US2440354A - Receptacle filling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

.April 27, 1948. P. AUBERMAN RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet l I April 27, 1948. P AUBERMAN 2,449,354

RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Ill e11 tor April 27, 1948. P. AUBERMAN RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 flfierju erman 4/ a Attorneys 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 P. AUBERMAN RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS Filed July 1, 194's April 27, 1948,.

R R Y R Inventor flierjzebezvnan April 27, 1948. P, AUBERMAN 2,440,354

RECEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS Filed'July l, 1946 6 SheetsSheet 6 Inventor B, @Mm wi way Patented Apr. 27, 1948 UNIT ED STATES i le-TENT ()FFICE.

REQEPTACLE FILLING APPARATUS Peter Aubernian, Caldwell, Idaho Application July 1, 1946, Serial No. 680,666

6 Claims. 1.

This invention relates toan apparatus for feeding small articles or products, or granular or like materials, to receptacles; preparatory to placing them in a treating chamber.

In ordinary or prior apparatus of this kind, the quantityof articles, products, or materials fed to th'e receptaoles varies according to the rate of supply. thereof to the receptacles as they are moved along at a uniform speed by conveying means. As a result of this, the articles, products, or materials are not properly or uniformly treated, th'etreatrnent being excessive when the quantity isgreater. The outcome is, therefore, a non-uniform and unsatisfactory product of the treatment.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an apparatus-of the above kind embodying novel and efficient means to automatically speed up and slacken' the movement of the receptacle conveying means in accordance.

with'sthe volume of the articles, products, or ma teri'als delivered to the receptacles, whereby to securebedsof uniform thickness of such articles, products, or material in the receptacles and thereby 'insure uniform and satisfactory treatment of the articles; etc.

While'the present invention is primarily designedi'for use'in filling trays with foods and other articles; products and materialsfor drying, itis equallyadaptable for use where the treatment is other: than drying.

The invention contemplatesv theprovision of a feedv conveyor for the'receptacle filling means which is tiltable about. a horizontal axis and whichisloaded by weight or spring to normally swingyupwardlyand to swingupwardly or downwardly in accordance with the volume of the articles, products or materials delivered thereto.-

The 'receptacle conveyingmeans is driven by a motor" through a variable speed transmission device having aspeedcontrol mechanism which includes a'lea-dscrew rotatable inone direction to increase the'speed 'of the conveyingmeans and in the opposite directionto-decrease the speed thereof; Reversible. driving means is provided for the lead screw which has areversing device connectedand. responsive to the tilting movements of the'feed conveyor.

The invention further contemplates a receptacleconveying means including conveyor belts, and trays adapted to be. placed on said conveyor beltsto. receive the articles, products or material to betreated. The feed conveyor discharges into a feed hopper which delivers into the'trays and has a bottom outlet providedwith a movable closure gate, means being provided for automatically closing the gate when the vertical transverse walls of the trays register withthe hopper outlet, so as to prevent delivery onto said walls and to automatically open the gate when said walls move out 01 registry with the hopper outlet so as to permit deposition of the articles, products, or material in beds of uniform thickness Within said trays.

The articles, products, or materials are delivered to the feed conveyor by means including an endless belt conveyor, and are spread in an even bed on the latter by a vertically movable spreader. Means is provided to automatically raise and lower the spreader in accordance with the volume of articles or the like delivered to said endless belt conveyor from the variable source of supply, such means being operatively connected to a reversible shaft of the reversible driving means for the lead screw of the transmission device control mechanism.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as more specific objects and features thereof, will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 looking at the opposite side of the apparatus,

, Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6-45 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 1! of Figure 2,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing the gate of the hopper open as allowed when thetransverse walls of the trays move out of registry with the outlet of the hopper from the position of Figure 2,

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure l illustrating a modification of the apparatus,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary end view looking toward the right of Figure 9 so as to more clearly reveal details of the modification, and

