means of the bolts I82. The clamping members 99 and I8I are provided on their under sides with notched clamping heads I83 adapted and arranged to engage under the rims or chimes of the cans 2| as they stand arranged on the table 43. The arrangement is such that as the shafts 88 are thus rotated by the action of the gear 8! the clamping heads I83 will be lowered into cooperation with the tops of the cans, as will be readily understood.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the levers 93 are connected in pairs by slot and pin connections I84 with a central operating link I85 which in turn is connected as indicated with a crank arm I86 on the bottom of a rocker shaft I81 carrying a gear I88 meshing with a gear I89 on a rocker shaft III], which in turn carries a notched rocker arm III having a notch H2 in its free end. The notch I2 cooperates with a stop H3 on an endless chain II4 having one side traveling through a housing II5, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 9. The chain II4 travels over sprockets H8 and Ill mounted, as shown, at the ends of the housing H5, the sprocket H6 being secured to the shaft 83 and rotating thereby. The arrangement is such that with the parts in the positions indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 9, the stop II3 engages the notch H2 and swings the arm III through an angle as shown before it passes out of said notch. This operation of arm I II operates the clamping bars 95 and 96 through the action of the levers 93 to cause the clamping heads I03 to engage the tops of the cans resting upon the table 43. Im-

mediately thereafter the continued rotation of the shafts 8i! raises the levers 93 and, consequently, the clamping members so that the entire layer of cans is thus elevated from its position on the table 43.

A slide H8 is mounted as shown on the housing H and carries a projection II9 set in the path of the stop IIiI as it travels along the other side of the housing I5 and pushes the slide II8 into the full line position indicated in Fig. 9. The slide I I8 is connected by link I with a rocker arm I2 I operatively connected with a lever arm I22 through a slot and pin connection I23, as best shown in Fig. 5. The lever arm I22 has a rigid connection with a mutilated gear I24 having blank spaces I 25 at diametrically opposite sides thereof. As best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the gear I24 cooperates with a pinion I26, normally resting over one of the blank spaces I25. The pinion I25 is carried by a transverse shaft I 2'! driven by gearing I28 and I29 from the shaft 59. The arrangement is such that the movement thus given to the lever I22 rocks the gear I24 in a clock hand wise direction to bring the gear I24 into mesh with the pinion I26 and whereby said gear will be rotated through approximately 180" by the continued action of the shaft I2? and pinion I26 until the blank space I25 on the other side of the gear I24 passes under the pinion I25, whereupon this revolution will stop, by which time the parts will be in the positions indicated in full lines in the drawings. The lever I22 carries a roller I21 operating between two guide bars I28 carried by brackets I29 secured to the carriage 05, as indicated, and

whereby the swinging of the lever. I22 will cause the movement of said carriage from its initial position to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of course carrying the layer of cans with it, at which time the layer of cans will be directly over the stack of cans being formed. This movement of the carriage 85 carries the gear 82 into mesh with a gear I30 on shaft 59, thereby rotating the shaft 83 in a direction opposite to that caused by the gear 8i, as will be readily understood. The reversal of the direction of rotation of shaft 83 of course reverses the direction of travel of the chain H4 and the shafts 88.

The arrangement is such that this action of the shafts 88 will cause lowering of the clamping members, thereby lowering the layer of cans onto the top of the stack, on which the usual sheet of heavy paper or the like has already been deposited by hand. The stop H3 and the lever HI are so-shaped and rounded that said stop will freely pass over the exposed portion of said lever in either direction of movement so that said stop is now free to pass around the sprocket Ill and engage the arm II I in its lower position, as indicated in Fig. 9, such engagement rocking the arm I I I back to initial position to release the cans and thus properly place them on the top of the stack being formed. Continued movement of the stop II3 causes the same to pass around the sprocket H6 and reengage the projection IIS on its other side to shift the slide H8 back to its initial or dotted line position, as indicated in Fig. 9. This shifting of the slide II 8 of course shifts the arm I2I and the lever I22 to cause re-engagement of the gear I24 with turn is connected through gearing the pinion I26 which thereby reverses the movementof the carriage returning it to initial position and re-engaging the gear 82 with the gear SI. 7

The carriage 85 carries an arm I 3I, best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, set to engage a corresponding arm I32 on the clutch fork I8, thereby disen-- gaging the clutch I9 from the gear 81 so as to discontinue all operation of the parts on the carriage 85 until a new layer of cans has been established on the table 43, whereupon the operation will be repeated, as explained above, to transfer the new layer of cans over the stack being formed and deposit it thereon, as will be readily understood. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the frame 86 carries guide rollers or wheels I34 operating in vertical guide posts I35 on the main frame of the machine so that the frame 36 is thus rendered free to travel vertically carrying all of the operating parts of the transfer mechanism with it. The frame 00 is suspended upon cables I33 which pass vertically over guide sheaves I36 and are Wrapped upon drums I31 carried by a shaft I38 operated by suitable gearing in the gear box I39 from a shaft I40 connected through clutch mechanism I II with. a drive shaft I42, which in in a gear box I43 with shaft I24 constantly driven through gearing in the gear box 33 by the motor M and whereby the frame 86 and all the parts thereon will be slowly elevated through the action of the motor M the height of a can during the period occupied by the parts in transferring and depositing a can layer on the stack and returning to initial positions so that there will be a continuc-us operation of the machine as long a cans are supplied to the chute 20 and until the extreme height of stack permitted to be made by the machine is reached. A lever I45 is operatively connected as indicated with the clutch I4I so that said frame 86 may be disconnected from the motor M as and when desired and to permit of suitable manual adjustments of the parts when necessary. In this way an automatic can stacker is provided which is practically entirely automatic in operation and which will-therefore stack cans for storage with great efficiency and economy.

In operation cans are delivered to the outer side of the elevator, rolling on their sides to positions against the inner guide rods whence they are picked up by the elevator fingers, carried to the top of the elevator and then down the inner side thereof, until they are removed by the slightly sloping can chute 32. The cans then roll along this chuteto the opposite'end thereof where they pass the control mechanism 62-70 which causes the receiving plate to operate when the twelfth can passes the control as explained above. The receiving plate is then swung upwardly through an angle of about and thus raises the cans to an upright position and slides them forward.

The next twelve cans similarly cause a repetition of this operation until eight rows of cans have thus been placed in position on the table 43. At the end of these eight operations arm 16 has made a complete revolution and contacts stop I7 and then brings into action the carriage 85 which lifts the ninety-six cans from the table 23. carries them to a position over the stack, lowers them onto the stack, releases them, and then returns it 'to its original position over said table, thus completing one cycle of operation of the machine.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying the in-

Images