Figure 11 is a wiring diagram illustrating the manner in which the reversing switch controls the reversible motor, of the modification shown inFigures 9-and 10, by which the lead screw of 'a suitable frame having journaled transversely of and within the upper portion thereof one end roller 6 of an endless conveyor belt I that leads from the source of supply of the articles, products or materials to be treated. The articles, products, or materials are delivered in varying volume from the source of supply by the conveyor belt I. An intermediate belt conveyor 8 is provided in the upper portion of frame to receive the material or the like discharged from the belt I, which conveyor 3 is driven by a suitable motor 9 mounted on the frame 5. Pivotally mounted at one end within the frame 5, as at it, is a spreader frame ll that is arranged directly over the conveyor 8 and has a V-shaped spreader. l2 fixed therein with its pointed end directed toward the receiving end of the conveyor 8. The spread er l2 spreads the material in an even layer on the belt of conveyor 8 for substantially the full width thereof, the thickness of the bed of material depending upon the distance to which the spreader is adjusted from the upper flight of the belt of conveyor 8. Means is provided for automatically swinging the frame ll so as to adjust the spreader 52 relative to the belt of conveyor 8 in accordance with the volume of material discharged thereon, as will be later described.

A relatively short feed conveyor of the endless belt type, indicated at 53, is mounted directly beneaththe discharge end of conveyor 8 to receive the material or the like from the latter. The frame of conveyor I3 is pivotally mounted at one end, as at It, so as to be tiltable about a a horizontal axis, and the frame of this conveyor has an arm 15 which is rigid therewith and pro jects beyond the pivot Hi. A weight It is slidable on the arm iti so as to adjustably counterbalance the conveyor l3 when a predetermined volume of material or the like is delivered to the latter. It will thus be apparent that the conveyor [3 will rise and fall or swing upwardly and downwardly about the pivot is in accordance with the volume of material or the like delivered thereto.

The feed conveyor l3 discharges into a hopper I! mounted in the frame 5 directly below the discharge end of conveyor 13, and which has a bottom outlet provided with a movable closure gate It. From the hopper H the material or the like is discharged into trays Ii! which are carried past the hopper by means of a conveying means including spaced conveyor belts 2|. Thisconveying means extends from a source ofsupply of the trays, and the trays are placed on the belts 2! in end-to-end relation as shown.

Means is provided for automatically closing the gate is when the vertical transverse walls of the trays iii are in registry with the outlet of hopper 11 so as to prevent delivery of the material'or the like onto said walls, and to automatically open the gate when said walls move out of registry with the hopper outlet, so as to permit discharge of the material or the like in beds of uniform thickness within said trays. This means may consist of a lever 22 secured on a rock shaft 23, mounted in front of the hopper ll and provided with depending arms 23, each having a roller 24 at its lower end arranged to ride across the transverse walls of the trays. A flexible member 25 is attached to the upper end of lever 22 and passes vrearwardly around an idler pulley or guide 26. From the guide 25, the flexible member 25 passes around and is attached to a further pulley 2i secured on the shaft of gate ill.- The arrangement is such that when the rollers pass into a tray, the lever 22 is allowed to swing in a direction to provide slack in the flexible member 25 so that the gate l8 may swing downwardly to open position by gravity. The arrangement is also such that when the rollers 25 ride onto the transverse walls of the trays l9, the lever 22 is swung in a direction to exert a pull on the flexible member 25 and thereby cause the gate it to swing upwardly to closed position. The arms 23' of shaft 23 are sufficiently heavy to cause the lever 22 to normally swing in a direction to provide slack in flexible member 25.

At the discharge end of the conveying means,- the belts 2! thereof pass around rollers 28- se-- cured on a transverse shaft 2% which is opera tively connected by a chain gearing 29 with the driven shaft 39 of a variable speed transmission device 3| which is pref rably of the type dis closed in the U. S. patent to G. T. Pfl-eg'eri- 2,189,294, dated February 6, 1340. As disclosed in said patent, the transmission device 3i is provided with a driving motor 32 which is in driving relation with an adjustable pulley structure which, by means of a belt, drives another adjustable pulley structure mounted on the driven shaft 3t. Also the transmission device 3! has a speed control mechanism that includes a lead screw as indicated at 33, which is rotatable in one direction to increase the speed of the driven shaft 3i? and the conveying means driven thereby, and in the opposite direction to decrease the speed thereof.

Reversible driving means is provided for the lead screw 33 which has a reversing device corlnected and responsive to the tilting movements of the feed conveyor l3. In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 8, inclusive, this reversible driving means includes a transverse driven shaft 34 operatively connected by a chain or like gearing 5 and a spur gearing S6 with the lead screw 33. The reversing device includes two frames 37 and 38 loosely mounted on the shaft 3d intermediate their ends for rocking movement, each of said} frames having an idler pulley 39 at one are and a drive pulley 43 at the other end which s'e cured upon a drive shaft ii. The pulleys 38 arid- 40 of frame 31 are located directly above the return strand of one of the belts 2!, while the pulleys 39 and All of the frame as are located directly beneath said strand. Also, the pulley 4d of frame 31 is located at one side of the shaft 84, while the pulley 5!! of the other frame is located at the opposite side of said shaft. Each driven pulley ll) is operatively connected by a belt or other non-positive gearing 1 2 with the shaft 34. The arrangement is such that when corresponding ends of the frames 31 and 38 are moved toward each other the idler pulley 39 of frame 31 and the drive pulley All of frame 33 are brought into engagement with the adjacent belt 2! so that said pulley 40 of frame 38 is driven thereby in one direction, the idler pulley 39 of frame 38 and the drive pulley cc of frame 3? being simultaneously moved away from and out of engagement with said belt. The arrangement is also such that when said corresponding ends of the frames 31 and 38 are moved apart the idler pulley 39 of frame 38 and the drive pulley id of frame 31 are moved into engagement with the belt 21, while the idler pulley 39 of frame 37 and the drive pulley 45} of frame 38 are simultaneously moved out of engagement with the belt 2|. The engagement of the drive pulley ill of frame 31 with belt 2| causes shaft 34 to be driven in the opposite direction, and it'will thus be seen that the lead screw'33 may be turned inoppo site directions to automatically "speed'upand s-lacken the movement of 'theconvey'ing belts 2|. In order to automatically speed up and 'slacken the movementof the conveying belts2lin' accordance with thevolume ofthe articles or the like deliveredto the feedccnveyor l3, the na e of the latter is operatively connected to corresponding ends of the frames 3T'and 38 by means of an adjustable link 43, a bell c'rank lever 45, and toggle links '45, as more clearly" shown in Figure I. The arrangement is such that when the feed conveyor '13 isover-balan'ced to swing downwardly by the material 'delivered'thereto and against the action of weight lfiftheends o'f theframes 3! and 38 to which the toggle links 45 arelconnected will be drawn together so as to engage the drive pulley 48 of frame '38 with the adjacentbe'lt 2|. Motion is transmitted from this engaged pulley 40 'to the lead screw'33 through the gearing described, whereby to rotate said lead screw in the proper direction'to cause the belts 2| to be speeded up. The arrangement is alsosuch'that when the supply'of material or the like't'o the feed conveyor I3 is diminished toanextent whichallows the weight I 6 to swing the -conveyor'l3 upwardly, the ends of'th'e frames 3? and "38 to'which' the toggle links 45 are connected will be' spread apart and thedrive pulley 49 of frame 31 will be engaged with the adjacent belt'2|. 'As'the drive pulleys 40 are atppposite sides or faces of'the adjacentbelt 2|, it' will' be apparent that the engagement of pulley 4iifof frame?! with, the beltzl will cause the lead screw 33fto be turned in'the opposite 'direction for slackening the movement of the beltsZl. The conveying means which carries thetrays past the hopper is thus automatically speeded up and slackenecl in speed in accordance with the volume of the material or the like delivered to the feed conveyor l3. In this way, the material 'or the like is discharged into the trays f9 "so as to secure bedscf the material or the like in such trays which are of uniform thickness. Thus, the material or the like will receive a uniform and satisfactory treatment.

The conveying belt 2| with which the reversing device is associated has its lower or return strand passed about superposed guide pulleys 4B and 41, the latter of which is secured upon a trans verse shaft 48 journalecl in the frame 5. The shaft 48 is thus driven by the belt 2| referred to, and motion is transmitted from the pulley 4'! to a shaft of the conveyor l3 by means of belt or like gearings 49 and 50.

Means is provided, as hereinbefore mentioned, for automatically raising and lowering the spreader I2 in accordance with the volume of material delivered to the belt conveyor 8, thereby providing for proper elevation of the spreader I2 in accordance with the thickness of the bed of material to be spread thereby on the belt of said conveyor 8. This means includes a small winding drum 5| secured on a transverse shaft 52 journaled in the frame 5 above the spreader l2 and its frame I One end of a flexible member 53 is attached to the drum 5!, and the other end thereof is secured to the free end of the frame H, as at 54. Shaft 52 carries a pulley 55, around which passes a driving belt 56 that also passes around another pulley 51 secured on the reversible shaft 34. The arrangement is such that, as the shaft 34 is driven in one direction to speed up the conveying belts 2%, shaft 52 is driven was to wind theflexible member 53' on drum 5| and'thereby elevate the frame H and the spreader l2 carried thereby. The arrangement is also such'that when shaft 34 is driven in the'opposite direction to slacken the speed of the belts '2'|,*drum 5| is rotated in a direction to unwind the flexible member 53- and allow the frame andits' spreader l2 to lower. The pulley on shaft 34 which receives the belts at 42 may drive said shaft 34 through a slip-clutch, so that excessive turning of lead screw 33. and drum 5| is'prevented. It will be understood that the 'conveyingb'elts 2| are speeded up when the supplyof'material or the like to feed conveyor itincreases. It follows, therefore, that atthis tinie'the' volume of material deposited on conveyor' B is 'increasedand that the spreader l2 should'be raised at such time as has been explained. Conversely, conveying belts 2| are slackened in speed when the volume of material or the like delivered to' the conveyor l3 is diminished'. *For this reason, the material delivered to conveyor 8 will also be diminished and the spreader l2 should be and is lowered to properly Spread'the thinner layer of material on the bel of conveyor 8 as has been explained.

In the embodiment of Figures 9 toll, inclusive, a reversible electri'c'motor 58' is provided "for directlydriving the lead screw 33 of the transmission device 3% through a slip clutch, in'lieu of" the reversible driving'mechanism'of Figures 1 to 8, inclusive. 'I'his motor' 581s controlled by a reversing switch 53 having an operatng lever 53 connected by a link 6| with the frame of the conveyor F35 "The arrangement is such that when theyolume of material orthe like deposited on tlie c'on'eyor i3 is sufficiently increased to cause saidconveyor I3 to swing downwardly against the action of weight ;|5;'sw itch 59 is operated to cause motored to turn lead screw 33 in proper direction for ca-using'the'conveying belts 2| to be speeded 1 up. The arrangement is also such that whenthe conveyor I3 andthe material fed there'tiofis overbalanced by the weight 16 and'the conveyor l3 's'wing s upwardly due to diminished supply of material or the like to said conveyor l3, the switch 59 will cause the motor 58 to be reversed, This reversal of motor 58 will cause rotation of lead screw 33 in the opposite direction so that the conveying belts 2| are slackened in speed. Any suitable safety slip clutch may be provided at 62 between the shaft of motor 58 and the lead screw 33 so that motor 58 may continue to operate after turning lead screw 33 to its limit of movement in either direction, without damage to the lead screw 33 or parts actuated thereby.

In the embodiment of Figures 9 to 11, inclusive, the belts 55' and 5'! for operating the drum 5| may be driven by a belt gearing 63 from the shaft of motor 58 as shown in Figure 10. Otherwise, the embodiment of Figure 9 to 11, inclusive, corresponds to that of Figures 1 to 8, inclusive, and remaining parts of both forms correspond and are indicated by similar reference characters.

The operation of the various elements and mechanisms has been explained during description of the construction, and it is accordingly believed that the operation will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art without further explanation. Minor changes in structural details and further modifications are contemplated such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. It will be seen that the invention relates to an apparatus wherein the speed of movement of the trays past the hopper varies in accordance with the volume of material fed to the trays.

What I claim is:

i. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an endless belt-conveying means for continuously carrying receptacles past a feed hopper, means for continuously delivering articles or the like to said feed hopper including a feed conveyor tiltable about a horizontal axis, yieldable means acting to normally swing said feed conveyor upwardly, driving means for said conveying means including a motor-driven variable speed transmission device having a speed control mechanism including a lead screw rotatable in opposite directions to vary'the speed of said conveying means, and reversible driving means for said lead screw connected and responsive to the tilting movements of said feed conveyor for rotating the lead screw in a direction to slacken the speed of the conveying means when the feed conveyor is swung upwardly by said yieldable means and for rotating the lead screw in the opposite direction to increase the speed of said conveyin means when the feed conveyor is swung downwardly against the action of said yieldable means by the articles or the like supplied to the feed. conveyor.

2. ihe construction defined in claim 1, wherein said reversible driving means includes a driven shaft geared to said lead screw, drive pulleys mounted above and below a belt of said conveying means for independent movement toward and away from said belt, similar non-positive driving connections between said pulleys and said driven shaft, and means connecting the feed conveyor to said pulleys for moving one of the pulleys into engagement with said belt and the other pulley out of engagement therewith when the feed conveyor is swung upwardly and for moving said one pulley out of engagement with said belt and the other pulley into engagement therewith when the feed conveyor is swung downwardly.

3. The construction defined in claim 1, in combination with a hopper arranged to receive the articles or the like from said feed conveyor and to discharge the same into the receptacles placed on said conveying means, a normally open closure gate for the outlet of said hopper, and means operable by transverse vertical walls of said receptacles for closing said closure gate when said walls are registered with the hopper outlet and for permitting opening thereof when said walls move out of registry with said outlet.

4. The construction defined in claim 1, in combination with an endless belt supply conveyor for delivering the articles or the like to the feed conveyor, a vertically movable spreader for evenly spreading the articles or the like on said endless belt supply conveyor, and means operated by said reversible driving means for raising said spreader when the conveying means is speeded up and for lowering the same when the speed of said conveying means is slackened.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of endless belt receptacle conveying means, means for continuously delivering articles or the like to said conveying means including a feed conveyor tiltable about a horizontal taxis, yieldable means acting to normally swing said feed conveyor upwardly, driving means for said conveying means including a motordriven variable speed transmission device having a speed control mechanism including a lead screw rotatable in opposite directions to vary the speed of said conveying means, and a reversible driving motor for said lead screw connected and responsive to the tilting movements of said feed conveyor for rotating the lead screw in a direction to slacken the speed of the conveying means when the feed conveyor is swung upwardly by said yieldable means and for rotating the lead screw in the opposite direction to increase the speed of said conveying means when the feed conveyor is swung downwardly against the action of said yieldable means by the articles or the like supplied to the feed conveyor.

6. The construction defined in claim 5, in combination with a reversing switch controlling the driving motor of said lead screw, and an operating connection between said reversing switch and said feed conveyor.

PETER AUBERMAN.

Images